1. Campaigning on Poverty as a Migrant and Refugee Community Monday 3 rd December 2012

2. Our work at RAMFEL Casework – asylum, immigration, welfare benefits, community care, education, employment (Emergency foodservice, and small grants programme) Capacity Building – one to one support for activists and new and emerging groups and training Campaigning – responding to consultations, being proactive around policy initiatives, lobbying

3. Poverty Specific Interventions Barking & Dagenham Action on Poverty Good/Big Society Childrens Network Credit Union Advice Fora Equalities Fora Volunteering Fora – links beyond employment

4. What do we know? Each borough has a Child Poverty Strategy (at the moment) Each borough should have an action plan for the strategy Some boroughs will incorporate the socio-economic duty in their Equalities Strategy Each borough will have a ‘no recourse lead’

5. What can you do? Understand and familiarise yourself with the strategy (does it separate MRCs from BME) Contribute to its review and refresh Contribute your data (qualitative and quanatative) Have a policy position on your approach, ethical positions on volunteering, foodbanks, work with faith groups? Training for others

6. Examples Barking and Dagenham – active member of the Good Society and Action on Poverty Group, have got the needs of asylum seekers, migrants and refugees understood as distinct Redbridge – challenge and review work in Childrens Centres, lead agency for the development of a Credit Union

7. Benefits Safeguarding clients Clearer understanding by local authorities and DWP Take a broad community view to aid cohesion Promote proactively Integrate the discussion about your community

8. Thank you for listening Rita Chadha, Chief Executive Officer, RAMFEL, Cardinal Heenan Centre 326 High Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 1QP 0208 478 4513 rita.chadha@ramfel.org.uk www.ramfel.org.uk http://ramfelspeaksout.blogspot.co.uk/