During 18 October 2011 and 31 January 2012  Barka UK was  hosting a 4  delegations from Czestochowa.

The delegations came to visit Barka operations in London within a social workers exchange project of Barnaba Foudation ( a charity working with vulnerable adults in Poland) and Barka UK.The delegation’s participants represent civil society organizations supporting people to overcome homelessness and addictions and helping them towards employment and sustainable life.The study group assisted Barka Leaders and Assistants in their daily work with migrants in drop-in day centres within the Reconnections Project. They  also took part in morning and night outreach shifts on the streets of London.

Please find  the article in Polish newspaper regarding the Streetworking Project in Czestochowa, Poland .

To  read : click here

On 30-31 January, HAYS and BRIDGE consulting companies will visit the projects of the Barka Network in Poland. The companies are interested to explore the opportunity to work with Barka on the central and eastern European programmes.
The programme of the visit: click here

* Bridge and Hays are consultancies working in the area of senior leadership development and culture change in some of the world’s top organisations. The two companies have jointly developed a global senior leadership programme which is taking place in the UK and Europe, Asia and Australia. In each location, they are working with a local charity. The companies are interested to implement the programme within the Barka Network in Poland.
For more information please see: www.bridge-partnership.com , www.hays.com.

On Monday the 23 January, a delegation of Barka UK: Bernadette Cassidy (Chair) and Ewa Sadowska (CEO), had been invited by Lord Roberts of Llandudno to meet with Poland’s Ambassador to the UK – Mrs Barbara Tuge-Erecinska.
The meeting took place in the House of Lords with the purpose to promote the activities of Barka in the UK. During the meeting discussed were the challenges faced by Polish nationals in the UK and the initiatives and aid projects organised by the Polish community. Elaborated were the links and cooperations between the various initiatives as well as joint ventures of the ‘young’ and the older migrations of Poles to Great Britain

My impressions of visiting Barka Network in Poland on 16 – 18 January 2012

Barka is impressive

In a relatively short time Barka has developed into the largest social and solidarity economy network in Poland.

Barka has shown that partnership between social economy/ngo/third sector and public authorities has been a crucial factor to combat social exclusion successfully through organising social and economic activities.

Barka has developed the partnership at all levels – gmina/powiets/regions/government.

There are similar experiences as the Barka model in other European countries. Interesting with Barka is its organisational model where bottom up is combined with a strong central support organisation. At the bottom you will find democratically run self-help communities and in parallell associations where also other local stakeholders can take part. Work is organised in social integration centres and social cooperatives. But the people living in the Barka communities do also work in other local enterprises.

The Barka foundation is both a support center and develops new initiatives. It reminds me of the “social franchising” concept that is developed in other countries. The Barka model is replicated in other parts of Poland. It could still be
disseminated in many more. And certainly theTomasz and Barbara Sadowski play an important role. But Barka could not be as it is today without Tomas, Merek, Anna, Andrej and all others.

The methods and the values of the model we find in other European initiatives. First of all it is people-centred. Democracy, solidarity and sobriety are key aspects. By empowering and giving responsibility to the individual persons those persons will increase their potentials and is a factor for success. The Barka isintegrating the European dimension in their work and have been given many international awards. They are also taking part and creating their own European networks.

Therefore I think that there is a mutual interest for both Barka and REVES that Barka becomes a member of REVES.

Jan Olsson

President of European Network of Regions and Cities for Social Economy REVES

Jan Olsson, Presiden of REVES visits BARKA POLAND

From the 16th to the 18th of January 2012, the Barka Network in Poland is hosting Jan Olsson, the president of the European Network of Cities and Regions for the Social Economy (REVES) and a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (SE). Mr. Olsson has visited the Barka Network’s projects in Wielkopolska, and will take part in workshops for mutual initiatives of the social economy in cooperation between Barka and the REVES Network – in particular in creating public-private partnerships in local communities.

The REVES Network’s mission is

• establish a dialogue with the European and international Institutions in order to create positive conditions for the development of social and solidarity based-economy
• develop social responsibility and exchange expertise and know-how, and to implement innovation in the fields of inclusion, participation and empowerment of local communities
• educate and communicate the contribution of social economy-based partnership for more solidarity-based communities
• be a laboratory for innovation in social policies and to support their dissemination in all territories
• Cooperate and create synergies with other national, European and international networks and to complement them pursue these objectives in Europe and at international level with a view to territorial cohesion, international solidarity, promotion of equal opportunity and north-south cooperation
• capitalize on its own and members experiences in the different fields of interest and make them available to all members

Szanowni Państwo,

Mamy przyjemność zakomunikować, ze Barka UK zainicjowala działalność bezplatnej linii informacyjnej/ telefonu zaufania dla obywateli krajów Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej (krajów akcesyjnych A10 – Polski, Republiki Czeskiej, Węgier, Łotwy, Litwy, Estonii, Slowacji, Slowienii, Rumunii i Bulgarii) znajdujących się w krańcowych sytuacjach socjalnych.

W ramach tej usługi udzielane będa porady w takich kwestiach jak:
- generalne informacje dotyczące życia i zatrudnienia na terenie Wielkiej Brytanii
- porady dotyczące zatrudnienia i integracji z rynkiem pracy
- świadczenia socjalne
- zabezpieczenia społeczne
- porady prawno-administracyjne
- informacje o centrach pomocy dziennej oraz noclegowniach
- informacje w sprawie działających grup Anonimowych Alkoholików (AA) oraz Anonimowych Narkomanów (AN)
- informacje o organizacjach wspierających obywateli państw A10

Numer bezpłatnej infolinii Barki UK to: 0800 171 2926

Godziny działania infolinii: 9.00 – 14.00 [poniedzialek, wtorek, czwartek, piątek]

Usługa dostępna w językach: polskim, rosyjskim i angielskim

Proszę zwrócić uwagę, ze linia jest darmowa w przypadku dzwonienia z telefonu stacjonarnego oraz z budki telefonicznej, jednakże w przypadku rozmów prowadzonych z telefonu komórkowego obowiązuje standardowa opłata.

Dziękujemy bardzo i zapraszamy do korzystania z naszej uslugi.

Уважаемые дамы и господа,

Мы рады сообщить, что в Barka UK началa работу новая бесплатная и конфедеционалиная телефонная линия для граждан стран Центральной и Восточной Европы (граждан A10 – Польша, Чехия, Венгрия, Латвия, Литва, Эстония, Словакия, Словения , Румыния и Болгария), которые находятся в наиболее укоренившихся социальных ситуациях.

В рамках данной услуги Barka UK будет оказывать консультативную помощь по таким вопросам, как:
- Общая информация о жизни и занятости в Соединенном Королевстве
- Консультирование по вопросам трудоустройства и интеграции на рынке труда
- Социальные пособия
- Социальное страхование
- Юридические и административные советы
- Информация о роботе дневных центрoв и общежитий
- Информация о роботе групп Анонимных Алкоголиков (АА) и Aнонимных Наркоманов (AN)
- Информация об организациях поддерживающих граждан A10

Бесплатная телефонная линия Barka UK: 0800 171 2926

Часы роботы: 9.00 – 14.00 (Понедельник, Bторник, Четверг, Пятница)

Услуга предоставляется на: Польском, Pусском и Aнглийском языках

Пожалуйста, обратите внимание, что номер является бесплатным если вы звоните с городского телефона (включая таксофоны); звоня с мобильного телефона взимается стандартная плата.

Спасибо и добро пожаловать на наш новый сервис.

Dear Sirs and Madams,

We are pleased to announce that Barka UK has initiated the operation of a new free information and confidentiality telephone line for the citizens of Central and Eastern Europe (A10 nationals from – Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, and Bulgaria) who are in the most entrenched social situations.

Within this service Barka UK will provide advice on issues such as:
- General information on life and the employment situation in the United Kingdom
- Advice on employment and labour market integration
- Social benefits
- Social insurance
- Legal and administrative advice
- Information on the operating of day centres and hostels
- Information on the operating of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Anonymous Narcotics (AN) groups
- Information on organisations supporting A10 nationals

Barka UK’s free telephone line number: 0800 171 2926

Line’s operating hours: 9.00 – 14.00 [Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday]

The service is provided in: Polish, Russian, and English languages

Please note, that the number is free if you are calling from a landline (including payphones), however if you are calling from a mobile phone standard charges apply.

Thank you and welcome to our new service.