New community initiative in Northampton

Foundation’s background The Green Mile Foundation has been founded as a response to the market needs within Polish migrant’s community. Many of the Polish migrants is coming to this country to find a better job, gain new experience and rise standard of their family life, but many of them fail. Our background work experience showed that language barrier, different culture, law regulations and lifestyle make them feel isolated within new society and surrounding. Many of them experienced depression, low mood or try to get away from problems to addictions. Many English institutions are not adapted to provide help for Polish migrants who are in need, without using qualified interpreters, which cause additional barrier in communication. This was the main reason of setting up the Green Mile Foundation.

Our mission Our mission is to deliver the best possible quality of the services to the Polish community across UK in their mother language. The same we would like to support English institutions in better integration Polish migrants with the English society.

Foundation Objectives The Green Mile Foundation is focused around aims which promote equality and diversity. Our objectives are: 1. Social welfare and supporting Polish migrants affected by various psychological problems, alcohol and drugs misuse by enabling them to change their lifestyle and take positive steps forward in addiction counseling.

2.  Integration of the Polish society with the local community and enable them to gain access to new opportunities by developing language skills and opportunity to exchange opinions and experience. This objective includes also promoting the idea of European integration, based on respect for cultural distinctiveness and Nations promoting mutual understanding and cooperation between peoples of Europe.  

3. Social welfare and rehabilitation of the Polish offenders by breaking the cycle of the re-offending and enabling them to resettle in the community.

Competitive Edge The Green Mile Foundation has four distinct competitive edges that will be leveraged to help make it a successful service provider: Services directed to the Polish community in their mother language: The Green Mile Foundation offers services in Polish language, which mean that we are able to deliver our services without using interpreters and the same cut the cost of the offered services. Providing services are not available anywhere else: The Green Mile Foundation provided services, which are crucial for social adaptation for the Polish migrants. Foundation provided mentoring programmes including rehabilitation programmes, psychological help and language lessons. In this area, The Green Mile Foundation is a leader, as such services are not provided by any other polish charity in the UK in one place.

Supporting English organisations (government organisations: Probation service, Police, Courts, Job Centre Plus, Northampton Borough Council and local charities: CAN, Aquarius) in their role by providing direct help and support for the polish minority group: The Green Mile Foundation is the first charity, which is facing needs of the English society and problems with migrants. Our Foundation would like to support English organisations in their role, i. e building stronger and safer communities, responding to the needs of the community, helping communities to work together and crime reduction within ethnic minorities groups (especially among Polish community). Our Foundation is working directly with the Polish community, so we will be more effective in our work as services are delivered in Polish language.

Providing Polish language course for English society: The Green Mile Foundation as a first polish charity has in offer Polish language classes for local English citizens. This is a step forward to the community integration and good opportunity to get knowledge about Polish tradition, heritage and culture.

OUR SERVICES

EASTERN EUROPEAN MIGRANT (POLISH) CASE STUDY John Kowalski is 35 years old He came to England at the beginning of 2007 to work and to support his family financially. Mr. Kowalski is married and has two children. His family live in Poland. Mr Kowalski speaks limited English and most of the time he relies on other Polish speaking migrants. Mr Kowalski is also living with other Polish migrants. He has been working for 6 months with a recruitment agency. He has Polish qualifications to work in the building and construction industry, however his qualifications are not recognised in the UK.

He was in irregular employment until the middle of 2009 At the end of the 2009 he was arrested and charged for the offence of Drink Driving. He has been sentenced to 200 hours of Unpaid Work. He has completed his order within a few months. Due to lack of employment and financial support he decided to commit further offences. Mr Kowalski started to associate with drug dealers and drug users. This developed a drug dependency on the top of his alcohol misuse. He became more aggressive towards authorities and people who would try to help him. He was arrested several times for various offences and sentenced to a short prison sentence.

He is not entitled to any benefits Currently he is living in a tent on the A45, he is drinking up to 3 litres of cider a day and misusing crack/cocaine on a daily basis UKBA are unable to deport him due to the short sentence periods Mr Kowalski is not motivated to go back to his country of origin as he is ashamed of his current situation and failure He is not motivated to face his addiction and homelessness He suffers from depression and a psychotic disorder which developed from his alcohol and drug misuse.

Support available in the community English institutions Northampton Borough Council to provide support and advice in terms of housing options and support with homelessness. Services are available in English. Possibility of use the Language Line or face to face interpreter. The Green Mile Foundation We are able to offer: in partnership with the NBC we will be able to provide the best and appropriate advice and support for the migrants in the field of housing advice by organising joint events. In cooperation with the other polish charity Barka.UK, we are able to provide support for the homeless people and the same reduce amount of the homeless migrants on the streets. By providing qualified staff we are able to support English organizations in the cost reduction of using interpreters

Courts- to give a fair sentence, which will respond to criminogenic needs and reduce re-offending within EEA migrants. At the moment there is limited possibility of giving fair sentences due to language barrier. Mostly recommended Unpaid Work or prison sentence. Alternative sentencing options for the courts. We are able to do that by offering a wide range of the interventions, which are available in the community for the EEA migrants. This would help to reduce risk of-reoffending and reduce amount of the people who are sentenced to a prison sentences.

Community interventions- our organization is prepared to support the Probation Service in rehabilitation of the Polish offenders by breaking the cycle of re-offending and enabling them to resettle in the community. We are able to offer wide range of the community interventions in Polish language ( e.g. Drink Drivers Programme, IDAP) Probation Service- to supervise offenders and to provide effective resettlement of offenders in the community . However due to lack of the available interventions in the community and language barrier most of the orders remain unworkable. Work with the offenders in the community also should focus on cultural distinctiveness.

Police- to build safer communities by protection and crime reduction Police- to build safer communities by protection and crime reduction. To provide reliable information and advice about law regulation. Tackle the crime and rising awareness about English law by organising community events in cooperation with the local Police. The same reduction in crimes committed by EEA migrants due to differences in law systems.

CAN- to provide advice and support in reducing the harm caused by alcohol, drugs and homelessness. To support CAN in developing partnership that support people in reaching their outcomes by providing wide range services focused on addiction counselling, i.e. Psychotherapy (individual, groups),psychological trainings, motivational workshops and life coaching. All services are delivered by qualified psychologist and support from the Polish Psychologist Association.

Northampton Drug and Alcohol Service-to provide a wide range of treatment and support services for drug and alcohol problems with including lifestyle factors that may be contributing to client’s problems. The Green Mile Foundation is able to provide qualified staff to support NDAS in delivering their services and make treatment open for EEA migrants without language barriers.

Job Centre Plus-to assist people of working age find jobs Job Centre Plus-to assist people of working age find jobs. To administrate some benefits for people of working age and administration of National Insurance numbers. To support Job Centre in achieving their outcomes among EEA migrants by providing alternative services available in Polish language ( career advice workshops linked with individual support; promoting volunteering and ESOL classes)

Questions?

Contact details The Green Mile Foundation Website: www.thegreenmilefoundation.org.uk E-mail: info@thegreenmilefoundation.org.uk Telephone: 07769116783