Impact | LINK Centre

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Luton Council has recognized our exceptional efforts and achievements of our organisation and as a token of appreciation, the council extended a special invitation to our team to attend a prestigious meeting held at the Luton Town Hall, to provide us the opportunity for His Majesty King Charles to personally acknowledge the contributions made by our organization.
His Majesty's gracious presence and keen interest in our work further affirmed the significance of our accomplishments.
We extend our deepest appreciation to the Luton Council for their continuous support and for providing a platform that allows organizations like ours to thrive. Their recognition and invitation have served as a tremendous source of motivation for our team to continue making a positive impact in our community.

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One of our volunteer was honoured with the prestigious Volunteer of the Year award by Bedfordshire Police in recognition of her remarkable service. By awarding with this honour, Bedfordshire Police aimed to showcase the significance of volunteerism and express gratitude for the outstanding efforts made by individuals like Delia Chiuzbaian. It is a reflection of the force's commitment to working collaboratively with the community to create a safer and more inclusive environment for everyone. Delia Chiuzbaian's dedication, passion, and selflessness have earned her the Volunteer of the Year award, a well-deserved recognition for her exceptional service to Bedfordshire Police and the community at large.

The Certificate of Appreciation awarded by the Luton Mayor is a well-deserved recognition of the outstanding leadership and inspiration provided by our volunteers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Their efforts have made a lasting impact on the community, offering support, solace, and hope in the face of adversity. Their selflessness and commitment serve as an inspiration for others, reminding us of the remarkable capacity we possess to come together and make a positive difference in the lives of those around us.

During year 2021 when the pandemic affected most of the organisation, due to restrictions imposed by the Government, there were different situations in which our team of volunteers intervened to provide support to those at risk or in needs.

We didn’t have financial support, no possibility to have an income, we limited ourselves to volunteer activities of those who were willing to give their time, energy, knowledge, or money to support the community in an unprecedented crisis.

The public benefited from this support provided in the following ways:

One-to-one meetings

people received one-to-one sessions where they planned their own recovery journey and set their goals
people have been given information, advice and guidance in relation to welfare benefits, housing, education, employment, or community integration
homeless people gained confidence as a result of support they received when they had no hope anymore

Online Social-Media

organised radio shows and distributed special messages to the minority community in the U.K. about coronavirus, inviting different doctors and Health Services representatives
videos posted in different languages with information for awareness about Covid
podcast online to disseminate the information
fundraising held for people in need

Emotional and social support in crises

the most important contribution to people's well-being was to support them in the most difficult moments of their lives when there was no hope left and everything seemed lost for some of the clients. We were reconciled to the thought that a problem that could have become fatal, through the loss of a life, was solved the moment our volunteers knew how to approach them and bring them to a state of tranquillity that they were able to accept help.

Networking:

our volunteers directed all their efforts to ensure the security of vulnerable people and to combine our actions to combat human exploitation. We participated as well in the networking meeting organized with representatives of the Romanian community in the UK, MET Police, the president of the Romania-Great Britain friendship group in the Romanian Parliament, representatives of the Romanian National Agency Against People Trafficking (ANITP), as well as representative members of minorities in the Bedfordshire Constabulary Recruitment Team.

Other:

assisted people in need during the pandemic (e.g delivering food from food banks, offered transport, interpreting, translating)
interpreting for Luton Council and Bedfordshire Police during their operations

SOCIAL CASES:

Help offered translating and interpreting for appointments at GP or at the Hospital and supported with different applications such as Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction applications, helped claiming Universal Credit and Child Benefit, help offered to obtain documents from their Embassy, support provided with translation and interpretation to apply for the Settlement Status.
Support offered with application for NI number to be able to start a job and get on their feet, interpreting at the appointments at the Job Centre, help offered to write the CV and continue support in applying to jobs, contacting the Employment\Agencies
Referrals made to Adult Social Services regarding adults with disabilities, helped with PIP form by translating questions and answers.
Referrals made to Children and family Social Services regarding safeguarding the children who might have been in a suspicious circle of people, or where it was a Domestic Violence case. Support offered to the victims with shelter, clothes, food and guidance, including counselling.

Many other cases with little intervention from our side had better results in everyday life or at work, at school or in the family.

Luton Mayor recognised our effort and awarded us a Certificate of appreciation for leading and inspiring volunteers supporting the community across Luton Town during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

We distributed our survey forms to our customers to hear the views of our workforce. People recognised our effort to support the minority communities of East-Europeans during the pandemic time and many of them were willing to give such a support themselves.

Some areas for improvement were also identified, the main request was to open the Community Hub and be able to provide more activities.

Link Luton was formed by a few like-minded volunteers who had already offered support to East-Europeans Migrants and their families upon their arrival into the region. Whilst originally set up to safeguard the needs of the East-Europeans in Luton, Link Luton is now a truly representative Community Organisation, which offered a wide range of services at Link Centre in Luton.

Aims:

Our aims are to support and promote the common interests of East-Europeans by integrating them locally, nationally and internationally, implementing educational, professional and social projects, improving their skills, knowledge and their personal development, working towards the alleviation of poverty, sickness and isolation for the creation of equal opportunities and access to services.

Our bord remained with the same three members (directors) and throughout the year we focused on developing the Educational Project to empower Eastern Europeans to integrate into the UK and achieve sustained economic growth and sustainable development.

Activities:

The key activities undertaken during 2019 at Link Centre in Luton were:

Daily program for Welfare Advice Sessions (Information, advice and guidance services = IAG) - for people at risk, listening to their needs and wishes and supporting them in achieving a better life.
Social Club with English Practice - the art of communicating / socializing in English language, combined with arts and art craft, to practice English and reduce social exclusion, to offer leisure and cultural opportunities
English courses - to teach them basic and conversational English, written and spoken to raise those “barriers” for East-Europeans, in order to empower people to speak better English and to achieve a sustained economic growth and sustainable development through the occupation of skilled jobs in the UK
Photography club – for children to learn how to use a camera, how to take a correct photo, in order to gain some new skills and to promote inclusion, supporting children to be integrated in activities which can make them interested about new things.
Youth Club – activities for youth to promote inter-cultural dialog, the principles and culture of European Citizenship. Different activities which involve young people in the process of identifying, preventing, and solving community problems (active citizenship), carrying out activities that improve academic performance, develop young people's creativity and self-esteem
Volunteers workshops – activities with volunteers to develop their interest in participating in activities that support the community and acquire new knowledge and skills
School Club – the club for children and parents, to facilitate communication between East-European pupils, their families, and schools. During school club the parents are having counselling sessions where specialists provide support in order to develop their parenting skills and help them integrate their children into schools.

Public benefit:

In 2019 we have empowered people to achieve sustained growth and sustainable development through education (English courses), social care and social inclusion (counselling sessions) and employment opportunities (helping people write CVs and look for jobs), improving their standard of living.

People were made aware of their rights and entitlements, through awareness sessions (such as: child development, social assistance, income and taxes, voting rights, cultural norms) equipping them with the skills to make informed choices and negotiate their rights and to have access to resources for their development and increasing the number of active citizens, which was also seen by participating in the organization of the Romanian election in Luton in November.

Through social clubs for children, young people and adults and all the activities described above, the barriers to communication and social integration have been reduced, making it easier for people who feel powerless and marginalized not to avoid social interaction for fear of rejection and to improve their self-confidence. We promoted the participation of disadvantaged people, especially those from East-Europeans minorities or Roma community and they became more confident and self-assured and this has helped to improve social interaction between different social groups.

We supported people to be integrated and live independently by improving their knowledge about cultural norms, social inclusion of people from other countries and regaining their self-esteem when homeless people and those at risk of homelessness have been supported to find a place where to live.

We offered leisure and cultural opportunities to improve peoples’ mental health, organizing the activities at the Polish Festival in September, celebrating the Halloween in October at Link Centre together with young people, children and parents, in the traditional European style, organizing in December the Romanian National Day on 1st December and the Christmas party for all families, clients, volunteers together and many other different events.

We provided advice, guidance, or support to people at risk and supported families to integrate their children in schools. Adolescents and children who were caught up in the family situation (with parents working long hours to support the family), school demands and their own needs and desires and who were at risk of dropping out of school and joining gangs (which gives them a sense of belonging, acceptance and recognition), were directly supported by our organization, by integrating them into youth and school clubs and organizing family mediation sessions. Two of the members of Link Centre having the Social Work qualification, participated in different professional meetings at the Social Services, Court Hearing, School meetings and organised together with school’s representatives the parent’s evenings, where the school members presented the schools and how it is designed and functioning, and the Link Centre professionals introduced our project regarding the support available to those from Eastern Europe for which English is the second language, facilitating communication between East-European pupils, their families and schools.

We had young people participation in the activities of the Youth Club, and we focused on young people who had behavioral problems at school and who were integrated, with their consent and that of the family and school, in these personal development activities, to correct such behavior. We involved families in Family Group conferences sessions, where family issues and the support that can be offered to young people at home were discussed. It has made young people confident that they will be understood at home and that their family will better understand what they want, involving their family in understanding the stages of life they are going through.

Link Centre organized “Information, Advice and Guidance” (I.A.G.) sessions for East-Europeans, English Classes, Social and Art activities, School/Youth Clubs, Parents Club.

15-20 people came weekly for advice
40-50 visits monthly (some of clients came more than one time)
families / individuals, homeless people and those at risk of homelessness had support from our organisation and have been supported to find a place where to live.
3-5 unemployed people/week were guided to write their CV and supported to apply for jobs, including going with them at the Agencies, Job Centre and Factories/Warehouses.
English courses sessions - every 3 month we had an English course at the entry/basic level
Social and art activities sessions – each Monday evening
Photography club sessions – for children - held for 3 months on weekly Thursday sessions
Youth club sessions – involved young people weekly on Thursday evening
School club sessions – for students who wanted to a different kind of education on Saturdays
Parents club sessions – involved parents – in monthly awareness sessions
Workshops for volunteers – over 10 volunteers who got involved in the Friday activities/workshops
School/Home visits

The company’s stakeholders are residents of and visitors in Luton, and Local Institution and organisations, as key partners, in the surrounding area. Eastern Europeans who benefited from our services were consulted about their needs, taking information about their situations, and looking for solutions to provide them with appropriate services. We collected feedback from our clients who participated in our activities or received our services. The comments we received continued to be positive, with 100% of respondents saying they would use the service again if they needed it in the future.

The information about our activities at Link Centre in Luton spread very quick among different institutions, which brought the issues in relation to East-Europeans to our directors and they were also invited to contribute with their views to the ongoing development of the organisation, but also they asked for our help in supporting them in their actions where their clients were Eastern Europeans.

We established a strong network of support with local institutions, schools, and other organizations, contacting them and holding meeting where we provided more information about our organization.

We continue to have excellent support from the local community including businesses and individuals as well as from few donors.

LINK COMMUNITY CENTRE CIC (former LINK LUTON CIC) is a community interest company created by volunteer community group which provides advice and support relating to welfare benefits, housing, education, employment, or community integration.

As a community interest company, LINK COMMUNITY CENTRE is governed by the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004 and the Community Interest Company Regulations 2005. The community interest model means that the assets of the company, including any profits we make, are locked into the company and there are restrictions on how they can be used.

The Educational Project to empower Eastern Europeans to integrate into the UK and achieve sustained economic growth and sustainable development unfortunately ended in March 2020.

The activities undertaken during January-February at Link Community Centre in Luton were: Daily program for Welfare Advice Sessions, Social Club with English Practice, English courses, Photography Club, Youth Club, Volunteers workshops, School Club.

As a result of the lockdown imposed by the government in March 2020, we were put in a position to close the activity for the public, so we moved from the large space we had rented to another smaller office, where it could operate in case of emergency a consulting and support office.

This has impacted us in obtaining future funding for the crisis, which has been offered to many organizations and economic societies with which they have managed to continue to support the costs of renting and maintaining a venue. Being in such a situation in which we had no financial support, no possibility to have an income, we limited ourselves to volunteer activities of those who were willing to give their time, energy, knowledge, or money to support the community in an unprecedented crisis.

During the restrictions imposed in 2020, there were different situations in which our team of volunteers intervened to provide support to those at risk or in needs.

The public benefited from this support offered in the following ways:

Social Group:

people reported increased mental wellbeing
people felt less isolated
volunteers increase in confidence
youth learned new skills

Networking:

groups of volunteers form different organisation worked together
increased access to information
participants gained a better mental wellbeing
helped out food banks

Online Social-Media

took part in interviews on different online radio
videos posted in different languages with information for awareness about Covid and restriction
podcast opened online to disseminate the information
fundraising held for people in need

One-to-one meetings

people received one-to-one sessions where they planned their own recovery journey and set their goals
people have been given information, advice and guidance in relation to welfare benefits, housing, education, employment, or community integration
homeless people gained confidence as a result of support they received when they had no hope anymore

Other:

assisted people in need during the pandemic (e.g delivering food from food banks, offered transport, interpreting, translating)
interpreting for Luton Council and Bedfordshire Police during their operations

DOVER crisis in Dec 2020 – support offered to people stuck at Dover and surrounding area

Domestic Violence Cases – families in crises reported to MASH, referred to emotional support, support offered to find accommodation, to apply for benefits until will get an employment.

The company’s key stakeholders are residents of Luton and surrounding area, children, young people, elderly and all the families we served during the difficult time of the Covid 19 Pandemic in year 2020. Our stakeholders are also Local Institution and organisations, such us: Bedfordshire Police, Bedfordshire & Luton Community Foundation, Azalea, NOAH , Romanian Embassy, ROconect, Luton Borough Council, LBC Strategic Community Services, Youth Offending Team, Social Services, ATT10TIVE Social Enterprise, Flying Start, Specialist Advice Services (Jason Tsiricos from Bedford) and more.

We are committed to consulting with our stakeholders and where required, taking action in response to feedback. We established a strong network of support with local institutions and organisations to offer the necessary support to those affected by the restriction imposed during the pandemic.

The Community Interest Company runs Link Centre, a venue for East-Europeans Information, Advice and Guidance Services and for other activities under five departments. The venue was opened in September 2018 and during the financial year 2017-2018, the organisation’s activities have benefited the community in the following ways:

We organized “Information, Advice and Guidance” (I.A.G.) sessions, for East-Europeans at our office at LINK CENTRE, in Wellington Street, Luton, where came about 10-15 people weekly, during the last period of the financial year, since we opened the venue (September- December2018).

We helped clients to contact:

Local government offices,
Job-Centers,
HMRC,
Medical service or
Employment agencies.

We provided practical support including:

Work-search,
Looking for suitable jobs,
Identifying suitable training opportunities, and
Preparing professionally drafted CVs or
To convert the existing qualifications from different countries using NARIC system.

We supported clients in needs to solve their problems helping with:

The required forms filling to obtain the benefits,
Obtaining documents / programming at their Consulate,
Translating-filling the forms to obtain residence permits.

We provided English course for East-Europeans, which took place at our venue. Every 3 month we had a course with 12-15 people at the entry level of English.

We attracted volunteers who got involved in some of the activities and helped to develop a stronger relationship among East-Europeans (6 volunteers in 3 months)

Homeless people and those at risk of homelessness had support from our organisation. A family (single mother with two children), who has been homeless, was placed in a flat where the rent was paid for 3 months. 10-12 individual people have been supported to find a place where to live.

Unemployed people were guided to make their CV and supported to apply for jobs (about 3-5 people/week), including going with them at the Agencies, Job Centre and Factories.

Counselling sessions were offered to people in Romanian language by a Phycologist specialist.

The company’s stakeholders are residents of and visitors to Luton, and Local Government Institution and organisations in the surrounding area.

The directors of the company have lived in Luton for a number of years and developed the Community Centre model for Link Centre based on their experience of talking to other residents.

We developed a series of monthly sessions to establish a strong network of support with local institutions, the school systems and other organizations, contacting them and holding meeting where we provided more information about our organization.

Link Community Centre has become an invaluable asset for the residents of Luton. It serves as a catalyst for positive change, fostering a sense of belonging, and improving the quality of life for individuals and families in the area.

Link Community Centre is a vibrant and inclusive community hub located in the heart of Luton, a town in Bedfordshire, England. It serves as a focal point for East-Europeans residents in the area, providing a wide range of services, activities, and support to enhance the well-being and social composition of the local community.

During the year 2022 we provided a diverse range of programs and services and the centre continues to make a significant impact on the social, educational, and well-being outcomes of the local community:

Cohesion and social integration
One of the primary objectives of Link Community Centre was to foster community cohesion and social integration. We’ve made it a primary focus to attend impactful meetings and events organised together with Luton Council to hear the voices of Eastern European Community who live in Luton on their experiences and views of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within the town. There were a series of meetings with open-ended questions around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and open discussions to share experiences and opinions, with the aim of informing and shaping the Council’s strategy moving forward.

The centre has been a welcoming and safe space where people from different minority communities came together to interact and build meaningful connections. It hosted various cultural events such as national independence days and traditional celebrations such as Easter and Christmas. We also hosted workshops and classes that celebrate diversity and promote understanding among minority community members. Some ways we spotlighted cultural traditions through these workshops are through arts and crafts activities, such as egg painting for Easter, something which is a common tradition in many Eastern-European Countries.

Education and learning
Education and learning opportunities were also key focus areas of the community centre. It provided a range of programs and services aimed at supporting the educational development of young people and adults. These included English classes and writing CV’s sessions, as well as facilitating training and skill-building through hands-on learning and shadowing of other members (e.g. Consultancy and Welfare, Social Services, Human Resources, Teaching, Accountancy, Workshop leading etc.) . By equipping individuals with new skills and knowledge, Link Community Centre contributes to personal growth and employment prospects within the community.

Health and well-being
Health and well-being initiatives were another vital aspect of the centre's work. The centre collaborated with local healthcare providers and organizations to deliver health promotion campaigns, workshops, and support groups. Our team has been dedicated to providing support and assistance to vulnerable individuals in Luton. This has included:
• Identifying and reaching out to vulnerable individuals in the community who require assistance with various aspects of their lives, such as accessing healthcare services, managing daily tasks, and navigating support systems.
• Collaborating with local institutions, organizations, and charities to provide comprehensive support for vulnerable individuals.
• Organising information-gathering group sessions where community members could express their needs and desires regarding the well-being support they are already receiving, as well as provide suggestions for solutions where gaps are present in the Health and Wellbeing services and initiatives across Luton. These include environmental action and management, cyber bulling awareness, family relationships support, access to education regarding mental health as well as access to mental health services, and advocacy for green spaces.

Welfare support
In recognition of the challenges faced by some members of the community, Link Community Centre dedicated to providing targeted support services. Our organisation has been actively involved in providing consultancy and advice services to individuals seeking guidance on various issues. This includes:
• Assisting individuals in navigating the complex process of accessing appropriate benefits and entitlements where applicable.
• Connecting individuals with relevant institutions, organizations, and resources to address their specific needs.
• Providing guidance and support in areas such as housing, employment, education, and other matters.
• Offering personalized advice and support to vulnerable individuals, taking into consideration their unique circumstances and challenges, for example, disabilities, health problems, domestic abuse, isolation etc.
The centre also partners with local organizations to address specific needs, such as providing meals for vulnerable individuals and families or addressing their housing issues.

Youth programs
Furthermore, Link Community Centre played a significant role in engaging and empowering young people. It offered mentoring programs, and leadership development initiatives to support their personal and social development. These activities created a safe and nurturing environment for young people to explore their potential, develop new skills, and contribute positively to their community. We organised, in collaboration with Bedfordshire University, focus groups with young people to explore the impact of COVID-19 on youth’s mental health and co-creating solutions to support young people with their well-being needs and accessing the much-needed services.

During year 2022 we have received support from Luton Rising through their Community Recovery Fund managed by Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation (BLCF), which partially funded our activities. Thanks to this grant we were able to continue our work with the Eastern European minority communities in Luton.

In Dec 2022 we have officially opened a new “HUB” for our organisation and we were delighted to have received support to partially equip our venue from the Department of Romanians Everywhere (DPRP - Departamentul pentru Românii de Pretutindeni) through the project “Supporting the Romanian Associational Environment Beyond Borders”

Volunteer work
Luton Council has recognized our exceptional efforts and achievements of our organisation and as a token of appreciation, the council extended a special invitation to our team to attend a prestigious meeting held at the Luton Town Hall, to provide us the opportunity for His Majesty King Charles to personally acknowledge the contributions made by our organization.

The organisation works collaboratively with local residents, businesses, and other organizations to address the needs and aspirations of the community.
Our stakeholders are Local Institution and organisations, such us: Bedfordshire Police, Bedfordshire & Luton Community Foundation, Azalea, NOAH , Romanian Embassy, Luton Borough Council, LBC Strategic Community Services, Youth Partnership Service, Family Partnership Service, Social Services, ATT10TIVE Social Enterprise, Flying Start, Specialist Advice Services (Jason Tsiricos from Bedford) and more.

Link Community Centre

Living IN the Kingdom

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01582 550014
07478 949694
contact@linkcentres.org
Lower Ground, Aldwyck House,
Upper George St, Luton LU1 2RB

Registration Number (CIC - 11097662)