Welcome to your monthly Resettlement Project update for October. Read on for the latest local news and events.

News and Events

Shopping For Success With ESOL!

Cathy Crompton was preparing for her next class when I met her at The Bridge campus. She was arranging flash cards of different shopping items on a table and the names of shop types where you might buy them. She talked for a while about how ESOL was helping over 200 learners a week in the area.  

‘Everyone is really committed to learn’ she explained. ‘We have Afghans, Ukrainians, Syrians, Sudanese and lots of other nationalities.’

Potential learners are usually referred to the ESOL service although some people fill out an online form and refer themselves. Cathy explained that the first thing to do is assess what language skills people have. This involves looking at their reading, writing, spelling and comprehension. This information means that learners are put in a class that is at the right level for them. Cathy and her colleague John offer level one and two lessons in Dumfries. The studies can require up to 8 hours a week.

The class students start to arrive. There are 4 of them today as sometimes learners have other meetings or interviews to attend. They start to work on some hard words in the English language. The word ‘pharmacy’ is tricky for them in this lesson. I asked them if learning English was hard. One of them from South Sudan smiled. ‘It’s OK. You must do things step by step’. He explained his ambition to get qualifications and become a music producer. His Afghani friend joined in. With a little help, he told me he had been a bike mechanic in Afghanistan and wanted to do the same thing in Dumfries.

All the learners wanted to integrate into Britain. John’s class next door was busy learning about English grammar. The smiles and excitement were clear to see. A Ukrainian student made a good attempt to explain where an apostrophe should be in a sentence. However, both classes were learning by looking at real life situations. Cathy explained that she would accompany the students into Dumfries on one of the study days so that they could practice ordering a coffee.

The ESOL team can help all learners with important tests such as the Life in the UK test or the entry requirements for some college courses. Cathy’s learners were pleased with their progress during this lesson. That tricky word ‘pharmacy’ was learnt now.

Olha Helps People Reach Their Goals in Kelloholm
 

I met Olha after her afternoon language class at Kelloholm School. She was supporting a group of non-native English-speaking students in learning English. When I asked her how she finds teaching, she smiled and said, ‘the students are inspiring.’

Olha did not think she would be a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teacher and living in Kelloholm back in December 2022. She had just arrived with her son and sister at their host family in Cummertrees. Back then, it all felt unreal, as if she was on an extended holiday. Her hosts were wonderful and helped their visitors settle into the area. Olha remembers that her son Daniil was really excited by Christmas and all the gifts kind people gave him.

Sadly, this was not an extended holiday. I asked Olha how she felt about the way events happened. She remembers that in the beginning, the family were so busy that they did not think too much about things. She is grateful for the kindness and support of so many people and believes that it is important ‘to be part of something… and that you have connection.’

Olha and Daniil moved to Kelloholm in August 2023. She never expected that life would lead her down the path of ESOL tutoring, especially after working as an accountant in Ukraine. But when she looks back at her childhood, she remembers giving English lessons to her dolls. After moving to Scotland, she took several courses, including a TEFL course, language classes from the British Council, and an ESOL course at Dumfries College. These helped her join the Life Long Learning team, a role she’s excited about, as the organization had helped her a lot when she first arrived in Scotland. Now she gets huge pleasure ‘helping people achieve their goals.’

Teaching is not Olha’s only contribution to the community. She also volunteers at the local food charity in Kelloholm.

Olha told me of the support she received from so many directions. Kelloholm School has helped Daniil settle in while Kelloholm library is an important source of information for her. Olha also speaks highly of the Citizens Advice team in Dumfries.

But most importantly, she wants to make a difference in people’s lives.

Hate Hurts

Scotland takes hate crime seriously and anyone experiencing abuse because of disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or variations of sexual characteristics are protected by law. 

There are many ways to report hate crime and you do not need to go to a Police station to do so. 

Hugh and Moira Reflect On Two Years of Hosting: ‘It was the best thing we have ever done in our lives..’

Hugh and Moira had lived interesting lives already. Both had written travel articles and they had seen amazing places around the world. Hugh had worked in journalism for the BBC and he still likes to explore broadcast radio from the comfort of his front room.

However, the war in Syria had inspired them to do something about the scenes they saw on the tv channels. Hugh tells me, ‘I just imagine what it would be like if it was us forced from our home and trying to find a safe place..’ The couple had the means to help out. Their home in Moniaive has two independent living spaces. It seemed an obvious choice to shelter a displaced family.

Regular life kept the couple busy for a while and they never took on any Syrians. When the Ukrainian conflict began, Hugh and Moira acted quickly. They knew ‘it was the right thing to do’.

Serhii and Valeria were accommodated temporarily in Glasgow with their three children, George, Michael and Ivan. After they were introduced to Hugh and Moira, the family visited in October 2022. Hugh remembers Valeria’s reaction as she viewed one room. She assumed the whole family would live in it. She was stunned when she was told that they had a complete house to themselves! Hugh remembers that the family had spent a long time sheltering in basements and sleeping in corridors while in Ukraine. The children were told to keep quiet all the time. The youngest, Ivan, was fed on a lot of sweeties to keep him quiet in this upside down existence they had. All the children were traumatised. When they arrived in Moniaive that autumn, they had 3 carrier bags of things between them.

That situation did not last long. It felt like the entire village knocked on the door in the following weeks and people offered help and donations to the family. Both Hugh and Moira wondered how the Serhii and Valeria would feelabout the quietness of Moniaive after living in big cities. The warm welcome of the local people and the space around them helped the family adapt to their new situation and they do not find rural life a problem at all.

George and Michael have flourished at Wallace Hall Academy and they have become very aspirational children with strong interests in art and drama. Hugh and Moira told me that the school had been amazing with both the children and both were in a very different place emotionally compared to two years ago.

Serhii and Valeria have tried to get out into Dumfries and Galloway as much as they can. They are now national Trust members and own a car. Both are working and Valeria has an intense job with the Halo Trust charity in Dumfries.

Moira and Hugh have no regrets. The family are viewing properties of their own now after nearly two years with their hosts. It feels the right time for Hugh and Moira, as they have not been able to invite their own family to stay for two Christmas’ and they are looking forward to getting their space back. This is no reflection on Serhii and Valeria. They have helped Hugh with many things including the mundane jobs such as moving biomass heating material into the house. Hugh and Moira also speak glowingly of the support received from Dumfries and Galloway Council and from their resettlement worker, Donna.

When I asked if the couple would do it again, there was no hesitation. ‘Yes, we have no regrets about doing it at all. It was the best thing we have ever done in our lives.’

Building A Future With Open Doors

The Open Doors recruitment event was held at The Bridge campus in Dumfries on 23 September. When I arrived, lots of employers were already in position with information and vacancies they needed to fill.

Kerry Smith from the Department of Work and Pensions explained more to me. All the employers present had vacancies that they needed to fill and what makes Open Doors events so different, is that a job seeker could be interviewed by an employer there and then in a special room set aside for the purpose. Lots of vacancies were posted on the wall in the main hall and they covered a wide range of job types.

I was really interested to find out how the employers present can help New Scots find a new start in the area. All of them offered the possibility of an informal chat about what’s on offer. One company in the Care Sector, Cera Care, offers training for UK recognised qualifications for anyone who has undertaken the work before in another country. Kayla Rutherford from Cera told me that she is more interested in the applicant’s personality and the ‘real difference’ they can make as worker, rather than looking at qualifications.

Another employer in the Accountancy Sector, Armstrong Watson, indicated that they looked for transferrable skills and they were always happy to talk with any New Scots about their career interests. Caroline at Armstrong Watson said that anyone with an accountancy background in another country could be eligible for work and they would receive full training about the taxation system in the UK.

In Lockerbie, Robinsons offer the option of dropping into their Lockerbie reception for a chat about your skills and how they might be used in the company. Sathron at Robinsons suggested that informal conversations could open up lots of possibilities for New Scots.

All the employers I spoke to advised that job alerts were a useful way for New Scots to learn about opportunities in their area and to keep an eye on social media feeds for larger organisations.

Black History Month in Dumfries and Galloway

Join Dumfries and Galloway Multicultural Association in celebrating Black History Month with an exhibition of writing and pictures featuring contributions made to the region by members of the black community.

The month of October is Black History Month in the UK, a chance to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions made by black people to communities across the country. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the difficulties faced by black people both today and in the past.

Dumfries and Galloway Multicultural Association will be shining a light on some of the contributions made by black people to the social and cultural landscape of Dumfries and Galloway with a special exhibition in their shop building at 179-185 High Street, Dumfries (the old Debenhams building). The exhibition will consist of writing and photographs featuring members of the black community who have lived, worked, or spent memorable time in Dumfries and Galloway over the years.

The exhibition will run from 12 October until 31 October and will be open Monday to Saturday from 10:30am to 4pm

Women’s Wellbeing Group Starts in November

A new group for women starts in November at The Bridge in Dumfries. The group is open to local women and women from different cultures and is meant to provide a safe space to connect, share stories and enjoy fun activities. It will offer an opportunity to practice English in an informal setting. 

The group starts on Wednesday 6 November between 12.30 and 2.00. It will then occur every week. Women with families can bring their children too.

STEP Ahead Is Open For Learners

There is a new opportunity for New Scots seeking employment and skills in the region. A new programme called Step Ahead will be delivered by World Jewish Relief. 

It follows the success of an earlier programme, STEP Ukraine that was also run by World Jewish Relief.

All refugees living in the UK, including individuals who have been granted protection under the Immigration Rules, and those who arrived on one of the following schemes can apply to join the pilot: 

• Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP scheme) 
• Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS scheme) 
• Community Sponsorship Mandate Scheme 
• Family Reunion 
• UK Resettlement Scheme
• Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme 
• Granted Refugee status after claiming Asylum

STEP Ahead will open for registration from week commencing 14^th October and it is hoped to begin at the end of November. During the pilot, participants will receive 12-weeks employability support and 10-weeks of intensive digital English lessons. STEP Ahead is voluntary and will run alongside other English and employment support services. 

New Scots Activities Fund

The New Scots Activity Fund will support communities and organisations to deliver activities with New Scots that promote culture, diversity and integration across Dumfries and Galloway.

Applications are invited in two programmes: Micro Grants of up to £500 and Small Grants of up to £1000. The deadline for applications is 28 October at midday.

The grant will fund activities that help communities across Dumfries and Galloway to celebrate their culture and diversity, and promote integration. This may include but is not limited to:

• Food sharing events such as a community cafe.
• Cultural celebrations such as marking a significant date in the calendar.
• Skills sharing sessions such as crafting, music, sports or cooking groups.
• One off events to bring communities together such as family fun days.
• Workshops to share information about rights, responsibilities or accessing support.

The New Scots Activity Fund is administered by Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway.

Noura Has Fallen In Love With Dumfries

Noura Seada welcomed me at the Dumfries charity MOOL with a coffee and a comfortable seat. She explained that she was still learning things about the English language but she would try to answer my questions. It wasn’t long before she told me that she ‘had fallen in love with Dumfries’. 

Noura arrived in the UK from Egypt in September 2023. She came to study sustainable tourism with the University of Glasgow and found herself attached to the Dumfries campus. Noura had hoped she would be living in the big city and was not sure what she would find in Dumfries. It didn’t take long for her to see things differently. 

‘I am very happy here in Dumfries… people are amazing here’ she said. ‘You feel safe in Dumfries. It’s not loud and busy like a big city but it has everything you need.’ I asked her if she would like to stay in the town at the end of her course. Noura smiled and nodded. ‘I have seen different countries and this is the first place I have called home outside of Egypt.’

Noura works for MOOL (Massive Outpouring Of Love) for 1 day each week as their Volunteer Coordinator. She explained that she also acts as a ‘friendly face’ at Mool. She volunteers there on other days too. Noura loves volunteering. She offers her time to Dumfries and Galloway Multi-cultural Association, Cancer Research, Dumfries Museum and also The Wild Goose Festival. I asked her how she found the time and the pure energy to do so much. ‘I want to make the world closer in some way’ she explained. 

I asked Noura if she had found anything difficult in Dumfries. Had she felt concerned by some of the things that had happened in other parts of the UK in recent months? Noura thought about my question for a moment. ‘No. Don’t rely on the media as your point of perspective. The people filled with hate are only small in number.’ 

The time for our interview came to an end. I asked her about the future. Noura explained that she would need to return to Egypt for a short while and she would see where the future took her. ‘I don’t make big plans into the future anymore since Covid’ she replied. She would like to find a job that fits with her values. I asked one final question. If Noura could not come back, what would be her memory of Dumfries? She did not hesitate. ‘You feel balanced here. The warm support will stay in my mind.’

Do You Have Any News To Share?

If you have any news or events you want to share with the Resettlement Newsletter, then get in touch with some details and we will be in touch. 

Email us at: ResettlementProject@dumgal.gov.uk

The next Resettlement Newsletter will be published on 22 November 2024.