Projects
- Community Development - enabling groups to be self reliant
- Advice - giving people the information they need to settle and build new lives
- Sunrise - advocacy for new arrivals
- Refugee & Migrant Forum Manchester
Community Development
MRSN provides practical help, tailored training and advice to new and established refugee community organisations on organisational, funding and other capacity building issues.
We work with over 50 refugee organisations in Greater Manchester.
We publish a bi-monthly newsletter, provide access to IT resources and meeting room space.
Advice
MRSN operates a general advice service from our advice centre at 129, Princess Road in Moss Side.
We provide a comprehensive range of advice and information on a wide range of issues including benefits, housing, debt and NASS payments.
The service is open to all refugees and asylum seekers in Manchester.
It is currently open for three morning drop-in sessions per week: 10 - 1 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
We also act as the managing agent for an outreach advice service, making home visits to Somali refugees aged 45+ in partnership with Help The Aged.
Sunrise
What is Sunrise?
It stands for Strategic Upgrade of National Refugee Integration Services.
Sunrise is a Home Office funded Pilot Project to help refugees to integrate into the UK. Each new refugee person who chooses to participate in the pilot will have a Caseworker who will manage the transition from asylum seeker to refugee. The objective is to facilitate smooth and quicker integration into a refugee's new life in the UK.
Sunrise pilots will operate in the following 4 areas: Glasgow, London, Leeds/Sheffield and Manchester.
Sunrise in Manchester
Refugee Action (RA) delivers the Sunrise Pilot in partnership with the Manchester Refugee Support Network (MRSN). The partnership also works with 3 Refugee Community Organisations (RCO's) who, with MRSN, provide volunteer advocates to support refugees in accessing services in Manchester (by going to Job Centre Plus, schools, housing, health services etc.). The RCO's are Somali Development Trust, Tameside African Refugee Association (TARA) and United Somali Bravanese Community. The Manchester service started on 31st October 05.
Who is it for?
Asylum seekers awarded refugee status and LTE/LTR, Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave who were living in the area of Manchester Local Authority or postcodes M16, M3, M5, M6, M7 and M50 when they receive a positive decision. Clients must also contact the service within 3 months of the date that they were granted status.
How will it work?
Clients wishing to use the service will be assigned a Refugee Action Caseworker as soon as possible after they receive a positive decision on their asylum claim. Intensive face-to-face work with the client will then take place within the 28-day period until they are no longer eligible for NASS support and then at regular 3, 6, 9, and 12 month reviews throughout their first year of settlement. This will be done by Refugee Action assisting clients to complete a Personal Integration Plan (PIP) and by the MRSN and RCO Volunteer Advocates supporting clients in accessing Manchester services. Clients will also be able to use the Refugee Action Free phone Help line 0800 9172719 (Free from a landline).
The Sunrise Service will provide advice and help refugees to access services in the following areas:
- Housing i.e. homelessness services, housing providers
- Employment i.e. Jobcentre Plus, Action Team, NI number
- Welfare Benefits i.e. Jobcentre Plus, Inland Revenue
- Financial advice i.e. budgeting
- Health services i.e. GP, NHS for medical cards, counselling
- Education for both children and adults
- English-language tuition and training opportunities
- Volunteering and mentoring projects
- Information on family reunification
- Contacts with community, cultural or faith organisations
- Rights and responsibilities
Volunteering for Sunrise
Are you living in Manchester? Want to meet and help refugees? Are you available weekdays, for a few hours?
If yes, then MRSN has opportunities for volunteers to assist refugees who have just been granted permission to stay in the UK. You will assist one or two refugees at a time and help them deal with the problems they will face as they settle in the UK. You will be invited to attend social events with other volunteers, refugees and community members.
Previous experience is not necessary as we provide training. Reasonable English is required and we appreciate volunteers who can speak a second language (especially Tigrinian, Kurdish and Farsi). Volunteers from all backgrounds are welcome.
To learn more, call Yosief on 0161 232 7420 or email yosief@mrsn.org.uk