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My Placement with MCOS

As our supporters know, Manchester City of Sanctuary is a charity that helps asylum seekers and refugees across the Greater Manchester region, in the hope that Manchester can become a city of sanctuary for those in need. During my time with the charity I was primarily responsible for delivering a new wellbeing programme and the online presence of the organisation.

Within the wellbeing programme, I was informed that I would be introducing and delivering the new “Health and Wellbeing Pass,” which was a pocket-size booklet, allowing sanctuary seekers to record their experiences in relation to the five steps to wellbeing as suggested by government guidelines. This programme was an essential step for Manchester City of Sanctuary, as mental health was described as the biggest problem outside of immigration and status issues for the refugees and asylum seekers we encountered. During the programme I was able to sign up at least 70 participants to the programme, which led me to be able to facilitate some sessions surrounding wellbeing, including one session in collaboration with CultureLabs and the People’s History Museum.

Also, my time with Manchester City of Sanctuary involved planning and delivering a new style of quarterly event for the charity called The Big Conversation. This event brings people together across Greater Manchester, from the general public to public figures to asylum seekers and refugees, in order to foster a sense of cohesion across the city whilst providing fun, food and friendship. Through planning and delivering this event I was able to expand my knowledge of the charity sector in relation to refugees and asylum seekers, as well as develop knowledge of how to plan and host an event for the general public.

Overall, my placement with Manchester City of Sanctuary provided me with experiential knowledge of the charity sector, social media management and events management. From implementing a wellbeing programme, I was able to discover the issues that refugees and asylum seekers face in their lives, whilst gaining an idea of how these issues can be addressed with basic techniques for mental wellbeing. My placement also provided me with the opportunity to understand techniques for non-profit organisation fundraising and social media management. Also, I was able to gain experiential knowledge of events planning and management which I will be able to apply to many possible future job roles. However, most importantly it demonstrated that despite learning new skills to benefit myself, I could also make a small difference in the lives of people in need.

As our supporters know, Manchester City of Sanctuary is a charity that helps asylum seekers and refugees across the Greater Manchester region, in the hope that Manchester can become a city of sanctuary for those in need. During my time with the charity I was primarily responsible for delivering a new wellbeing programme and the online presence of the organisation.

Within the wellbeing programme, I was informed that I would be introducing and delivering the new “Health and Wellbeing Pass,” which was a pocket-size booklet, allowing sanctuary seekers to record their experiences in relation to the five steps to wellbeing as suggested by government guidelines. This programme was an essential step for Manchester City of Sanctuary, as mental health was described as the biggest problem outside of immigration and status issues for the refugees and asylum seekers we encountered. During the programme I was able to sign up at least 70 participants to the programme, which led me to be able to facilitate some sessions surrounding wellbeing, including one session in collaboration with CultureLabs and the People’s History Museum.

Also, my time with Manchester City of Sanctuary involved planning and delivering a new style of quarterly event for the charity called The Big Conversation. This event brings people together across Greater Manchester, from the general public to public figures to asylum seekers and refugees, in order to foster a sense of cohesion across the city whilst providing fun, food and friendship. Through planning and delivering this event I was able to expand my knowledge of the charity sector in relation to refugees and asylum seekers, as well as develop knowledge of how to plan and host an event for the general public.

Overall, my placement with Manchester City of Sanctuary provided me with experiential knowledge of the charity sector, social media management and events management. From implementing a wellbeing programme, I was able to discover the issues that refugees and asylum seekers face in their lives, whilst gaining an idea of how these issues can be addressed with basic techniques for mental wellbeing. My placement also provided me with the opportunity to understand techniques for non-profit organisation fundraising and social media management. Also, I was able to gain experiential knowledge of events planning and management which I will be able to apply to many possible future job roles. However, most importantly it demonstrated that despite learning new skills to benefit myself, I could also make a small difference in the lives of people in need.

by Michael Carter