Racial Inequity

Compact for Racial Equality South Tyneside (CREST)

CREST aims to promote racial equality and to assist people from minority ethnic communities in South Tyneside. It works to support them to access education, training and employment, helping them to raise their aspirations and to ensure their collective voice is heard.

CREST also supports people in the asylum system by providing information, advice and guidance; directing them to other services, helping them to integrate into the community, register with doctors, find a school for their children and deal with many other day to day challenges. CREST was awarded a grant of £30,000 to support its day to day running costs.

Govan Community Project

The Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 led to Glasgow becoming the largest refugee dispersal centre in the UK. Govan Community Project was set up in 2001 as one of 11 hubs across the city to try to bring together the various volunteer and church groups that had grown up on an ad hoc basis to try to support them. Since then, the project has grown moving to offices in the Pearce Institute on Govan Road where it supports individuals and families who are in the asylum process and those who are destitute because of a failed asylum claim.

Govan Community Project provides a range of services including:

• Advice and Advocacy: including help to apply for asylum support, for Refugee Survival Trust destitution grants and advocacy in relation to asylum support, accommodation issues and referrals to food banks.
• Food Distribution Service: Govan Community Project runs a weekly fresh food bank. For those who are not in receipt of Home Office support is also offers emergency essentials packages which include dry foods, cooking basics, toiletries and nappies.
• English to Speakers of Other Languages classes.
• Peer group support: Govan Community Project runs three regular groups who meet weekly offering opportunities to develop language skills, take part in social activities, educational activities and workshops aimed at personal development and helping people to get to know their new community in Glasgow. It also runs a men's group, women's group and homework club.

Govan Community Project runs its own interpreting service, Voiceover Glasgow, which provides interpreting services to support the charity and generates income by selling its services to other agencies.

Govan Community Project was awarded £29,968 over two years (£14,984 year 1 and £14,984 year 2) as a contribution towards employing a caseworker and food project assistant.