Training
We offer a range of training courses that inspire and equip people to build bridges in their local communities and to relate effectively to those from different backgrounds.
As well as the courses listed below, we can also provide bespoke training programmes tailored to the needs of you or your organisation.
For more information or to get a quote, please click on the button below.
More Information / QuotationOur Courses
Welcome to the UK
This 4-session course helps recent arrivals in the UK to process their transition and adapt to life here. By exploring the roots of British culture, social norms, social etiquette, cultural values and transition, participants are equipped with the tools they need to make a good start to life in their new country. We can provide this course in English or in Arabic, and have successfully delivered it for the Syrian Resettlement project at Bristol City Council.
Supporting Refugees & Asylum Seekers
This course enables volunteers to contribute more effectively to the lives of those they are supporting. By understanding the reasons that refugees come to the UK, the challenges they face along the way as well as when they get here, and by looking at principles of cross-cultural interaction, volunteers will be better prepared for the role they are undertaking. We have delivered this training to voluntary organisations such as The Arches in Nottingham and community sponsorship groups such as Charis and Abide in Somerset and Devon.
Cultural Awareness
This programme helps people to understand and relate to people from different backgrounds. By reflecting on our own cultural influences, and by seeking to understand those of others, it helps to prepare people for cross-cultural experiences, for working in multicultural teams and for living in multicultural areas. We have delivered this training to individuals and for organisations including the Job Centre.
I’ve been here 3 months and you can really feel lost when you first arrive. You are overwhelmed by everything so it’s really helpful to attend a course like this where you learn new things about the country, your responsibilities and your rights here, what is accepted in British society, and how to look after yourself and your family.
It was good to learn about British culture, about integration into society, about how to relate to people here, about the history of Britain and how that affects the people and the country today.
It was so helpful to learn about how the health service works, about the Muslim community here in Bristol, and about how the police relate to the community.
The Syrian Refugee Resettlement training covered all the bases in terms of what we were looking for. The cultural training was particularly valuable and helped our volunteers understand how to relate to people from different backgrounds. The interactive elements were also helpful, in thinking what it might be like to be a refugee.
The training we received from Bridges was excellent. Dan was able to share the benefit of his experience in a way that was both useful and easy to absorb. We learnt so much about Middle Eastern culture, all of which will be so helpful to us in understanding and supporting the Syrian family we hope to welcome. We highly recommend the training and commend BfC for the fantastic work they are doing.
Other Programmes
Peace Feast
Sharing a meal together gives people from different cultures and faiths the opportunity to meet and build friendships.
Sharing Festivals
We bring people together around religious festivals and feasts — like Ramadan and Christmas — to break down barriers and challenge stereotypes.
b.friend
This project provides one-to-one support for refugees and asylum-seekers in Bristol, who may be isolated or struggling.
Bristol Welcome Events
We organise special events and days out for refugees and asylum seekers, giving them a break from the challenges of daily life.
Cultural Exchange
We organise trips to connect people in the UK and the Middle East, facilitating opportunities for perceptions to be changed and for friendships to be built.
Training
We provide cultural awareness training for working crossculturally, and refugee support training for groups working with refugees, asylum-seekers, and vulnerable migrants.
Refulingua
We enable refugees to take a step towards employment by tutoring people in conversational Arabic.