Huge thanks to all who made it to our annual conference in Stoke on Trent last Friday. It was a full house, with 100 people in attendance, including representatives from 36 of our member organisations and 13 non-member organisations.
The day began with the launch of our 2016-17 report and the introduction of our future National Director.
It was followed by an overview of advocacy work being undertaken and/or planned in the months ahead, and we were particularly grateful to Estelle from Asylum Matters for giving us such a helpful overview of what can be done when groups and individuals work together to affect change.
We’ll be getting in touch with members shortly about some of the actions you can take following this inspiring key note speech, and ways to join our Action Group to support NACCOM’s advocacy goals in the future.
Morning workshops focused on a range of topics, from supporting refugees after ‘move on’ and speaking up for change through to to how and when to give immigration advice. Afternoon sessions looked at issues such as how to develop accommodation capacity, engage in creative communications and support service users with mental health needs.
Throughout the day, it was also great to hear so many positive stories of the work that is going on across the country. and the impact that this support has made on a personal level.
The day ended with a focus on our plans for the year ahead and the re-election of three of our trustees. Thank you again to all who contributed and volunteered to make the day run smoothly.
To see an overview of the day have a look at our Storify summary.
Thanks to everyone who gave feedback about the day- here’s what some of you said…
‘Thank you for an amazing, thought-provoking conference!’ Lizzie, BIRCH
‘Great to feel amongst people who have the same goals.’ Ewan, Asylum Link Merseyside
‘I’m very happy to see people here interested in asylum seekers and refugees.’ Osman, Sanctus
‘Helped us to gain more information about different groups helping asylum seekers.’ Jesuit Refugee Service
‘Workshops were very informative with great learning outcomes. I also found the networking opportunities invaluable.’ Debi, Night Stop North East
‘Meeting people doing similar things to us- amazing and encouraging’. Laura, BHN
‘Thank you so much for the event- really found it very useful and was not aware as to how much/how wide the network is. Clearly some excellent practices exist in some areas. Also, great opportunity for networking.’ Heather, Chorley
For up-to-date information about our upcoming activities visit our Meetings and Conferences page, and for information on the members that make up our network, visit the Projects Directory.
