Starling Collective

Starling Collective is a new organisation based in Belfast working with refugees and asylum seekers. Through our work we empower, support, and involve refugees and asylum seekers. While liaising and collaborating with a range of organisations and groups. We work towards the best outcomes for our participants through a wide range of community support and development programs, which are flexible and able to change depending on need. We ensure that our work is driven by the participants with whom we work, in order to research, plan, and implement the services they need and desire.

We provide a safe space for those who are marginalised by society.

- a place of welcome, patience, compassion, and understanding. With a willingness to learn from and develop each other mutually, this space will honour and celebrates diversity of culture and heritage.

Aims:

• Improve opportunities and access to services for refugees and asylum seekers through empowerment, support, advice and advocacy.

• Ensure the design and implementation of our work is led by and involves the refugee/asylum community through our steering group which is made up of people with lived experience

• Provide a space where we empower the members of our community, with lived experience, to have control over the services that we deliver and be involved in the delivery of them.

• To offer our community the platform, opportunity and support to thrive and integrate into life in Northern Ireland

• To offer Trauma Informed Practices

Objectives:

• Holistic person centred support, advice and advocacy services

• Training and skills development

• Provide accommodation and access to financial support for destitute asylum seekers

• Work with destitute asylum seekers and their solicitors to help them get back into the asylum system.

• Provide volunteering opportunities

• To work with partners to provide mental health resilience training and trauma workshops to help our community be able to deal with stress, mental health issues and trauma. Whist giving them the skills to be able to pass this on to other members of their community

• Incorporate trauma/mental health/resilience into all areas of work

Services:

• We offer a holistic person centred advice and support service for refugees and asylum seekers that is delivered by volunteers with lived experience

• Help with accessing volunteering, education, training and employment

• Mental health resilience training

• Accommodation and financial support for destitute asylum seekers and help with getting back into the asylum system • Welfare meetings and discussions

• Asylum Seeker and Refugee Trauma Informed Support Programme with Corrymeela as the lead partner and in collaboration with other organisations. The programme will be delivering training to groups working with refugees and asylum seekers and will provide services to the refugee community including counselling and group psychotherapy work, day trips, emotional resilience training, gardening and pottery classes, complimentary therapies and more. Starling Collective will be helping Corrymeela deliver the Trauma Informed Approach training and managing the service delivery to the refugee community.