Birmingham: Innovative community projects supporting refugees – through the Government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme – have received over £85,000 in grants awarded by Birmingham City Council.
Three projects – the Bike Project, Flash Academy and Refugee Alliance – have received grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 to deliver initiatives that help these families build a new life here.
The Bike Project, based in Balsall Heath, was awarded £24,466 to upcycle 100 second-hand bikes, to give to Syrian families with no means of transport. It also offers mentoring support, a bespoke cycling programme and the opportunity to gain work experience at its workshop.
Aston-based FlashAcademy was awarded £50,000 to provide access to its online programmes to around 70 schools across the city, helping them to support Syrian pupils with their education needs, which is vital as schools are currently closed due to Covid-19.
Refugee Alliance received £10,000 for its workshops that aim to provide parents with essential skills and confidence to support their children growing up in Birmingham, covering topics like social media, cyber-bullying and emotional wellbeing. These face-to-face sessions have been adapted and are now available online.
Cllr John Cotton, Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion, Community Safety and Equalities, said: “I am pleased to see these innovative schemes benefit from grants which in turn will benefit refugee families who arrive in Birmingham through the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.
“Learning to ride a bike and being able to travel to school or work, along with being able to access learning or to understand issues children may face when growing up are universal experiences, but to newly arrived families being able to do these things helps them settle into their neighbourhood – and their new lives. Congratulations to all these schemes.”
These one-off grants support short-term, innovative activity which aids resettlement and integration of Syrian refugees. This grant scheme is delivered in addition to commissioned services on a quarterly award cycle.
Both the grants and commissioned services are funded by central Government, as part of money received by local authorities participating in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.
For more information about grants support available, visit the council’s website.
