Ahead of World Day for Social Justice, we explore the tools available to help you take action and drive positive change for refugees.
Tomorrow is World Day for Social Justice; a global call to action to address challenges such as inequality, exclusion and unemployment. While these issues might feel vast, we can all play a part in bringing about positive change.
Breaking Barriers’ mission for social justice focuses on supporting refugees into meaningful employment, as they build new lives from the ground up. That’s because refugees are around three times more likely to be unemployed than people born in the UK, despite many being highly qualified and experienced. Our Employment Advisers support our refugee clients to overcome the numerous barriers to securing work, including the non-recognition of qualifications and unfamiliarity with UK recruitment processes. We also collaborate with like-minded businesses to help create more equitable workplaces and hiring practices for refugees.
But the external environment is challenging, particularly the increasingly negative narratives we hear about refugees and sanctuary seekers.
So, what can you do as an individual to help create a fairer and better future for refugees? The answer is – a lot. And crucially, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to do so.
Many businesses recognise that supporting good causes can not only create a more just society but also benefit the company and their staff. Indeed, research by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) shows that 54% of employees feel greater pride in their workplace when their employer supports charities. While nearly half (47%) say that their employer’s charitable support makes them more willing to go the extra mile.
And the good news is that companies can also offer their employees a wide range of tools to take personal action and improve social justice for refugees:
Payroll Giving (or Give As You Earn) is a simple way of donating money whilst also cutting the income tax you pay. If the company you work for offers a Payroll Giving Scheme, you can make regular donations or one-off gifts straight from your salary. The amount of tax relief you get will depend on the rate of tax you pay. Many employers will also match or part-match Payroll Gifts, increasing the benefit to the good causes you’ve chosen!
…which leads us nicely onto Match Funding (or Match Giving). Did you know that 84% of people are more likely to donate to charity if their gift is being matched? Many companies around the UK offer their staff the chance to boost their fundraising for an event or activity by matching the total raised. It’s a tax efficient way for companies to support charities, staff, and to boost donations.
Charity of the Year partnerships can have a significant and lasting impact on charities. They usually involve a company selecting a charitable cause, nominated or voted for by staff, to support over the period of a year or two through fundraising, volunteering and awareness campaigns. Could you nominate us?
Does your company have an employee volunteering policy? If so, you may be able to take paid time off from work to share your skills, knowledge and expertise by volunteering or mentoring with Breaking Barriers. You’ll be using your time to provide professional advice and guidance to our refugee clients looking to enter the UK workforce. This is a rewarding way to help tackle barriers to employment that refugees face, such as a lack of professional networks and limited knowledge of recruitment processes.
Our relationship with Breaking Barriers began as most of our community partnerships begin, with our employees volunteering to support BB’s work. After volunteering with BB, our employees immediately became passionate about other ways we could help support BB’s clients and mission. My advice for business looking to support refugees into employment would be to find a partner that has expertise and whom you trust. For us, that was what we found in Breaking Barriers. The trusted and open relationship that we have had has enabled us to iterate our approach and learn as we work to be an employer of choice for people from refugee background.
Emily Johnson, Director of Europe Corporate Responsibility, Cummins
This one might not be a tool offered by your company, but your colleagues are no doubt an asset! Recruit them to get involved in a team fundraising challenge. From a sponsored walk to an inflatable run (taking inspiration from the intrepid Breaking Barriers team below) a team challenge is a wonderful way to build morale and a sense of shared values. Have a look at some of the events you can sign up for.
We're so proud of our running team, the Marsh-Milers, who completed a relay half marathon at the White Collar Factory running track. Not only did we finish third in our race, but we also raised over £1,000 for Breaking Barriers! It was a great team effort and a brilliant way for us to show our support for our partnership with Breaking Barriers, and its mission to support refugees access employment.
Marshmallow
If you’d like to organise a less energetic – but equally effective – fundraiser, why not stage an event in your workplace? Classic ideas for office fundraisers include bake sales, trivia nights and dress-down days. But you could also try something a little different – run a silent auction offering everything from a day’s extra annual leave to the promise of making coffee for a week.
We live in a digital world, and this is challenging for many refugees who don’t have access to a digital device or the skills or confidence to use it. This can stop them accessing necessary services, including online job boards and applications. We work with partner charity Screen Share to provide our clients with devices, if they need them. Could your company make a donation in kind to support this work?
Hiring schemes include apprenticeships, graduate schemes and returner programmes that allow employers to tap into a pool of motivated individuals looking for work. Why not talk to Breaking Barriers about creating a hiring scheme for refugees looking to gain that first all-important step on the career ladder here in the UK.
Do you want to learn more about the practical steps you can take at work to help refugees overcome barriers to employment and in the workplace? Read our Advocating for Refugees at Work blog series, which covers employment rights, the recruitment process, financial barriers and language barriers.
Meaningful change can be built through everyday actions. By using the tools already at your disposal, you can help challenge inequality, counter negative narratives, and open up pathways to employment for refugees in the UK. Whether through fundraising, volunteering, advocacy or inclusive hiring, your involvement can help create fairer workplaces, and a more just society, for everyone.
If your company would like to find out more about partnering with us, we’d love to hear from you. Please email [email protected] or contact us.
