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ASPIRE - Asylum Seekers Pursuing Integration Refuge and Empowerment

Logo for ASPIRE - Asylum Seekers Pursuing Integration Refuge and Empowerment www.aspire-birmingham.org.uk 

Partnership information

Description

people

 Background

Asylum seekers face a variety of challenges which affect their ability to integrate into everyday life in Birmingham and Solihull. Learning language skills, coping with trauma, making a new start and finding a role when work is not an option are all significant barriers which would challenge most people in similar circumstances. In addition to this the negative attention and hostility directed towards them in some sections of the media make the whole process of integration even more difficult.

ASPIRE’s objectives fit with the UK policy rationale which centres on involving asylum seekers in useful pre-vocational activities which will improve their employability status in the UK or elsewhere. It is a sub-regional DP focusing on Birmingham and Solihull. Within the Aspire DP there are in excess of 30 partners representing the statutory sector (eg Learning and Skills Council, City Council and voluntary sectors (eg Birmingham Voluntary Sector Council, refugee community organisations and networks).

Aims 

Asylum Seekers Pursuing Integration Refuge and Empowerment (ASPIRE) Development Partnership aims to pilot creative ways to ensure individuals and organisations can support people seeking asylum in order that their time awaiting a decision is constructive and useful and enables them to prepare more effectively for their next step.

The main aim of the DP has been to ensure that asylum seekers in the sub region are integrated effectively and able to make a positive contribution to the community in which they are living whilst awaiting a decision on status.

Objectives

Projects funded by ASPIRE fit under the following themes:

  1. Promoting Community Cohesion through Arts
  2. Developing English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
  3. Capacity Building for Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs)
  4. Creating Volunteering Opportunities
  5. Transnational Co-operation with Partners in Italy, Germany and Poland.

The projects have all been addressing specific areas to improve access to and delivery of services to asylum seekers.

Target Groups

Asylum seekers in the Birmingham sub-region

Video interviews

Building Relationships - Dave Roberts, Partner 1.4 MB
Innovation - Dave Roberts, Partner 2.5 MB
Mainstreaming - Dave Roberts, Partner 1.6 MB
Project Activity - Dave Roberts, Partner 2.2 MB
Purpose of Project - Dave Roberts, Partner 1 MB

Round

2

Round 1 to Round 2

In Round 1 Birmingham and Solihull Learning and Skills Council was the lead body for the DP FORWARD and has carried some key personnel and experience through into running the Round 2 partnership.

Lead partner

Learning and Skills Council Birmingham and Solihull
www.lsc.gov.uk

Core partners

Banner Theatre Company Ltd, Birmingham City Council, Birmingham RACE Action Partnership, Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC), Institute of Social Entrepreneurs, South Birmingham College

Transnational partnerships

Information for Transnational partnerships

Contact

Amrik Dhesy, Learning and Skills Council Birmingham and Solihull,

End-dates

Action 2: 31 December 2007
Action 3: 31 March 2008

Equal theme

Asylum seekers

Origins

This partnership came together from an existing Strategy Group in the Refugee Support Partnership. The Birmingham Voluntary Sector Council was the lead delivery partner in collaboration with voluntary sector agencies.

Beneficiaries

Asylum seekers
Total beneficiaries: 150

Intended impact/ sustainability

The work of the DP will change the way loosely associated affiliates work together to form a strong understanding of the issues how the voluntary and mainstream providers can assist asylum seekers using a variety of the methodologies being tested. It is intended that lasting new ways of working will result.

Scatter plot

Process X
Practice X
Product X
Policy X X
City Local Regional National European

Process/Local

The DP is trialling a number of processes to reach and support asylum seekers. The successful methods will be adpted as standard practice by partner organisations.

Practice/Local

The work undertaken by the Professional Development Centre will enable the establishment of a growing group of people who are trained to deliver Vocational ESOL

Product/National

The Theatre show being developed by a partner in ASPIRE will be available to organisations locally and potentially nationally.

Policy/Local

The DP will have learned valuable lessons about how to promote community cohesion. This learning will be mainstreamed through other funding streams such as Arts Councils, Local Authorities and the Lottery funds

Policy/National

The work of the DP will contribute to the development of a National LSC policy for supporting asylum seekers - especially in the light of new asylum legislation which is due to come into effect in December 2007 whereby decisions on the right to remain will be taken within a shorter time scale. Activity to support asylum seekers will need to embed the processes and practices within this concentrated time period and access people in their emergency accommodation.

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Connections

Connections

Activities and products

Activity
Asylum Stories through Theatre Banner has been creating a new multimedia documentary theatre production based on the real life experience of asylum seekers in Birmingham. The show...
Activity
CONCENTUS Concentus has been building on the broad expertise of its four Transnational partners. Its aims are to tackle the issues facing asylum seekers and refugee... CONCENTUS is a transnational partnershipExpand/collapse Products (2)
Activity
Developing Sustainable RCOs This project has been addressing the needs identified in the ASPIRE mapping of RCO (Refugee Community Organisations).   Activity has...Expand/collapse Products (1)
Activity
Early Access to ESOL The project was developed and delivered between Bournville College and Community Integration Partnership and was undertaken between January and March...Expand/collapse Products (1)
Activity
Equal ASPIRE Development Agency Toolkit i-SE Professional Development Centre has designed a toolkit for Development Agencies to support asylum seeker organisations in delivering Skills for...Expand/collapse Products (1)
Activity
ESOL with a purpose Based on the issues identified in action 1 of ASPIRE i-SE Professional Development Centre for Skills for Life have designed and have been implementing...Expand/collapse Products (1)
Activity
Growing your own IAG The project seeks to develop and deliver training programmes for volunteers and workers in RCOs to offer appropriate information, advice and guidance...Expand/collapse Products (1)
Activity
Infusion Infusion is a music project working with asylum seekers to devise a performance set and to deliver music workshops in community and educational settings. ...Expand/collapse Products (1)
Activity
Partners in Progress An ESOL programme specifically geared to employability through vocational language combined with advice and guidance, individualised support, and bridges...Expand/collapse Products (1)
Activity
Providing Equality Capacity Building: Raising the Platform for the Unheard Voices This project has been working closely with a number of RCOs within the Birmingham area to provide a range of development initiatives to ensure...Expand/collapse Products (1)
Activity
RCO Leadership Peer Support Project & Network Development This project has been focusing on a core ASPIRE objective to build sustainable and robust leadership and development skills for RCOs. b:RAPwill work...Expand/collapse Products (1)
Activity
RCO Skills for Life This project has been supporting the development of voluntary and community organisations working with asylum seekers and refugees and the improvement...
Activity
Sanctuary The project has been establishing a specialist counselling team to work with 5 new community organisations to develop basic counselling services for...Expand/collapse Products (1)
Activity
Soft Indicators A methodology is being developed which will capture the impacts of the interventions piloted by the DP. ...Expand/collapse Products (1)
Activity
Support for RCOs This project has been assisting asylum seeker communities and individuals engage in basic skills learning by working with support agencies and training...Expand/collapse Products (1)
Activity
Tailor Made ESOL Developing and piloting an ESOL curriculum that is tailored to the needs of asylum seekers. ...Expand/collapse Products (1)
Activity
Volunteer Toolkit for RCOs Groundwork has produced a Volunteers’ Toolkit for RCOs which has good practice policies and procedures to use when working with volunteers from...
Activity
Women in Arts A pioneering project working with women which has been exploring stories that reflect and draw from the women’s lives.  It encourages...Expand/collapse Products (1)
Print
A mapping of refugee and community organisations in Birmingham and SolihullThis report analyses the mapping exercise carried out in Action 1 in order to provide evidence and recommendations which guided the implementation of capacity...
Print
Access, learning and employment needs of newcomersThe Centre for Urban and Regional Studies at the University of Birmingham was commissioned by Birmingham and Solihull Learning and Skills Council to undertake...
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