EU Welcome Southampton

About Us

WHO WE WORK WITH and WHAT DO WE DO?

We work closely with the Southampton City Council and City Centre Catholic Parish, as well as other organizations in the city of Southampton.

Our aim is to help with the integration of the new communities into the life in the city as well as improving the relations between the already set up businesses that want to reach the Eastern European community in Southampton.

WHO WE HELP?

We assist the Polish, Czech, Slovak, Estonian, Slovenian, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Latvian, as well as Romanian and Bulgarian communities.

EU WELCOME HISTORY...

EU Welcome began in 2004 as a joint initiative between Southampton City Council's 'New Communities Team' and The City Centre Catholic Parish of Southampton.

The aim was to give support to migrant workers from the new countries of the European Union, to aid integration and to provide good quality information.

Dave Adcock was appointed a project worker in July 2005, and Anna Marcickiewicz began officially working for the project in January 2007 after serving as a volunteer for the previous year. In September 2009 she was replaced by Aneta Sochan.

What do we do?

1 We see individuals; sometimes this is problem solving or signposting people to other agencies who can help them. At other times it is just providing a listening ear and informally mentoring. From the people we have met, we have been able to recruit a host of volunteers who have helped with translation, interpretation and representing their communities at meetings.

2 We run meetings, and publish literature in relevant languages. Meetings are anything from workers' rights seminars, to induction evenings, advice clinics, tours round BBC studios, a visit to a fire station and a walk round historic Southampton! We are keen that EU workers in the area are seen as more than just workers, but whole people, and we want to help them express themselves culturally and socially.

3 We partner with local organizations and businesses who wish to access the European communities in the region.

4 We are always open to new ideas!

Dave

EU Welcome powstalo w 2004 roku jako wspolna inicjatywa wydzialu "Nowych Spolecznosci" Urzedu Miasta Southampton i miejskiej parafii Kosciola Katolickiego.

Celem Projektu bylo wspieranie pracownikow / emigrantow z nowoprzyjetych krajow Unii Europejskiej, pomoc w integracji w miescie i udzielanie rzetelnych informacji

Dave Adcock zostal mianowany koordynatorem / managerem projektu w lipcu 2005 roku, a Anna Marcickiewicz zostala oficjalnie zatrudniowa w styczniu 2007 roku, po przepracowaniu roku jako wolontariusz. We wrzesniu 2009 zostala zastapiona nowym pracownikiem - Aneta Sochan.

Czym sie zajmujemy?

1 Spotykamy sie z ludzmi; czasem jest to rozwiazywanie indywidulanych problemow lub kierowanie osob do konkretnych organizacji, ktore moga sluzyc dalsza pomoca. Czasem jest to wysluchanie bolaczek i udzielenie nieformalnej porady. Sposrod osob, ktore spotkalismy, udalo nam sie zwerbowac mnostwo wolontariuszy, ktorzy pomagaja w tlumaczeniach i reprezentuja swoja spolecznosc na roznych spotkaniach.

2 Organizujemy spotkania, publikujemy literature tematyczna w odpowiednich jezykach. Nasze spotkania maja rozny charakter: od seminariow dotyczacych praw pracowniczych, wieczorow powitalnych wprowadzajacych w zycie w miescie, klinik /wieczorow/ porad, wycieczek po studiach BBC lub wycieczek / spacerow po historycznym Southampton! Zalezy nam bardzo, by pracownicy Unii Europejskiej byli postrzegani nie tylko jako pracownicy, ale takze jako indywidualne, pelne talentow i zainteresowan jednostki. A my jestesmy po to, by pomoc im w kulturowym i spolecznym wyrazeniu siebie.

3 Wspolpracujemy z lokalnymi organizacjami i firmami, ktore wyrazalyby chec nawiazania kontaktu ze spolecznoscia europejska w regionie.

4 Jestesmy zawsze otwarci na nowe pomysly!

Dave

THE EU WELCOME PROJECT

''For better integration of the new EU communities in Southampton''