Resettlement Newsletter, Monday August 21 2023
Welcome to your monthly Resettlement Project update.
The Dumfries and Galloway Resettlement Project Team is delighted to introduce new arrangements for our monthly Newsletter – designed now for all ‘New Scots’ people living locally who are supported through our Resettlement Project, and for those who are involved in supporting its activities.
Each month we will bring you an update on the work of various people and groups within our wider team, as well as information about upcoming events, celebrations, opportunities, and observances which might be of interest to you as a member of our resettlement community.
We are also launching a new online resource for the resettlement community: New Scot DG. This will be an online events platform where you can access information about a whole range of resettlement events, but you will also be able to read these newsletters on the New Scot DG blog. There will be an easy to use translation feature which will now enable you to read all of this information in your language of choice.
We also hope this newsletter will be an opportunity for you to share your own news and stories, as well as anything you’d like information about. You can reach us at any time by sending an email to ResettlementProject@dumgal.gov.uk.
Cultural Days in August
Afghan Independence Day, 19 August
August 19 was Afghan Independence Day! The date marks the signing of the treaty of Rawalpindi (sometimes called the Anglo-Afghan treaty) in 1919. Afghans sometimes celebrate with decorations bearing the flag of Afghanistan or with a traditional Afghan ‘Attan’ dance. We hope that our Afghan guests in the region had a pleasant day. If you had your own celebrations at home, we would love to hear about them – you can share your stories and pictures with us by emailing ResettlementProject@Dumgal.Gov.UK.
Independence Day of Ukraine, 24 August
August 24 marks the Independence Day of Ukraine. The national holiday has been celebrated on this date since 1991, a year after the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s Parliament) passed the ‘Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine’. Some people choose to celebrate by wearing folk costumes or by sharing traditional Ukrainian foods. This year, the Crichton Trust are organising a special event in Dumfries to mark the occasion and share Ukrainian foods. More information below!
News and Events
New Scots DG: a new online web resource for resettlement
The Resettlement Project Team and our events partners are pleased to announce the launch of this new online resource for the resettlement community. ‘New Scot DG’ is a new website for New Scots living in Dumfries and Galloway. Here you can access information about upcoming events which might be relevant to you as a member of our resettlement community.
Event partners from across the Resettlement Project will upload their events to the online calendar, allowing you to see all events which are relevant to the resettlement community in one easy to access webpage for the first time ever.
On this blog page we will be posting feature articles and news items about the work of the Resettlement Team, as well as wider news and stories which might be of interest to you. We will also be uploading this monthly newsletter to the blog page, which means that you can access all of this information in your language of choice by simply clicking the orange ‘translate’ tab and choosing your language.
Our hope is that by having all the events and news information in one accessible location online, it will be easier for all of our resettled guests to participate in events, stay up-to-date with the latest resettlement news, and to read the information in your own language at your leisure.
Thanks to the team at the Crichton Trust who have led on the development of this work on behalf of the Resettlement Project over the last few months, as well as to all the regular events partners who support events for the resettlement community.
If you’d like to give us some feedback on the website, or if there’s anything you’d like to see which isn’t currently included, please email us at ResettlementProject@Dumgal.Gov.UK and we will do our best to incorporate your suggestions.
News Update: Welcome to asylum seekers
The UK Government’s Home Office has arranged for around 60 asylum seekers to live at the Mercure Hotel just outside Dumfries.
While asylum seekers are not allowed to take paid employment while their application for asylum is being considered, they are entitled to attend ESOL so Learners may see some new faces in classes. The asylum seekers are also able to join in local events, and the Resettlement Project Team will be making sure to share these Newsletters with them, so they feel welcome and know about the multicultural and international activities available to News Scots while in Dumfries and Galloway.
Dumfries International Street Food Festival: Postponed
‘The Dumfries International Street Food Festival’ (DISFFEST) was scheduled to return this year after a wonderful success last year. The event was due to take place on Saturday 19 August (last weekend), but due to bad weather conditions the decision was taken by the organisers to postpone the event until a later date.
Last year’s festival was a brilliant event which brought a special variety of people and cuisines to the town and had many interesting new things that could be sampled or bought.
We are so excited to support the return of this special event and are pleased to confirm that the Resettlement Project has contributed funding towards the running of the event this year, matching our contribution last year.
We will supply an update when new information is made available, but meantime you can find out more about the event and keep up-to-date with the latest news in the link below.
Independence Day of Ukraine celebration at the Crichton
The Crichton Trust Ukrainian Cafe team will celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day with a ‘Varenyky Festival’ on Saturday 26 August.
Varenyky are special Ukrainian boiled dumplings which are traditionally stuffed with a range of fillings. You can try Varenyky stuffed with mushrooms, potato, chicken, bacon, or even cherries!
Why not come along and sample a taste of Ukrainian culture whilst helping to mark the occasion of Ukraine’s independence day?
Taking place: From 12:00 pm on Saturday 26 August at The Easterbrook Bistro, Bankend Road, Dumfries, DG1 4TL. Admission is free, but please book a space in the link below.
Exam Results
Many young people across Scotland received their exam results on Tuesday 8 August.
The resettlement team want to take an opportunity to congratulate all young learners for their hard work and dedication to their studies. Whatever results you achieved, we hope that you are celebrating your efforts and taking a well deserved break.
There are a number of resources in the links below which can help you with understanding and interpreting your results, as well as providing some advice on the next steps you might be looking to take.
We hope these links will be useful for you, but if you need further support, please contact us at ResettlementProject@dumgal.gov.uk and we will do our best to help you with the next best steps on your education journey.
The Ukrainian Collective
People displaced from Ukraine who have found a home in Scotland are coming together to share their skills and contribute to Scottish Government plans to better support the Ukrainian community in Scotland. Supported by the Scottish Refugee Council, the ‘Ukrainian Collective’ is a group of around 30 Ukrainian people who bring their professional skills and lived experience to the discussion table as they try to find solutions to some of the most common issues faced by Ukrainians being supported to resettle in Scotland.
Oleksandra Novatska, who is chair of the language and culture working group for the Ukrainian Collective, has been living in and actively contributing to Dumfries and Galloway since leaving Ukraine. The resettlement team want to wish Oleksandra a big congratulations, and the best of luck in the important work she will be undertaking in the future.
You can read more about the Ukrainian Collective and their workstreams in a blog by the Scottish Refugee Council below.
ESOL Learners Together Group – what do you think?
The Resettlement Lifelong Learning Team are always striving to enhance the learning experience for those who engage with opportunities like ESOL, and one of the best ways to do this is to ensure learners are involved in the discussion! The Lifelong Learning Team are considering putting together a new working group to allow ESOL learners to brainstorm new ideas, discuss opportunities, and make informed decisions about the future direction of learning opportunities. The group would be an opportunity to influence the decision making process about the future of ESOL learning, as well as to share your own insights, ideas and suggestions for improvements.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this. If you would like to be part of a Learners Together Group, or if you have your own ideas about how you could contribute to the future of ESOL learning, please email us at ESOLTutor@dumgal.gov.uk.
New resources for ‘Supersponsor Scheme’ hosts
The Scottish Government have released a suite of new resources for people who are hosting displaced people from Ukraine in their homes. The guidance, titled ‘Ukraine psychological wellbeing pack: guidance for host families’, provides information to help you support your guest as well as yourself and your family.
There are also online webinars available for you to access which can provide advice and information on topics like trauma informed approaches to hosting, deciding if hosting will work for you, and planning for the end of hosting arrangements.
These resources will be useful for those already hosting a guest from Ukraine, and also for those who may be considering becoming a host in the near future. You can access the guidance in the links below.
