Saheliya 30 years

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Saheliya. During this time we have grown to be a vital grassroots organisation in Glasgow, Edinburgh and surrounding areas for women experiencing racial inequality and gender based violence.

In this time, we have seen the number of women seeking our support increase. And in this time, we have also seen little to no change in mainstream service provision for our service-users.

What started in a small room in Edinburgh by two staff members have become an essential support organisation and safe haven for women reaching 987 women and young girls from 52 countries this year alone.

Throughout the years our staff team have remained creative, adaptive and flexible in providing essential wrap around support by using a holistic range of services including counselling, practical support and advocacy, complementary therapies, outreach, group work and Young Saheliya.

In 2023 we will continue to not only promote mental wellbeing, reduce stigma of mental health and improve access to mainstream services; we will also ramp up our campaigning efforts for a fairer, and anti-racist system that meets the needs of our women and girls.

Winter Newsletter

Did you miss our winter newsletter?

Not a problem, here is a link to find out what we have been up to, what we have planned and how to get involved

New Year new Access 2 Safety Training

This January we started our new Access 2 Safety course in Edinburgh with a group of fantastic women!

The aim of Access 2 Safety training is to help women support their children growing up in Scotland as well as become more informed and active citizens.

This 9 week course covers topics such as parenting, law and rights, how to access services in Scotland as well as recognise a suspected mental health condition and the skills to start a conversation around mental health.

When completing a course students will receive certificates for the full course as well as a formal SQA Level 4 First Aid for Mental Health Awareness course.

Why racial and gender representation matters in charity boards

“At Saheliya there isn’t a minority voice. There are people like you- with similar experiences, around the table”

Thank you Charity So White for sharing our blog. See here the Chair of our Board, Shruti Jain discuss the importance of racial and gender representation on charity boards. From experience as the only BAME woman on Board, to leading an all BAME woman board here at Saheliya.

Women Supporting Women

Women Supporting Women
We really appreciate, value, and respect our wonderful staff and volunteers who continue to work over and above all expectations supporting women and young women. We are also inspired by the resilience of the women we support and the trust they have in us to advocate on their behalf.
Many of our staff are ex-service users, nearly all are from the communities we serve; we all have an understanding of how race, gender and culture affect the mental well-being of BAME women; many of us have lived experience of the problems our service users face. 

Read our Women Supporting Women’ blog here highlighting the work we have been doing throughout Covid period.

Is Lockdown raising risk to BAME women’s safety and wellbeing

“Is lockdown raising risk to BAME women’s safety and wellbeing in Scotland?”

Read an interview here with the Chair of our Board, Shruti Jain In STV News discussing how for black, minority ethnic, asylum seeker and refugee women, coronavirus has presented urgency to many challenges.

Voices: Saheliya

“Without trauma awareness alongside cultural knowledge and support in first languages, women cannot progress to wellbeing, active citizenship, or independence”

Read below Robertson Trust’s Voices blog about Saheliya’s work.
Blog: Voices-Saheliya

Parenting For Safety

Since 2019 we have been running a specialist, ‘Parenting for Safety’ project funded by Cattanach Charitable Trust.
This vital service supports families where children are experiencing behavioral problems as well mother and child bonding issues in cases of extreme trauma.

See here more information about our ‘Parenting for Safety’ service

Wonderboxes

In partnership with Children’s University Scotland we were able to provide Wonderboxes to 200 children in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
These activity boxes made such a difference, especially during these challenging times!

See here for further information and what Fatima, aged 9, did with her box.

Kiltwalk – Raise Money for Saheliya

There’s still time to join the virtual Kiltwalk and raise much needed funds for Saheliya. Go for a walk, a cycle, jump on a trampoline, or even a family scavenger hunt!

For more info see here https://thekiltwalk.co.uk
Everything you raise will be topped up by 50% thanks to Sir Tom Hunter and The Hunter Foundation.

Covid-19

Due to current government guidance on COVID-19, Saheliya has had to stop all its one-to-one appointments, classes and groups until further notice.

Our team is working from home where possible. You can contact us by email at: info@saheliya.co.uk.

Please follow us on social media for the latest news– search Saheliya on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

We know you may be feeling anxious or isolated in this time of uncertainty. We are still here to support you as much as we can so please stay in touch. We are also looking into options for our groups to meet virtually instead of in person. We will keep you posted by email and social media

Broughton Primary School visit

We had a great visit from Broughton Primary School children as part of our joint community Growing and Cooking project growing colourful crops in school playgrounds such as peas, sweetcorn and sunflowers.

Thank you so much for coming to visit us to learn what we do as well as for bringing some amazing basil with you! We look forward to growing plenty of tasty and colourful things over the coming months!

Most recent newsletter from our Around The World Nursery social enterprise in Edinburgh!


http://aroundtheworldnursery.co.uk/

The art of Saheliya

The Refugee Festival of Scotland 2019

Saheliya is celebrating Refugee Festival Scotland 2019 with an inter-generational event organised by Saheliya’s Champions for Change Women’s Group. This will be a great day for the Champions to showcase and celebrate their wonderful works achieved through different projects.

The art exhibition will take place on Thursday June 20 at Saheliya community centre (G21 1YL) from 10:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m.

This event is open to women only and by invitation. 

Please contact info@saheliya.co.uk or Dinna@saheliya.co.uk with any enquiries.

There is parking at the venue and it is just besides the main bus routes 57, 88 and 89. At the venue, there is no lift, just stairs to access the first floor of the building.

Refugee Festival Scotland is an annual arts and culture festival that celebrates the contribution refugees make to Scottish society. The festival is coordinated by Scottish Refugee Council. Visit refugeefestivalscotland.co.uk for more information

Saheliya Play & Learn Centre

You are a rainbow of possibilities.

At Saheliya, we are very proud to announce that our new nursery centre in Glasgow is up and running! The new Saheliya Play and Learn Centre in the River Clyde city offers very experienced staff that focus on encouraging children to explore by themselves whilst helping them to increase their knowledge. The team shall include different nationalities and cultural backgrounds as to provide the highest possible efficiency in the communication process with all the children and families.

For more information on location and timetables, please, click here to download the brochure. Have a look at their Facebook page to check out the nursery layout and all the fun for the kids.

Paul Sweeney on our new Saheliya Childcare Social Enterprise

Champions for Change

In partnership with the Mental Health Foundation of Scotland

We are incredibly proud of this video that our Champions for Change group did, in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation Sawti project, which raises awareness of mental health and wellbeing of refugees and asylum seekers through arts and mentoring schemes.

As part of this project a book of stories and poems was also produced, which we are excited to share in due course. 
We would like to thank the always wonderful Amal Azzudin for all her commitment and support throughout the whole project!

To learn more about Odile, Rato and Jaan click here

“We are warriors
and survivors
We are Scotland
We are a community
We are listening 
fighting and learning
We are moody 
and sometimes depressed”

Access2Safety

Saheliya’s new Social Enterprise

We all deserve Access to Safety. But, when you need to talk about forced marriage, domestic abuse, FGM, rape… you need someone you can trust. Someone who really speaks your language.

That’s where we come in.

Click here to find more about Access2Safety

We are very exited to introduce you to our brand new social enterprise service. It is dedicated to provide specialist language support to women whose first lanuage isn’t English to navigate any difficulties that may appear due to language barriers.

Greening Grey Britain Campaign

Read about the wonderful project we did in partnership with AHR and RHS- Royal Horticultural Society to transform our garden. This Greening Grey Britain campaign helps organisations supporting young people to transform grey spaces in local communities into thriving neighbourhood places for people and wildlife.

We couldn’t be happier with the result!  Click here for the full article.

 

Garden

 

New Vacancy- Social Enterprise Manager

Role:Social Enterprise Manager
Location: Edinburgh and Glasgow
Hours: Full time 35 hours per week, job share option is also a possibility for this role
Pay: £34,387.50
Deadline for applications:  Monday 18th December 2017 (2pm)

Interview date: Wednesday 20th December  2017

Purpose of the Job:
To oversee and develop social enterprise childcare services in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and sewing and market gardening social enterprises in Glasgow.  Increase income generation so that all social enterprise activities are fully self-sustaining by the end of June 2019. The aim is to maximise childcare places available locally, skills development, and employment of BME women facing barriers to the job market including those affected by gender based abuse, homelessness, trafficking and organised violence.

Application Pack:
Job Description
Application Form
Equality Monitoring Form

Closing date for applications is Monday 18th December 2018 (2pm)

For any other information please contact us on 0131 556 9302 or info@saheliya.co.uk

Address: Recruitment, Saheliya, 125 McDonald Road, Edinburgh, EH7 4NW.