Resettlement Newsletter, Friday September 8 2023
Welcome to your monthly Resettlement Project update.
Welcome to your monthly Resettlement Project update.
September is here, which signals that our summer is drawing to a close and autumn is on the way. Autumn is a very beautiful time of the year across Dumfries and Galloway, and there are plenty of events which take place during the months in the run up to our winter season.
In this newsletter we bring you information about some upcoming events and activities which might be of interest to you, as well as news and updates about things which have been happening across the Dumfries and Galloway Resettlement Project and our partner organisations.
As always, we want to hear from you! If you have a story you’d like us to feature in this newsletter, news about a celebration or cultural event you want us to cover, or pictures to share from your time at a local event, please write in to us. You can reach us at any time by sending an email to ResettlementProject@dumgal.gov.uk.
Cultural Days in September
Autumn Equinox, 23 September
In the Northern Hemisphere, the autumn equinox takes place on 23 September this year. The equinox marks one of two points in the year where the day time is of equal length to the night time. After this point the days begin to get a little shorter, and the nights longer as we head towards winter. In Scotland the equinox has historically been a significant time in our seasonal and agricultural calendar. Even today you may hear local people say things like: ‘the nights are fair drawing in’ which means the nights are getting longer – typically Scottish!
Mawlid an-Nabi, 26 – 27 September
Mawlid an-Nabi is a special day in the Islamic calendar which commemorates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. It is celebrated in many places around the world. If you are celebrating Mawlid and you would like to tell us more about it, please share your stories with us by sending us an email to ResettlementProject@Dumgal.Gov.UK.
News and Events
UEFA Euro Qualifiers: Ukraine V England
Coming up on Saturday 9 September at 5:00 pm, Ukraine and England will face each other in the Football at Wroclaw Stadium, aka the Tarczynski Arena, in Poland.
If you are choosing to watch the match, it will be aired live on Channel 4, and some venues local to you may be hosting screenings.
Wherever you choose to watch, the resettlement team wish you a safe experience – and good luck!
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.
Host Support Groups
Host Support Groups recommenced in August with ‘Bring a Dish’ events for hosts and guests. These took place at Newton Stewart, Annan, Castle Douglas, and Dumfries and enabled guests and hosts to come together and meet informally at a venue of their choice.
We were delighted by the attendance of a number of Ukrainian guests and extend thanks to hosts, both those currently hosting and those without guests, who attended and made the evenings a success. We would love to hear if hosts would be interested in further similar events taking place or have preferences in relation to the form groups take and preferred time of day.
It is important that groups meet the needs of hosts, and we would welcome any ideas you may have on what might be helpful to include going forward. Send an email to SocialWorkUkrainianSupport@Dumgal.Gov.UK to let us know your thoughts.
Youthwork: Global Education Group
The Dumfries and Galloway Youthwork team are launching a new ‘Global Education’ group for young people aged between 12 – 17 years.
The group will focus on issues which affect people and communities all over the world, including climate change, poverty, human rights, and more. It is a great opportunity to meet with likeminded young people while learning how you can get involved in making a difference both locally and globally!
The group meets on Fridays, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm at the Oasis Youth Centre, Newall Terrace, Dumfries DG1 1LW
Youth Council and Youth Parliament Elections
The Scottish Youth Parliament and the Dumfries and Galloway Youth Council are opportunities for young people aged 14 – 25 to be involved in decision making which affects young people on both local and national levels.
Registration for the next elections, which take place in November 2023, are now open. The Council has dedicated places for people who have been historically underrepresented in youth decision making including young people representing ethnic minority groups, the LGBTQ+ community, and people with additional or other support needs.
If you are interested in being part of the next generation of young decision makers in Scotland, you can find out more about the Scottish Youth Parliament and Local Youth Council in the link below. You will also find a sign up form which you can complete if you want to stand for election, and a form to volunteer more broadly in the work of these groups.
Art is Therapy: New Course For Displaced Ukrainian Women
Ukrainian artist Oleksandra Novatska, who is now based in Dumfries, will continue her art practice as she leads a new group set up to help displaced Ukrainian women to reduce stress, increase self-esteem, and build self-awareness.
Thanks go to FiLiA and the Dumfries and Galloway branch of The Scottish Feminist Network who recently agreed to fund the project as part of their work to support women’s initiatives in the region.
Speaking about the event, Oleksandra said:
“I created this course based on my knowledge and experience from conducting similar classes in Ukraine and here in Dumfries. This course is for groups of vulnerable women to help them reduce stress and increase self-esteem and self-awareness. I assist participants in the development of their artistic skills, encouraging self-expression.
Art is an important tool for reducing stress and increasing well-being, it helps participants resolve internal and external conflicts, develop interpersonal communication skills, manage behaviour, and help return to normal life. I set myself the task not only to help them during classes, but also to encourage them to be creative at home.
The course has five introductory sessions, each of which is devoted to different techniques: watercolour painting, gouache, drawing, zentangle, and collage. During these sessions, we find which of the techniques is most suitable/liked for self-expression by each participant. As an outcome of this workshop, participants will be equipped with a few easy-to-access creative practices that they can take away and add to their everyday life to support their reflection and wellbeing.”
The classes will take place in Gracefield Art Centre, with art supplies kindly donated by The Range. The Scottish Feminist Network hopes to secure funding to extend these classes and to support wider groups of displaced women in the long term.
Family Learning Event
The Resettlement Lifelong Learning team worked with the Crichton Trust to put on a fun filled ‘family learning’ event which took place at the Crichton’s Ukrainian Café. The event was a lot of fun – why not have a look at some of the highlights by clicking through to the video below?
ESOL Conversation Classes: European Day of Languages
Tuesday 26 September is the ‘European Day of Languages’. ESOL conversation classes around the region will be marking the occasion with special activities and discussion points. You can see a breakdown of the ESOL classes taking place in that week, beginning Monday 25 September in this table.
Update: Change to the Ukraine Advice Scotland Project
The Ukraine Advice Scotland project is a Scottish Government funding programme which provides free and confidential legal advice and information to displaced people from Ukraine who are living in Scotland. The project was previously administered by JustRight Scotland, but as of 1 September, the project is now managed by the Scottish Refugee Council. The Scottish Government are working with the Scottish Refugee Council to ensure the transition goes smoothly and to make sure that there is minimal disruption to the service. You can now access support or advice with legal matters by calling 0808 1967 274 or sending an email to ukraine@scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk.
Fire Safety Information
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have guidance on their website to help you with understanding fire safety regulations in Scotland.
The guidance will be useful for you if you are in the process of settling into a new home in Scotland, or if you have recently moved into a different type of accommodation.
You can access this guidance in your language of choice by using the Google powered translation tool at the top of the webpage and selecting your preferred language.
Parents: Survey on Parenting Programmes
Calling all parents and carers: have you filled in the 2023 Parent Survey?
Children’s Services are currently assessing the need for Parenting programmes across the Dumfries and Galloway region. Parenting programmes are designed to support parents and families at any stage of life or their parenting journey, and offer a range of ways to help families cope through difficult times, improve relationships between parents and their children, and generally help to build stronger and more resilient family groups.
It is vitally important to gain the opinions, needs, and wishes of parents living locally to help us to develop programmes for families that are suitable and relevant.
Could you please take time to fill this in if you are a parent or carer? The survey closes on 29 September 2023.
