Support for families

Learning English

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Free classes running on Teams during term time for adults wishing to improve their English.

For more information or to join a class email ESOL@ea.edin.sch.uk or call 0800 085 7672

Edinburgh College Community-Based ESOL Classes

These classes are for adults where English is not their first language.  Participants can learn language skills to live, work and study in the UK. Classes take place all around the city in community centres, libraries, community high schools and other community venues including Central Mosque. Classes are available part-time during the day or in the evenings. Students on low income or receiving qualifying benefits may be eligible for a fee waiver. Classes are free for Asylum seekers.

For more information visit the Edinburgh College website or contact agnieszka.waszak@edinburghcollege.ac.uk 0131 297 9657 

Everyday English

Develop your English language skills with other women in a friendly and supportive group. This group is suitable for any woman who wants to improve their English and meet with others. It focuses on conversational English as well as some reading and writing. Tuesdays 9.30-10.30am.

To find out more contact jeandobbing@bethanychristiantrust.com 07823 415 762

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) free homework club

This homework club takes place at Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre on Wednesdays between 4 pm and 5 pm. It is open to families in South East Edinburgh with children from primary and secondary school. Children bring along their homework and reading for help. Parents are expected to stay and work with their children.

To find out more about getting involved contact 0131 664 3793.

LINKnet Mentoring - English Classes 

LINKnet offers online classes at beginner to intermediate and intermediate to advanced levels, intending to strengthen spoken and written skills.

 For more information, please contact volunteers@linknetmentoring.com or linknet2@linknetmentoring.com

Support for BAME Children, Young People and Families

Early Years’ Service - Multi-Cultural Family Base (MCFB)

MCFB Early Years Service offers holistic individual and group support to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic infants and their families, from pregnancy to three years old, with an emphasis on infant mental health and parental well-being.

The following parent and infant groups are currently running, a referral to access the groups is required:

• Katakeet group: pregnancy to 1-year-old at Duncan Place, Leith, EH6 8HW
• Strawberry group: 1 to 3 years old at Leith Community Centre, EH6 6AD
• Chinese Flower group: pregnancy to 3 years old at Leith Community Centre, EH6 6AD

For more information visit the Multi-Cultural Family Base (MCFB) Facebook page, website or to make a referral call 0131 467 7052

Muslim Women’s Association of Edinburgh Toddler group

This group takes place on Mondays between 10.30 am and 12.30 pm at

Exhibition Room
Edinburgh Central Mosque
EH8 9BT.

Everyone is welcome to attend from any faith or background. To register contact mail@mwae.org.uk 07878 380 044.  

SCOREscotland (Strengthening Communities for Race Equality Scotland)

SCOREScotland offers children and youth clubs and family support for Black and Minority Ethnic communities in Wester Hailes and South West Edinburgh. They run weekly children's and youth clubs in Wester Hailes which include a Knots and crosses club for 7 to 10-year-olds and 11 to 17-year-olds. They also run a bike library service for children and young people, cycle training and bike maintenance. A twice-weekly community fridge service, Digital inclusion service, Women’s group and Parents group also run. 

SCOREscotland
30 Westburn Grove
EH14 2SA

For more information please contact info@scorescotland.org.uk  0131 442 2341

Passion4Fusion

Passion4Fusion aims to create support structures and safe spaces to meet the needs of the BME community in Edinburgh. Passion4Fusion offers health and wellbeing support for families (both children and adults), as well as creative arts, mental health and sports activities for young people. They also provide support on advocacy issues as requested. 

For more information to request support contact info@passion4fusion.com or passion4fusion.com

Mosaic project - Multi-Cultural Family Base (MCFB)

The Mosaic project offers support to BAME teenagers in S1 to S6 who identify with stress and anxiety as an issue.

For more information visit the Multi-Cultural Family Base (MCFB) Facebook page, website or to make a referral contact 0131 467 7052

Support for BAME Families with a child with a disability

The Action group - BEMAS service

This service provides holistic advice and support for parents from BME communities with a disabled child 0131 475 2315

Monday to Friday between 9 am and 5 pm and ask for a member of the Advice or BEMAS team or email careradvice@actiongroup.org.uk.

Support for refugees or new families in Edinburgh

Salaam

This is a new project to support refugees and asylum seekers from Syria and other parts of the world.

For more information visit the Edinburgh City Mission website.

The Welcoming Association

The Welcoming supports new Scots to feel less isolated, find friendship and integrate into their local community. The charity is currently offering free in-person and online English classes alongside a range of health and wellbeing activities, such as cycling, meditation and swimming groups. The Welcoming programme also involves conversation groups, a community fridge, befriending, and free employment guidance to new Scots and refugee families in Edinburgh.

1, 20 Westfield Ave
Edinburgh
EH11 2TT

For more information please visit the Welcoming Association website or call 0131 346 8577 email info@thewelcoming.org.

Ukrainian Family Club 

This is a family session for children aged 0 to 18 years and their parents and carers, providing therapeutic play with toys, games, arts and social interactions. Parents, carers, or grandparents are required to accompany young people. Sessions run on Fridays from 1 pm to 4 pm until the 31st of March. Sessions run at 

For more information contact scotlandwelcome@barnardos.org.uk call 0800 148 8586

Safe Haven project - Multi-Cultural Family Base (MCFB)

The Safe Haven project supports refugee families holistically through individual or group work. 

For more information visit the Multi-Cultural Family Base (MCFB) Facebook page, website or to make a referral call 0131 467 7052

Wellbeing and individual support for BAME families

LINKnet Mentoring - Eat Well for Oral Health Services

Eat Well for Oral Health is a community-based oral health and nutrition awareness project delivered by LINKnet Mentoring and Edinburgh Community Food. They aim to deliver oral health practices and nutrition guidance in an accessible and fun way.
For more information on how to access this service, get information about when the groups are running or to register as a volunteer email volunteer3@linknetmentoring.com

Bright Choices project - Multi-Cultural Family Base (MCFB)

The Bright Choices project provides support for women, men, children and families who are experiencing difficult relationships. They are accepting new referrals.

For more information visit the  Multi-Cultural Family Base (MCFB) Facebook page, website or to make a referral call 0131 467 7052

Aditi

Aditi supports the safety and wellbeing of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) women who have experienced or are currently experiencing domestic abuse or ‘honour’ based violence. They offer counselling, complementary therapy, women’s only groups, advocacy, one-to-one support and signposting. Advice is given on the telephone or in person on issues including health, safety, housing and rights. Language support can be provided.

For more information visit the Aditi website or contact 0131 603 4865 email aditi@sacro.org.uk

Equal Access - Health in Mind

Equal Access provides online support sessions for people from ethnic minority backgrounds who may face additional cultural and language barriers to accessing mental health support. Drop-in sessions take place online on alternate Mondays from 11 am to 12.30 pm. A women's support group runs fortnightly in person on Thursdays between 12 pm and 2 pm starting on Thursday, January 18, 2024. Learn wellbeing tools to support your wellbeing. One-to-one support may also be available.

To register or for further information, please contact rahila.khalid@health-in-mind.org.uk call 07730 220 109.

Equal Access -Wellbeing group sessions for men

A group for men from ethnic minority backgrounds to learn well-being tools to help them to participants to feel less stressed and overwhelmed.

For further information, please contact rahila.khalid@health-in-mind.org.uk call 07730 220 109

Equal Access Anxiety Management

This free 5-week course aims to support people from ethnic minority backgrounds who are experiencing anxiety or excessive worry to manage their symptoms in a peer support setting. This course will support participants to learn about what anxiety is and to practise helpful coping strategies to help manage it.

Online sessions will start on Tuesday the 12th of March from 10 am to 12 pm. A face-to-face group will start on Thursday the 18th of April 2024 in Pilton.  

To register or for further information, please contact  rahila.khalid@health-in-mind.org.uk call 07730 220 109. 

Open Arms - ELREC

Open Arms provides free online courses and activities for women such as sewing, arts and crafts sessions, pain relief, English conversation, body maintenance exercises, and face yoga. They also offer regular face-to-face socializing events of various themes at different venues across the city.

For more information visit the ELREC Facebook page or email Mitra at

mrostami@elrec.org.uk 

Sikh Sanjog

Sikh Sanjog provides one-to-one support to women and their families through phone, video calls and online groups, including help with accessing education, career advice and counselling. 

For more information visit the Sikh Sanjog website, Facebook page or contact  0131 553 4737 info@sikhsanjog.com  

Saheliya

Saheliya offers learning sessions including counselling and support work to help with housing, finances, immigration, health care, abuse and hate crimes. The Education Centre provides training and courses to build skills and achieve qualifications. Courses include ESOL, IT, Child Care, Sewing etc. The language support provided is in Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Chinese, Punjabi and Bengali.

Saheliya also offers groupwork training- Champions for Change enables girls and women to gain knowledge and skills to have their voices heard at conferences, and events, and experience one-to-one sessions with politicians and service providers. Champions for Well-being enables women to become sources of mental well-being advice in their families and communities and to actively challenge abusive cultural practices and other gender-based abuse.

Monday to Friday between 10 am and 4.30 pm or visit the Saheliya website for more details. 

For more information contact info@saheliya.co.uk 0131 556 9302

LINKNet Mentoring - No More Isolation, No More Tears

This befriending project is suitable for both ethnic minority men and women who live in Edinburgh and Lothians. It provides a variety of activities to address isolation and loneliness such as one-to-one befriending, community and educational events, cultural activities and English classes. 

For more information visit the LINKNet website or contact volunteer1@linknetmentoring.com 07447 228 686

Connect Project - Mental health and wellbeing support for parents

This group run by One Parent Families Scotland and LINKNet is for parents from minority ethnic backgrounds (those born in the UK and those born elsewhere) who would like to improve their mental health and wellbeing and meet other parents. Each week's sessions cover a different topic around caring for yourself, helping participants to find ways to better connect with themselves and others. Parents will have the opportunity to receive 1:1 mentoring support to progress into volunteering, education or employment. Bus tickets are provided. The groups run on Thursdays from 10 am to 11.30 am at 

LINKNet Mentoring – Employment Support

This service helps minority ethnic communities with one-to-one volunteer support to pursue employment or education. Qualified, experienced and well-trained mentors help with job applications, develop CVs, prepare for interviews, advise on job seeking and raise awareness of other social and cultural skills required to secure employment. Help is also available for those wanting to improve their educational qualifications.

If you are looking for help please contact linknet2@linknetmentoring.com

Pilton Community Health Project Chat Café

The Chat Café is a welcoming and inclusive space for women, participants are welcome to bring their children. For new and settled migrants, Chat Cafe is an informal opportunity to improve English conversation skills. There will be a range of free activities as well as coffee, tea, and snacks every week. The group is open to women living in Muirhouse, Wester Drylaw, West Pilton, Granton, Royston and Wardieburn and meets on Mondays from 9.30 am at

For more information contact sallyfindlay@pchp.org.uk 07518 756 330

Women’s Collective

A weekly social group run by SPACE and Broomhouse Hub for BAME women offering peer support and information. The group runs on Wednesdays from 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm. A1-1 support service is also available on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

For more information contact ceri.paterson@spacescot.org 07749496011

Wellbeing Toolkit Add 

These 6-week wellbeing courses run by Health in Mind are suitable for anyone from minority ethnic communities who would like some help and peer support to manage their mental health and wellbeing. A variety of self-help techniques and broader topics related to general mental well-being are covered. Sessions offer a space for people to learn and practise tools and strategies for staying well.  

View new dates  

For more information complete an enquiry at Health in Mind Online Enquiry (health-in-mind.org.uk) or call 0131 225 8508