Press release

Community projects awarded government funding to help Hong Kongers settle into life in the UK

A total of 47 national and regional projects are being allocated the funding to offer a range of support.

From:
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Lord Stephen Greenhalgh
Published
10 February 2022
  • 47 national and regional projects allocated funding, including UK-wide helpline provided by Barnardo’s
  • Support includes education resources, access to mental health services, and help to find jobs
  • Today’s support part of up to £43 million for this financial year to help British National (Overseas) families settle successfully into life in the UK

Hong Kongers coming to the United Kingdom on a bespoke immigration route will be helped to settle successfully into life here through community projects being awarded over £2.6 million of government funding today (10 February 2022).

A total of 47 national and regional projects are being allocated the funding to offer a range of support, including educational resources, access to mental health services, and help for people to find jobs and start their own businesses.

These Hong Kongers and their families chose to keep their ties to the UK by taking up British National (Overseas) status and have moved to the UK under a new immigration route opened last year, which reflects the UK’s historic and moral commitment to British National (Overseas) status holders.

The projects allocated funding today include:

  • Hackney Chinese Community Services: this regional grant recipient will provide social integration to BN(O)s through access to local advice, support and events to help BN(O)s to settle into their communities.
  • Protection Approaches: will work with a consortium of community organisations to launch a new UK-wide third-party hate crime reporting service for BN(O) status holders and all other East and Southeast Asian communities, alongside a community outreach programme to raise awareness of the new service.
  • Barnardo’s: a UK-wide helpline, Boloh, will provide access to specialist support for mental health and wellbeing for BN(O)s and their families.
  • Hong Kong Business Hub: will run projects in the North West and London to support BN(O)s to get jobs and start their own business, including through running a BN(O) Entrepreneurs Capacity Building Programme.
  • Hongkongers in Britain: will provide educational resources for schools that will be made available across the UK, so pupils understand more about their new friends and their communities.

This is all part of the up to £43 million dedicated package of support for this financial year to help BN(O) status holders access housing, work and educational support to ensure they are able to quickly integrate and contribute to their newfound communities.

Minister of State, Lord Greenhalgh, said:

“Global Britain has stood up and been counted as we warmly welcomed tens of thousands of people from Hong Kong.

“Our new neighbours are already playing a key role in our society, greatly enriching our nation, and I’m delighted that community-led organisations will be leading the way in ensuring they continue to build a happy and healthy life here.”

Jabez Lam at Hackney Chinese Community Services said:

“Hackney Chinese Community Services (HCCS) has been providing support to Hong Kongers seeking safe haven in the UK since July 2020. We work with individuals on their personal journey to settle in the UK and facilitate capacity-building of Hong Konger organisations. We are very pleased to see that many Hong Konger groups have emerged in the last 12 months to serve the newly-arrived Hong Kongers.

“This funding will provide HCCS with dedicated resources to continue our efforts in delivering this important work.”

Barnardo’s Interim Co-CEO Michelle Lee-Izu said:

“Resettling in a new country is always stressful, but having to do so under difficult circumstances and during a pandemic makes it even more challenging. Children and young people must adapt to a new culture and education system and may find it difficult to make friends.

“We are delighted to have received this funding so that Barnardo’s can help families with BN(O) status through our Boloh helpline to access the support they need to adjust to their new lives in the UK.”

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Published 10 February 2022