New Migrant Communities Lunchtime Forum

5th February 2009 (Report)

This Forum event offered local organisations an event co-ordinated by NCBI’s Polish Pomocna Dlon (Helping Hand) project. Project worker Worchek, and volunteers, Johanna and Magda provided a lively training session which was attended by 13 voluntary organisations in the district as well as the police.

The session provided an opportunity for us to address some of the prejudices and assumptions our different communities have of each other. We also looked at current information available about new migrant workers in the district. The key issues and gaps in services identified during the day were firstly language: both the need for translators to help with letters and appointments and greater access to English Language classes; the need for more leaflets about services to be in Polish; more opportunities for building across communities and finally the need for some kind of strategic lead to ensure that all the ad hoc services that are springing up are joined up and co-ordinated.

All those attending warmly thanked Worchek, Johanna and Magda for making the event such a success.