Praxis Community Projects

Founded in 1983 through a legacy of the late Robert Kemble, Praxis has worked with people from some of the world's most dangerous and troubled locations including Latin America, Francophone Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Middle East. Since its inception, Praxis has taken great care to respond to the marginalisation of refugees and migrants. In 1997, Praxis was registered as a non-sectarian charity independent of the Robert Kemble Trust, although it still maintains a close and important relationship with them

Year(s):

Target group(s): Vulnerable Migrants, Asylum Seekers

Website: www.praxis.org.uk

Methodology

Praxis vision is for a society that welcomes displaced people and migrants, respects their human rights, enables them to live in dignity and make a contribution to the economic, social and cultural life of the UK. Praxis aims to achieve this by providing help and support for newly arrived and long- settled migrants to ensure that they are able to live in safety, meet their essential human needs and overcome the barriers they face to integrate, develop and thrive in the UK. Praxis also seeks to challenge exclusion, build solidarity and improve policy and service provision by drawing on the lived experience of migrants and by supporting migrant communities for their voices to be heard.

Type of product

Advice and Information Services Learning and Employment programmes Health and Wellbeing programmes Community Projects Language and Interpreting Shelter and Safety Downloadable resources and reports

Brief description of the product / outcome / method

Advice and Information Praxis operates a walk in advice service and operates projects which seek to address the fundamental human rights of new migrants. Praxis provides advice, information and casework to migrants on a wide range of issues such as • Housing & homelessness Welfare benefits • Asylum support • Immigration • Debt advise Experienced advice team speaks a range of community languages and interpreters are also available. Learning and Employment Classes (for anyone whose first language is not English) offer the opportunity to develop language skills, with an emphasis on practical language for everyday life and employment situations. Our programme will guide you through the process of finding a job by providing essential support, skills and training needed to enter employment. Health and Wellbeing Praxis runs a programme of support for people implementing self-directed support, vulnerable unaccompanied asylum seekers in the care system, and women and their children – especially those who are victims of violence and exploitation. Community Projects Community Development projects at Praxis are dedicated to creating space for communities to share their experiences and have meaningful dialogue with policy makers and service providers, and ensuring positive stories of migration are celebrated. The Community Development projects are also dedicated to investing in community leadership, giving community members access to resources and support to make a notable difference in their own community while building bridges with others. Language and Interpreting Praxis regards communication as essential to community cohesion. New migrants need communication support which includes the provision of interpreters where necessary and access to high quality Engligh language courses. Praxis has developed it's own interpreting service and delivers English language courses both on site and in GP surgeries. Shelter and Safety Some homeless people cannot access provision designed to be a safety net. Praxis is engaged in creating alternative temporary homes for very vulnerable migrants with “no recourse to public funds”. Resources 1. Manual for professionals working with undocumented migrants - A manual for people advising undocumented migrants. An invaluable resource for all those who come across undocumented migrants in their work, the manual is a complete guide for non-lawyers on advising this category of clients. Topics include: - immigration matters - access to healthcare and social care - education - housing - ethical and practical issues in advice work 2. European Migrant Advisor Toolkit www.migrant-toolkit.eu A set of tools to help employment advisers to work with migrants

Impact on target groups / Transferability potential

Praxis Community Projects is committed to working with vulnerable migrants and are deeply concerned for the safety and well being of refugees, asylum seekers, refused asylum seekers, people with limited or no recourse to public funds as a result of their immigration status, young unaccompanied asylum seekers, victims of human trafficking, foreign national offenders and others who find it difficult to settle in the UK.

Promoter of the initiative

Name of organization / individual: Praxis Community Projects

Country: United Kingdom

Website: www.praxis.org.uk

Contacts: admin@praxis.org.uk