New virtual community hub launched for refugees and people seeking asylum
We are excited to announce that we have launched a new online forum where refugees and people seeking asylum can connect with each other, ask questions, share experiences and build an online community.
At REFEO, on a daily basis we support refugees and people seeking asylum who want to explore their education and employment options. We also mentor people who, due to their immigration status, are not able to access employment but wish to continue developing professionally while they wait for a response on their claim.
However, one of the main barriers to education and employment for people seeking safety in the UK is not having their basic needs covered. Having to solve other problems such as finding housing, understanding how to navigate the healthcare system or the school system for their children, getting legal support for their case or even being able to afford food and pay bills is very stressful and can make it extremely difficult for many to focus on studying or searching for jobs.
For this reason, we decided to create our community hub as a platform where refugees and people seeking asylum can communicate directly with each other, find information about services and support and use the power of community to encourage each other.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of isolation for people with refugees and asylum-seeking status. Which is why being able to form a community or become part of one is more important than ever. Our goal is to help to create this virtually.
Who can use our online community hub?
Our hub is open to people with refugee or asylum-seeking status who live in either:
London
Scotland
We hope that as the community grows, we can expand the hub to other areas in the UK.
How does it work?
The community hub is moderated by our team of friendly volunteers, who are there to support the members with information, answer questions, and generally to make a warm and welcoming virtual space for everyone!
The forum is divided by topic, covering things like housing, employment or the location in either East London, Greater London or Scotland. Our moderators have also already created some threads such as:
Jobs and internships
CVs and Cover Letters
Education guidance
Right to work
Getting laptops and other devices
Housing and debt advice
Members are welcome to post questions in the different discussion threads or to give answers and share their experiences with others.
Joining the hub
To join, it only takes a few steps:
Visit our community hub page
Click ‘sign up’ and fill out the form with the details requested
Our volunteers will receive the form and verify that the person meets the criteria
Once this is confirmed, the request will be approved
You will receive an email inviting you to join the forum.
Making a referral
We know many organisations will be wondering whether this community hub is right for the people they support. If you are a caseworker and would like to get one of your beneficiaries onto our forum, you can simply ask them to sign up through our community hub page.
If you would like to ask us any questions or you wish to discuss the community hub before making a referral, please get in touch with us! We are always happy to have a chat.