How RAMA is taking action to support those in need with the help of funding from the Greggs Foundation

As it celebrates its 10^th year helping those in need in Essex, Maria Wilby of RAMA – Refugee, Asylum seeker and Migrant Action – explains how the charity’s work has expanded over the last decade. And she shares why funding from organisations like the Greggs Foundation is doing invaluable work to fill the gaps in statutory provision for those with no recourse to public funds. 

For a decade, RAMA has provided advocacy and casework for marginalised and vulnerable people across North East Essex. From Windrush victims to those fleeing conflict in war-torn countries around the world, there are many arrivals to the UK in desperate need for support and care but no access to public funds.

RAMA works to remove the many barriers that people face in accessing health, mental health and social support, in order to increase their chances of integrating with local communities and becoming a valuable part of them.

“The demand for our support has grown hugely over the last 10 years,” says RAMA Operational Lead, Maria Wilby. “We started out as an entirely voluntary organisation before taking on formal paid staff to ensure that we could provide the necessary service to our clients.”

Since the Covid-19 Pandemic, RAMA has grown from four staff to 22 due to a growing client base that has expanded from 300 people to roughly 5,000. In 2023, the charity’s incredible work was recognised by the King’s Award for Voluntary Service.

As Maria explains, many of the refugees that the charity support suffer from advanced disabilities and have specific needs that simply aren’t provided for in the temporary accommodation provided for those moving into Tendring. Maria explains,

“We are currently working with people living with a range of conditions like cerebral palsy and diabetes. We are supporting 16 paraplegics and 11 people who have dual sensory loss – so people who find themselves in challenging conditions but have few prospects without the right kind of support. In fact, their conditions can become dramatically worse if they do not have appropriate healthcare provision.”

Established to reduce destitution, homelessness and poor prospects, RAMA is committed to supporting those facing a lack of representation and advocacy through what the organisation describes as “non-judgemental assistance”.

This means problem solving with those awaiting a decision from the Home Office and assisting people at all different stages of the integration process – from helping with school applications and doctor registrations to job seeking and English lessons.

For families moving into the area, RAMA also helps with accommodation, sourcing furniture and even sharing donated toys for children.

Maria says,

“Most of the people seeking asylum are from countries suffering serious conflict or war – countries like Sudan and Eritrea. While they are waiting to be processed, they are typically housed in hotel-type accommodation.

“Unfortunately we see that many of these people experience a lot of negativity and hostility, making them and their families feel unsafe and vulnerable. Our role is to help make these individuals and families feel welcome and more comfortable. We can assist not just with their physical health and living situation but, as a result, we can help to improve the mental health of people who are otherwise feeling isolated and scared.”

Improving prospects and teaching skills with the helps of the Greggs Foundation Community Action Fund

One of RAMA’s most successful programmes in recent times has been its Cooking Club initiative, which has been funded through the Greggs Foundation Community Action Fund. Having secured a £40,000 grant over two years, Maria and her team have launched an initiative that teaches clients how to cook healthy, nutritious food, understand food hygiene, shop for ingredients cost-effectively and understand how to use cooking equipment.

However, Maria is quick to point out that these sessions are about much more than cooking techniques:

“The Cookery Club is, of course, about helping people to prepare food and look after themselves, but it’s also about building confidence, meeting people and providing a relaxed environment for people to develop a sense of community.

“Our classes now typically consist of 16–20 people from all different backgrounds but able to bond and connect over food. With people from a range of different countries, these sessions have been a great opportunity for people to share the cuisine of their home country and sample them with others who may never have tried certain dishes before.

“It might sound simple but helping people to discover where to go to shop for ingredients and how to budget for meals. Those are skills that are never easy – but are even harder in a country with a different currency and different pricing.

“The food hygiene courses we’ve incorporated within these sessions has also been invaluable. Now, we have people who understand processes and labelling to the point where they are able to sit a level 2 exam. This is fantastically advantageous because it’s a job that will always have a place in a professional kitchen.”

One of the additional benefits of the cookery classes is that the attendees can also become part of the voluntary community preparing meals in the local church kitchen. Made with donated excess food, the dishes prepared at the kitchen are shared with those less able in society, including those refugees who are bed bound.

Maria explains that food initiatives in a variety of forms have the power to break down barriers, bring people together and even build relationships between those who may previously have taken issue with asylum seekers from different cultural and religious backgrounds. She comments,

“It’s just been amazing to have funds we can dedicate solely to this project in order to build a closer community and positive health outcomes. In fact, we’ve found that a number of people who were previously pre-diabetic when they came to the area are no longer pre-diabetic because of the improvement in their diet and lifestyle.

 “That means not only better health and life expectancy for them but also a significant reduction on the burden placed on the National Health Service to treat poorly people.”

 She continues,

“This project has been one of the loveliest things we’ve ever had funding for. It’s been amazing to see the positive health and lifestyle outcomes from it and it’s a credit to the Greggs Foundation that they’ve allowed us to get on with it and use the money in the way we feel is most impactful.

“We’re hoping that around a third of the people who come through this programme will finish with food hygiene certification – improving their future prospects as a result.”

You can find out more about the work of RAMA by visiting their website here.