Funding secured to continue Refugee and Asylum Seeker Advocacy Service
Connected Voice Advocacy is delighted to announce we have received a grant from the FOGO Fund at the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland to support our Refugee and Asylum Seeker Advocacy Service.
We would like to thank the funder for their generous award which we will use over the next 6 months to provide advocacy support to refugees and asylum seekers in Newcastle and Gateshead.
My Advocate shows empathy for the sadness I feel re being separated from my family and culture like nobody else does.
Our service is free, independent, confidential and on your side. We also have access to interpretation services for those who do not speak English as their first language.
We can provide the following advocacy support to help people:
- Understand their options
- Make decisions
- Have their voices heard
- Have their rights upheld
- Access services they need around health, social care, housing
- Access community groups and networks to help promote social inclusion.
Go to Refer to Connected Voice Advocacy if you would like to make a referral for yourself or someone else to this service, which is part of our Community Advocacy service.
Since I have come to this country, this is the first time I have had somebody who is going to care about me and is so kind and does not make me feel like I’m just a client. My advocate doesn’t say sorry I can’t help – even if she doesn’t know the answer she says - don’t worry, I’ll find out, you are not alone, we can do this together! I am so appreciative of your all your hard work helping me.
Why our service is needed more than ever
Connected Voice Advocacy has been providing advocacy support to Refugees and Asylum Seekers at all stages of the process for over a decade. The North East hosts proportionally more Refugee and Asylum Seekers than any other part of the UK (Asylum Statistics 2021, Commons Library).
As it stands, Newcastle, according to the statistics presented at the City of Sanctuary Forum 2022, is currently host to
- 1100 supported asylum seekers in dispersed accommodation
- 550 people in contingency initial accommodation
- 150 refugee families who have been resettled
Figures for Gateshead are harder to come by, however it reported that Gateshead has resettled the most relative to its population: 25 for every 10,000 inhabitants.
Asylum seekers and people who have received refugee status have often found themselves marginalised and lacking access to independent support. However, these communities are currently facing even more challenges presented by the cost of living crisis.
The difference we have made
This service has previously received grants from the Community Foundation, which has enabled us to provide vital, focussed advocacy support with refugee and asylum seekers around healthcare, social care and accommodation.
Thank you for continued support without this. I could not communicate with GP and Pharmacy. Each single day you remind me to attend my appointments which gives me the feeling of my mother being around to support me. Thank you so much
Mahin's Story: The following case study gives an example of the advocacy work we do and the difference it makes:
Mahin was 25 years old, new to the UK and pregnant with her second child when she was referred to Connected Voice Advocacy. She was seeking support around her housing, as the flat that she and her family were living in was unsuitable for a family of four. It was small, damp and had vermin. Mahin wanted support to help her move from her Home Office flat to somewhere more suitable. She had requested a move from the housing provider and had secured letters of support from both her midwife and GP. However she was not making any progress in securing a move.
Mahin’s advocate supported her to plan and make phone calls to Migrant Help to explain her situation, what she needed and why. Mahin’s advocate also spoke on her behalf with professionals and supported her with the application process for rehousing through Migrant Help. As a result Marin’s application for re-housing was accepted.
Through working with their advocate, Mahin was allocated to a property more suited to the needs of her family; has a better understanding of her rights in relation to housing; and has more confidence in dealing with her housing provider.
