The start of the new year gives the opportunity to reflect on the impact Upbeat Communities has had on people seeking sanctuary in 2023, and to look forward to exciting opportunities in 2024. Chief Executive Andrew Jackson shares more…

A lot has changed since Upbeat Communities began as a café project back in 2005, but our vision to build positive thriving communities where refugees can contribute and make the most of opportunities still stands.

It has been a privilege to lead the team through another year of amazing impact across all areas of our work. Our resettlement team supported a total of 24 refugee families in Derbyshire and Lincolnshire this year, providing 405 home visits so that they could better integrate into their new communities and feel less isolated.

Our work supporting those fleeing the war in Ukraine has continued across Derbyshire and Lincolnshire as we have found new placements for guests whose initial hosting arrangements have come to an end. We rematched 54 guests with new hosts, helping to provide a total of 5,983 nights of accommodation across the year.

As the situation for newly-granted refugees in need of housing has become more and more of an emergency, our Host Derby project has enabled 19 individuals to stay off the streets, providing 849 nights of accommodation in 2023.

Every week day, we have been able to provide practical support in the form of meals at our Integration Hub, providing 4,080 plates of food across the year! Our incredible volunteers gave over 3,500 hours of volunteering at the Hub, and our incredible ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) tutors delivered 514 outstanding English classes to learners who are unable to access teaching elsewhere.

711 refugees and asylum seekers attended our English classes in 2023 – that’s 711 individuals who have been able to grow in confidence, build friendships, and feel more connected to their local communities in the strange and foreign land that has become their home.

Thanks to our incredible volunteer team, we have been able to replicate the warm welcome of our Integration Hub at our Satellite in Long Eaton. 76 people have been supported through English classes and social activities there – we look forward to continuing to provide this lifeline to refugees in Long Eaton hotels in 2024.

Our women’s work continues to be developed, supporting refugee women of different ages and stages of their journeys. We are thankful to our amazing supporters who donated £18,852 in December to help sustain this work – giving refugee women a safe space to come and process trauma with friends through creative activities, singing, and sharing their own cultures. This is in addition to our women-only English classes that have empowered 146 women to massively gain confidence where otherwise there would be particular barriers to education culturally, or due to childcare responsibilities.

We continue to support young children and families through our Upbeat Kids project, which saw 8 successful sessions in 2023 – including a cinema trip to QUAD Derby in December which enabled 33 kids and parents to make memories and enjoy a break from the stressful experience of seeking refuge.

Both of our social enterprises – Upbeat Clean and Derby Language School – have continued to provide life-giving employment to many people including refugees over the last year. Upbeat Clean has grown from 14 to 26 cleaners in 12 months, the majority of whom are from a refugee background. Read more about Upbeat Clean in our 2023 digital newsletter.

All the profits from Upbeat Clean and Derby Language School go towards Upbeat Communities’ charitable activities. We are so grateful to our partners who work with us to change the lives of refugees by using these services!

I am also incredibly grateful to our staff team, trustees, volunteers, and amazing supporters who enable this work to go on, day-by-day, to enable refugees in Derby to thrive as they rebuild their lives.

Perhaps you’ve been inspired by our work in 2023 and would like to support us in the year going forward. If that’s you, I’m excited to share several opportunities to do so:

We are recruiting for new trustees to support the growth and development of Upbeat Communities. Head to upbeatcommunities.org/trustees for all the information you need.
Upbeat can’t run without the donations of generous individuals, so we will be taking part in the Derby 10K on 24th March to raise vital funds. More info to come, so please sign up to our mailing list to make sure you’re in the loop.
We need more volunteers to help us reach hundreds more refugees and asylum seekers in 2024. Apply today!

Not able to commit to any of these? You would be welcome to make a one-off or monthly donation to sustain this work into 2024 and beyond.

Thank you for standing with us.

Andrew Jackson – Chief Executive

New Year, New Opportunities: Welcoming Refugees in 2024