Merseyside Refugee Support Network
&
Liverpool Asylum Seeker and Refugee Partnership
About MRSN
Merseyside Refugee Support Network and the Liverpool Asylum Seeker And Refugee partnership came together in July 2005 to maximise funding and other resources for the continued development of our support and information services for refugees and asylum seeker communities and other support organisations across the Merseyside area.
Registered as a charity in 2001, MRSN is administered by Merseyside Network for Change. In meeting the MRSN mission, we seek to provide support services which contribute to the maintenance, sustainability and development of refugee and asylum community organisations through information sharing, networking, signposting, promotion of good equality practice and empowerment.
By the amalgamation of resources, we have been able to develop our services and grow our membership. During the past year and for the year ahead we have been delighted to continue with existing funders and gain new support thanks to: Liverpool Neighbourhood Renewal Funding; Change-Up Greater Merseyside; Time-Bank-Time Together; Employability Forum; Allen Lane Foundation and Liverpool Black and Racial Minority Network.
With over 100 member organisations we support an exceptional partnership in the region – all with the goal of supporting refugee and asylum communities and individuals. Through this partnership, major strides are being made and we continually endeavour to attract as members as many organisations and refugee/asylum communities as possible.
If you believe your organisation could benefit from membership please complete the membership form below and return it to us (please read the membership policy first). Annual membership is free of charge.
The entire Network meets quarterly; at each general meeting we host topical speakers to address our members. We have, for instance, received presentations from the Employability Forum, Benefits Agency, Crown Prosecution Service, Liverpool City Councillors, and Merseyside Police, to name a few.
The Trustees and Officeholders, who are elected by full members, also meet quarterly to oversee the administration and to discuss and respond to matters of urgent concern that are directly affecting refugees and asylum seekers, such as new Immigration, Nationality and Asylum legislation and changes in national level provision.
There are also a number of specialist subgroups dealing with Housing/Move-On Support, Education, Training and Employment, Children and Young People, Health and Mental Health.
Given our efforts to raise public awareness about refugees and asylum seekers and our ongoing work to dispel myths and media hype we have developed an effective Media Protocol (see below). Our staff and members hard work has resulted in the good relations which have been established with local (Liverpool Echo and Daily Post) and national press.
Current and recent work and projects include:
- Refugee Employment Support and Signposting
- Ongoing Information Sharing
- Creation of a Cultural Calendar
- Strengthening refugee communities through provision of support for community based interpreter training
- Refugee Week events support and information
- Time Together Refugee mentors programme
- Merseyside Refugee Community and Support Agency Directory
Edward Murphy (OBE) is currently the elected Chair and Karen Wynne its Secretary.
Current Staff members are Seána Roberts (Project Manager) and Karen Wynne (Development Officer).
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Membership Policy
The Network seeks to establish, through its Membership Policy, two principles. The first is that the Network has to remain firmly in the ownership of voluntary organisations. The second is that we have benefited enormously and intend to continue doing so from the involvement of public and private sector partners. There are, therefore, two classes of member.
Full membership is open to any voluntary organisation which makes application to the Network and whose application is accepted. For the avoidance of doubt, a voluntary organisation is any organisation not established for profit and not part of the State.
Associate membership is open to any organisation, which is not a voluntary organisation, which makes application to join the Network and whose application is accepted. Associate membership is also open to any individual supporting the aims of the Network who, in the opinion of the Trustees, can make a contribution to our work.
Only full members are members within the meaning of the constitution, able to vote at meetings and to nominate a person to stand for election as a Trustee.
Click
here to access our membership application form.
You can fill in the details on screen, but must print it and
sign it before sending.
Media Protocol
MRSN have agreed the following protocol
for all members to use in responding to media enquiries:
(a) We live in a society which has accepted certain international obligations, one of which is to provide asylum to those escaping persecution in other countries.
(b) We live in a society which sought, in 1948, to end destitution; for destitution to be returned to our streets by a Government wishing to reduce the impact of its international obligations is despicable.
(c) Determined efforts are being made, and must be resisted, to establish the lie that asylum seekers are necessarily terrorists. No group in our society is more closely monitored than those who seek political asylum; 12 million other visitors to the UK each year are not monitored at all.
(d) The criminalisation of asylum seekers not only undermines the spirit of the UN protocol, but perpetuates a climate of fear and tension which often results in violent crimes against innocent asylum seekers who are already victims and have sought sanctuary in the UK.
MRSN Annual Report & Accounts
MRSN
Annual Report and Accounts 2005-2006
(This is a PDF file. Adobe Acrobat Reader
is required to view or print any PDF documents. For information
on downloading Acrobat Reader, please go to www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html)
For further
details of the Network please contact Karen Wynne, Development Officer,
on 0151 702 6972, e-mail: karen@merseysidenetworkforchange.org
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