MiFriendly Cities' pop-up furniture factory trains refugees and migrants to help residents of Wolverhampton that are in need
Read StorySpring Action Cleaning is a social enterprise on a mission to help refugees and migrants by providing supported employment opportunities
Read StoryHow holistic support is helping refugees fulfil their goals
Read StoryBorn outside the UK? Get an accredited qualification in digital fabrication, DIY, social science or public health
Learn MoreRead our survey of West Midlands employers conducted by the Centre for Trust Peace and Social Relations
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In October 2017 the EU’s Urban Innovative Actions fund awarded more than £4m to Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton for the MiFriendly Cities project, a 3-year initiative that is developing innovative, community-led and sustainable approaches to enhancing the contribution of refugees and migrants across the region. Our exciting programme has been designed to create opportunities for migrants and bring communities together, building cohesion across Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
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Migrants and refugees have helped to develop this initiative and to establish what makes a city ‘Migration Friendly’. With this grassroots approach we hope to see citizens across the community working with local businesses, government, and voluntary organisations to build a MiFriendly region together. The project will continue to be shaped by the community across the 3-years, and we hope that this will encourage a spirit of solidarity, with the West Midlands becoming a place in which everyone feels a true sense of belonging.
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The project is being delivered by an innovative partnership of 11 organisations. These include the three city councils from Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Coventry, a multinational company, a university, a law centre, a consultancy and three migrant-run charities. All are working together to achieve one common goal, and to push the boundaries of what has been previously attempted in the EU.
Find Out MoreLearn more about our innovative programme of activities and find out how you or your organisation can get involved.
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Inger
Coventry
Coventry made me very welcome when I arrived as a migrant 20 years ago. We arrived before our belongings and our new neighbour immediately knocked with her spare kettle! Years later, and I still love Coventry for its curiosity and openness to new ideas, and many partnerships between different groups and communities
Debora
Coventry
We are so proud of being selected as City of Culture. There is such a diverse multi-cultural communities living together in harmony. Stoke Heath Community Centre, CV2 3QH, is working wonderfully with everyone who wishes to join our community projects
Neil
Coventry
For me a MiFriendly City is a place where all are welcome and there is opportunity for all to build a life for themselves and their families
Nicole
Coventry
It's a place where everybody is supported to make a meaningful contribution to their community, whether they were born in that city or have recently arrived.
Gamika
Coventry
A place of inclusion, opportunity and welcome.
Sunairah
Coventry
I am a migrant myself, and if I didn’t have the right support from other people in Coventry I wouldn’t be where I am today. For me, the support of your neighbours and community is what makes a place migration friendly.
Employers reached by the MiFriendly Employment Brokers
We’re aiming to reach 2000 in 3 years, creating links between employers and our migrant communities and highlighting the skills available.
Refugees and migrants trained in digital fabrication
Digital fabrication is a key skills need for the region, and we’re planning on training 250 future migrants in this exciting new skill.
Migrant entrepreneurs granted funding start-up social enterprises
We're supporting 16 refugee and migrant entrepreneurs to set up new businesses which have a social mission. Successful ideas get up to €5000 and mentoring to start up. So far 6 have gone on to register as businesses.
Learn2 3D Print
28th February
3D printers are becoming ever popular, in this session learners will be guided through how to use a slicing engine […]
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FREE Jewellery Making Workshop
26th February
Learn how to create your own unique jewellery items using the laser cutter. Learners will be guided through how to […]
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Up-cycling Textiles Workshop
19th February 2020
Join MiFriendly Cities for FREE at FabLab Coventry for our up-cycling textiles workshop. The workshop is Migrant Friendly and will […]
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Learn2 Vinyl Cut
17th February 2020
This session looks at the vinyl cutter itself. Participants will be taken through how to save files in the correct […]
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Inspiring Women: Florence’s Struggle into UK Employment
February 14, 2020
Data shows that female migrants are more vulnerable to discrimination and mistreatment than their male counterparts (Migration Data Portal, 2020), […]
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Empowering Migrants Through Hairdressing
February 13, 2020
Written by Sahar Sharifi, Communications Officer at CRMC. It all started with an idea of a pamper day for the […]
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Turning Wolverhampton Houses into Homes
February 12, 2020
On January 28th, City of Wolverhampton Council (MiFriendly Cities partner) launched a mobile pop-up furniture factory to provide training and […]
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This project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Urban Innovative Actions Initiative.
