RPTB is committed to helping refugees and asylum seekers living within our community to access the support they need to rebuild their lives.
To achieve this, we work with a range of partners and with other local groups to deliver places of sanctuary and a culture of welcome, dignity and inclusion for those fleeing war, persecution or human rights abuse to rebuild their lives.
RPTB’s origins go back to a period of dramatic change and upheaval across an inner city neighbourhood that saw itself transformed from an established White working class community into the most diverse ethnically, culturally, and in terms of home languages spoken and religions practiced within the borough.
40% of Camden residents are from Black, Asian, or Other ethnic communities (up from 34% in 2011), and projected to now be 63% of Regents Park Ward residents (up from 57% in 2011).
The initiative to set up a community time bank came largely from Bangladeshi and later Somali women who saw themselves as “invisible women” and whose voice and needs were not being recognised or met. They formed a steering group and established new projects that included a women only swimming club, walking group, health and ESOL clubs.
RPTB is a membership-based self-help charity specific to the Regents Park Ward and immediate surrounding area-one of high rise social rented housing notable for overcrowding, poverty, ill health and low wellbeing impacted by High Speed 2 (HS2) and associated developments.
RPTB has a Committee of Management made up of resident representative of the local area who meets bi-monthly and in quarterly open member sessions and there is an Annual General Meeting. It has been able to respond quickly to the needs of a succession of incomers over its 20 years as a registered charity.
RPTB challenged prevailing mythology that Bangladeshi and Somali women wanted to remain home-centred, and were disinterested in integrating into the wider community, developing new friendships with those from different backgrounds and in learning to speak English. RPTB has created numerous opportunities to volunteer and learn new skills that have enabled time bank members to build cvs and obtain paid work. Rathna, is a Bangladeshi woman in her 50s who became a confident English speaker by attending our English Clubs, made many new friends and subsequently obtained well paid employment as a reception welcome host in a upmarket London Hotel. Sayeda, is a Somali woman who was our first Chair and was supported in completing an accredited social care course to become a paid professional care worker.
RPTB set up Afterschool Clubs as a result of consultations within the local Somali community who had previously travelled off the estate to attend a Centre elsewhere until it closed due to government austerity measures. It was a challenging time for Somalis with differences from a civil war creating conflict on the streets of Camden, with the need for a safe place for their children to go after school hours and a recognition of parents own limitations as a result of a lack of formal education- a barrier to helping in homework.
RPTB quickly responded to the Covid Pandemic (over a single weekend in mid-March 2020) by recruiting new able-bodied volunteer members and in setting up a major new Food Bank, Doorstep support and a telephone signposting and response service. We were able to respond so quickly and effectively as a result of having up to date local knowledge and a detailed resident database.
We set up 11 different Whatsapp groups in 5 home languages to ensure that the latest information from a rapidly changing situation was accessible. Following the ending of Covid restrictions RPTB carried out a detailed survey (April 2021) to ascertain both the impact that the pandemic had on local families and to help set RPTB’s future priorities. Survey results were invaluable in providing a focus on prioritising emotional support and wellbeing sessions to both children and their parents. Children had become very isolated during the pandemic with schools closed and social groups banned with an urgent need to re build inter personal skills and relationships.
RPTB quickly responded to the distinct needs of a wave of Kosovo families moving onto the estate as a result of atrocities in the Balkans that saw a need for local girls and young women to have their own safe spaces and organised activities based around drama, dance and an interest in science. Time bank Kosovo members set up and ran their own Girls Club.
RPTB more recently have had significant numbers of families from the Middle East (Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Kurdistan) that have introduced their distinct food, Arabic language and culture. We also have a sub group of Albanian families (with young children) who provide support to each other and who have experienced social isolation and loneliness. RPTB has been supporting and offering signposting services enabling some of them to obtain part-time paid work. Another distinct wave of new incomers have been refugees fleeing North East African eg. Ethopia, as a result of their religion being among the earliest Christians now living in a Muslim country.
Most recently, we have welcomed Afghan and Ukrainian families and have recently recruited an Afghan woman as our dedicated Under 5s worker. During Summer 2024 we linked up with the Working Men’s College promote and enable time bank members to access foundation and ESOL courses on their nearby campus.
RPTB has regularly organised community events that have engaged the many diverse local groups in a celebration of women’s talents, traditional food, culture and home languages eg. 2025 will be the 20th anniversary of our International Languages Day in February each year.
December 2024