Our community development team works with grass-roots groups led by people with lived-experience of seeking protection in Scotland, as well as groups set up to welcome New Scots to local communities.

We work with these groups to support them with the issues that affect their members’ lives, and to organise, set goals and achieve them through empowerment and participation. We do this by using a range of tools and techniques depending on the needs, wants and aspirations of each group.

This includes:

• free skills workshops to build on groups’ strengths, connections, and influence
• five regional coordinators across Scotland supporting groups with advice and building links with other groups
• our Refugee Advisory Group (RAG) brings together community representatives who update us on their concerns and opinions. This group influences the way we work to better reflect the needs of people seeking and granted refugee protection in Scotland
• an online Forum (New Scots Connect Forum) which enables groups across Scotland to share and learn from each other’s expertise
• an online map (New Scots Connect Map) which helps groups and communities find local support, friends, information and advice.

“I appreciate the opportunities you have brought us and I look forward to the possibilities that lie ahead. I feel the meeting we had was very useful. It led to some offers of help from the council which we might not otherwise have had. I’m very grateful”. Community group member

*New Scots Connect forum and map are part of our New Scots Integration: Rights and Communities programme funded by the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF)