Share My Language moves online - digital Migrant Friendly rhymetime sessions
Read storyMiFriendly Cities' Health Champions combat coronavirus misinformation in their communities
Read storyMiFriendly 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 StoryWe are following Government guidelines about COVID-19 coronavirus closely, and as a result have decided to postpone all face-to-face MiFriendly Cities delivery sessions and courses. The safety and wellbeing of staff, volunteers and service users participating in the project must be our first priority.
Rest assured we are continuing to support users, projects and live initiatives, and are looking at ways to deliver sessions and courses remotely, using video conferencing and social media platforms.
We are also hoping to provide additional support for MiFC programmes that can help fight coronavirus directly or indirectly – like the Health Champions project, and social innovations that can foster good communication and community spirit in challenging times.
Many staff and partners delivering support and programmes are now working from home, and should be contactable on their usual telephone and email addresses.
All changes to programmes will be updated on the MiFriendly Cities website and on social media (Facebook and Twitter: @MiFriendlyWM)
For further support and information on COVID-19 we recommend you visit your respective council’s website
Birmingham – https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/coronavirus_advice
Coventry – https://welcometocoventry.co.uk/
Wolverhampton – https://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/coronavirus-advice-and-information
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.
Get Involved
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.
For you to do at home: Digital Rainbow
Ongoing
FabLab Coventry is sharing the love for all our NHS nurses. For this DIY project, they will take you through […]
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For you to do at home: Garden Planter
Ongoing
Looking for more activities to keep you busy during this period of lock down? Why not try your hands at […]
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For you to do at home: Up-cycling Textiles Project
Ongoing
Fablab Coventry has developed an instruction sheet on their upcycling textiles workshop for people to get involved with at home. […]
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Online Media Lab Training
26th May
Migrant Voice and MiFriendly Cities are hosting a special online Media Lab training session on Tuesday 26th May 2020. There will be 2 […]
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MiFriendly Cities’ Health Champions Help Combat Coronavirus Misinformation
April 14, 2020
When we are facing a global pandemic such as the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis, both digital and real-world ‘word-of-mouth’ can result […]
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Facebook Rhymetimes: Connecting Communities Digitally
Recent guidelines on social distancing and staying at home due to COVID-19 have undoubtedly had an impact on the delivery […]
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Inspiring Women: Starting a Professional in the UK
March 3, 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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This project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Urban Innovative Actions Initiative.
