Sector Leaders defend charities right to campaign.
4in10 fully support the joint statement from social sector leaders on the right to campaign, issued following a speech in the House of Commons by Sir John Hayes MP in which he stated that he and 20 other MP’s had written to the Charity Commission to complain about the Runnymede Trust’s response to the report by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, (The Sewell report). Sir John asked for assurance from minister Kemi Badenoch that she make representations across government to “stop the worthless work—often publicly funded—of organisations that are promulgating weird, woke ideas…” As the statement says, the changes that charities are asking for are not “worthless” or “weird” but focused on solving some of this country’s most enduring challenges.
Mental Health Support for Young Migrants and Asylum Seekers
In light of the dreadful 4th Suicide of a young Eritrean asylum seeker in the UK aged just 19, here are a number of London organisations supporting the mental health of young refugees, asylum seekers and migrants:
- Afghanistan and Central Asian Association based in Hounslow but serves Afghan refugees from across London.
- AFRIL support the children of refugees , as well as young refugees themselves, in Lewisham.
- Body and Soul supports children, teenagers and adults affected by trauma.
- Baobab Survivors in Exile The Baobab Centre is a non-residential therapeutic community that enables child and adolescent asylum seekers who have experienced organized violence, violation, exploitation, threats, rejection, loss and bereavement in their home communities and on their journeys into exile to thrive.
- Black & Asian Therapists Network provides training, resources and information, and an online directory of qualified therapists experienced in working with immigrant population including African, Caribbean and Asian clients.
- Forced Migration Trauma Service work with people who have experienced trauma and/or forced migration. This is an NHS service, so referrals are required for treatment. Referrals are available from a care co-ordinator, GP/local doctor, or a specialist mental health service.
- Freedom from Torture provides direct clinical / therapeutic services to survivors of torture who arrive in the UK.
- Ghanaian Welfare Association provides the Ghanaian community in London advice including mental health support.
- Helen Bamber Foundation works with survivors of genocide, torture, trafficking and rape by providing them with practical support and treatment to deal with their pasts and build new futures.
- Nafsiyat Intercultural Therapy Centre offers culturally sensitive psychotherapy/counselling to ethnic minorities including refugees and asylum seekers in a variety of languages.
- NAZ Black Asian and Minority Ethnic run sexual health support agency that are offering free online counselling as well as other practical support for the LGBTQ+ minority ethnic and black communities.
- New Citizens Gateway serve Barnet and north London with specific young refugee projects and support.
- No Panic Helpline Helplines for anxiety disorders, panic attacks etc. 0844 9674848 Youth Helpline 0330 606 1174 (for 13 to 20 year olds open Mon to Thurs 4pm-6pm)
- Refugee Council. Offer specialist mental health support to help refugees to rebuild their lives using the resilience, strength and skills acquired on their journey.
- Social Workers Without Borders offers voluntary support to asylum seekers, refugees and those impacted by borders, independently of government and local authorities, using its members’ social work skill and expertise.
- South London Refugee Association specialist advice for vulnerable young migrants.
- The Chinese Information & Advice Centre offers support and information including mental health support, to disadvantaged Chinese people living in the UK.
- The Refugee Therapy Centre offers expertise in the delivery of an integrated and user-friendly mental health service for people who have endured considerable trauma and forced displacement. The Centre provides psychotherapy, counselling and associated treatments to refugees and asylum seekers in their own language.
- Traumatic Stress Clinic provides specialist mental health care for post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) to children, adolescents and adults. Refugees and asylum seekers account for over half of the referrals to the Clinic. This is an NHS service, so referrals are required for treatment. Referrals are available from a care co-ordinator, GP/local doctor, or a specialist mental health service.
- Vietnamese Mental Health Services offers culturally sensitive mental health services to Vietnamese people with mental health problems including refugees and asylum seekers. Services provided are drop in day services, outreach and counselling services.
- Waterloo Community Counselling helps people resolve emotional issues, reduce anxiety and depression, and gain self-confidence. Individual and group counselling is offered in English and a range of other languages.
- Young Roots help young refugees and asylum seekers aged 11 - 25. Their 1-to-1 casework service supports young people with issues like housing, immigration and emotional support
Challenge Your Candidates to Help End Child Poverty!
On 6 May, Londoners will vote for the next Mayor of London and 25 London Assembly Members.
Members of the London Child Poverty Alliance (LCPA) have published a shared manifesto which calls on the London mayoral candidates to commit to key actions that will have a significant and lasting impact on rates of child poverty in the capital.
The manifesto calls for action in four key areas: income, hunger, housing and inequalities.
Take a look at the full manifesto here.
We hope this manifesto will encourage those running for Mayor and to be members of the London Assembly to put a commitment to end child poverty and protect the rights of all the city’s children at their heart of their plans to help London recover from the pandemic.
Register to Vote by 19th April!
The London mayoral elections and the elections for London Assembly Members are fast approaching.
To vote everyone needs to be registered by the 19th April.
You can also print of the form and send it in.
The form asks for an NI number but it is possible to register without one.
There is an easy read version of the instructions developed by Mencap.
Once registered people can then apply for a postal vote if they don’t want to vote in person.
The postal vote application has to go to the local authority and the address for all the individual local authority postal vote applications is here.
It was estimated that in the last election over 9 million eligible adults were not registered to vote.
In London many of those were in temporary or insecure rental accommodation.
Those on the lowest income, with the most to lose, are the most likely not to be registered to vote and to believe that they cannot register.
So long as you have some form of address you can register even if you have to re-register at every election.