Upbeat Communities provides support to refugees and asylum seekers at different stages of their journeys.

Welcome

Arriving in a new country can be a daunting experience, especially if you have been through trauma and loss. Our welcome services aim to reach out to people when they are most isolated. We offer a range of support to newly arrived refugee families and individuals in order to help them feel welcomed.

Welcome Boxes - our trained volunteers visit newly arrived refugees and deliver a Welcome Box, filled with small gifts and useful information. The volunteers offer friendship and support to those seeking asylum, helping them with things like registering with a GP or finding their way around their new city.

English Classes - not being able to speak English is one of the biggest barriers to integration for refugees and asylum seekers. We offer a variety of classes, from beginners English right through to high level courses for those wanting to get into work.

Upbeat Women - we offer specific provision for women seeking refuge as they often face particular challenges, such as caring for children. Our Upbeat Women group meets weekly as a place to build friendships and take part in wellbeing activities. We also offer a women’s only English class with free childcare every week.

Upbeat Kids - we run a children’s summer holiday club for primary school aged kids, recognising that refugee and asylum seeker children have often had to deal with responsibilities far beyond their years. Through sports, drama and craft activities, Upbeat Kids gives refugee children the chance to be kids again.

Community Integration Activities - we offer a range of opportunities for refugees, asylum seekers and local people to come together in a shared space, to take part in activities, learn from each other and build friendships through sports, arts, wellbeing, cultural visits, children’s play sessions and community meals.

Empowerment

We want to enable people to rebuild their lives and begin to thrive in their new home. We listen to what they need and design training and programmes to help people achieve their goals.

Employment & Enterprise - we deliver a range of training and mentoring to support refugees in finding work. This support is tailored to the needs of the participants and delivered flexibly to ensure appropriate engagement.

Resettlement Schemes - we are contracted by Derbyshire and Lincolnshire County Councils to support families across both counties through the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), and Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). We empower those we are resettling to thrive in their new environment, supporting with everything from doctor’s appointments to finding employment.

Emergency Accommodation - we run Host Derby to offer temporary, emergency accommodation for destitute asylum seekers.

Social Enterprise Development - we have two social enterprises that provide employment opportunities as well as generate income for us to be able to carry out our charitable aims. These include Upbeat Clean, a cleaning business set up in 2021 to provide work for refugees, and Derby Language School, set up to provide language learning for local people and organisations.