Who we are

Africa Community Action is an organisation for asylum

seekers and refugees formed in March, 2006. It is

therefore fairly new and it has not accomplished a

great deal in terms of long-term projects. However,

it has implemented short-term activities.

The idea behind the group was to try to develop asylum seeker and refugee

skills, so they can use these skills to make a contribution in the wider community.

ACA is non-political and non-sectarian and seeks to help all asylum seekers

and refugees throughout Britain. Working in partnership with private,

statutory and voluntary agencies, it endeavours to address need and promote

aspiration to help them integrate here.

Working in partnership with Manchester Refugee Support Network (MRSN)

in Refugee Integration and Employment Services (RIES) it also advocates

for those granted refugee status.

ACA has about 45 members. However, it organises a variety of

social activities that help members to meet new friends.

Some of the objectives are to:

• IDENTIFY the needs of refugees and asylum seekers with specific problems.
• ESTABLISH the range of required training and/or skills development to meet those needs.
• CONSIDER how far the outcomes of ACA services meet the refugees and asylum seekers’ changing needs.
•  RECOMMEND ways of reviewing and changing ACA services.

The focus of ACA is to support refugee community groups and create a

network of support services, co-ordinated training and development of refu

gees. It also seeks to identify specialist roles of individual refugee

groups. ACA wants to also focus on training refugees within community

settings so that they integrate properly into British society.

ACA also provides moral and emotional support within an acceptable

setting while encouraging the communities living side by side to respect

and accept each other’s culture.

The organisation has become relevant to the lives of asylum seekers

and refugees, especially in Blackburn with Darwen Borough. ACA’s

aim is to widen out its activities and remains fully committed to service

delivery with diligence and hard work while recognising that there is

room for improvement.

There are individual refugee and asylum groups that are religious and

non-religious. Notable among the religious groups offering support

are those of Christian and Islamic orientation.

ACA has no funds of its own so help is very limited. However, wideranging

support from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and

the Asylum Seekers’ Multi Agency Forum is invaluable.