We are proud to publish our Community Programme Impact Report for January until December 2019. Last year continued to be an eventful year for us:
- We provided ongoing support for 429 members form 71 different nationalities, across 20 different boroughs.
- We had 63 mentoring matches.
- We ran 11 different classes, groups and activities, English classes, Women’s group, Mums and toddlers group, play-reading group and a sewing class, in which 299 members participated in 2019.
- We supported 40 migrants with severe mental health disabilities who lacked mental capacity to engage in the immigration process. For 23 of them, we have matched them with litigation friends of last resort.
- We organised our third annual human rights lecture with the UCL Laws Centre Access to Justice.
- We had 91 volunteers supporting different aspect of the work at the Community Programme.
- We were re-accredited for the Advice Quality Standard.
We would also like to congratulate our Community Programme Director, Francesca Valerio, for being awarded the prestigious RBKC’s Mayor award! This award is presented by the Mayor in recognition of a major contribution to life in Kensington and Chelsea.
As we look back on our work and achievements last year, in the midst of the current COVID-19 outbreak, we are reminded of the strength and resilience of members of our Community Programme.
Florence’s Story
In 2019, Florence* was referred to Migrants Organise. Florence is an asylum seeker from Guinea* who, aged 13, was forced to marry a 50 year old man after her parents suspected she was gay. After fleeing on two occasions, she ran away from the police and crowds of people outside her house, believing they had found out she was in a relationship with another woman.
Florence was then trafficked to the North of the UK by two men who offered her work in Saudi Arabia and forced into prostitution. After escaping this situation, hospital staff referred her to the NRM. She suffered from depression, suicidal intentions and PTSD.
Once at Migrants Organise, Florence was provided with legal advice and matched with a mentor. In just six months through the Migrant Women’s Project Florence has gone from being unable to speak at her first meeting to being a key member of the group, helping to organise activities and play a proactive role. She has also introduced vulnerable trafficked women to the group who were not on any radar of support.
*names and places have been changed