coventry refugee and migrant centre

Annual Report 2014-15

CommunityourourStrength

INTRODUCTIONS & NEWS INTRODUCTIONS & NEWS

2 CRMC Annual Report CRMC Annual Report 3

CRMC’s double awards triumph

Some of the staff and volunteers at CRMC including Director Sabir Zazai in the tie. Picture: Sara Ormes.

IT is a real honour to join Coventry Refu-gee and Migrant Centre (CRMC) as the new Centre Director. As a former ben-eficiary of the organisation and someone with a strong interest in refugee integra-tion, I am excited to have the opportunity to move the organisation forward and extend its services.CRMC has a unique place in Coventry.

For 15 years it has been actively support-ing the welcome that the city extends to people choosing to start new lives here. My journey from stranger to citizen

started at CRMC almost 14 years ago when as an asylum seeker from Afghani-stan, I had the good fortune to access the services of the charity. It was then operating from a small shop

in Hillfields. Its services were limited to advice and guidance but the Centre also handed out second-hand clothing to refugees. Today, thanks to the ongoing support

of the Coventry City Council and other funders, CRMC has developed signifi-cantly, offering a range of services from therapy to general immigration advice.The organisation has also invested in

social enterprises including the Refugee Housing Project and LingoLinks, sur-pluses from which are invested back into the charity. CRMC is proud of its history and the

vital services it offers to some of the most vulnerable people in our city and I am excited to work with key stakeholders to extend our services further.As Centre Director, I am committed to

continue these services, supported by our hard-working staff and volunteers, and be innovative in developing additional services that will help newcomers to the city through the different stages of their settlement.

IN a difficult year when the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre had to offer more help to more people while making do

with fewer resources, the staff and volunteers had two big rea-sons to celebrate.Their work to help some of the most

disadvantaged people in the city was rewarded with two prestigious awards.The groundbreaking work of the Centre’s

translation service LingoLinks (see page 14) was honoured at the West Midlands Social Enterprise awards.The ceremony at Birmingham University

recognised social enterprises that demon-strated excellence in innovation, develop-ment and business performance. Marc-Philliph Hollasch who runs Lingo-

Links, said: “The award recognised our work in supporting and highlighting the contribution new communities make to Coventry through our provision of gold-standard translation and interpreting services.”He said LingoLinks was now aiming to

become Coventry’s main provider of those services.

The second major award went to the CRMC’s Community Partner-ship Unit for its work with young people in the city. The team won a Partnership Contribution award at a special event run by Coventry’s Integrated Youth Service.The award honoured the highly success-

ful events staged by the CPU in 2014 including a youth forum and a refugee simulation game at Sidney Stringer School (see page 7), and the Party in the Park (see pages 4 & 5).Dimitri Kafizas, of the CPU, said: “We

were delighted with the enthusiasm and inspiration that the young people brought to our events and activities.”The awards were bright spots that shone

through a difficult year at the CRMC.Director Sabir Zazai said that changes

to the welfare system had intensified the issues facing people arriving in Coventry.“CRMC, like many other voluntary sec-

tor organisations, is facing the challenge of delivering more with less,” he said. “The issues that clients present to us have

diversified and the need for CRMC inter-ventions has increased.”The number of appointments in the last

quarter of 2014 were up by 10 per cent over the previous quarter. And in 2014 CRMC supported the arrival of refugees from Syria.“We have been actively involved in sup-

porting their integration in the city,” said Sabir.And he added destitution was a major

issue among newly-arrived groups.

IT gives me great pleasure in my first year as Chair of the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre Board to present our annual report for 2014.This year has presented us with many

challenges which includes the departure of key members of staff including the Chief Executive Bhopinder Basi, who decided that it was time to move on after five years’ service. We also had to work hard to secure our tenure at our prem-ises at Bishop Street, and to develop and maintain the services we provide our clients.As ever, we are extremely grateful to

our key funder, Coventry City Council, for its continued support and for the direct support of the councillors who sit as members of the Board. We are only too aware that the ongoing cuts to local authority budgets will affect our funding in the future, and we are working hard as a Board to ensure the future shape of the organisation is streamlined and cost-effective, and that the services we deliver to some of the most vulnerable and needy people in our communities are unaffected.There was continued war and conflict

around the world in 2014, which led to mass migration of people, many of whom were fleeing for their lives. Coventry and CRMC have been very

pleased to welcome our first Syrian families to the city, but their stories are heart-breaking. They have left behind devastated homes and ruined commu-nities, and friends and families often without knowing their fate. We at CRMC are pleased to be at the forefront of of-fering the hand of friendship on behalf of Coventry, the city of Peace and Reconcil-liation, when it is most needed.The Centre would not have the impact it

has without the dedication, commitment and hard work of our wonderful staff and volunteers, and our Board members, all of whom regularly go the extra mile to maintain and improve the services we deliver. I am very grateful to you all.In 2015 the challenges we face are

unlikely to diminish. However we have a clear development plan and a desire to further develop links with statutory and voluntary partners in the city so that we can all benefit from mutual support, and strengthen the delivery of our services.

“One of the key trends we have seen is the increased level of destitution among EU migrants, which is partly due to changes in the benefits system.”He said CRMC was working closely with

Coventry University on setting up mecha-nisms to enable the charity to monitor the impact of changes to the welfare system on newly-arrived groups with multiple needs.Meanwhile, demand for the charity’s ser-

vices continues to rise. In the last quarter

LEADING Coventry councillors Phil Townshend and Damian Gannon were so impressed by the work of the CRMC when they dropped in to visit, that they signed a pledge of support for the char-ity.The visit in September was the first

time Cllr Townshend, the council’s deputy leader, and Cllr Gannon, cabinet member for finance, had seen the work of the CRMC at first hand.The charity’s Director Sabir Zazai now

has the framed pledge on the wall of his office at the CRMC base in Bishop

Street. Part of it says: “We pledge to promote the diversity of the people of Coventry by giving our support to the undertakings of the CRMC”.The councillors thanked the charity’s

staff and volunteers for their work help-ing to meet the needs of refugees and migrants, said Sabir.The councillors met a newly-arrived

refugee family from Syria.“Councillor Townshend welcomed them

to the city and said they would be Coven-trians before they knew it,” Sabir said.

of the year, CRMC had 654 clients, who made 2104 appointments seeking help. They ranged in age from 17 to 85, with most being 18 to 39.And among the 654 were 180 people

classed as destitute: They had no money and no means of getting any, and nowhere to live.

Most of the newcomers were from countries affected by war and social upheaval such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Eritrea and Sudan. But many countries were represented

among the CRMC clients, including per-haps surprisingly, Germany and Holland. And there was one from the UK.Sabir emphasised the work CRMC was

doing to engage with young people from newly-arrived groups. He said the charity had established trust with many differ-ent communities over the years and could work with the local authority in develop-ing innovative projects to protect young people from extremism and exploitation. The award won by the CPU was evidence of that.He added: “CRMC is committed to

strengthening the welcome that Coventry offers newly-arrived groups and we are thankful for the continuing support of the City Council.”

Councillors in pledge to support Centre

Impressed: Cllrs Phil Townshend(left) and Damian Gannon

So proud to runcharity whichhelped me

Thanks due to‘wonderful’ staffand volunteers

By Sabir ZazaiCentre Director

By Tim GodwinCRMC Chair

HOW YOU CAN HELPThe Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre relies on help from the public. Donations of food, toys, clothes, money and time are all welcome. People with professional skills can help: Even this report was produced by a volunteer. To help, call 02476 527120, email [email protected] or visit 15/16 Bishop Street, Coventry CV1 1HU.

REFUGEE WEEK REFUGEE WEEK

4 CRMC Annual Report

Day of sun, fun and games at Party in the Park

MORE than 1,000 people flocked to Primrose Hill Park in Hillfields, Coventry, for June’s Party in

the Park.The sun shone as music, dancing, food and

fun marked Refugee Week. Hundreds of people crowded round the main stage to see a host of community acts, including music, drama and poetry, and dramatic displays of drumming and martial arts.Away from the stage, one of the highlights

was “A Taste Of....” at which members of a number of different communities could show off their national cuisines. There was enough food for about 600 people – and it all went.This was the second Party in the Park and it

was a truly international affair. A Romanian choir opened the event, and more music was provided by a Roma youth band from Sidney Stringer School, and Slovakian performers. The Positive Youth Foundation arranged

sports and activities, the Somalian commu-nity organised a football tournament, and the Afghan taekwondo display was impressive.The Wood End Youth Group performed their

stunning music created by sampling thework of refugee musicians.But perhaps the showstopper was the

CRMC Women’s Group fashion show which drew on clothes and models from Coventry’s new communities and attracted the biggestcrowd of the afternoon (see Page 10).One of the organisers, CRMC’s Gordon

Sparkes said: “It was wonderful to see somany people from so many differentcommunities having fun together.”

CRMC Annual Report 5

More than 1,000 people flocked to Primrose Hill Park, bathed in sunshine, to celebrate each others’ cultures People soaked up the sunshine while catching the entertainment...

People from many of Coventry’s community groups joined in the fun

Music from around the world was part of the entertainment from the main stage

People of all ages and backgrounds were at thepark to enjoythe event, whichincluded some terrific music Youngsters put on a display of martial arts

...which included dancing, singing, poetry and drama


Everybody needs good neighbours

Pupils getroom fortheir views

THE house in Coun-don, Coventry, had a bad name. Its owners, Orbit Housing, had tried a number of uses –

as a hostel for drug users and a home for runaway children, among others.And when Orbit handed over the prop-

erty in Coundon Street to the CRMC to house refugees and migrants, people living nearby must have feared the worst.That was two years ago. Things have

moved on – how far, was illustrated when the tenants organised a summer barbecue for the neighbourhood.No fewer than 45 people were there,

enjoying the grilled meats and Iranian salads in a carefully cultivated garden which previously was an overgrown eyesore.Bhopinder Basi, then CRMC CEO,

said: “We take the good neighbours bit seriously. We know how important it is

to keep the house well, or we’ll lose it.”The eight-bedroom house, one of eight

run by the charity, gives temporary accommodation to seven men, refugees who have won the right to stay in the UK. And Toni Soni, who runs the Charity’s

Housing Project with Hannah Laing, Sroosh Konhyar, Massey Kharati and Jeremy Mead, explained that during their stay the tenants learn skills that might be useful in finding work and perhaps in settling down to a new life of independence in the UK.The team and volunteers organise a

gardening project which teaches the

tenants about gardening, of course, but also how to handle a budget, healthy living, and sharing their produce with the community.The cooking project similarly teaches

basic skills, and is also about trying to bring the neighbourhood together – as with the summer barbecue.Toni said: “People have a lot of pre-

conceptions about refugees and asylum seekers, but this is breaking down barriers, and refugees giving something back to the community.”And Bhopinder added: “We are not just

about providing housing for our clients, we want our clients to be part of a good neighbourhood.”He said that at the barbecue, one of

the neighbours, looking at the well cared-for house and the productive garden, said of the tenants: “Those boys are so wonderful”.Bhopinder added: “If we are meeting

the needs of our clients and the commu-nity, put it all together, and it amounts to the Coventry legacy of Peace and Reconciliation.”

HOUSING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP UNIT

Refugee projects bring community together

First Youth Forum is a hit

We want our clients to be part of a good neighbourhood

‘‘

Idea map: The young people were asked to create a display with their thoughts and conclusions and present them to the whole forum

CRMC staff, residents of the charity’s house and neighbours enjoying the barbecue

Extra treat: The students were able to air their views on a series of programmes broadcast on local radio station Hillz FM

Exploring the issues: The 50 students were joined byoutside experts to facilitate the discussions

A REFUGEE and a ferocious-looking dinosaur...what could they possi-bly have in com-mon? The question

came up at a special Coventry Youth Forum session organised by the CRMC’s Community Partnership Unit.The forum, at Sidney Stringer School in

June, brought together 50 students from 12 to 16-plus to discuss issues surround-ing immigration. Such things as what skills do newcomers bring with them; is the benefits system fair, and what can be done to help newcomers integrate.Dimitri Kafizas who with Gordon

Sparkes and Esther Portela Miranda organised the event, a first for the Unit,

explained: “We wanted to know their views, how immigration affected them.”The school worked with the pupils before

the event to come up with five questions to be discussed. The pupils were split in to small groups, each with an outside expert to help facilitate the discussion.Each group assembled an idea map – a

board with their conclusions on display and at the end, presented their ideas to the whole room. Along the way there was food, and music composed by the Wood End Youth Group.The event was a huge hit, said Dimitri.

“The young people were having discus-sions with each other and with adults, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.”Gordon added: “It wasn’t only about the

issues – it was also about letting the kids know that they are being listened to. It was a platform for their voices.”The youngsters were so inspired by the

forum that they want more. Several said they wanted to start their own debating society at school, and they want immi-gration to be included on their school’s citizenship curriculum.One pupil, Jai Aujla, said: “I liked the

creativity we were allowed to express ourselves.”And Musad Farah said: “I enjoyed meet-

ing new people and listening to other people’s views.”And as for the dinosaur: It featured on

one of the idea maps, described as fierce, dangerous, threatening. But then under a flap, the truth – this was a herbivore, a veggie, and not at all threatening despite its looks.The message that fears of newcomers are

often groundless was one of the most mov-ingly expressed at the forum.Dimitri said: “I thought, ‘Wow!’ these

kids are really showing us the way to go.”

CRMC Annual Report 98 CRMC Annual Report

FOOD FOR ALL FOOD FOR ALL

Help for Coventry’s most needy is on the menuGroup of young Muslim men making sure that no-one in the city has to go hungry

IT’S nearly six o’clock on a Thursday evening and Abrar Aziz and his team are stacking up dozens of small plastic containers on a long table.

The tea is brewing and already the distinc-tive smell of a good curry is starting to fill the reception area of the CRMC offices in Bishop Street.At 6pm on the dot the doors open and the

(mostly) men waiting outside troop in, ready for one of the few proper meals they’ll get this week.For the next hour, 40 to 50 people come in

for a meal. Some find company as well and

are happy to talk; many just eat and leave, some forget even to say thanks.They probably don’t realise it, but as they

are handed the containers of curry and rice and a cuppa, they are benefiting from one of the newest, and possibly most unusual charitable ventures in the city.The feeding station is run by a group of

young Muslim friends, all professionals – there’s a doctor, a pharmacist, Abrar who is a born-and-bred Coventrian is operations director with Capita – and they get sponsor-ship from Muslim businesses. One of their main supporters is the Birmingham-based charity Children in Deen which finances two days of feeding a month.But although the group are all Muslims,

everyone is welcome to share the food.It all started a couple of years ago when

Abrar, 38, a father-of-two, and a group of friends, decided that as good Muslims, they wanted to do something to help people in need.

“People told us there was no homeless problem,” said Abrar. “It was evident in a 10-minute walk around the streets that there was.”He said he and his friends were inspired

by the teachings of Islam which require Muslims to help those in need, and the life of the prophet Muhammad who fed hungry travellers regardless of race or religion in As-Suffa, a part of Medina.At first the group, who adopted the name

As-Suffa, patrolled the streets of Coventry with flasks of tea and coffee for the home-less. Later they linked up with the Coventry

Refugee and Migrant Centre and now oper-ate their feeding station on Wednesdays

and Thursdays. The ambition is to offer the service every day of the week.Who are the people being fed? Many are

rough sleepers, said Abrar, and some are referred by the CRMC. Some are asylum seekers, many are Brit-

ish born. Some have problems with alcohol, others a history of drug abuse, yet others struggle with mental health difficulties. Some are elderly, many are young. All are fed with no questions asked. “We don’t do this work for thanks,” said

Abrar. “We see it as our duty.”Pamela, one of the people enjoying a free

meal said: “I feel a lot better when I come here, they are lovely people. It’s something to look forward to.”

She added: “There’s nowhere else like this in Coventry.” And Mark said, between mouthfuls: “The lads are brilliant to people. Nice lads they are, lovely.”He said his benefits were being stopped so

he needed the free meal more than ever.Former CRMC boss Bhopinder Basi,

excited by the emergence of As-Suffa, said: “This is the new charity sector. “Thanks to them, 40 to 50 people are being

fed who would otherwise not be fed, and the business donors they’ve signed up would not be donating.This is the very essence of (David Cam-

eron’s) Big Society and it costs not an extra penny for the city council or the taxpayer.”

We don’t do this workfor thanks...we seethis as our duty

‘‘

A typical Thursday evening at the CRMC offices in Bishop Street... about 40 peoplereceive a free meal and a hot drink, and have a chance to relax and talk to others, or simply to sit quietly and enjoy the food

WOMEN sew-ing, others trying on clothes, some working on designs, kids

running around, a lot of talk, a lot of noise, a lot of laughter.Even now, Cassie Adjei of the Coventry

Refugee and Migrant Centre’s Safeguard-ing Unit chuckles as she remembers the preparations for the fashion show she helped organise in the summer.Chaotic it may have seemed at times,

but the result was a brilliant success. Volunteers and clients who use the Unit’s Women’s Group, about 20 people, planned and staged the show as part of the Party in the Park event in Hillfields, to mark Refugee Week.And it was a real community enterprise.

Thanks to a large donation of material from the Children’s Centre in Hillfields, where the Women’s Group meets every week, the loan of sewing machines, and finding people who knew about designing and making clothes, a kind of alchemy happened – turning the organised chaos into a superb two-part show.The Group made their own clothes and

also went out on to the catwalk to show

off their traditional garments.“We wanted to do something different,”

said Cassie, “something that would em-power the women. And wearing their own traditional clothes showed off the cultural diversity of the city.”Cassie admits: “I didn’t have a clue how

to run a fashion show but we managed to recruit people who knew what they were doing.”The whole process took only about two

months and the show was a huge hit.“The outfits looked really professional,

and everyone enjoyed the experience,” said Cassie. “Everyone worked really hard and put in a lot of extra hours.“It created a buzz, a sense of excitement

of doing something together. It was a real achievement.”As its name might suggest, the Safe-

guarding Unit helps the most vulnerable

people who come through the CRMC’s doors: The destitute, people struggling with physical or mental health problems or addictions, women trying to escape domestic violence.Since many of those people have fami-

lies, safeguarding the welfare of children is one of the Unit’s main concerns. And the team run by Corrinna Rogers

– Cassie, Shabana Noshai and Zaher Kay-oum – have to work closely with schools, foster carers and with families.They run the Women’s Group to help

break through the isolation that many newcomers to the city suffer. It’s some-where women can bring their young children, meet others and make friends, and learn or practise their English.The Unit also runs a Men’s Group where

for a few hours each week, destitute men, some with health problems, can forget their worries, chat to a friendly face, or just relax.It’s all serious work but this year’s

fashion show raised the bar for creating a sense of fun too.“It celebrated people’s talents and their

cultures and the diversity of the city. It’s not something you see every day,” said Cassie. “A lot of people are already saying they want to do it again.”

SAFEGUARDING


DEV Dayal remem-bers the day his world fell apart. The question was a simple one: “Do you have a

work permit?” But the answer was no. Dev didn’t have a work permit, he didn’t know what one was.He was in his 50s and having lived and

worked in Coventry nearly all his life, the thought of needing a work permit had never occured to him.But the routine question from the man

at the staffing agency revealed a terrible truth. Dev had no proof of citizenship, and very little documentation of any kind to prove he was entitled to live and work in the UK.“It was devastating,” he said. “I had 30-

odd P60s from previous jobs but I was told ‘You could have forged all those’. I had a driving licence, but they said: ‘You could have forged that as well’.“I was up the creek with no paddle. I

couldn’t sleep. I even thought, is it worth living?”His 53 years of living and working as a

Coventrian suddenly counted for nothing.Dev smiles freely and tells his story

gently in a way that belies the trauma he went through.It all started way back in the early 1960s

when as a four or five-year-old, he and his family left their tiny Indian village for a new life in Coventry. Dev went to schools in Coventry, leaving at 16 to work and make his life in the city. Unlike now, when, according to Darren

Middleton of the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre, employers have to act as virtual agents of immigration control, back then, no-one asked questions about nationality and work permits.And Dev never wanted to travel, so he

never needed a passport.But about four years ago he was made

redundant. The recession was biting, work was hard to find, and he tried the staffing agency – and that’s when the ter-

rible reality emerged. And after the shock, came the detective work to prove that Dev was British all along.A key moment was when someone in the

family found an yellowing, disintegrat-ing piece of paper showing that Dev’s dad had been granted citizenship of the UK and colonies while serving in the army in Singapore. But he still had to find a way through the Home Office’s complicated rules to prove that he was his father’s son, and the family, being from an Indian village back in the 50s, had no birth or marriage certificates.That’s where Darren Middleton and

Hazel King of the CRMC’s Advocacy Unit came in. Working with the Coventry Law Centre they painstakingly pieced together bits of evidence from old documents to show family connections and that on the balance of probablity, Dev was indeed British and entitled to that precious passport.With that treasured possession Dev, who

alongside a new full-time job, volunteers with two charities in Coventry, might even return to visit the village where his journey started all those years ago.But for now, just knowing he can may be

enough.

It’s a little red book that means so much. Dev Dayal proudly shows off his British passport that means he can come and go as he likes, get a job, move house – all the things that other UK citizens take for granted

Just some of the outfits that wowed the crowd. The event was such a success that there is already talk of doing it again

It’s a passport to treasureAt last Dev can prove he’s British

ADVOCACY


We wanted to showoff the culturaldiversity of the city

‘‘

Catwalk gets the creamFashion show hitfor women’s group

THE bosses at the Department for In-ternational Devel-opment assessing Molin Doelu’s job application form

can have no idea just how his hopes and dreams depend on their decision.For them it will be just another applica-

tion crossing their desks.To Molin it’s so much more. It’s not just a

job he is applying for, although it is a good one, it’s a fresh start after a long struggle to rebuild his life, and the chance to be reunited with his wife and children after a 12-year separation.While completing the form with the help

of David London of the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre, Molin explained that he and his family were forced to leave their native Liberia in west Africa in 2002 to escape an horrific civil war in which more than 300,000 people died. But they became separated, Molin ending up in Coventry and his family fleeing to Sierra Leone.In the UK for the first time at 31 he had

to start again, improving his English, and furthering his education, and ended up with an MA in Peace and Reconciliation Studies from Coventry University.And now the job application which carries

his hopes and dreams: Deputy Programme Manager with the UK government’s De-partment for International Development, supporting wide ranging improvements in...Liberia, of all places.“I am praying,” he said. “If I get this job

I will be able to see my family again. They are back in Liberia now, and they are praying too.”Molin was getting help with his applica-

tion from David London at a new self-help job-hunting session run by the CRMC’s Work and Well-Being Unit.People can call in on Tuesday afternoons

and use the charity’s computers to trawl through job ads and make their applica-

tions. There is always someone standing by to help, but the key thing is that the clients help themselves. And they do.David said: “Most of our clients are dy-

namic people, or they wouldn’t have come miles across Europe and Asia. They have can-do attitudes and can-do aspirations.”But even so, finding a job is tough. Ask

Ethiopian Daniel Tesfay. In the previous 15 days he had applied for 18 jobs, and with no luck. He smiles and carries on because there’s nothing else to do. He said: “Every day I am looking for work. I go to the library, I go on the internet. To stay without a job is very stressful. Very stress-ful mentally and physically.”

The 45-year-old had to leave Ethiopa to escape dreadful political violence. His father and brother disappeared after being taken by the then government’s forces and he was arrested but managed to escape. He got to Sudan and from there made his way to the UK and Coventry.Now that things have settled down in

Ethiopia he is desperate to return to see his family again, but he can’t afford the cost of travel documents – another reason to find work.“I have no relatives here so I have to get a

job. I try to improve my life, I try to do my best, and I am hopeful.”Part of the problem facing the Centre’s


WORK AND WELL-BEING ENGLISH TEACHING


clients is that they often don’t know what jobs to apply for, so Jobcentre staff will direct them to warehouse or cleaning jobs.“Our clients are probably weighted to-

wards manual skills,” said David London. “The new drop-in facility means they can search for jobs themselves. Rather than doing it for them, we can build their skills up. We support the clients but they understand that it’s their responsibility to find work.”Molin is grateful for the help he has re-

ceived. He said: “The British educated me and the Centre has been very helpful, not only to me but to many people,” he said.

Just a computer click away from a new startDrop-in sessions helping job hunters help themselves

Ethiopian Daniel Tesfay looking for work at the CRMC’s self-help drop-in centre. He applied for 18 jobs in 15 days but he is still hopeful

Three of the 40 to 50 people who attend the English classes at the CRMC every week

Volunteer teacher Kate Kozlova checking her students’ progress

The thrill of puttinglearners on the first rung to successIN 2014 the special challenge for Sarah Campbell and her team of vol-unteer English teachers based at the CRMC was the arrival in Coventry of 50 Syrian refugee familes.The government has allowed a small

number of families displaced by the hor-rific civil war in Syria to enter the UK as refugees.And Sarah and her team have been

asked by the city council and other agen-cies to provide English language tuition for those who need it – recognition of the excellent service that they have been providing for newcomers to Coventry for three years.The team, all volunteers, offer classes

for beginners and improvers on four days a week. In 2014 they had 40 to 50 learn-ers a week: People from Eritrea, Iran, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Afghani-stan, and now Syria. There are also some from the EU “accession states” – Poland and Romania for example.The service, part of the City of Sanctu-

ary ESOL Programme, is organised by Sarah and Jon Homer. And Sarah said: “The satisfying thing is being able to match up the supply of people to meet the need.“Learners come here wanting to learn

English, and we have good-hearted people who want to teach them.”One volunteer makes a two-hour round

trip from near Stratford every week. Some are retired teachers, some are stu-dents gaining classroom experience.Every lesson has one or two qualified

teachers, plus helpers who can sit with the learners and offer extra one-to-one help.There is a natural turnover of volun-

teers – people get full-time jobs or move away, and that means Sarah could always do with more.The learners’ needs vary widely. Some

have no English at all and some may even be illiterate in their own language. Others will be fluent English speakers, but unable to write. Some will have little or no experience of studying, others will be highly qualified.Most will be recovering from difficult,

or traumatic experiences and all are trying to settle in to a new and confusing country. But they are all highly-motivated. They

want to learn, and watching them prog-ress is the satisfying part of the job.Sarah recalls a Kurdish woman in her

50s who started knowing no English. She was reading in a few weeks.“We can’t offer any formal qualifications

because we have no money,” said Sarah. “For that, they have to move on. And when they do, that’s a thrill.”

HOW YOU CAN HELPOrganisers of English teaching at CRMC are always looking for volunteer teachers and helpers. For information email co-ordinator Sarah Campbell at [email protected] or phone her on 07957 999061.

LINGOLINKS

A successin anylanguage

Martin can find hopewhile helping others

Social enterprise makes the most of clients’ skills

Just them tellingme thank yougives me peace


VOLUNTEERS

THERE are probably more languages spoken at the Cov-entry Refugee and Migrant Centre of-fice in Bishop Street

than in any other single build-ing in the city centre.Marc-Philliph Hollasch accounts for 18

just by himself. He runs LingoLinks, an interpreting

service which turns the language skills of the refugees and migrants who use the charity, into a source of income.The social enterprise was set up in 2011,

a brilliant idea to capitalise on the huge natural resources available to the charity – the talents of its users. And it’s a double winner because the aim is not just to make money for the CRMC but also to provide jobs for its users.Now, after four years, LingoLinks has

more than 100 interpreters, providing services in more than 50 languages.Marc-Philliph explained that organisa-

tions using LingoLinks included solicitors, medical practitioners, and research bodies.One major client is the Recovery Partner-

ship, a national charity which helps people with addictions, former convicts, and victims of crime. LingoLinks has trained

actors at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre, and even helped a telecommunications com-pany set up a phone service in Angola.So who are the interpreters? Many are

former users of the Charity who arrived as refugees and won the right to stay in the UK. Some are the children of immigrants who settled in Coventry, others are former languages students, keen to use their skills.All are highly qualified, many with

nationally-recognised accreditation. Some have professional diplomas, others have masters degrees in linguistics. Proper qualifications are essential to be an inter-preter. It’s not enough just to be fluent in a second or a third language. Marc-Philliph said: “A lot of refugees

come to us with very high qualifications. Some have been doctors and there are a number of PhDs. One, before coming here had been in Russia doing a PhD in linguis-

tics – in Russian.”The major hurdle for people seeking to

build on their qualifications is the expense. Courses and exam fees are costly, and the exams are tough with a 50 per cent failure rate. To ease the cost burden Marc-Phil-liph is hoping to set up his own training course at the Centre but for now would-be interpreters just have to find ways of fund-ing themselves.They think it’s worth it. Marc-Philliph

said: “One of our interpreters had to leave Afghanistan because his life was in dan-ger. He was able to gain asylum and now he’s using his languages to earn money, and it’s something he enjoys.”LingoLinks is now a well-established

business, but the bottom line is only part of the story. Marc-Philliph said: “We are providing services, but we are also provid-ing jobs. For a lot of our interpreters this is their very first job.“They bring skills with them, and we are

making use of those skills. They are not just coming to the UK looking for some-thing, they are anxious to do something to help build the community.” He added: “In an ideal world we would

be swimming in money. But many small businesses go under after six months. We are still here after four years. It can be counted a success story.”

Marc-Philliph Hollasch. He says LingoLinks provides services and jobs

Stella Nowotarska who helps run LingoLinks and can interpret in Mandarin and Cantonese

HE’S got nowhere permanent to live, no job, no access to any money and for food he has to

rely on charity handouts. But on three days a week, Martin Gborie helps other people with their problems.Sometimes his own difficulties are at

least as bad as those of the people he’s helping, but that doesn’t matter.Being a volunteer at the Coventry

Refugee and Migrant Centre gives him a purpose and keeps him going.“I listen to their problems. It’s the only

thing I have right now,” he said.For nearly a year he has been helping

people with asylum applications, hous-ing and benefits problems and difficulties with bills. He has become something of an expert – ironic given his own situation.Martin’s story begins in Freetown, the

capital of Sierra Leone, about three years ago. He was holding down two good jobs, one of which was with a timber company, he had a wife and two small children.But his problems started when he discov-

ered how corrupt the timber industry was. He tipped off the government’s anti-cor-

ruption commission but his information was leaked to the wrong people, and the death threats started.Martin and his family fled the capital,

but the threats followed and they had to go on the run again. It all happened in a matter of weeks and in the rush to seek safety, the family split up. He came to the UK, they ended up in another province of Sierra Leone, and he hasn’t seen them since.In Coventry, his first application for

asylum was turned down. He has another going through the system with help from the Coventry Law Centre, but as a failed asylum seeker he is entitled to no govern-

ment help, and he can’t work. But he can volunteer to help others, just as others at the CRMC are helping him.“There are so many people in the same

situation, some are worse than me, they have been years in limbo.“Some come here crying, crying. I can

tell them I am in the same situation and it calms them a bit. All is not lost, there is hope.“I have helped countless people here.

Sometimes they are OK, but I am not. Just them telling me thank you gives me some peace, it keeps me going.“Sometime I wonder what my life would

have been without this.”

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVEDThe Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre relies on help from the public. Donations of food, toys, clothes, computers and money, and volunteers, are all welcome. People with professional skills can help. Even this annual report was produced by a volunteer. To help, please call 02476 527120, send an email [email protected] or call in at 15/16 Bishop Street, Coventry CV1 1HU.

Martin Gborie has helped countless people as a volunteer despite his own problems

15/16 Bishop Street,Coventry CV1 1HU.024 76 [email protected]

Printed by Minuteman Press, Unit 8, Hanford Close, Coventry CV6 5TL (02476 637493). Written and designed by Charles Barker ([email protected])

coventry refugee and migrant centre

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