October 3, 2024

Empowering Voices

A local initiative is changing lives by offering women from minority ethnic communities the chance to learn conversational English, fostering confidence and a supportive, local network.

May, a Support Worker at the Epsom & Ewell Refugee Network, shares her story…

“I began volunteering with the Refugee Network when it formed after the Syrian war.” Originally from Lebanon, she says, “I speak Arabic and wanted to be of use, so I’d translate and help with families settling in. Most women who I work with now (from different countries) culturally speaking, prioritise the children, home and family first – which can mean they might miss out on crucial opportunities to integrate. Speaking English is the first step towards integration; without it, many can face isolation and poor mental health. Reluctant to join any ‘Mum & Toddler’ groups due to language barriers, I really wanted to create a space for these women to learn conversational English, build a sense of community and find friendly support.”

Free Friday drop-in

Beverley Lewis, Project Co-ordinator at Epsom & Ewell Hub says, “When May approached us, we got to work. The result is that since October 2023 we’ve been running free group sessions here on Friday mornings (term-time) with a lovely group of women – new faces and regulars – of many nationalities including Afghan, Syrian,Turkish, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Egyptian, Moroccan and Lithuanian. A tutor offers practical topics like ‘take my child to the doctors’, ‘food shopping in the UK’ and other useful topics. We’re also thinking of bringing in digital skills, looking at yoga sessions, maybe a separate men’s group, too. It’s a positive collaboration for us to be involved in plus we can help sign post women to further resources that we have at The Hub to help them adapt to UK living.”

Women supporting women

Jacki, one of three volunteer tutors says, “This is not a grammar lesson – it’s a practical lesson in conversational English – and the women really want to learn. You can see it. And the laughter is always a good sign; they’re having fun while building confidence. We ask them what they did last week, what’s in your fridge, and we have visual prompts in case they don’t know the word for each type of food.

We do word searches which they can take home. They can bring their children and babies along too as we have a play area set up and refreshments. Everyone’s journey is different but this can be a reason for many women to just get out and leave the house. I can’t stress how important this is; some won’t really have anywhere to go to chat and make friends. It can be very isolating, so exposure is a crucial element of what we’re providing here.”

FREE: Come and learn conversational English
When:
Friday 10am
Where:
Epsom & Ewell Hub, Global House, 2nd Floor, 1 Ashley Avenue, Epsom, KT18 5AD

Words by Fatima Truscott
Photography by Jayne Saunderson

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