We have all watched the terrible events unfold in Afghanistan over the last few weeks and witnessed untold suffering of people in the country. Some of our clients here in Colchester, have family back in Afghanistan and what is happening in their country has obviously brought deep fear and anxiety to them. We set up […]
Mohammad has been a RA-C client since late April, when he was moved from London to Colchester. He is from Iran and is seeking asylum. He has become very involved in his community here and volunteers three times a week at his local church. From time to time he also attends RA-C’s gardening and table […]
Last week the police brought Taha (not his real name) came in to see us. He has been homeless on our streets for years and had no shoes and had little English; his feet were blistered, bleeding and swollen. The Rough Sleeper Outreach team had sensibly suggested we get involved. This is because Taha has […]
Jonathan Seath, former Principal of Colchester English Study Centre provides some tips. Sometimes we have requests from clients to help improve their English. Clearly a good use of English is important for being able to become a full member of the community, communicating with local services, finding employment and of course keeping up with your […]
This is a call to all mums to come with their children to join Refugee Action -Colchester celebrating Women’s Health Day.There will be drinks and food and the chance to talk to like-minded women. An important appointment Join us on Saturday 3rd July from 12am to 3pm at the Youth Enquiry Service venue, 9 Trinity […]
I had met Liz Curry (our volunteer coordinator) sometime ago; we were both trying to improve our Spanish at weekly classes. I was interested in what Liz told me about the work Refugee Action – Colchester was doing locally, but it wasn’t until last summer that I felt motivated enough to follow it up. There […]
We have welcomed new residents to Colchester in the last week as it is now a dispersal location from the Home Office for Asylum Seekers who are in the National Asylum Support Service (NASS), and are waiting for an Asylum claim to be decided. There are currently 5 houses occupied in Colchester, each one housing […]
The term ‘modern day slave trade’ provokes strong and emotional responses and yet we tend to see it as something that only happens in big cities, far away from us. Sadly, that is not the case as our caseworkers know how this is happening today on our doorstep. Modern slavery is comprised of human trafficking […]
Did you know hate crime is ‘any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone based on a personal characteristic’? Did you know that evidence of the hate element is not a requirement? It would be enough if another person, a witness […]
Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Founded in 1998 and held every year around World Refugee Day on the 20 June, Refugee Week is also a growing global movement. We are always looking for innovative ways of raising funds to meet the ever […]