PS: the above picture doesn’t include the all information

Click below to download full poster

We are pleased to invite you to an online event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, beginning at  11am on Wednesday 27th January:

The theme of Be the light in the darkness is particularly apt for many people who have been facing difficult circumstances during the last 10 months.

Remember from home :   http://tiny.cc/6MillionPlus

The event will include puppetry and performances from refugees and friends involved in the Collect Your Belongings project as well as candle lighting and reflections from Iby Knill, local authority and faith leaders. Many of the contributions were photographed and filmed in  homes in Kirklees, Bradford and Leeds during lockdown.  We thank everyone for helping to make the event possible. 

The event will be available to watch on youtube after 27th January . 

“I was there in the darkness of the Holocaust. Walk towards the light and take people with you.” 

Iby Knill, Auchswitz survivor

For further details please contact:

Kim Strickson
Project Coordinator
07812 782082

To download the leaflets click on the below

Solace Children and Families Wellbeing Project – Parents leaflet

Solace Children and Families Wellbeing Project – Arabic

Solace Children and Families Wellbeing Project – Partner leaflet

Solace Children and Families Wellbeing Project – School leaflet

Solace Children and families wellbeing project – school brochure

For further information please click leaflet 1 and leaflet 2

The STAGE project offers women (16 and over) support to address and overcome experiences associated with sexual exploitation and grooming.

If you have or still are experiencing sexual exploitation our case worker can support with:

• Emotional support (Outreach, phone, face to face)
• Recognising exploitation, managing risk and safety planning
• Self care, psycho education, building resilience
• Accessing housing support
• Support with your physical and mental health needs
• Support with Criminal Justice System (reporting to the police, going to court)
• Moving on (accessing training, education or employment)
• Advocacy and supporting you in meetings

We accept both self-referrals and referrals from professionals.

To find our more about this service or to make a referral for yourself or someone you are working with, please call 01484 450866 or email wmh@womencentre.org.uk.

We are pleased to inform you DASH has launched a new project, Asylum Guides. The aim of this project is to increase the legal literacy of people seeking asylum in the UK. 

Asylum Guides sees trained volunteers matched with one or a small group of people seeking asylum, to provide information about the asylum process – from initial screening through to substantive interview and onto appeals, fresh claims and post decision. Interpreters will be provided. The project is a partnership with Refugee Action. Above all, our Asylum Guides will help those seeking asylum to better navigate their asylum journey.

If you meet people through your service whom this project could help, please refer directly them to me, the Project Coordinator on 07742 282676 or email abdul.h@huddsdash.org

For more information please click here

The Community Integration Awards are open until the 30 November 2020. The Awards are aiming to spotlight community level responses to Covid-19 that bring different parts of the community together including migrants and refugees. We’re inviting nominations within three categories, Connecting Communities, Safety For All and Equality, Access and Rights.

We know it’s a challenging and busy time for lots of organisations navigating lockdown, but we hope this opportunity will be of interest to groups who are doing vital work in order to gain recognition and support for their efforts.  

We want to reach as many projects and groups in different regions of the UK as possible. Do you think you may be able to promote the Awards within the Yorkshire network? 

The attached flyer has the key details. Further information about eligibility and how to apply can be found here: www.integrationawards.uk/nominate/   

Many thanks in advance, 

For more information please click here

In Kirklees we (Solace) welcome referrals from health professionals, refugee support organisations and other services such as schools or housing teams.  We also welcome enquiries about the service, or any potential referrals if that would be helpful. 

Currently appointments are being delivered on the phone or via zoom.  We are able to provide data top ups if necessary to enable people to participate, and we also provide interpreters when required.  When we can resume face to face work again, our appointments are held at the Whitehouse Centre GP practice.

It is important that prior to making a referral all referrers discuss the potential of working with Solace with the person concerned.  For many people the idea of getting help with their psychological distress is a new concept. 

You may find it helpful to share the attached leaflet with anyone who would like to know more about the service. 

People in Kirklees can also access our two regional projects.  Connecting opportunities is a partnership project to help refugees overcome barriers to employment, and our Child and Family Wellbeing Project is for any family who is part of the resettlement scheme and for the schools who have students on the resettlement scheme. 

Further information can be found on our website www.solace-uk.org.uk including referral forms and more details about the projects. 

For more information click below to download the leaflet  

The Refugee Council has created a banking guide to help make this process easier for refugees. The guide explains how bank accounts work in the UK, the documents that banks require applicants to provide, how to make an application for a new account and tips for avoiding financial scams.

The guide is available in English, Arabic, Farsi, Kurdish, Pashto and Tigrinya.

For more information please click here

This is a message from DASH

Dear Friends and Supporters

I hope you’re keeping well and warm. I’m writing to let you know about DASH’s winter appeal. Our clients need winter clothes. It’s been much harder to distribute donated goods since our drop-ins had to be suspended. Whilst most of our service has continued remotely, the clothing donations stopped. But we’ve found a solution…

This innovative new scheme will benefit our clients by enabling them (from 2nd December or when rules permit) to shop for their own clothes – giving them choice, dignity and the opportunity to integrate.

An added bonus to this appeal is that a single donation will end up benefitting two local charities – DASH and Kirkwood Hospice. The latter does excellent work caring for those with life-limiting illnesses. 

The triple bonus is that the wonderful folk at One Community Kirklees have pledged to match all money raised by this appeal, pound for pound, making each donation Thrice As Nice!

Our target is £1500, which One Community would take to £3000. This would buy a substantial amount of vouchers for individuals and families living in financial hardship.

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/DASHclothing

Posted on 3 November 2020: Huddersfield Jobcentre will be closed due to unforeseen circumstances for the next 7 days.

Some staff will be working from home and for any urgent enquiries regarding vulnerable claimants please phone DWP Social Justice Team: 01484 228127.

For all other Universal Credit queries, please contact Universal Credit Service Centre: 0800 328 5644 and Legacy Benefits contact: 0800 1690310

Kirklees Council produced a leaflet of useful health and wellbeing related support services for you and people you know. All these services are free to access providing you meet the criteria.

We believe that it’s really important to take care of your health and wellbeing, please read the document carefully and share it widely.

We have  a vacancy with the International New Arrival Team based within the Learning Service. If you would like further information please give me a call Kathryn Howard – INAT project manager on 01484 221000.

https://kirklees.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-1/brand-4/xf-aec1bc427629/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/4/opp/1029-Bi-Lingual-Support-Worker-Arabic-and-English-or-Kurdish-Sorani-and-English/en-GB

Closing date

12 October 2020, 11:55 PM

Each year Black History Month is celebrated in Kirklees but due to the coronavirus outbreak, many of this year’s events will be held virtually. We have produced the attached booklet with details of events organised by community groups and individuals, local organisations and Kirklees Council.

Here are just a few examples of the fantastic events taking place in October.

• Black Inventors, England’s Hidden History and Shakespeare and Race
• Online exhibitions including: ‘No Ordinary Time’ and ‘Welcome to the Motherland’
• ‘Windrush: Untold Stories’ and ‘Huddersfield and the NHS: The Caribbean Connection’
• ‘Hear our Story’ podcast and ‘The Distracted Journey: Poems from a Slave’
• Workshops for the Permanent Black History Mural Wall, surgeries for family tree research and Launch of Windrush Garden at Springwood
• Musical events celebrating Rap and Gospel!

“This year’s theme of Black History Month is ‘Women in Achievement’. From politics to sport, performing arts to science, from fellow councillors to colleagues, we should celebrate the achievements of black females who continue to inspire and excel.“ Cllr Shabir Pandor, Leader of Kirklees Council

for the full details please click here

1. Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for UK visa applicants and temporary UK residents

This is advice for visa customers and applicants in the UK, visa customers outside of the UK and British nationals overseas who need to apply for a passport affected by travel restrictions associated with coronavirus.

The document is produced by the Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration, and you will find the following information:

1. If you’re in the UK and your leave expired between 24 January 2020 and 31 July 2020
2. If you’re working for the NHS
3. If you’re outside the UK
4. If you’re applying to enter the UK or remain on the basis of family or private life
5. If you want to cancel your visa
6. Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre

To access the full document please click on the link below:

2. Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for Tier 2, 4 and 5 sponsors

This is advice for Tier 2, 4 and 5 visa sponsors in the UK who are sponsoring those affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).

The document is produced by the Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration, and you will find the following information:

1. If your student or employee is absent
2. If you’re sponsoring a student who is distance learning
3. If you have issued a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) or a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) and the sponsored employee or student has not yet applied for a visa
4. If you’re sponsoring a student who’s waiting for their Tier 4 visa application to be decided
5. If you’re sponsoring employees who are working from home
6. If you’re sponsoring an employee who’s waiting for their Tier 2 or 5 visa application to be decided
7. If you cannot pay the salaries of sponsored employees because you’ve temporarily reduced or ceased trading
8. Scanned documents
9. If you need more information about the measures in place for students and their sponsors
10. Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre

To access the full document please click on the link below:

3. Coronavirus (COVID-19): Tier 4 sponsors, migrants and short-term students

Guidance for Tier 4 sponsors, migrants and short-term students on temporary concessions in response to the outbreak of coronavirus.

To access the full document please click on the link below:

While loneliness is increasingly recognised as a social problem with significant implications for mental and physical health, research addressing these issues within migrant and ethnic minority groups is limited and there is reason to believe that these populations may face increased risks. The project examined the various approaches to tackling loneliness that have been developed and tested with migrants and ethnic minority people. The findings of the research have been brought together in diagrams, pictures and words “

To download the document please click here. This document is best viewed in Adobe Acrobat Reader.