May 2001, issue 5

Latest Forum Developments
Ealing Refugee Forum has now appointed a new full-time Co-ordinator. Having obtained funding for this post through a grant from the RENEWAL SRB partnership interviews were held on 27th April. As a result Mr. Rumwold Leigh has been appointed as full-time Co-ordinator starting on 23rd May. Rumwold has most recently worked as Administrator and Strategic Development Worker for the Society of Afghan Residents in the U.K. which is one of our member organisations and has been involved with the Forum since its foundation in 1996.

Having obtained funding for a Co-ordinator Ealing Refugee Forum has now been offered the possibility of a second post. As a result of meetings with the London Borough of Ealing and Ealing Race Equality Council the Forum has been offered the possibility of applying for funding for an Outreach Worker under the Refugee Integration Challenge Fund which was established by the Home Office in April. The purpose of the post would be to assist small groups who do not meet funding criteria to take the steps required to do so and so gain funding. This is a very important way of supporting the many small refugee communities in Ealing who are left with no funding at all because they do not have the resources or expertise to do what is required. An Expression of Interest was drafted by our fundraising consultant Ms. Angela Richardson on 4th April and we are now waiting to see if a fuller proposal is called for. Our thanks go to Ealing Council and Ealing Race Equality Council for enabling us to pursue this opportunity rather than doing so themselves as would once have been the case.
By now the Forum should have been occupying new offices at Acton Town Hall. There have however been several delays to this process as a result of legal complications arising from our request for adequate security. Other options are currently being considered but in one way or another relocation to our own offices will become a reality in the near future. We are continuing to liaise with the local authority to resolve the outstanding issues.

Other Refugee Forum
The new Hounslow Refugee Forum is continuing to work toward an AGM at which its first formally constituted Management Committee will be elected. At present it is doing all the necessary donkey work to prepare for this such as drafting a constitution and work plan. This is a test of character and commitment for the member organisations who continue to demonstrate their seriousness and competence. Anyone wishing to take part in Hounslow Refugee Forum should contact Mr. Hassan Issa on 8577-3226 or 07951-618309 (mobile).

We have recently been contacted by Haringey Refugee Forum which is seeking to formally establish itself. At present it is looking for model constitutions and going through the formal mechanisms required to establish an organisation. Ealing Refugee Forum has offered to help Haringey establish itself along the lines followed successfully in Ealing which are largely matters of commonsense and principle. For further details contact Mr. Mohamed Maigag on 8801-1307.

In addition to the work of individual fora the West London Refugee Standing Committee (‘Wrestlers’) is continuing to meet to make positive contributions to the development of the refugee forum concept and to the work of RENEWAL SRB 6 which covers the same area of benefit. Wrestlers made a strong contribution to the development of the Year Two Delivery Plan of RENEWAL and has continued to help that project work in a way refugee groups can access. The most recent Wrestlers meeting on 24th April confirmed the need for Wrestlers to exist independently of RENEWAL and decided to rotate the times and locations of Wrestlers meetings so that all members are able to contribute. It has also made further suggestions for the development of the RENEWAL Community Chest and for the assessment process for the larger grants to ensure that applicant organisations are owned and led by refugees. Wrestlers meets in between RENEWAL Steering Group meetings in order to present proposals to that body. For further details contact Mr. Rumwold Leigh on 8992-4621.

Baseline Studies
One of the buzz phrases in the refugee world at the moment is ‘baseline study’. Every week a new one seems to land on our doorstep and Ealing Refugee Forum is actively involved in two of them. The first is from mBa Consultancy and Research which has been commissioned by RENEWAL to undertake a research project looking at the needs of the refugee population in West London. This builds on work previously undertaken by Market and Opinion Research International and is concerned with mapping service provision and identifying unmet needs. mBa is seeking the active involvement of refugees and their community organisations at all stages of the research and as it is a RENEWAL study it will be refugee led. mBa has previously undertaken work for Ealing Refugee Forum and participation in the study is encouraged. Those who have not yet received a questionnaire should contact Mr. Komlan Gnamatsi at mBa on 7978-4997.

The other study we are involved with is the Refugee Needs Study which is being undertaken by Ealing Working Group on Refugees and Asylum Seekers which has also been aided by Market and Opinion Research International. This is the mapping of numbers and needs which we have been advocating for years as a means of planning services in Ealing. The study aims to interview refugees and asylum seekers face to face as a means of filling in the survey questionnaire which has been developed through consultation with refugee groups. Interpreters and volunteers are now being sought to assist with the interviews following the pattern of a successful pilot project. Refugee communities are encouraged to play an active role in this project and further details may be obtained from Ms. Lainya Offside-Keivani at Ealing Council on 8579-2424.

Latest News
A new health centre for refugees is about to open in Southall. This is the Southall and West Ealing Primary Care Access Centre at 1a Woodlands Road which is planning to open its doors in July. This service has been introduced as a response to the difficulties many refugees face in accessing health services. The new centre will act as the first port of call for refugees and will provide a full assessment of health needs and ensure that clients are registered with G.Ps as this has often proved problematic. It also aims to link refugees with their community organisations and other agencies and guide clients through the range of health services available and when they should be accessed. Among other direct services it will also provide screening for tuberculosis and wound referral. This is a positive step which Ealing Refugee Forum is keen to support and has already sought to. For further details contact Ms. Sally-Anne Vidall on 8942-3077.
Some refugee groups in Ealing will have recently received a grant from Refugees in Effective and Active Partnerships (REAP) under its Small Grants Programme. Many groups have failed to notice that the Terms and Conditions of Grant distributed with the grant cheques are not the same as those distributed with the application forms. The discrepancy may have serious consequences for groups who accept these cheques. Ealing Refugee Forum has returned its own grant cheque to REAP and complained to London Boroughs Grants from whom we await a response.

Forthcoming Events
Ealing Refugee Forum has obtained some funding from the Refugee Council to host a Refugee Week event in 2001. We have consistently attracted funding to host such events and in the past have combined a cultural programme with the launch of reports and of the Forum itself. This year’s event aims to combine a cultural programme with an exhibition on refugee groups in Ealing to which we are inviting groups to contribute material. It is envisaged that this exhibition will be used many times in different locations and as such it forms an ideal opportunity for groups to present the reality of their communities to combat the racist myths which are all most people hear. The event will be held in Ealing Town Hall on 28th June and we hope to arrange the usual panoply of musicians and artists from refugee producing nations as well as food from different communities and stalls. All those interested in taking part should contact the Co-ordinator on 8992-4621.

Three Bridges Primary and Nursery School in Melbury Avenue in Southall has asked Ealing Refugee Forum to provide a refugee speaker during Refugee Week. The school is also seeking to organise visits by artists or musicians from a refugee background of which there are many in Ealing based communities. This is a good opportunity for refugee groups in Ealing to present themselves as they really are to people who want to know. Anyone interested in providing a speaker for the school should contact Ms. Karin Gordon on 020-8751-1491.

Training Opportunities
London Advice Services Alliance (LASA) has sent us details of its welfare benefits training programme from May to November. These courses cover many areas refugee community organisations give advice in every day such as benefits for people subject to immigration control, challenging housing benefit decisions and social fund cases. Readers may remember that Ealing Refugee Forum hosted a LASA Welfare Benefits Training Day in 2000 which was much appreciated by those who attended. Details of courses and bookings can be obtained from LASA Advice and Training Team, 3rd Floor, Universal House, 88/94 Wentworth Street, London E1 7SA telephone 020-7377-9981.

We have also received details of the June and July training workshops offered by TIDE which is based at Ealing Voluntary Service Council. These are aimed at voluntary and community groups in Ealing and Harrow and cover a variety of relevant subjects such as Management Committee Roles and Responsibilities, Supervision and Motivation of Staff and Developing a Fundraising Strategy. TIDE also offers a number of I.T. courses and is holding an open information session on July 2nd on the subjects of its Trainer Development Programme and Practical Quality Assurance. For more details contact Ms. Stella Merryweather on 8579-6273.

London Voluntary Service Council is also running a programme of training courses to enhance the effectiveness of voluntary organisations. These include courses on Health and Safety, Communication and Presentation Skills and Staff Development and are held at the London Voluntary Sector Resource Centre at 356 Holloway Road. This is a comprehensive programme with something relevant to everyone involved in our sector. For a brochure contact LVSC Training on 7700-8113.

The University of East London is seeking to challenge Oxford University by offering an M.A. in Refugee Studies. This is a one year full-time or two years part-time course and is supported by a variety of refugee support bodies and aid agencies. Studies of International Human Rights and International Refugee Law are among the course options available. The course is intended for those with a good undergraduate degree or comparable professional or research experience and applications from a wide range of communities are welcomed. For full details contact Ms. Yvette Fitzgerald on 8223-2743.

Hammersmith & West London College is also offering a better than usual brand of English course with the help of Action Acton funding. This is an Intensive English Language Training course which is offered free to residents of the Action Acton area of benefit who have qualifications and work experience in their native countries but need an English language qualification to obtain work or study in the U.K. Each course prepares the student to take the International English Language Test which is widely recognised by academic and professional selection bodies. To register for this course contact Rachel Kirsch on 020-7565-1240.


Funding Opportunities
Ealing Voluntary Service Council is once again hosting a project which helps groups apply for the European Social Fund. The new Building Community Capacity Project will help groups apply for Objective 3 funding which is targeted at refugees and people for whom English is a second language among other groups. The deadline for bids is June 18th and groups have to have well-developed project ideas and partners to work with before that date. Those wishing to apply should take the first steps now by contacting Mr. Aco Divac at EVSC on 020-8579-6273.

West London Learning and Skills Council is currently developing a bid to another European Social Fund initiative called EQUAL. This initiative is designed to combat inequalities of access to work and treatment at work which refugees have much experience of. Refugees are intended to be one of many groups to benefit from this bid which aims to draw down over ?2 million. RENEWAL is also involved in developing this bid and for further information contact Stephen James at RENEWAL on 8893-0318.

Job Opportunities
The new Southall and West Ealing Primary Care Access Centre previously mentioned is recruiting nurses and receptionists who can speak community languages. This is a vital component in the successful establishment of that centre. For details contact Ms. Sally-Anne Vidall on 8942-3077.

This newsletter is funded by the Camelot Foundation.
Ealing Refugee Forum is funded by RENEWAL, the London Borough of Ealing,
Comic Relief and the Trust for London.