Cumberland City Council, together with community groups and service providers, undertake a number of initiatives that welcome, support, and celebrate refugees in the local community.
Initiatives currently being implemented by the Council include:
- Grant funding available for community-based initiatives that support the settlement of refugees
- Free English conversation classes delivered from all libraries
- Volunteering opportunities to provide social connection, improve English skills, provide local experience, references, self-confidence, and employment pathways for new arrivals
- Literacy programs for children including baby rhyme time, preschool story time, and reading assistance at all Council libraries
- Access to free Wi-Fi, computers, books, e-resources, homework help, and study support from all Council libraries
- Delivery of a range of free community events which encourage communities from all backgrounds to connect, celebrate cultural diversity, and promote social cohesion.
- For new arrivals, we have introductory “Discover Cumberland” videos. They are subtitled in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Dari, Korean, Persian, and Tamil.
- People are able to provide feedback to council via the “Have Your Say” webpage in 40 community languages.
- This series of five domestic and family violence educational videos are part of the Living Safely in Cumberland Program. The videos aim to increase community awareness and understanding of domestic and family violence, how to respond and how to best support someone who is experiencing violence. The audio and the text in the videos have been translated into five community languages (Arabic, Dari, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified Chinese) and Tamil).
- Council can link new arrivals with financial and material aid, including culturally appropriate support with cost of living expenses and emergency payments.
- Cumberland Libraries also offer a range of children’s resources, books and other materials in community languages
- Form filling assistance is available at community centres. Translating and interpreting support is available as part of all services, as well as face to face support from bilingual volunteers from a variety of language backgrounds.
- The Accessible Bus provides 2 free shuttle bus routes in the Cumberland region. The timetable is available in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Dari, Turkish.
