Community Support Grants

Grants of up to £10k are available for organisations and community groups to enable them to play a role in the integration of refugees, asylum seekers, and other forcibly displaced persons in St Helens.

Funding is for projects that address the following priorities:

Health and Wellbeing

Projects that aim to improve the health and well-being of refugees, asylum seekers, and other forcibly displaced persons, including physical activities such as walking and cycling, sports, awareness-raising sessions about (mental) health, women’s wellbeing groups and activities, disability awareness and activities for people with disabilities, activities for young people, and a variety of targeted activities such as dance, meditation, cooking, gardening, etc.

Typical integration outcomes of health and well-being projects include:

• Positive attitudes.
• More participation in community life.
• Improved mental health.
• Sense of belonging.
• More confidence in accessing healthcare services.
• Effective self-help.
• Active and healthy lifestyles.
• Feeling of influence and control over one’s life.
• More social connections and less isolation.
• Improved and/or diversified social life.
• Learning new skills and hobbies etc.

Culture, Creative, and Community Cohesion

Projects that aim to develop the cultural and creative aspects of integration and foster community cohesion, such as literature, music, dance, photography, the arts, and digital media. This can include the inclusion of refugees and other groups in existing community art, music, and related groups, cultural celebrations, and events with the participation of people from different backgrounds, the nurturing of both existing and new talent in refugee communities and developing more welcoming communities through cultural exchange programmes.

Typical outcomes of culture, creativity, and community cohesion projects include:

• Increased participation of refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrant communities in the arts and cultural scene in St Helens.
• Individuals from those communities can develop and express their talents.
• Events celebrating cultures and traditions.
• Workshops and performances.
• New collaborations between refugee and local artists, musicians etc.
• A more welcoming environment for refugees and other people who have experienced forced migration, with an increased sense of belonging.
• More meaningful interactions between people from different backgrounds.

Informal ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)

ESOL provision that does not necessarily lead to accreditation or qualifications but offers a more relaxed experience, tailored to individual needs, make use of community resources, and can also complement formal classes. This can include conversation sessions, language cafes, family-focused learning, employment-related ESOL, language exchange schemes, or guided self-study.

Typical integration outcomes of informal ESOL projects include:

• More confidence in the use of English.
• Improved spoken English.
• An improved ability to perform everyday tasks in English.
• Meaningful local connections.
• Quicker progress in meaningful provision.
• Improved mental health.
• Better knowledge of and access to the local community and services.
• Meaningful and/or impactful volunteering opportunities.