unity sisters - support for asylum-seeking women in Scotland

about

Unity Sisters is a self-organised support group for asylum-seeking women, refugees and their children. We are a group of women who have all experienced the process of going through the immigration system, and our main focus is to support women who’ve shared those same experiences. We are a non-hierarchical collective guided by its member’s views and have been meeting since 2014. We currently support over 55 women and 155 children, and we meet in Langside Parish Church every fortnight to share information, skills and experiences.

Decision Making

The decision-making structure of Unity Sisters consists of a committee and its members. The committee is responsible for all small and practical decisions, and the members as a collective address any other extensive decisions/issues for discussion and consensus. Committee meetings take place every other week, alternating with the group of members.

Aims

At Unity Sisters, we aim to support women and their children through the asylum process. Our initiatives are centred around minimising stress, preventing isolation and depression and helping our members to integrate into their local communities. Additionally, we strive to:

Promote integration of women in the asylum process or with a refugee status.
Empower women to be strong, independent and confident.
Provide emotional support and counselling.
Provide practical assistance and advice in their cases and personal lives.
Guide members to available ESOL classes, help with English translations and introduce them to others in the broader community.

Key services / events

Family day events are held for members and their children to come together for a fun day of recreation, stress therapies, game therapies, art, music, and fun.
We provide counselling and support for women and children.
We help women integrate into the community by signposting them to ESOL classes, helping with English translations and introducing them to others in the broader community.

projects

Unity Sisters is partnering with Jambo! Radio to deliver confidence and public speaking skills to our members. The project has been running from January 21st to March 31st and includes training sessions with the staff of Jambo! Radio.

This project aims to engage unity sisters members in interviews and storytelling to share their experiences and the work that we do. Unity Sisters will share all content (interviews and videos) via social media to reach a wider audience.

Following a highly successful pilot project in collaboration with UpHub/Rags to Riches (Govanhill Baths Community Trust), we established a formal partnership with Rags to Riches to deliver weekly facilitated sessions on creating jewellery out of recycled plastic.

The 12 sessions will take place via Zoom on Wednesdays. All activities will be delivered by community artists and craftspeople working with Rags to Riches to disseminate information and techniques on reusing, recycling, and upcycling materials that would otherwise end up in the landfill.

The artists will also act as mentors developing skills amongst the Sisters to cascade the knowledge and techniques to other participants, ensuring the project’s sustainability after it finishes.

All members will receive £20 data vouchers to assist with data access fees.

No Radio Silence: Human Rights for New Scots

No Radio Silence is an educational resource produced by Unity Sisters and Govanhill Baths Community Trust as part of the ‘Our Rights, Our Communities’ project. This project looks into ways of developing peer-led advocacy amongst New Scots women and engaging the broader community towards creating solidarity and allyship to Human Rights causes.

This educational resource initiates a group conversation around various topics, including the community response against the dawn raid on Kenmure Street on the 13th of May 2021.

Many of the topics within this resource can be matched with the Curriculum for Excellence.

There are hyperlinks throughout the resource for further information provided by reliable sources, including the Scottish Government.

With the support of Clare Harker, Head Teacher at St Albert’s Primary School, Glasgow.

With support from Govanhill Baths Community Trust and under the mentorship of filmmaker Bircan Birol, the Unity Sisters created and directed this short film. This is part of the Sisters’ process of reclaiming the narrative over what being a New Scot means to create understanding, connection and integration. Based on the film ‘No Radio Silence’, 10 mins, 2021.

support US

donate

Unity Sisters’ members currently survive on £5 a day and go through various emotional pressures and financial hardships that have been increased due to the Covid-19 pandemic. You can support us by donating the following items:

New and used clothes (washed and in good condition)
Sewing machines and fabric.
Food parcels.
Mobile top-ups.

You can use the form below to donate, or if you want to create a standing order, these are our bank details:

Unity Sisters
Cooperative Bank
AC: 65782266
SC: 089299

volunteer

Thank you so much for your interest in volunteering with us. With your help, we can do even more for the women and children we support. We are a value-led collective. We expect all of our members and volunteers to reflect this, care about people and demonstrate compassion, tolerance and respect. You can further learn more about who we are and our aims in the about section. You can fill the volunteering form online, and we will contact you with the next steps.