Contribution Migrants Make to UK
23rd January 2020
This blogpost is a conversation between David Marshall, CEO and Founder of Marshall E-learning and Teresa Norman, CEO of TogetherintheUK (TGIUK).
Marshall Elearning is sponsoring a TGIUK event at Union Chapel on Wednesday 5 February 2020, jointly organised by TGIUK and Union Chapel in Islington, North London.
The event, ‘Making Migration Work’, will showcase how people come to the UK to create something new, an issue brought to light in a recent Economist article which highlighted how migrants spot gaps in the market that others don’t spot and work hard to create their new lives.
Stories from 3 continents
‘Making Migration Work’ brings The Economist article to life as it features 3 entrepreneurs from 3 continents: Sri Lanka, Brazil and Eritrea. And there’s more – a Vietnamese family tell their story, of how they were rescued 40 years ago from the South China Sea and how the support they received shaped their lives in the UK today. In addition, there will be performances from UK-based musicians and poets from different heritages and an opportunity to meet different people whilst enjoying world cuisine.
The question inquiring minds are asking is… who is Marshall E-Learning and TGIUK?
Marshall E-Learning is a leading e-learning provider specialising in diversity and inclusion and TGIUK is a social enterprise providing really useful information to people migrating to the UK, based on the insights of migrants themselves.
Teresa: So, David, why are you supporting the TGIUK event in Union Chapel?
David: As an organisation driven by diversity and inclusion, I know how important it is for leaders to hear different voices. We know that sometimes different perspectives can be hard to recognise and hear. By organising this event at Union Chapel, TGIUK is giving a range of voices a platform for migrants to share their stories of success in the UK.
I also suspect that the challenges and joys of migration will become something that people working in diversity and inclusion are going to need to think about more and more.
David: Let me ask a question about TGIUK. Why are you holding this event?
Teresa: We organised this event to counter the mostly negative messages suggesting how bad things are for migrants or the problems around integration. We decided to hold this event with Union Chapel to celebrate the achievements of migrants who continue to make a difference to the UK. Of course, there are thousands and thousands of people who do this so it was a challenge putting the programme together. However, we are thinking of making this an annual event so we look forward to showcasing more people over time.
Teresa: Are there any items in the programme that you particularly like?
David: I like that TGIUK is sharing a different story about migration, we often have a debate in the UK about numbers, but beneath the numbers, there are many stories. We have so much to learn from how many people experience the UK. To be honest I am interested in the entire programme but particularly interested in how I can take the Vietnamese family’s story into corporate life. How can the right support make a huge difference in people’s lives?
As an entrepreneur myself, I also expect to gain some inspiration from the entrepreneurs speaking at the event. Although we have been in business for 18 years, there is always more to learn. And of course, I expect to enjoy the performances of the artists and the musicians.
David: How is TGIUK making a difference to migrants lives?
Teresa: We believe in the power of storytelling and that there is so much we can all learn from the experience of migration. Last year, we published a research report, “Moving Matters: the Challenges and Solutions of Migration to the UK” and we learnt about the importance of trust in creating a new life.
We are an online resource and we want people to feel that they can trust the information we provide and learn from other people who have walked in their shoes. We also want other people to have more empathy towards migrants so we share lots of the insights that organisations working in migration have learnt. We have learnt, for instance, about the importance of connection, of loving your own culture but still functioning in another. Also, by putting on events, we create platforms for new understanding.
Teresa: What are you looking forward to on the 5th?
David: I am looking forward to joining a very diverse audience to hear different stories, to see the world from different perspectives, be inspired and of course to enjoy a good meal!
David: and what are your hopes for the event?
Teresa: We are looking forward to a full house, to people finding out more about what we do and to growing our audience by following us and subscribing to our website at TogetherintheUK
Any final comments?
Teresa: TogetherintheUK is very grateful to Marshalls for sponsoring the sold-out event at Union Chapel, ‘Making Migration Work’. It shows what we know to be true; their purpose is to enable different voices to be heard and valued. This is at the heart of their work in driving forward diversity and inclusion. Thanks David, for sponsoring this event.
If you have been inspired by this blog and wish to get involved in what we are doing then by all means do contact us at: tgiuk@togetherintheUK.co.uk.
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