about people-for people samec trustabout people-for people samec trust registered charity no 1052775...

About People-for People

SAMEC TRUST

Registered Charity No 1052775

SAMEC brochure New Text 3/7/06 14:14

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WELCOME TO

SAMEC TRUSTOur MissionSamec Trust is dedicated to understanding the needs ofminority ethnic people in accessing the widest range ofpublic services through advice and information.

We Believe…Samec Trust believes that the integration of diversecommunities is the foundation of a cohesive society.


Cécille Nobriega

You make one steptowards me, I will

make two stepstowards you.

(Samec Trust Research 1998)

This booklet tells you…

WHO we are ...................................2

WHY we’re here ..........................4

WHAT we do ...................................6

HOW we work ..............................8

WHEN we’re needed .............10

WHERE it happens ..................12

The Samec Trust is grateful to Hanover Housing Group for sponsoring the printing of this booklet.


WHO WE AREWe are Samec Trust, which stands for ServiceAccess to Minority Ethnic Communities.

We are a registered charity, and ourrole is simple. We offer advice andsupport on services to vulnerablemembers of minority ethniccommunities – people who forvarious reasons feel excluded frommainstream services. Since 1994 ourwork has made a huge impact onthe lives of many people fromdiverse communities.

Our core values are social cohesionand integration. We’re aboutimproving the quality of life for the

people we serve, empowering themto access the services they need -vital work that simply wouldn’thappen without Samec Trust.

We have an impressive track recordof innovative projects and successfulpartnerships with many otherorganisations – both charities andcorporations. What all of theseinitiatives have in common is thatthey have made a difference topeople’s lives.

Samec Trust is unique. The followingpages show how individuals’ andcommunities’ situations havechanged for the better as a result ofour work. We’ve made thedifference.

2SAMEC TRUST

www.samectrust.org.uk


Quality of life is affected by so manyfactors. Issues such as alienation,poor health, anti-social behaviourand segregation mean that our worktouches on major social issues likehealth, housing, diet, theenvironment, work and lifestyle. Allof these have an impact on what wecan achieve and how we feel aboutour lives. Samec Trust sees theseareas as inter-related and inter-dependent, and takes a holisticapproach to working withcommunities and partners. SamecTrust provides a bridge that linkscommunities with services.

What’s The Problem?Newham in East London is one of the most disadvantaged boroughs in theUK. Ethnically very diverse, it has a record of underachievement in itsschools. We believed that many young people there risked beingmarginalised and alienated from mainstream community life through the lackof opportunity and skills to engage with others on issues affecting them.

WHY WE’RE HEREWe’re here because many organisations find it difficult tomake their services accessible to all communities.

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Our SolutionOur project Coming Together focused on disadvantaged young peopleand, working with four schools in Newham, gave students training inrunning focus groups on issues relevant to them. This encouraged abetter understanding of people from other cultures, engagement acrosscommunities and the development of debating and listening skills inarticulating their needs and problems. Coming Together led to SamecTrust developing its own confidence building studio.


We offer a range of services,including:

• contacts – a wide network ofcontacts with minority ethniccommunities and a multilingualfield force

• information – publications,reports, good practice guides,health awareness accessprogrammes and awareness-raising events

• advice – how to make servicesmore accessible to all, andensuring that those services areculturally appropriate

• research – delivering authoritativeinsight through consultation

• training – customised training fororganisations and individualsinvolved in minority ethnic issues;an inhouse studio for performingarts, training and confidencebuilding

• expertise – complementing othercharities’ funding bids for goodpractice initiatives with our ownexperience and expertise; creativecommunication

• sports development – increasingtake-up of sport through raisingawareness and confidencedevelopment projects

Additional Resources

Samec Trust provides access to itsstate-of-the-art studio, Armadillo. Thisspace is ideal for personal and careerdevelopment, confidence building andtherapy in areas such as performingarts. Individuals can really feelempowered through the opportunityto rehearse and see themselves onbroadcast camera on a before andafter basis - a really valuablecommunity empowerment tool.

WHAT WE DOWe help organisations promote their servicesto minority ethnic communities.

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Our SolutionAfter a successful pilot scheme we launched the Awaaz TelephoneAdvice Line. This offered confidential advice to a wide range ofpeople, in their own language, on social issues, welfare rights,education and leisure. Referrals could be made to the appropriateagencies for assessments and direct access to services.

What’s The Problem?Our research showed that many older minority ethnic people were notaccessing mainstream public services. Barriers like language, trust andconfidence were preventing many from receiving vital support and helpwhen they most needed it.


Whilst we work on our own distinctprojects we support and workalongside many other agencies –statutory and voluntary bodies andlocal authorities, adding value towhat others are doing. We knowthat we can achieve more together,adding our unique set of skills andexperience to the services that otherorganisations already offer. We’renot here to replace existing activitiesor compete with other charities.

Our networks mean that we canhelp and influence people andraise the profile of health andsocial issues as well as raising theprofile of our partners.

Collaborative projects haveincluded work with localauthorities, housing associations,blue chip companies, schools,police, health-based charities andgovernment departments – alldemonstrating how we can workwith others so that all partnersgain value.

HOW WE WORKWe work in partnership with other agencies.

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Samec played a pivotal role in reaching residents

who would not normally getinvolved. This was essential,otherwise the whole picture

is incomplete. Their inclusiveand professional approachwas crucial to making the

consultation a success.(Project Director, London Borough of Lambeth)

I’m learning to respectpeople’s differences more.

(13- year boy, ’Coming Together’ Project,London Borough of Newham)


Our SolutionSamec Trust assisted in raising awareness of breast cancer andBreast Cancer Care services amongst women from the ethniccommunities by organizing a series of workshops around thecountry. We recruited women from African, Asian and Arabicbackgrounds who had been diagnosed with breast cancer to talkabout their experiences of diagnosis and treatment.

What’s The Problem?Breast cancer is a major killer. Disproportionably large numbers ofBlack and minority ethnic women were found to have the lowestawareness of all in identifying cancer symptoms.


SAMEC TRUST

1995 90 delegates from healthand public services, mainstreamorganisations and charities attendthe conference How Accessible AreYour Services To Minority EthnicCommunities? and Samec Trust islaunched.

1996 Young people’s perceptionsof life- video study exploring aspectsof their lives such as self esteem,goals, barriers and role models.

1997 Publication of the ‘SamecTrust’ study Today’s Concerns AndBleak Tomorrows, a consultation of

health and housing needs of olderminority ethnic people is launchednationally at the Queen ElizabethConference Centre, London.

1998 The Awaaz TelephoneHelpline goes live, providingconfidential advice and support forminority ethnic older people.

1999 Publication of Steps ToUnderstanding, a good practiceguide for social housing and healthproviders to communicate withminority ethnic elders, funded by The Housing Corporation.

WHEN WE’RE NEEDED…. we’re there to help and support.

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Samec Trust has worked onmany projects since the mid1990s. Take a look at just a fewof the initiatives, publications,conferences and services wherewe’ve found a need and madesomething happen.



2002 Major pharmaceuticalcompany engages with an HIVawareness campaign with Africans inLondon. Samec Trust conductscommunity consultation support.

2002 Coming Together project inNewham, focusing on marginalisedand disadvantaged youths. Theproject, funded by the NationwideBuilding Society Charitable Trust, isdesigned to encourage a bettermutual understanding ofschoolchildren from different cultures.

2003 to 2005 providingadvice and support to many statutoryand voluntary organisation andcorporations, in engaging with theircommunities.

2006 Samec Trust establishesArmadillo Studio - state of the artperforming arts, therapy andconfidence building facility.

We’ve accomplished so much, butthere is still so much to achieve.

Nature has been profound in that she has designed that whatever our colour or

shape the blood which maintains life inevery living thing is THE SAME – RED.

(International Poet Cecile Nobriega)

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We have worked with a range of organisations and communities throughoutthe UK, including national charities, corporations, health agencies, housingassociations, statutory and voluntary bodies. Some of this work has a localremit, some of it has national relevance.

Our project supports have included work with:

We have collaborated with manymore partners on a formal orinformal basis, and will work with anyorganisations that share our aims,and where our involvement canmake a difference.

Many of these partners have beencommercial entities. Our experienceof working with corporations meanswe understand their desire toexercise corporate socialresponsibility, in balance with theirown commercial imperatives.

SAMEC TRUST


WHERE IT HAPPENSWherever we find the need.

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• Action For ME

• Alcohol Concern

• Barclays

• BBC

• Bradford City Council

• Breast Cancer Care

• Bridgehouse Trust

• British Heart Foundation

• BT

• Dartford Borough Council

• Department Of Health

• Hanover Housing Association

• Help The Aged

• Learning And Skills Council

• Lloyds TSB

• National Housing Federation

• Nationwide Building Society

• Presentation Housing Association

• Raglan Housing Trust

• Southampton City Council

• The Diabetes Association

• The Stroke Association

• The Housing Corporation


Our SolutionWe were invited by a leading research organisation to help interviewpeople affected by gun violence. Residents felt empowered andrelieved to air their views in a confidential and sensitive manner. Thefindings of our consultation were used for communication strategiesdevelopment by police and other agencies. We have since launchedour Armadillo studio that provides a facility for communityengagement to take place.

What’s The Problem?The issue of drug and gun violence in London has become a seriousproblem in certain localities. Increasingly black on black gun crime is anissue that the police and communities are trying to address. Socialdislocation meant that a ‘gangster’ lifestyle was in danger of becominga strong peer group driver amongst youth presenting a sinisterbackdrop to community quality of life.


As a charity we rely on donations and grantsand we would like to offer our thanks to allindividuals, companies and grant makingbodies that have supported out work overthe years.

If you would like to get involved withSamec Trust, either individually or on acorporate basis, or would like to support ourwork, please contact us to find out more:

Tel: 020 8903 4549 Email: [email protected]

STRC House87a Wembley Hill RoadMiddlesexHA9 8BU www.samectrust.org.ukRegistered Charity No 1052775

YOU CAN HELPT o be able to offer a service so wideH elp with health and housing provideE nable communities to dwell side by side.

S o it should be, Young and old, RefugeeA ll need to live in harmonyM inority groups need not live apartE nclosed – Ghettoed, their culture and artC ould be shared, to communicate and education impart.

T ogether in partnership let us proceedR ely on the trust to access all your needU ltimately attaining esteem and dignityS trength in diversity creates stronger unityT hanks for giving SAMEC this opportunity.

Cecille NobriegaCecile Nobriega (International poet, playwright, composer, potter, textbookwriter and

teacher. Born 1 June 1919 in Georgetown, Guyana. Has won awards for literary and

musical works)


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