Barka UK News

“Letter of Barka UK’s Leader Andrzej Dawidowski to the Mayor of Poznan City Council regarding the request to troubled residents to live in containers”.

Ewa — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:37:30 +0000

Eastern European rough sleepers deported – article

Ewa — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:11:18 +0000

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jul/20/eastern-european-rough-sleepers-deported

Barka UK at Homeless Link Annual Conference

Ewa — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:03:08 +0000

Barka UK staff Marta Jankowska and Janusz Kowalski participated in the Homeless Link Annual Conference held in the University of Reading. The meeting was attended by dozens of organizations from across the UK. Conference started with a streetwise opera performance. Ann Skinner, chairperson of the Board of Homeless Link, welcomed participants and introduced speakers among whom there was Jenny Edwards, the CEOn of Homeless Link, Grant Shapps, Minister of Housing and Councillor John Shipley, Leader of the Council Newcastle. The speakers elaborated on ways to end rough sleeping and provide dignified alternatives for those living on the streets.
In the afternoon there was a contest organized for the best social enterprise. Four social enterprises participated in the competition.
Barka staff took part in workshops ” Learning to be Place of Change: skills for staff managers and trustees” and “What makes a good social enterprise”. In the meantime participants could share their experience of working in the homelessness sector.

23rd June 2010, Barka meeting in Hamburg

Ewa — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:23:57 +0000

Barka UK representatives attended a meeting with local partners in Hamburg to discuss the way forward to establish a Barka project supporting Eastern European migrants in social and economic difficulties in Hamburg.

The meeting was attended by:

Mr Urlich Hermannes and Mr Andreas Stasiewicz (Chief Executive & Social worker of the Stadtmission Hamburg),

Mr Andrzej Osiak and Ms Karolina Kowalska (Consul General of the Republic of Poland and Assistant, Polish Embassy to Hamburg),

Ms Verena Orth from the Social Department of Local Council of Hamburg,

Reverend Henryk Rozanki, Polish Catholic Mission Hamburg,

Miss Ewa Sadowska, Chief Executive of Barka UK, London.

Practicalities of the migrants’ reconnection project as well as staff and budget matters were discussed. The project is planned to start in October 2010.

Report by Barbara Gorynska Bittner, PhD, of the Barka Network: “Diagnosis of a scale and nature of homelessness relating to Poles living in Europe”

Ewa — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:21:55 +0000

Please click here to read the report.

Interview with Tomasz Sadowski, the Chairman of Barka Foundation, Poland

Ewa — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 09:21:25 +0000

We encourage you to read the interview with Tomasz Sadowski, the Chariman of Barka Foundation, Poland regarding the Poznan City Council’s solution to move problematic residents to containers.

Click here to read the interview now.

June 25th, West London Strategic Action Plan to End Rough Sleeping by 2012. Conference in Wembley.

Ewa — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:23:22 +0000

Conference started with welcoming and introduction by Ieuan ap Rees from West Lodon Housing Partnership.

Michael Scorer(CLG) was talking about Government policy and what has changed with change of Government.

Richard Blakeway(CLG) talked about London Housing Strategy and the work of the London Delivery Board, including the Health & Social Care sub group.

Martin Cheeseman from Brent & West London Housing Partnership analised the situation of rough sleeping in West London. He summarised Chain data, PrOPMT analysis, differences between boroughs in terms of services provided, health audit in Brent, sub-regional work – West London Reconnect & draft action plan.

Jeremy Swain of Thames Reach talked about the role of local partnerships and civic society sector to end rough sleeping. Jeremy Swain thanked Barka UK for their fruitful work with supporting the integration processes of Eastern European migrants to UK.

Barka UK staff: Andrzej Dawidowski, Marcin Maruszak and Radoslaw Skrzypczak participated in a workshop regarding enforcement. The discussion was to what extent enforcement was needed and how it could be delivered. Barka contributed with good examples of engaging with rough sleepers through trust and relationship building.

Film about the Barka Network

Ewa — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:30:24 +0000

We encourage you to watch the film ‘Laboratory of Solidarity’ about the Barka Network in Poland, prepared by the President of the Wielkopolska Region. The film was shown at the meeting of representatives of the regions of the European Union, which took place in Poznań on 17-18.06.2010 (this film was translated into 16 languages).

Click here to watch the film

Transcription in Polish/ transkrypcja po polsku

Report of Barbara Dudzinska on her study visit to Kenia

Ewa — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:46:19 +0000

Report of Barbara Dudzinska, former staff member of Barka Foundation on the study visit to Kenian development projects - read now.

Barka UK at the Commitee of the Regions

Ewa — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:27:43 +0000

On the 9^th of June Ewa Sadowska, the CEO of Barka UK met with the representatives of the Belgian trade unions in the headquarters of Committee of the Regions and with the representatives of the Cabinet of Professor Jerzy Buzek, the President of European Parliament. The meetings were also attended by the Heads of umbrella organisations ECAS and CEC.

The aim was to discuss good practice in the field of Social Economy and social inclusion of the migrants on the basis of experience of the Barka network in Poland, ECAS and CEC.

These meetings lay a foundation for the developing European Migrants’ Integration Network which intends to support ‘work migrants’, refugees and ethnic minorities.