Welcoming Newcomers

How was the need for North Down's project first identified?

The Ards and North Down area is becoming an increasingly diverse cultural community, with new citizens arriving to live here from different parts of the world. The YMCA became aware of a number of unmet needs and the project was born!

What are the project’s aims or objectives?

The project aims to

• Provide bilingual support to advocate for the rights and welfare of the minority ethnic community in Ards and North Down.
• Provide support to victims of racism and hate crime,
• Support children and young people from minority ethnic backgrounds to access local youth provision.
• Provide support to women from minority ethnic backgrounds.
• Facilitating a reminiscence project for Syrian refugees.
• Provide employability support, including access to volunteering.
• Support the delivery of a cultural event by Syrian refugee families.
• Support the delivery of the weekly Polish Supplementary School.
• Facilitate cultural events at key festival times.

What were some of the highlights for the programme during the past year?

• “Where To Now” - a conference on the impact of Brexit on ethnic minorities living in our borough - organised jointly with Ards and North Down Borough Council Good Relations has started a few new joint initiatives, e.g “No Hate Here” campaign and a monthly advice sessions run by a local councillor for people from ethnic minorities.
• Working with Syrian refugees resettled in local area - providing access to Absolute Beginners English classes, BME Youth Club, International Homework Club and following the employment of Arabic Speaking Advocacy Worker - to the advice and support in their own language.
• Facilitating a reminiscence project for Syrian refugees jointly with First Presbyterian Church in Bangor.
• Russian Language Day - the very first celebration of the culture of Russian speaking countries in our borough.
• Polish Supplementary School in Bangor - helping Polish children living in local area to maintain their language and culture. Set up 7 years ago by a couple of volunteers the school now has 5 teachers, 6 volunteers and over 50 pupils registered.
• Citizens Advice Clinic for people from ethnic minorities - a joint initiative started last year by YMCA ND and Citizens Advice Ards and North Down. Advice on benefits, housing and immigration available in English, Polish, Russian, Latvian and Arabic.

How does your project try to capture or measure the outcomes for young people/the community?

‘Upshot’ (online management information system), evaluation forms.

What new challenges/opportunities has your project identified that it would hope to tackle in the future?

• The situation of EEA nationals in Northern Ireland after Brexit.
• Changes in the immigration law.
• Working with Syrian refugees - more families to be resettled in local area.
• Supporting ethnic minority victims of racism and hate crime.

“YMCA feels like home to me… I don’t know how I would have survived my first year here without your support”. (Romanian, mum of 3)

“I am so grateful for all your support … If it wasn’t for you I would be forced to go back to my country and it would be very hard for my children to leave the place where they have friends and they are happy”. (Polish widower, father of 3)

“It is very important for us to know that there is someone who can help. It is so difficult when you are in a foreign country and only know a few words in English”. (Syrian refugee)