READING REFUGEE

SUPPORT GROUP

ANNUAL REPORT

2010 - 2011

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Chair’s Report

I joined Reading Refugee Support Group Management Committee in 2008. Although I am a busy mum of 3 boys, I feel the need to support RRSG because when I joined over 2 years ago, I felt there was a lot of misrepresentation of refugees and asylum seekers in the wider community. I therefore had the opportunity to join the charity and see for myself what the reality of refugees and asylum seekers actually was. This enabled me to speak about their vulnerability and the circumstances which led them to the UK.

After coming back from maternity leave I saw the charity struggle even deeper, especially with all the government cut-backs.

Unfortunately we saw Alice Chigumira our Chair resign in 2010 after 6 years of hard work and commitment. We also saw Jean Carroll our Honorary Secretary resign due to relocating from Reading. Her fundraising, event management and secretarial skills will be deeply missed as too will her bubbly personality.

We thank all our past trustees for their invaluable skills and dedication and wish them all the best for the future.

We were happy to welcome new trustees on board (Victor Koroma, Andy Primrose, Asaad Moosa, Maude Moyo,

Milcah Moindi, Nyasha Taru and Bet Tickner), especially in the present economic climate.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our staff members, Alison, Nina and Amal, for carrying on during these tough times with outstanding professionalism. A special thank you to Alison for continuing to seek every opportunity to better the lives of refugees and asylum seekers. Thank you to all the past and present volunteers for giving up their time and supporting RRSG. Thanks to all the trustees who have other work commitments and still give their precious time to RRSG.

Last but not least, thank you to all our financial supporters. Without your help we would not exist.

Shamin Akhtar

Vice Chair

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Manager’s Report “Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.” “Bouncing” is required of all those who come to RRSG for advice and it is definitely required of the organisation itself. The gloomy financial backdrop referred to in the last Annual Report has intensified and we, like many other voluntary groups in Reading, are struggling to find the financial “bounce”. But, in terms of services to our clients and the wider community, the group bounced through 2010-11 as the reports on the following pages describe.

There were some significant beginnings. Amal Mohammed joined the team as Volunteer Coordinator/ Administrator and has made a huge difference both to the sustainable involvement of volunteers and the nitty-gritty operations of the office. Nina Lugor became the Senior Caseworker and has maintained an impressive volunteer casework team who deliver the advice service. Nina is qualified to OISC Level 2 which positions RRSG well in terms of offering an expanded advice service at a time when Legal Aid eligibility is being cut. Our partnerships are slowly growing: we not only work with the British Red Cross distributing their destitution support in the Reading area but have also given some joint public-awareness sessions in local schools. In addition, RRSG has started working more closely with Refugee Resource (based in Oxford).

There were also some significant endings: the Outreach Project (funded by the Tudor Trust) came to an end and we said good-bye to its project worker, Ellen Owens, who had been with RRSG for nigh on seven years. Throughout the span of the project, over 110 of the most vulnerable families have been targeted for more intensive support and advice services including advocacy, assistance in finding employment and enrolling in education courses. We said good-bye to Binita Shah who had worked for the Youth Project (funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation) that had enabled 222 young people aged 11-18 to take part in after-school activities: a full evaluation report is available on our website www.rrsg.org.uk. Several of our Trustees resigned during the year due to other commitments including our Chair: Alice Chigumira, Annour Moursall, Maude Moyo and Jean Carroll. RRSG would like to thank them all for their contribution in the past years.

And with all this talk of beginnings and endings it is too easy to forget the middle which is what makes up the bulk of the items in this Annual Report. Some particular activities that are not referred to are:-

• the many Reading Borough Council events where RRSG has had a noisy presence: drumming workshops run by Tomson Chauke.

• the organisational evaluation funded by the Tudor Trust and carried out by Paul Harper: a “road-map” for the group’s development and sustainability.

• the AGM which was followed by a performance by the renowned comediénne Shazia Mirza: over £100 was raised at this event.

I am very grateful for the logistic advice and support we receive from Reading Borough Council officers and Reading Voluntary Action. RRSG is equally grateful to all the grant-giving bodies, statutory, corporate and individual funders who financially support us: details are listed on the back-cover. 2010-11 was challenging and the next year promises to be more challenging. Without the commitment and dedication of the staff (Nina Lugor, Amal Mohammed, Julie Marshall, Ellen Owens & Binita Shah) and volunteers, it would not be possible to contemplate this challenge and to them I, the Trustees and clients owe great thanks.

Alison McQuitty

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Casework Report for 2010/11 New Client Registration: This year we saw 99 new households; a 16 % decrease from last year. Many of these clients were “Legacy Cases”: asylum-seekers who have been waiting for more than 5 years for a Home Office decision on their claim. Some of them have now been granted status (Indefinite Leave to Remain). The resolution process is due to be completed in summer 2011.

Number of new households registering with RRSG

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20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 The countries of origin for new clients are given in the table below. This compares with the national picture of Iran, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China being the countries from which most refugees fled in 2010. The number of new client households from Zimbabwe halved.

Country No. of households

Zimbabwe 25

Iran 9

Afghanistan 8

Kenya 8

Gambia 5

Tanzania 5

Pakistan 5

Somalia 3

Sierra Leone 3

Sudan 3

Sri Lanka 2

China 2

Burundi 2

Ethiopia 2

Algeria 2

Botswana 1

Bhutan 1

Ghana 1

Country No. of households

Cameroon 1

Guinea 1

Iraq 1

Kosovo 1

Malawi 1

Rwanda 1

Seychelles 1

Syria 1

Togo 1

Turkey 1

Zambia 1

Jamaica 1

Total 99

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Nearly 30% of the queries made by new clients were concerned with the asylum process and legalities while over 20% of the enquiries concerned issues surrounding destitution. Destitution continues to be one of the main problems clients are facing; this last year it has become even harder due to the financial crisis. Provision of support by friends and relatives is reducing as they themselves face financial challenges. RRSG can offer support in terms of free advice and follow-up with our qualified casework team; referrals to faith groups who provide food parcels and to the British Red Cross who can offer limited financial assistance with travel costs to solicitors and Home Office reporting centres as well as clothing/toiletries. RRSG continues to provide services to those who have been granted Leave to Remain and refugee status: a total of 234 clients accessed RRSG services this year and their countries of origin are detailed in the chart below.

The ways in which RRSG services benefit our clients are each individual: a case-study encapsulates some of the benefits and challenges.

Case Study Client X is from Afghanistan and claimed asylum in 2002: 9 years on he still waits for a decision. From the outset the asylum process has been difficult due to confusion and poor administration. X has received some decision letters without covering letters, dates of issue or notification of appeal deadlines. Some paperwork has never been issued or received even though all letters were posted using recorded delivery. It took almost 2 years before the appeal against one of the many refusals was heard. By 2010 X submitted further representations. The solicitor wrote to the U.K. Borders Agency1 (UKBA) on numerous occasions to find out who is responsible for managing the client’s case, but to no avail. Until now the solicitor has not had any response from the UKBA. With the help of RRSG, X was advised to involve his MP and representations were made on his behalf. A response was received from the UKBA through the MP: however, there was no mention of his outstanding fresh claim made in 2008. The UKBA response stated the submissions made in 2010 had been refused but neither client nor his solicitor have received the decision letter. The solicitor has written requesting a copy of this decision but to date no response has been received. Throughout this time RRSG has supported X by arranging 1-1 English classes, applying for asylum support, accessing health care and counselling to deal with the effects of stress as well as liaising with X’s solicitor, the MP and the UKBA. 9 years have passed and X is still waiting for some clarity over his case.

Nina Lugor

1 Government body responsible for dealing with asylum claims.

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Outreach Report The Outreach Project, funded by the Tudor Trust, came to an end in December 2010. Throughout the span of the project 140 households had benefit from in-depth casework, support and general advice. This year a total of 69 home-visits were made for 32 client households from long-standing refugee communities in Reading (Kosovo, Sudan, Somalia) and new arrivals. In addition, clients were accompanied to various agencies including Eaton House Immigration Centre, Reading Borough Council. This makes a great difference for some clients. For example, going to a tribunal hearing for NASS support really helped one client whose asylum case was very complicated.

Just as important as the development of trust and support with individual clients is the outreach to other agencies that this project allowed: regular sessions were held with the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA). Police trainers met with our clients to gain a greater understanding of their issues and to explore this means of community workshop training. One of the participants from the Gloucestershire force wrote: “I personally took a great deal from my meeting with you all and so did my colleagues. To say I was touched by the individual accounts would be an understatement indeed. Had I read the accounts in print it would have been emotive but to have met V, X, Y and Z, and heard such open accounts of their experiences and the opportunity to ask questions of them was extremely enlightening and humbling.” At the end of the workshops, it was very powerful to hear police trainers say that their perception had been changed through talking directly to refugees and asylum seekers. RRSG hopes that they will

take their new understanding and feed it back to police officers who can then make a difference in how they view and treat asylum seekers and refugees.

Police trainers discussing refugee experiences.

Ellen Owens

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English Language & Life Skills The programme this year was funded by the Co-operative Community Fund. 8 clients from Afghanistan, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan & Yugoslavia benefited from 1-1 tuition with trained volunteer teachers.

Elizabeth Bailey with client.

I have been part of the ESOL project since its beginnings over a year ago and have had 2 clients so far, both of them women from Eastern Europe who have been living in the UK for some years and so already had a certain level of English. Given the time-limited nature of the teaching offered under this project, it has been a challenge to decide what topics/structures to explore, but for student and teacher alike there has been a real sense of achievement when what we have studied has met a deeply-felt need. I have also had the satisfaction that all teachers experience when working with students who really want to learn. Teaching and learning flow in both directions, of course. Working one-to-one with students, the teacher obviously learns a great deal about their personal situations. This has made me more deeply aware of all the challenges that face refugees even after they have obtained status. I realise more than ever how much courage and determination it takes for a refugee to make a real go of life in the new country; I see the ESOL project as a friendly, encouraging hand along this difficult path.

Elizabeth Bailey

When I first heard about the possible 1-1 English course at RRSG after a presentation about mentoring, I became very enthusiastic to try ESOL course for myself. I have the issue with the gap in level between spoken and written English. Whenever I applied for college course the examiner was struggling to allocate me to the correct level group because of this. Also, because of this problem I was disadvantaged and discouraged from trying more suitable job. After that course we were given the opportunity to meet the tutor. Since then on the regular basis I used to meet the volunteer teacher, Helen Fraser, who not just helped me with my English for continuous six months but also suddenly became the only working bridge to the British society: meeting once a week for two hours was kind of a therapy. And I will try to explain why this can be so important for me and other refugees. The difference between the ordinary foreign student and the refugee is enormous, and probably experienced teachers will agree, the topics we are interested or need, hugely vary. From my experience, I think the source of it lies in the current immigration transition process. To get to the refugee point for the asylum seeker in most cases is such a long, gruelling and human-degrading process, that by the end of it, it naturally becomes hard to accept the proposal to become the part of the society. The challenges of integrating are still there but the ESOL has helped me to improve my English and realise my potential. Currently I am enrolled with the Open University

and looking forward to continue my studies with more confidence.

Ketevan Razmadze (name changed for confidentiality reasons)

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Refugee Week 2010 The celebrations this year were held in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Community Group and kicked off with a community football tournament. 9 national teams from Zimbabwe, Gambia, African Caribbean Community Group (AACG), Zambia, Reading Youth Theatre, Sierra Leone, India, England and Cameroon competed for the cup. They played on the Reading Borough Council pitches in Prospect Park – a big thank-you to RBC for facilitating this event. India, better known for their cricketing prowess, was triumphant, beating AACG in the final. Football was followed up with films, information and awareness-raising sessions in the Central Library, Reading University, Abbey School and St. John’s Church. The week was rounded off with a lively and inspiring Refugee Night held at South Street and featuring: Reading Youth Theatre who performed an excerpt from “All the Queen’s Children”, the play they took to the Edinburgh Festival; Afroface dance troupe and music from Chimanimani, Ground Roots and Mobster Entertainment.

Tomson Chauke, Joe Mugabe & Owen Muganda

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The Volunteers’ Pages...... RRSG volunteers have continued to support the organization and contribute to its success and the services provided to its clients. Only through the amazing support of the volunteers are we as an organization able to carry out helping those most vulnerable to start new their lives in Reading. Together they have given the organization more than 2,256 hours of their time. This is equivalent to 60 weeks or over a year’s work of 1 full-time employee.

Amal Mohammed

I started doing voluntary work with RRSG in December 2009. I had visited the Reading Volunteer Centre in Cross Street to find out about volunteering opportunities. They suggested RRSG, and I'm glad I took their advice. I've found that the people at RRSG are an interesting and friendly crowd to work with. I'm pleased that I've found a way to make use of my professional skills and experience to give something back to the wider community that I'm part of. So far, my contribution to RRSG's work has been providing technical support for databases. That suits me very well; I'm in no hurry to get directly involved in the casework but I'm glad that I can contribute to keeping the service running. I've also been invited to a couple of the lunches organised by the Women's Group, simply because I happened to be in the RRSG office at the right moment. That illustrates one of the things that I find most attractive about RRSG: it's a very open and welcoming atmosphere.

Stephen Cook

Volunteers taking part in policy-making meeting. From L to R: Nina Lugor, Rosita Atherley, Ellen Owens, Stephen Cook & George Buchanan.

Volunteers alongside staff taking part in RRSG 2010 AGM. From L to R: Amal Mohammed, Flora Roshi, Nina Lugor,

Nativity Ncube & Zahida Raza.

I started my new life in Reading volunteering with RRSG and it has far exceeded my expectations and I feel at home, I only wish that could be the common experience of Asylum Seekers and Refugees coming to the UK but sadly that is not yet always the case. However, RRSG and the network of services it comes into contact with make a real difference to the support of Asylum Seekers and Refugees throughout Berkshire. Volunteering makes a vital contribution to the development of the community in Reading, it gives you a chance to offer a little and receive so much in return by meeting new people who become friends, learning new skills and gaining a little insight into other cultures. I recommend volunteering and at RRSG people who are interested in doing the same will be welcomed and supported. I am looking forward to my cooking debut at the women’ group in May 2011 although I have slight reservations about serving the haggis (vegetarian as well) and wearing the kilt......

George Buchanan

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A conversation with Seth..... What were your experiences when you first arrived in Britain ? I fled here from Guinea in 2006 because I had been speaking out against female genital circumcision and was being persecuted because of that. I was later put into detention at Brook House, Gatwick and kept there for 17 months.

What has your experience been in Reading ? I came here in January 2011 and having been staying with friends. Life has been very difficult: I am grateful to my friends of course but they cannot support me making phone-calls to my family. I have had hardly any contact with my two children for years now. And – because I am an asylum-seeker - I cannot work. Time lies very heavy and all I do is turn thoughts round and round in my head. How did you hear about Reading Refugee Support Group ? A doctor from Reading visited me while I was in detention and introduced me here. I received help from Day 1: advice and help in finding a solicitor; food parcels; help in finding a GP who can advise me about coping with my diabetes; clothes from the Red Cross. I have started going to schools and libraries with the RRSG and Red Cross to talk about the situation of refugees and asylum-seekers. What now ? I have had very good help here but huge challenges are still with me. The family I am staying with is growing – they have a new baby – so they do not have the room to accommodate me. Really I am destitute so I have applied for NASS Section 4 support (emergency support from the Home Office). This means that I will have to leave Reading and go somewhere they have NASS housing. I cannot go back to my country.

Seth Kaitey

Black History Month 2010 With the support of a Community Grant from Reading Borough Council, a drumming & story-telling workshop was held by Tomson Chauke.

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Treasurer’s Report We ended the financial year 2010-11 with a small surplus: £1,474. After two years of ending with a deficit and against the very constrained financial backdrop in which we operate, this is an encouraging sign. It is in no small part due to rigorous

budgeting and financial control for which the office must be thanked. Total income for the year 2010-11 was £119,652 compared with £139,064: a decrease of 14.6%. This decrease was largely due to the ending of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation grant and the sudden cessation of the UK Border Agency’s “Refugee Integration and Employment Service” (RIES). Reading Borough Council continues to be our main funder providing 39% (£47,092) of income. The other main sources of funding were from the Tudor Trust (23% £27,600) and Refugee Action on behalf of the UK Borders Agency (15.5% £18,600). We received substantial funds from the Church Urban Fund and the Lloyds TSB Foundation (£10,750) to cover the employment costs for a Volunteer Coordinator/Administrator. Other small grants and donations accounted for the remainder of the funds received. On behalf of Reading Refugee Support Group I would like to thank our main benefactors for their continued support and indeed to everyone who has made a financial contribution towards our work in the last year, whether big or small. Expenditure during the year totalled £118,179, a decrease of 23% on last year’s total of £145,216. The main expenses were staff costs (62% £73,057), premises (7% £8,396) and refugee welfare & expenses – direct support (6% £7,317). Approximately 60% of the staff costs are also direct support for refugees being the costs incurred in providing the advice service. The remainder of staff costs are for particular integration and support projects and the public-awareness service. The expenditure on refugee welfare and expenses fell significantly this year because the Youth Project (supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation) that had accounted for the bulk of the expenditure in 2009-10 came to an end in March 2010. Previously payroll support had been provided by Reading Borough Council but due to cuts in their

budget, the RRSG bookkeeper has now taken over this task. While we ended the year 2010-11 with a small surplus, the coming year is extremely challenging as it is for the voluntary sector as a whole. The Refugee Action RIES funding and Tudor Trust grant came to an end in 2010-11: they represented 38.5% of our funding which has not yet been replaced. Not only is there greater competition for the grants available, but also the new world of tendering, partnerships and consortium-building to contend with. However, the Trustees are committed to ensuring that the refugee community in the Reading area continues to be able to access vital advice and support services.

Milcah Moindi

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Accounts

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Accounts

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Accounts

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The Back Page....... Trustees Alice Chigumira (Chair – resigned Oct. 2010) Andy Primrose (Chair) Shamin Akthar (Vice Chair) Jean Carroll (Hon. Secretary – resigned March 2011) Nyasha Taru (Hon. Secretary) Milcah Moindi (Hon. Treasurer - resigned June 2011) Annour Moursall (resigned Oct. 2010) Owen Muganda Asaad Moosa Victor Koroma Bet Tickner Staff Alison McQuitty (Manager) Nina Lugor (Senior Caseworker) Amal Mohammed (Administrator/Volunteer Co-ordinator) Julie Marshall (Bookkeeper) Ellen Owens (Outreach Worker) Volunteers Zahida Raza Andy Primrose Puja Gurung Jo Rado Flora Roshi Binita Shah Amal Hashim Tomson Chauke Said Ibrahim Pete Stevenson George Buchanan Stephen Cook Helen Fraser Lucy Robinson Pamela Judge Liz Bailey

Jan Trchalik Mercy Chituyi (student placement) Asha Harrison John Binama Nicola Rieger Keti Kobiashvli Rosita Atherley Nativity Ncube Adam Sharpe Elaine Ridge Joanne Allum Robyn Appleton Funders – for organisation Reading Borough Council The Tudor Trust Lloyds TSB Foundation The Allen Lane Foundation Berkshire Community Foundation The Cooperative Membership Community Fund Train to Gain Church Urban Fund Funders – for clients Tilehurst Poor’s Land Charity The Berkshire Nurses & Relief in Sickness Trust The Reading Dispensary Trust The Earley Charity The British Red Cross The Faith Christian Group Green Girls & John Allen Fund The Friends Meeting Bow Guest House Donors Mrs Joan Allen The Abbey School Mr G. Preston Mr W. Tafi & Mrs Z. Boudros Mrs Wernham Prof. D. Wilson Jo Rado The Zvesper Family

Acknowledgements: Reading Council for Racial Equality for assistance in printing this report.

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Reading Refugee Support Group 35-39 London St. Reading RG1 4PS Tel: 0118 950 5356

Email: info@rrsg.org.uk

Visit us at: www.rrsg.org.uk Donate at: http://localgiving.com/charity/rrsg

Registered Charity No. 1098058 Company No. 4515238