Settlement Social Support Groups
Arabic Speaking Women’s Group
The multi-faith and multicultural Arabic Speaking Women’s
Group is thriving and the women meet on a weekly basis.
Membership of newly arrived women is growing rapidly and
many women who attend the group are isolated and have
limited social contacts and networks.
The group has had another very busy year with a range of
visitors from local organisations providing information
about health, women’s safety, legal and human rights and
Emergency Planning and Evacuation.
The group was also consulted as part of the City of
Whittlesea's Housing Strategy.
Arabic Speaking Men’s Group
The Whittlesea Arabic Speaking Men's Group meets on a
weekly basis and now has 18 members. Settlement
information sessions were provided to the group and
covered topics such as housing, immigration and
information and support from the Australian Electoral
Commission. The group aims to expand its programs by
seeking funding to support further activities and
excursions.
Refugee Support Group
Meeting each Saturday, the Refugee Support Group brings
emerging communities together for educational, social and
networking opportunities. Volunteer community members
support the group to develop English language for
everyday purposes, citizenship and sewing skills for adults,
and various art and recreational activities for young people.
The network continued to invite guest speakers to the
network to discuss a range of issues and is currently
planning for 2014.
Refugee Week
Sponsored by the MFB, CFA Victoria Police and the City of
Whittlesea, WCC ran the Refugee Week Awards in June
2012. The awards acknowledged the contribution and
leadership of people from a refugee background to the
local community. The achievements of all nominees since
their arrival in Australia were outstanding and they all
shared great passion to give back to the community.
The 2012 winner of Whittlesea Refugee Week Awards,
Alireza Adibnia made a significant contribution to
supporting the asylum seeker community volunteering with
the Red Cross and the Edmund Rice Centre.
The recipient of the Encouragement Award was Rouya
Hashimpour who volunteers her time tirelessly with the
Kurdish Women’s Society participating in community
workshops, activities and events.
Dalal Sleiman - Congratulations to one of our own team
members who received a life time achievement award for
her commitment and hard work in the establishment of the
Chaldean Women’s association 5 years ago and her tireless
work advocating on behalf of those from refugee and
migrant backgrounds.
Group work activities help to address and identify
settlement needs, and provide opportunities for meaningful
relationships to develop over time, increasing confidence
and greater sense of community inclusion amongst
emerging refugee communities.
The Harmony Newsletter
The Harmony - edited by a dedicated team from the
community. The Arabic language newsletter provides
information to Arabic speaking communities who remain
the largest and most diverse of newly-arrived communities
in the City of Whittlesea. This year, the Harmony printed
250 copies each month and distributed them amongst the
community. In addition, 50 copies each month were
distributed electronically. The newsletter is a great
opportunity to promote available services, community
events and important aspects of Australian history and
culture.
Whittlesea Multicultural Issues Network (WMIN)
WMIN met regularly throughout the year and provided an
important opportunity for service providers to come
together to share resources and discuss issues facing newly
arrived migrant and refugee communities in the local \?XK???M???