See our Annual Reviews

Annual Review December 2009

Annual Review Nov 2008

Annual Review Dec 2007

Annual Review October 2006

Annual Review February 2005

“The objects of the Association are the advancement of education and the relief of poverty, distress and sickness amongst asylum seekers and refugees in the North East of England and to that end to provide a mechanism for hearing the voice of asylum seekers and refugees by bringing together in council representatives of Refugee Communities working in the area of benefit” 

RRF constitution signed 4th March 2003

The Regional Refugee Forum North East is a membership organisation open to all refugee-led community organisations in the region. It is a unique model of collective strategic action aimed at promoting the Integration of refugees in the region, for which has achieved national recognition. It brings together the North East region’s diverse refugee-led community organisations (RCOs) into a unifying structure with the specific aim of producing their Collective Voice and using it to inform the development of evidence based policy and practice around Integration. It also provides a customised package of development and capacity building support to RCOs to support the vital role they play in providing unique support services for their communities.

Refugees and asylum seekers experience exclusion and multiple disadvantage. Successful integration will be in the interests of the whole regional community, with refugees enabled to participate in and contribute to the social, economic and cultural wealth of the whole regional community on an equal basis, as equal citizens. Many of our members are in exile precisely because they sought to challenge social injustice in their countries of origin. They bring with them many transferable and valuable skills and a deep commitment to equality and human rights. Their work in RCOs and within the Forum enables them to apply those skills and commitment in the UK context for the good of the whole community. The importance of the unique contribution of migrant and refugee community organizations has been recognized by the Government, and the Minister for the Third Sector.  

2000 – 2003 

The Forum started as an initiative within the North of England Refugee Service (NERS), the region’s independent advice and support service for asylum seekers and refugees. In 2000, there were 5 existing RCOs in the region, and about 150 refugees settling in the region each year. NERS knew that once the Government implemented its new Dispersal policy for Asylum Seekers from April 2000, the region would become home to many more refugees from a much greater diversity of countries of origin. These new arrivals would seek to create new groups to support their growing communities.

NERS led a Transnational Project: Hearing the Voice of Refugees in Policy and Practice in the European Union (Jan – Oct 2000) for the European Commission, Department of Justice & Home Affairs.  This project involved 45 refugees from 17 countries of origin, living in the North East, Ireland and Italy, and policy makers from the 3 countries. The findings showed that in order for policy and services to be effective in promoting integration, the evidence of refugees needed to be heard. The Forum grew directly from the findings of this project.

During this time the Forum carried out research, for example commissioned by the Home Office and the region’s Health Services and assisted a further 35 RCOs to establish themselves and support their communities, and these RCOs worked collectively to design a unique Constitution and a 3 year Action Plan. The Constitution was signed by representatives of 21 RCOs on March 4th 2003, and the first Executive Committee was elected in October that year.

2004 

In July 2004 the Forum became an independent registered charity managed by its Executive Committee, who are elected from the membership by the membership, and employing a Co-ordinator. It secured core grant funding for a 3 years from the Big Lottery to implement the General Membership’s Action Plan. In 2005 the Forum moved to a new office in Newcastle and employed an Information & Communications Officer, and in 2006 an Administration Officer.  In response to a high demand for intensive capacity building and development support for RCOs, and funding to support their growth and actions, the Forum worked closely during 2006 with the region’s Funders to highlight the specific needs of RCOs. The Forum was asked to submit detailed recommendations on what would work best for RCOs.(Click here for a copy of the Forum’s recommendations for an RCO support programme, October 2006) 

For more information about the Forum’s activities in this period see our Annual Report February 2005 and Annual Review October 2006. 

2007

The Forum’s recommendations on a customised support programme for RCOs was commissioned by the Northern Rock Foundation, for 3 years, as the Support for Community Action Programme (SCAP). The Forum recruited a Project Manager and five Community Development Workers  (2 are part-time) and opened a second office in Middlesbrough. We also moved to new offices in Gateshead.  

The Forum also secured 3 year’s funding from the Millfield House Foundation for its policy focused work – the Sub-Groups programme, so that the Collective Voice of the region’s refugee community can be heard in the development of evidence based policy and practice.

For more information see our Annual Review December 2007. 

2008 

The Forum currently has 45 member organisations and 8 staff working from two offices in Gateshead and Middlesbrough. It runs two major programmes of work – one producing the Collective Voice of the region’s refugee community to influence Policy and Practice, and the other providing one to one development and capacity building Support for the region’s RCOs so that they can deliver support directly to their communities. . Since 2006 the Forum has also created links to other emerging Refugee-led forums across the UK, which has developed into a Network of independent Forums.