Write a commentNewry, Mourne and Down Council are inviting suitable applicants to tender for the provision of Support Clinics for Syrian Community. Closing date is noon 9 November.
The tender description states "Newry, Mourne and Down District Council invite quotations from competent suppliers for the facilitation of support clinics for the local Syrian community through the Ethnic Minority Support Centre in Newry and Downpatrick."
Newry, Mourne & Down Local Government District is one of the most diverse areas in Northern Ireland. In the 2011 Census of the 172,028 people resident in the Newry, Mourne and Down area, 7,166 were born outside the UK and Ireland and it's most likely that this figure has increased in the seven years since the Census. The District has recently welcomed a number of families from Syria who have arrived through the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme.
The tender application continues "The district has a higher proportion of migrants from the EU 2.81% (4,811) compared to the Northern Ireland average of 2.51% (45,407). 4,607 residents aged 3+ speak a language other than English or Irish as their main language. Of those whose main language is not English or Irish, 29% cannot speak English, or cannot speak it well.
"Newry, Mourne & Down District Council has supported black and minority ethnic (BME) communities for a number of years. In 2007 we opened the Ethnic Minority Support Centre to assist the growing BME population in the area. Based in Newry Town Hall, the centre supports approx. 175 people a month. The Centre provides daily support and guidance to Ethnic Minority individuals and groups across the District. The Centre supports people who have recently arrived from different parts of the world to settle in and to go on to achieve their hopes and ambitions for life in the District. The service provides one-to-one advice and support on all aspects of setting into a new place with the aim of giving people the best possible start to life."
Requirements
To apply you must be fluent in Arabic, You'll be expected to provide support to clients in the Ethnic Minority Centre, Newry – anticipated 3 hrs/week as well as provide support to clients in Downpatrick – anticipated 3 hrs/week. Support will include form-filling, translation of letters from and to agencies, accompanying clients to banks, health centres, and other agencies, etc, signposting to agencies/organisations and support with organising information evenings/events.
More information can be found on the council's E-Hub Portal.
