Strengthening and supporting refugees and migrants across Sandwell, West Birmingham and beyond
Community Project
Brushstrokes
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Our latest newsletter is now available with updates, photos and stories
of what is going on at Brushstrokes
JAN 22
DEC 21
Our latest newsletter is now available with updates, photos and stories
of what is going on at Brushstrokes
FEB 21
We’re excited to announce that we’ve launched our first-ever public fundraising campaign to support Sandwell residents hardest-hit because of Covid. We’ve set an ambitious target of £85,000 so we can keep all our services going. With Sandwell having one of the highest rates of infection in the country our support is needed now more than ever.
SEPT 20
Brushstrokes is a community project offering support to vulnerable people from its base in Sandwell, West Midlands. Brushstrokes is supported by a Reaching Communities grant from the Big Lottery fund, which provides four years of funding for core posts in the organisation. This funding helps to provide a wide range of activities.
JUNE 20
Brushstrokes Receives Grant from the National
Lottery to Support Vulnerable Individuals Through
the COVID 19 Crisis
“Now, thanks to a grant from the National Lottery, Brushstrokes is able to scale up this support so it can continue its essential work throughout the rapidly changing crisis. The funding will cover twice-weekly deliveries of food, toiletries and other essentials to individuals and families experiencing food poverty in Sandwell and Birmingham, as well as enabling them to remain open for those who are most in need but who don’t have internet or phone access, or who need assistance with important paperwork. It will also allow them to increase their telephone support, befriending and advice services as well as English classes.”
Refugee Week (15 – 21 June 2020)
This Refugee Week (15 – 21 June 2020), we’re inviting you to explore the theme of ‘Imagine’. Because when things feel stuck; when the old ways of doing things are no longer working, that’s what we need to do.
JUNE 20
MAR 20
Not being able to communicate well in English is one of the biggest problems encountered by people new to the community of Sandwell. It affects everything: registering with a doctor is difficult, communicating with your children’s teachers is a challenge and catching a bus is tricky if you can’t read the timetables. . Now, thanks to new funding from The Charles Plater Trust, Brushstrokes will be increasing the support it provides to migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to communicate well in English and to settle and integrate in Sandwell.
JAN 20
Thank you to all those who nominated Brushstrokes Community Project for the Thrive Mental Health Star Awards 2020. On the 29th January we were selected not only as a finalist for the Black Country team but also, at the end of a wonderful evening at West Bromwich Albion, then chosen as the winner!
"All migrants are entitled to equal protection of all their human rights. On this International Day, I urge leaders and people everywhere to bring the Global Compact to life, so that migration works for all."
DEC 19
DEC 19
The Mayor of Sandwell, Councillor Ann Jaron, was among the invited guests as Brushstrokes Smethwick marked the opening of its new building on Smethwick High Street with a celebration event.
OCT 19
In 2018 Brushstrokes Community Project was involved in carrying out local research on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme to explore the reasons for irregular European migration from Africa.
The final UNDP report is now ready and can be downloaded following this link: https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/democratic-governance/ScalingFences.html
We are very happy to announce that Wolverhampton-based theatre company, Studio 61, have kindly chosen Brushstrokes as a charity which they will support throughout the rest of this year. A proportion of the income from their plays will be forwarded to us for our work with vulnerable and destitute people. Thank you to all concerned at Studio 61. Please find a link to their forthcoming productions here:
https://www.facebook.com/studio61drama/
The Big Lunch
We have joined in with this National project and use it as a great opportunity to bring together our local community from all around smethwick. Over 70 people attended the event
New Member of Staff
We would like to give a very warm welcome to Carol Mendez, our new Monitoring and Administrative Officer. Carol comes to us from a background of working for other charities such as the Arts Council, Birmingham MIND and Royal Town Planning.
Sandwell Volunteer Awards
Congratulations to Brushstrokes’ wonderful family of volunteers who swept the board at the Sandwell Volunteer Awards in June 2018, scooping up armfuls of nominations and certificates.
The USE-IT! programme
“The USE-IT! programme has enabled Brushstrokes to provide an IELTS course for individuals with overseas health qualifications. The course started in January and we have 25 learners who are a mix of doctors, nurses, dentists and other health care professionals studying with us.
IELTS Exams
As part of the UseIt Project, Health professionals have been attending workshops at Brushstrokes over the summer to help them prepare for the academic IELTS exam.
Homelessness
Tabor House, the only permanent night shelter in Birmingham opened in September.
Choir with No Name
Pete from the choir sang at Brushstrokes. The choir is made up of people who are experiencing or affected by homelessness.
The Big Lunch
60 people attend the Big Lunch at Brushstrokes to bring and share food.
Immigration Advice
Brushstrokes has been authorised by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioners to provide advice.
New Member of Staff
Blanka Steverson has joined the team as the new Outreach Support and Home Coordinator
Volunteer Recognition
8 volunteers from Brushstrokes were recognised for their hard work and dedication and received certificates at a Sandwell presentation