MANY HANDS OF SURREY / INTEGRATION PROJECT

The Many Hands of Surrey project is focused on improving integration and engaging with ethnic minority communities across Surrey with the overarching aim of making Surrey a home to strong, confident diverse communities who are united to improve wellbeing for all.

This was a three-year project funded by the National Lottery, where we worked in partnership with many specialist organisations, raising awareness within these communities, encouraging them to integrate and unite for common prosperity under three key objectives:

1. Civic Engagement - we recruited volunteers from the community to discuss current challenges faced, focusing on one agreed topic. We then organised events around this subject, so that we could raise awareness of the issue, and give possible solutions/opportunities available, to ethnic minority communities across Surrey.

Our main objectives were to:

a. Empower the volunteers (all volunteers were offered free training courses).

b. Engage and integrate ethnic minority communities.

c. Educate ethnic minority communities.

d. Develop leadership amongst diverse communities and encourage civic participation.

2. Women’s Integration - Weekly Women’s drop-in groups in Redhill, Tadworth, Woking, and Surrey Heath, focusing on upskilling and empowering women. Drop-in sessions included: ESOL English, exercise classes, awareness talks, arts & crafts activities, and outdoor activities (galleries, gardens).

Our main objectives were to:

a. Improve language and communication skills.

b. Improve self-confidence, increase friendship and support structure.

c. Empower women through new experiences i.e., volunteering, applying for a job, transferable skills.

d. Improve mental and physical health of the women attending.

3. Children’s Integration - Delivering Identity & Belonging sessions in schools with children aged between 9 & 10, raising culture awareness them to respect each other as well as themselves.

Our main objectives were to:

a. Educate the children on self-love and self-respect.

b. Raise awareness on tolerance, respect, and the acceptance of others.

We are in the process of applying for further funding to enable us to continue with this project.

For more information, contact Manjit at Manjit.Kalsi@smef.org.uk.