Read our survey of West Midlands employers conducted by the Centre for Trust Peace and Social Relations
Download SurveyUyiosa joined our social enterprise course in 2018 and has now been awarded €5000 to get his business idea off the ground...
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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 will look to develop 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 makes 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
DIY, Decorating & Carpentry Courses – Coventry
April - May 2019
Our Pop-up Furniture Factory is up and running in Coventry! We are now offering accredited Level 1 courses with FabLab […]
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Social Enterprise Courses – Coventry & Birmingham
June - July 2019 (1 day a week)
We are looking for refugees and migrants in the West Midlands who would like to develop a business idea that […]
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Now Recruiting! Volunteer Health Champions
2019
We are looking for enthusiastic, resourceful individuals with the ability to raise awareness and champion health messages and to transform […]
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Train to be a Citizen Social Scientist
2019
MiFriendly Cities is offering refugees, migrants and asylum seekers the opportunity to join an accredited course with experienced researchers from […]
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Social Innovation Pitch Day
May 13, 2019
On Saturday 30 March, MiFriendly Cities held its Social Innovation Pitch Day in Birmingham, where a panel of judges and […]
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Launching Coventry’s Pop-up Furniture Factory
May 7, 2019
Housing represents one of the most common reasons for migrants and refugees seeking support, but poor quality housing is also […]
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Employers wary of hiring refugees and migrants to help fill shortages need help understanding the law
May 1, 2019
By Catherine Harris, Assistant Professor, Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University A recent survey I conducted of employers in […]
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MiFriendly Cities event will see migrant innovators pitch for up to £5000 for community projects
March 28, 2019
As a partner in the MiFriendly Cities project, MigrationWork has invited West Midlands residents born outside the UK to come […]
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MiFriendly Cities Employers Survey highlights recruitment difficulties in the West Midlands
March 13, 2019
Four out of five Coventry employers are finding it hard to recruit staff with the right skills and experience, survey […]
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Social enterprise, community innovation and empowering through language
February 13, 2019
Having moved into the implementation stages of the project, MiFriendly Cities finished 2018 with the successful launch of three initiatives, […]
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Meet social entrepreneur Uyiosa Osawe: Game Changer
February 7, 2019
Uyiosa joined the Evolve Social course with CU Social Enterprise in November 2018, and has now been awarded €5000 from […]
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Reflecting on 6 months of MiFriendly Cities in the West Midlands
October 25, 2018
Managing the complexities of this multi-city initiative has meant six months filled with challenges, learning and innovative developments for the […]
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Project holds community event to get Coventry involved
September 25, 2018
Coventry is one of three local authorities from the West Midlands who have come together to deliver the MiFriendly Cities […]
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Regional event marks the launch of MiFriendly Cities project in the West Midlands
June 30, 2018
The UIA City of Coventry held its public launch for the MiFriendly Cities project at the city’s iconic cathedral on […]
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MiFriendly Cities 11 partners collaborate to build a ‘migration friendly’ region
March 29, 2018
What does it take to make city more refugee and migrant friendly? At the beginning of March 2018, the MiFriendly […]
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This project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Urban Innovative Actions Initiative.
