Latefa Guemar

Romisa Asadi

Anahita Alikhani

Atena Mohajeri

Cristina Monteiro

Denis Ndomba

Jackie Aber

Josie Ackhurst

Shahid Altaf

Al Haji Kamara

Shaun Gillespie

Tony Young

Zinab Asseba

Natasha Katolin

Ingrid Bousquest

Aime Kongolo

 Swansea Bay Asylum Seekers Support Group

SBASSG is a community group run by asylum seekers, refugees and other local people.  The group was set up in 2000 when the 'dispersal' policy was announced.  The Home Office has since sent hundreds of asylum seekers to await decisions on their fate in Swansea; increasing numbers, having been given status, settle here.

 

We organise regular get-togethers and occasional social and cultural public events; assist families and individuals in crisis; work with organisations in the voluntary and public sectors to improve conditions for asylum seekers and refugees, and to improve public understanding of refugee and asylum issues; lobby service providers and policy makers; and defend asylum seekers threatened with deportation to places which are manifestly unsafe for them.  All this with no paid staff and most of the time, not even expenses for volunteers! 

Supporters

We have had some grants, but we depend mainly on donations (as well as book sales). We acknowledge with gratitude the generous gifts received from many local individuals and from groups including: Amnesty International Swansea, Catholic Women's League, St Vincent de Paul Society, St James's Church, St David's Church, the Salvation Army, Brunswick Methodist Church, and STAR Swansea. We have also had valuable support in kind from (among others) the British Red Cross (Swansea), the City and County of Swansea, Leena Homes, Swansea Bay Race Equality Council, Minority Ethnic Women's Network, Displaced People in Action, the Welsh Refugee Council, All Wales Ethnic Minority Association, Black Environment Network, Oxfam, and Croeso. We work in partnership with these and with (among others) the African Community Centre and the African Friendship Society.

 

In October 2003 SBASSG won a Welsh Diversity Award 2003 for Best Organisation (Youth Category), awarded by Black Voluntary Sector Network Wales

 

Grants

*In January 2005 we were awarded a grant of £3600 from the Communities First Trust Fund (ref 10666) for the Swansea World Stars.

*In September 2004 we were awarded a grant from Comic Relief, for £10,000 a year over three years (ref no GR001 10004). This will enable us to employ a person part-time to manage, promote and develop our drop-ins, provide inductions for volunteers (both refugees / asylum seekers and other locals) and professionalise the service in some ways. We are negotiating to set up a partnership with a bigger organisation so that the employee can be properly resourced and managed.

*In summer 2004 we were awarded a grant of £5000 from Swansea Council, to pay for toys/equipment and fees for Play Workers, who now attend our Friday and Saturday drop-ins and keep kids happily active.

*In summer 2003 we collaborated with the Department of Adult Continuing Education at University of Wales Swansea to run a series of courses in English, arts and crafts, volunteering skills, interpreting skills, and counselling skills - this project was funded by the Home Office Refugee Integration Unit. Details of Summer Courses 2003 - click here.

*In summer 2002 we received a grant of £4500 from the Home Office Refugee Integration Unit for 'purposeful summer activities'. With this money we established the Swansea World Stars football team, rehearsed and staged "Let's Talk Unity", a music/dance/drama show at Swansea Institute, and with MEWN Swansea, created an information brochure and map for asylum seekers and service providers in Swansea. 

 

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