Our project is called ‘Communities of Support EU27’. The main project aim is face to face support and interaction for EU27 citizens adversely affected by Brexit, living in West Yorkshire. We will create a monthly support group, with different themes depending on the emerging needs of the group. Participants will develop the capacity to discuss the difficult issues facing them, and will support each other. We aim to develop new connections between people, increase their support networks and mutual understanding. Their capacity to discuss difficult issues around Brexit will grow, as will their ability to work together on future social action. This project will begin with semi structured sessions for EU27 migrants. This will be carried out in a very sensitive way by experienced dialogue facilitators, community conflict specialists and mediators, some of which are EU27 themselves.

Many are part of an online community called ‘In Limbo’ which was established after the referendum as a virtual support group to gather the testimonies of people’s experiences affected by Brexit. The online community has already reached about thousands EU27 migrants across The UK and about 200 across LEeds and Bradford. Our project will provide a space for this group and others across West Yorkshire to meet in person over a series of months and have structured, supportive dialogue session.