New community initiative in
Northampton
Foundation’s background
• The Green Mile Foundation has been founded as a response to the
market needs within Polish migrant’s community.
• Many of the Polish migrants is coming to this country to find a
better job, gain new experience and rise standard of their family
life, but many of them fail.
• Our background work experience showed that language barrier,
different culture, law regulations and lifestyle make them feel
isolated within new society and surrounding. Many of them
experienced depression, low mood or try to get away from
problems to addictions.
• Many English institutions are not adapted to provide help for Polish
migrants who are in need, without using qualified interpreters,
which cause additional barrier in communication.
• This was the main reason of setting up the Green Mile Foundation.
Our mission
• Our mission is to deliver the best possible
quality of the services to the Polish
community across UK in their mother
language. The same we would like to support
English institutions in better integration Polish
migrants with the English society.
Foundation Objectives
The Green Mile Foundation is focused around
aims which promote equality and diversity. Our
objectives are:
1. Social welfare and supporting Polish migrants
affected by various psychological problems,
alcohol and drugs misuse by enabling them to
change their lifestyle and take positive steps
forward in addiction counseling.
2.
Integration of the Polish society with the local
community and enable them to gain access to
new opportunities by developing language
skills and opportunity to exchange opinions
and experience.
This objective includes also promoting the idea
of European integration, based on respect for
cultural distinctiveness and Nations promoting
mutual understanding and cooperation
between peoples of Europe.
3. Social welfare and rehabilitation of the
Polish offenders by breaking the cycle of the
re-offending and enabling them to resettle in
the community.
Competitive Edge
The Green Mile Foundation has four distinct competitive edges that
will be leveraged to help make it a successful service provider:
• Services directed to the Polish community in their mother
language: The Green Mile Foundation offers services in Polish
language, which mean that we are able to deliver our services
without using interpreters and the same cut the cost of the
offered services.
• Providing services are not available anywhere else: The
Green Mile Foundation provided services, which are crucial
for social adaptation for the Polish migrants. Foundation
provided mentoring programmes including rehabilitation
programmes, psychological help and language lessons. In this
area, The Green Mile Foundation is a leader, as such services
are not provided by any other polish charity in the UK in one
place.
• Supporting English organisations (government organisations:
Probation service, Police, Courts, Job Centre Plus,
Northampton Borough Council and local charities: CAN,
Aquarius) in their role by providing direct help and support
for the polish minority group: The Green Mile Foundation is
the first charity, which is facing needs of the English society
and problems with migrants. Our Foundation would like to
support English organisations in their role, i. e building
stronger and safer communities, responding to the needs of
the community, helping communities to work together and
crime reduction within ethnic minorities groups (especially
among Polish community). Our Foundation is working directly
with the Polish community, so we will be more effective in our
work as services are delivered in Polish language.
• Providing Polish language course for English
society: The Green Mile Foundation as a first
polish charity has in offer Polish language
classes for local English citizens. This is a step
forward to the community integration and
good opportunity to get knowledge about
Polish tradition, heritage and culture.
OUR SERVICES
EASTERN EUROPEAN MIGRANT (POLISH)
CASE STUDY
 John Kowalski is 35 years old
 He came to England at the beginning of 2007 to work
and to support his family financially.
 Mr. Kowalski is married and has two children. His family
live in Poland.
 Mr Kowalski speaks limited English and most of the time
he relies on other Polish speaking migrants.
 Mr Kowalski is also living with other Polish migrants.
 He has been working for 6 months with a recruitment
agency. He has Polish qualifications to work in the
building and construction industry, however his
qualifications are not recognised in the UK.
 He was in irregular employment until the middle of 2009
 At the end of the 2009 he was arrested and charged
for the offence of Drink Driving. He has been
sentenced to 200 hours of Unpaid Work. He has
completed his order within a few months.
 Due to lack of employment and financial support he
decided to commit further offences.
 Mr Kowalski started to associate with drug dealers
and drug users. This developed a drug dependency
on the top of his alcohol misuse.
 He became more aggressive towards authorities and
people who would try to help him.
 He was arrested several times for various offences
and sentenced to a short prison sentence.
 He is not entitled to any benefits
 Currently he is living in a tent on the A45, he is
drinking up to 3 litres of cider a day and misusing
crack/cocaine on a daily basis
 UKBA are unable to deport him due to the short
sentence periods
 Mr Kowalski is not motivated to go back to his
country of origin as he is ashamed of his current
situation and failure
 He is not motivated to face his addiction and
homelessness
 He suffers from depression and a psychotic disorder
which developed from his alcohol and drug misuse.
Support available in the community
English institutions
The Green Mile Foundation
 Northampton Borough
Council to provide support
 We are able to offer: in
partnership with the NBC we
will be able to provide the best
and appropriate advice and
support for the migrants in the
field of housing advice by
organising joint events. In
cooperation with the other
polish charity Barka.UK, we are
able to provide support for the
homeless people and the same
reduce amount of the homeless
migrants on the streets. By
providing qualified staff we are
able to support English
organizations in the cost
reduction of using interpreters
and advice in terms of
housing options and
support with
homelessness. Services
are available in English.
Possibility of use the
Language Line or face to
face interpreter.
 Courts- to give a fair
sentence, which will
respond to criminogenic
needs and reduce reoffending within EEA
migrants. At the moment
there is limited possibility of
giving fair sentences due to
language barrier. Mostly
recommended Unpaid Work
or prison sentence.
 Alternative sentencing
options for the courts. We
are able to do that by
offering a wide range of the
interventions, which are
available in the community
for the EEA migrants. This
would help to reduce risk
of-reoffending and reduce
amount of the people who
are sentenced to a prison
sentences.
 Probation Service- to
supervise offenders and to
provide effective
resettlement of offenders in
the community . However
due to lack of the available
interventions in the
community and language
barrier most of the orders
remain unworkable. Work
with the offenders in the
community also should
focus on cultural
distinctiveness.
 Community interventionsour organization is prepared
to support the Probation
Service in rehabilitation of
the Polish offenders by
breaking the cycle of reoffending and enabling
them to resettle in the
community. We are able to
offer wide range of the
community interventions in
Polish language ( e.g. Drink
Drivers Programme, IDAP)
 Police- to build safer
communities by
protection and crime
reduction. To provide
reliable information and
advice about law
regulation.
 Tackle the crime and
rising awareness about
English law by
organising community
events in cooperation
with the local Police.
The same reduction in
crimes committed by
EEA migrants due to
differences in law
systems.
 CAN- to provide advice
and support in reducing
the harm caused by
alcohol, drugs and
homelessness.
 To support CAN in
developing partnership
that support people in
reaching their outcomes by
providing wide range
services focused on
addiction counselling, i.e.
Psychotherapy (individual,
groups),psychological
trainings, motivational
workshops and life
coaching. All services are
delivered by qualified
psychologist and support
from the Polish Psychologist
Association.
 Northampton Drug and
Alcohol Service-to
provide a wide range of
treatment and support
services for drug and
alcohol problems with
including lifestyle
factors that may be
contributing to client’s
problems.
 The Green Mile
Foundation is able to
provide qualified staff
to support NDAS in
delivering their services
and make treatment
open for EEA migrants
without language
barriers.
 Job Centre Plus-to
assist people of working
age find jobs. To
administrate some
benefits for people of
working age and
administration of
National Insurance
numbers.
 To support Job Centre
in achieving their
outcomes among EEA
migrants by providing
alternative services
available in Polish
language ( career advice
workshops linked with
individual support;
promoting volunteering
and ESOL classes)
Questions?
Contact details
The Green Mile Foundation
Website: www.thegreenmilefoundation.org.uk
E-mail: info@thegreenmilefoundation.org.uk
Telephone: 07769116783