About Us
Mission
Shpresa programme is an active user-led organisation that advances the education and training
of the Albanian speaking people in the UK, so as to enable them to take
full and active roles in their communities.
We Want
• the Albanian heritage to be strengthened and valued
• less prejudice and discrimination within and towards the Albanian-speaking community
• young Albanians to feel confident and valued and relations between them and older members of the community to be mutually respectful and supportive
• an end to domestic abuse and men and women from the community to thrive equally
• strong and productive links with Albania and Kosovo.
Our Principles
PEOPLE FIRST
User led where those we serve feel they have a voice in the planning and delivery of our projects
A family approach that promotes our cultural heritage, develops positive relationships across our community and with other communities, inspires people of all ages to volunteer, connects our young people with role models who can encourage positive aspiration, and provides the care, support and advocacy that enables our users to participate fully in the society.
A LEARNING ORGANISATION
Outward-looking, where we work in close partnership with other agencies and services, including other community organisations
A commitment to evaluating the impact of our work and drawing on that learning when planning new projects. With the support of one of our funders and partners we review regularly our future direction. We also regularly commission external evaluations for individual project as well as whole organisation.
COMMUNICATING
A commitment to share our experience and best practice with other new migrant communities to able them to become active citizens, contribute and play an active role in The Society
Communicating our learning to our users and partners.
We also offer consultancy services to other organisations and projects who may benefit from our expertise or what we have learnt.
We are members of
Impacts
Landi's’ Story
Where would I have been without Shpresa?
Landi is sent to England at the age of 12 to escape the war in Albania. Alone and unable to communicate, he fends for himself and courts trouble. until he gets up the courage to go to Shpresa and eventually realises his lifelong dream.
See more at Patient Projects
Eda's story
Shpresa's approach is to work with the Whole family . We promote our cultural heritage, develops positive relationships across our community and with other communities, inspires people of all ages to volunteer, connects our young people with role models who can encourage positive aspiration, and provides the care, support and advocacy that enables our users to participate fully in the society.
Diverse community, diverse needs
At Shpresa we have come into contact and supported many hundreds of Albanian speaking people every year.
These include, children who learn Albanian language dancing and perform, parents who learn English and parenting skills, volunteers who get training and support and later on jobs, women that suffer domestic violence and get protected, people who need information and guidance , food or clothes ,
Shpresa has become the family for the young people who are here without their parents and has become the organisation where we all can knock for help and they will try their best to help.
For more information about Shpresa Programme see our latest annual report
How We Work
"We enable Albanian-speaking people , as well as other members of new migrant communities, to integrate with dignity and play an active role in Society"
Community
User led where those we serve feel they have a voice in the planning and delivery of our projects
Research
A commitment to share our experience and best practice with other new migrant communities to able them to become active citizens, contribute and play an active role in society
Impacts
A family approach that promotes our cultural heritage, develops positive relationships across our community and with other communities, inspires people of all ages to volunteer, connects our young people with role models who can encourage positive aspiration, and provides the care, support and advocacy that enables our users to participate fully in the society
Governance
A commitment to evaluating the impact of our work and drawing on that learning when planning new projects. With the support of one of our funders and partners we review regurlarly our future direction. See The Shpresa Programme: Agreeing the Way Forward. We also regularly commission external evaluations for individual project as well as whole organisation. See Impact and Successes Report.
Our History
BACKGROUND
Significant numbers of Albanian-speaking people from Albania , Kosova and Macedonia fled persecution from the early 1990s. Several sought asylum in the UK. Fall of communism in Albania in 1991, Political conflict in the Balkans, especially the war between the Serbian state and Kosovans from 1997, led to human rights violations across many communities in Albania and Kosova.
Although many Albanian speakers found asylum in the UK they experienced real difficulties settling in and integrating. There was no significant Albanian community presence before this in the UK and community resources were sparse. As a result the barriers our community experienced, which included language barriers, lack of knowledge about UK society and its systems, lack of qualifications and access to employment, led to immense problems.
LOCAL IMPACTS
RAMP was one charity that started to support the Albanian community in East London. Luljeta Nuzi worked for RAMP with a number of other parents as a volunteer to help the community meet their basic needs.
Luljeta and other community activists accessed a range of training that proved effective in helping them meet their community’s needs.
Training run by The School for Social Entrepreneurs was helpful as it developed the skills of the community themselves and involvement at Citizins UK Particular at TELCO enabled leaders to become active in their community and promote community activism in their approach.
GROWNG TO MEET GROWING NEEDS
These training gave Luljeta and her colleagues the confidence and the skills to successfully develop Shpresa. On November 2002 120 people took part in a consultation that led to the establishment of Shpresa Programme.
The organisation was registered with Companies House on 11th March 2003. In August 2005 we registered as a charity with the Charity Commission.
We have expanded our work from Newham into the London boroughs and now looking ways to expand cross UK.
2017 Shpresa Programme. All Rights Reserved.
Shpresa Programme is a company Limited by Guarantee
registered in England and Wales Registration No 4692860 and registered as a charity
with the Charity Commission Charity No.1110688.