Mid and East Antrim council has refused an offer of money from Stormont to assist asylum seekers and refugees.

The local authority is alone among the north’s 11 councils in declining its share of £1.5 million.

The unionist-dominated council voted last month by 25 to 12 to reject an Alliance motion that would have seen it draw down £97,000 from the Executive Office

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The Steering Committee for People of African descent in Ireland that is working with the Government of Ireland to implement the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024) , in collaboration with AkiDwA, invites you to an online conference, Women of African Descent, Recognition, Justice, and Development which will be held on 27th April from 3-5pm IST.

Adopted in 2014 The International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024) seeks to address injustice and discrimination faced by people of African descent globally, by reflecting on and considering the history of discrimination and mistreatment of people of African and African Descent since slavery, colonialism through to contemporary times. As noted by Durban Declaration and Programme for Action in article 69: racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance reveal themselves in a differentiated manner for women and girls and can be among the factors leading to a deterioration in their living conditions, poverty, violence, multiple forms of discrimination, and the limitation or denial of their human rights.

Migration has been a key trigger of mental health for African women in Europe, the conditions that make women leave their countries and migration journey affect many women even before arrival, while others do not make it to countries of destination. In 2017, 26 young Nigerian women perished at the Mediterranean Sea enroute to Italy for example. Majority are affected by conflict, war, violence while others are survivors of gender specific harm which includes Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and rape. In EU estimates, there are 600,000 African women within Europe living with the consequences of FGM. Further 190,000 girls in 17 European countries alone are at risk of being mutilated. African women often suffer high maternal mortality due to limited access to maternal health care and as Black women, they are three times more likely to die from pregnancy related causes than white women due to factors including variations in quality health care, structural racism, and implicit bias. On arrival to countries of destination in Europe, Women of African Descent are hampered by many challenges which include, language barrier, lack of access to justice, tough immigration laws, exploitation, and re-trafficking. Immigration status of each woman determines support and integration prospects and the majority spend up to 10 years in Limbo, waiting to be granted refugee status or residency permits.
This conference will highlight the intersectionality between migration, gender, racism and discrimination in the European context and will articulate how the three key objectives (Recognition, Access to Justice and Development) of the international decade for people of African descent can be applied to achieve better outcomes for women of African descent in Europe.

The conference will focus on key areas listed below and speakers from at least five EU countries will give their Countries’ perspectives of the situation of Women of African Descent in one of these four areas, followed by open discussions:
1. Gender based violence.

2. Health (Mental health & Reproductive health)

3. Employment

4. Access to support and Services.

We look forward to your participation.

Here is an Eventbrite link with which to register for and to access the conference <https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/women-of-african-descent-in-europe-recognition-justice-and-development-tickets-585276205887> The attached posters also have a QR code with which to access the same.
Kind regards,
Dr Salome Mbugua

 

Training Provider Needed

Empowering ACSONI Staff and Volunteers: Building Skills for Effective Charity Work

Who we are.

The African and Caribbean Support Organisation Northern Ireland (ACSONI) is an autonomous community-based Organisation formed in 2003 with a proactive approach towards targeting needs and facilitating belonging among individuals from the continent of Africa, the Caribbean (West Indies) and other families in Northern Ireland with these linkages.

ACSONI works extensively to alleviate the everyday pressures experienced by those in our communities who are socially and economically disadvantaged. In doing so, our work has been benefiting the community through our dedicated drop-in support services and comprehensive programmes.

ACSONI also assists in the preservation and promotion of the African & Caribbean peoples identity and cultural heritage, conveyed through arts, educational and cultural programmes, as well as the intercultural exchanges which aids in the wider integration process.

The work of the organisation is delivered by:

• a team of four staff (Business Manager, Policy Officer, Finance Officer and key worker
• Volunteers including six trustees and the chair of 5 working groups.
• Volunteers in working groups, namely: Education, Health, Policy & Human Rights, Women, Culture and Heritage

Our Needs

We need to strengthen the capacity of staff and leading volunteers to diagnose community needs, to develop and deliver programmes of work to meet specific outcomes.

Areas that need to be strengthened include:

• Programme development and management  
• Charity Funding and Financial management 
• Diversity and inclusion training
• Diversity and inclusion audit of programmes
• Community engagement & Strategic communication
• Programme evaluation and impact assessment
• Recruiting and engaging volunteers 
• Culturing Customer Centricity: understanding and responding to needs of stakeholders and clients

Training Objective:

We are seeking a training provider to lead a training programme that will deliver diversity and inclusion training, programme development and management and at least one other of need listed above. 

Award Criteria

The training programme must meet the following criteria:

• Commence and preferable completed in May 2023
• Delivered face-to-face.
• Evaluation and end of training report
• Plan to sustain training input.
• Cost shall not exceed £4,000.00.

Target Audience:

This training is to be delivered to trustees, staff and Heads of Working Groups.

Training Methodology:

The training should be delivered through a combination of interactive presentations, group discussions, case studies, and practical exercises. attendees will have the opportunity to learn from experienced trainer in the charity sector and share best practices with each other.

Expected Training Outcomes:

1. Improved understanding of the charity organisation’s mission and how to achieve its goals

2. Enhanced communication skills for fundraising, donor relations, and public outreach

3. Improved project management skills for planning, executing, and evaluating charity projects

4. Knowledge of addressing diversity and inclusion issues in charities

5. Strategies to improve effectiveness of volunteers in Working Groups

Submissions Guidelines

Interested providers are invited to submit proposal to deliver the training by 5pm on Friday 28, April 2023.  The submissions must include:

• An outline of the strategy to deliver the training programme within a specific time frame.
• Details of areas to be covered and expected outcomes.
• Costs (which should include provision on training workbook)
• Outline of experience of training provider

 

ACSONI Admin 

ACSONI [African and Caribbean Support Organisation Northern Ireland]

9 Lower Crescent

Belfast 

BT7 1NR

Tel: 028 9043 4090

Email: admin@acsoni.org

Website: https://www.acsoni.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acsonibelfast/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/InfoAcsoni

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acsoni/

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/acsoniofficialpage

The NBPA held a conference at University of East London on Thursday 20th April 2023 to mark the 30th anniversary of the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence.

Andy George, President of the National Black Police Association opened the event and was joined with speeches from Stuart Lawrence, Clive Driscoll and Mina Smallman.

A church service at St Martins in the Field, London will be held tomorrow and a private reception with the Lawrence’s and Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation after the service.

Please remember Stephen Lawrence, 22 April 2023 is the  30th anniversary of Stephen’s murder and Stephen Lawrence Day.

The Stephen Lawrence day Foundation would value your support in the form of a small pledge…

“This Stephen Lawrence Day I pledge to (insert your pledge here) to make sure the next 30 years look different from the last.”

@sldayfdn  

#stephenlawrencedaypledge 

 

 

 

 

As Ramadan draws to an end, best wishes to all in Belfast marking Eid!!

 

 

Eid Mubarak to those who observed Ramadhan

 

A reminder of the upcoming events for you to enjoy and make connections – See details below and attached.

 

• Multicultural Women’s Breakfast: We’ll have a fun ice-breaker, followed by a workshop ‘What Do I Need’ and then of course we’ll enjoy sharing breakfast together! Bring a Friend * Bring a Dish 😉 Registration is free here:https://bit.ly/MulticulturalWomensBreakfast_4thMay23
• Speak Up! : We’ll have a chance to listen to a participant talk, give feedback and share tips. Each attendee will also get a chance to speak, and followed by tea/coffee/snacks and open conversations  Registration is free here: bit.ly/SpeakUp-May

Hope you have a lovely sunny weekend! 😎

Victims of Slavery Support Services Adviser

Location: Belfast

Contract: Fixed Term until November 2023

Salary: £25,467

Increasing to £29,580 following successful completion of a 6 months probation period. Salary review pending

Closing Date: 28 April 2023

We are currently looking for two Victims of Slavery Support Services Advisers to join our dedicated and compassionate Victims of Slavery Support Services (VSSS) team, on a Fixed Term Contract. 

The successful candidate will be hard working and accountable, have demonstrable experience of working in a client focussed environment, providing excellent customer service and be passionate about protecting our vulnerable clients.

This role will work as part of Migrant Help’s Victims of Slavery Support Service team and to provide a professional support service to victims of trafficking and ensure a seamless service to clients. This includes the provision of support, advice and guidance in addition to providing assistance with the completion of any relevant support applications.

If you are a strong communicator, have demonstrable experience of prioritising and working on your own initiative whilst respecting boundaries and a looking for an exciting role within a charity that is making a difference, we’d love to hear from you!

As the Victims of Slavery Support Services Adviser your duties would include:

• Provide support to victims of trafficking (known as clients), as directed by the VSSS Team Manager
• Manage a case load offering appropriate individual support to client
• Refer clients to health and specialist agencies as necessary
• Arrange for the provision of necessities, including accommodation, food, clothing, toiletries
• Arrange meaningful activities, which may include social events, language lessons, orientation briefings, etc
• Support the process of clients being able to obtain employment and affordable housing, where appropriate
• Arrange the process of supporting a return to a client’s country of origin, where appropriate
• Collect management information as required
• Arrange for the preparation of appropriate documentation with Home Office/embassies, as appropriate in NRM referral
• Provide support to other colleagues as and when required
• Provide telephone assistance and new referral meet and greet during unsocial hours on a rota basis
• Keep up to date with legislation and the impact it may have on service users, and disseminate as appropriate to the team
• Undertake any other duties which may be assigned from time by the VSSS Team Manager

The experience and skills you need:

• Demonstrable administrative and organisational skills
• Excellent computer skills, competent in the use of MS Office applications and specifically the ability to use Microsoft Excel to a good standard
• Excellent Customer Care Skills with meticulous attention to detail
• Have high attention to detail and ability to problem solve
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to work under pressure, both individually and in a team

What else to expect:

• An induction and training period, where you will learn about the National Referral Mechanism and our systems, meet your new colleagues, develop your customer service skills and learn what makes our VSSS team and organisation a ‘Great Place to Work’
• Our VSSS department is open Monday to Friday, you will work hours between 9am and 5pm. You will also need to be available to help on our Out Of Hours service on a rota basis.
• You will be required to work in one of our offices regularly, depending on operational needs, the remainder of your time will be home-working or travelling to visit clients in the region.

About Migrant Help:

Migrant Help is a leading charity that has been established for over 50 years and delivers a range of support and advice services to migrants across the UK. Our vision is for a global society that protects vulnerable migrants, treats them with respect and enables them to reach their full potential.

We place a high value on employees in relation to the work that they do and the benefits the organisation offers, with an ethos of being a Great Place to Work.

These are some of the benefits we offer:

• Flexibility and work life balance
• Enhanced family friendly provisions
• Additional holiday entitlements
• Perkbox benefits
• Non-contributory pension scheme.

At Migrant Help, we foster a culture in which equality, diversity and inclusion are recognised, valued and encouraged. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, we match your skills with the needs of our organisation. As long as you share our values, vision and goals. We welcome applications from candidates regardless of their age, religion or belief, race, gender reassignment, disability, sexual orientation, sex, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity.

Migrant Help is committed to safeguarding those we provide a service to, applicants will have to undergo strict vetting procedures throughout different stages of the recruitment process.  

– This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

Therefore the applicant must:

• Be able to provide documents to show their right to work in the UK i.e. passport or other right to work documents such as work visa, settled status document, certificate of registration, naturalization as a British citizen, Biometric Residence Permit etc.

• Provide full employment history for the previous 3 years and/or suitable documentation to cover any gaps in employment.

We encourage applications from disabled people by offering them an interview if they meet the minimum criteria for the job

See the Job Description for full person specification.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please click on the ‘use this link to apply’ button and complete the online application form attaching a copy of your CV and cover letter.

Selection Criteria

Your application will be assessed against the job description and person specification, which can be found via the above link, we therefore recommend you review both before you apply.
Closing Date: 28 April 2023
As part of your role, it is important you operate within Migrant Help’s values:
Protection, Diversity, Equality, Partnership, Innovation and Excellence.
Migrant Help is proud to be an equal opportunities employer.

https://migranthelp.peoplehr.net/Pages/JobBoard/Opening.aspx?v=4f8eaf85-f484-4b2c-923a-0dc33d4e746f

Belfast Telegraph Feature Story 18.04.23

Can Northern Ireland do more to improve diversity, equality and inclusion in entrepreneurship and help fuel a better and more inclusive economy? Ulster Bank hosted leaders from across the sectors to discuss what can be done to improve the business landscape here.

Nisha Tandon, of ArtsEkta – one of Ireland’s largest cultural organisations – says it’s about building confidence, and also moving away from seeing the same people at events or on panels, and creating something more representative.

“We are going to see the same old people. I have been here for 45 years and have the confidence… but there are many others who are really better business people than what I am but they just don’t have that confidence to come out,” she said. “It is very important to bring that out in a person of colour.”

That move away from business or event panels which are not diverse is a key step along the way.

“It’s difficult to get started on the journey but I don’t think it’s difficult once you get on the journey – when you speak to someone and say ‘we’re looking for someone who has this experience’,” John Ferris said.

Diane Wabo of the Ethnic Minority Employment & Entrepreneurship Network NI came to Northern Ireland around 11 years ago, as a trained accountant, but initially struggled to find the path in which she needed to take in order to get back to work.

That prompted her to launch a new awards scheme – the Minorities Recognition Awards NI, which is currently seeking sponsors and takes place on October 7 – to showcase and celebrate the high-performing, diverse and exciting range of businesses that make up the further integration of minority business owners and contribute to the country’s economy.

“It’s about trying to build confidence and encourage people,” she says. “The awards are to showcase excellence among the minority community – business owners and professionals. To help build that confidence.”

Orla McKeating, Diversity Mark NI, said that as an organisation it’s continuing on its journey to promote diversity and inclusion.

It now deals with some 155 organisations and 200,000 employees across the UK and Ireland. “My personal mission and purpose is about creating those trusted spaces for people to have the difficult conversations and move into a more equitable, diverse and inclusive society,” she said.

Susan Nightingale of the British Business Bank told guests gathered that the organisation recently produced a report looking at diversity and entrepreneurship across the UK.

“We realised it goes a lot broader than gender and ethnicity,” she says. “We opened that up and included disability, neurodiversity and those who identify as coming from a socio-economically disadvantaged background.”

The organisation asked entrepreneurs what the key barriers were and what they wanted to see to make the process easier and more accessible.

It’s identified four new workstreams, including accreditation within entrepreneurship, a female-focused finance programme, looking at the socio-economically disadvantaged side and producing a resources guide across areas of diversity.

Eoin McFadden of the Department for the Economy said his department has a number of colleagues working directly and specifically on the area of diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. “The door is well and truly open,” he says. “One of the things we are looking at actively is saying that if we are serious about diversity and inclusion, it’s a cornerstone of what we are doing and we should be building it in as a matter of design.”

 

 

 

Source article can be found at https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/ulsterbusiness/features/whats-needed-to-make-ni-a-more-diverse-entrepreneurial-landscape/554860941.html 

In partnership with Community Advice Lisburn & Castlereagh (CALC) and funded by Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Advice NI and CALC will be hosting a number of information sessions aimed at Asylum seekers, Refugees, and Migrants living in Northern Ireland and those who work with them.

The aim is to ensure that everyone has access to information about their rights, entitlements, and responsibilities.

Interpreters will be available for sessions as needed.

Confidential benefits and one-off immigration advice are also available through this project.

Sessions

We are offering sessions on the following topics:

• Asylum and Refugee Rights
• Refugee Family Reunion, Joining Family Members of EU Nationals, Family Visa
• Settlement in the UK
• Benefits for Refugees
• British Citizenship
• Cost of Living Support

Note: Further information about session content is available via the Event Bright link.

Register Now

Places are limited so register today.

Review the programme of events below and choose the topic area and location that suits you. Follow the link for your preferred session/s to register.

You need to register separately for all sessions you wish to attend.

Contact

If you are based in the Lisburn/Castlereagh council area and would like to host an advice or information session for a group, please contact the Advice NI office on 02890 645919, email comms@adviceni.net.

Programme of Events

You can also download the schedule below as a PDF.

Online via Zoom

Date	Time	Topic	Register
Thursday 20th April	11.00am -12.30pm	Asylum & Refugee Rights	Register now

 

Belfast area

Thursday 27th April

Time	Venue	Topic	Register
11.00am – 12.30pm	Advice NI Office Forestview	Refugee Family Reunion, Joining Family Members of EU Nationals, Family Visa	Register now

 

Thursday 4th May

Time	Venue	Topic	Register
11.00am – 12.30pm	Advice NI Office Forestview	Settlement in the UK	Register now

Thursday 11th May

Time	Venue	Topic	Register
10am – 12pm	Advice NI Office Forestview	British Citizenship	Register now

Venue address

• Advice NI Office – Forestview, Purdy’s Lane, Newtownbreda, Belfast, BT8 7AR

 

Lisburn and Castlereagh area

Friday 5th May

Time	Venue	Topic	Register
14pm – 16pm	CA Lisburn & Castlereagh	Benefits for Refugees	Register now

 

Friday 12th May

Time	Venue	Topic	Register
14pm – 16pm	CA Lisburn & Castlereagh	Cost of Living Support	Register now

Venue address

• Community Advice Lisburn & Castlereagh – 50 Railway Street Lisburn BT28 1XP