Capacity Building

Asylum Seekers – Improving Access to Basic Skills

Aspire commissioned St Paul’s Development Agency to investigate ways of improving asylum seekers’ access to training in basic skills, spoken English, and literacy and numeracy.

The project aims and objectives were to work with three agencies that support refugee communities to identify and reduce barriers to access for Asylum Seekers, and to collaborate with three basic skills providers to improve access to training for Asylum Seekers.

For more information please visit the Improving Access to Basic Skills pages.

Developing Sustainable Organisations

The Muath Trust Development Agency and Fircroft College came together in 2006 to develop the Developing Sustainable Organisations Programme.

The goal of formalising this partnership was to enhance capacity building and learning options for RCOs.

This approach was particularly focussed on supporting and enabling participant organisations to improve the quality of the services they offer to asylum seekers.

Find out more about this programme

Enabling Towards Cohesion

B:RAP went into partnership with IMPACT, an Afro-British Support Services project which is a refugee led and managed community organisation based at Sparkbrook, Birmingham, to execute a project called Enabling Towards Cohesion for asylum seekers.

IMPACT aim to help and support asylum seekers and refugees overcome a variety of challenges and barriers they face to seamlessly integrate and contribute socially economically and culturally to their new home country and neighbourhoods. This project, funded by ASPIRE, informed asylum seekers about the support and services provided by NEXTSTEP contractors.

Find out more about Enabling Towards Cohesion

Recognising Trauma & Sanctuary Project

My Time is an independent counselling practice based in the inner city ward of Small Heath, Birmingham. In 2006 we began a research project that explored the psychological implications of being an asylum seeker as well as joining forces with ASIRT (Asylum Seekers Immigration Resource Team) and RESTORE to provide a drop-in service for asylum seekers and refugees.

The life of an asylum seeker is one of uncertainty, where employment is often denied and movement restricted. Many have to endure extreme poverty and racism whilst coming to terms with the experiences that have led them to seek asylum in the first place.

Find out more about these projects

Welcome Pack

The aim of this project was to develop welcome packs to provide generic information to help all asylum seekers access mainstream service provision for health, housing, education, social services, immigration and employment in appropriate community languages for new arrivals coming into the UK.

Find out more about the Welcome Pack project