Academic Centre
Union Chapel based in Islington, London, adapted to the changing demographics of the neighborhood where the population attending church declined and also became a home to the working class and immigrant communities. Union Chapel continues to function as a church, but opened up its doors to the wider community where it allows its historical space to be a host to cultural events, music venues, charity projects, among others. The Union Chapel Project helped it preserve the church’s historical architecture as well as become an accessible venue for all parts of society and serves a positive alternative to the churches facing challenges to their survival and conserving its history and space across Europe.
The Migration Museum was founded in April 2017 following the controversial debates that led to the U.K. referendum vote to leave the European Union. In 2016, migration was the most talked about topic in the U.K. and the Migration Museum captured the need to create a cultural space to allow this debate to be seen through different perspectives, such as empathy and history. The museum works to be remain apolitical and not associated to any group, but rather seek to connect communities and schools through exhibition, events, and workshops to discuss controversial topics like immigration in a neutral cultural place..
Corporation of the City of London
Representatives from the local authority, City of London Corporation, explained two specific programs that the city runs to equip migrants for the workforce, particularly in the hospitality and service sector. The Welcome Project is an Erasmus+ Project designed to provide additional help to those who have limited English skills by offering Language Learning Clubs. The Welcome Project is part of a larger program run by the City of London Corporation under the “Adult Skills and Education Service” where it provides resources like the Apprenticeship Program and LEAFEA to promote adult learning. Employers can take advantage of these city-supported programs and send workers to these programs to improve English language skills and further helps migrants safely integrate to host societies.
The non-profit organization, A New Direction works with schools, education programs, and communities to allow young local people take advantage of London’s creative industries and prepare them with the skills to enter into the museum and heritage sector for future careers. This organization addresses the gaps in the U.K. education system in equipping students with the digital, technical, and creative skills to work in London’s thriving creative economy by building partnerships and programs. This approach serves as a good model for major European cities that house the country’s arts and cultural institutions to connect more of its local community engage with creative industries.
Mr Abdullah Al Awayed started his own catering business in London after leaving his home in Syria. COMPASS delegates were able to enjoy the food from his homeland, and witness a positive example of how an immigrant from Syria can find a new home and continue his entrepreneurial spirit in a new city.
Ms Albertina Prata founded the business ‘Travel Without Fear’ to address a large part of the market that the hospitality industry traditional has neglected: people with disabilities. As 75 million people in Europe are estimated to have some form of disability, TWF works with the hotels and resorts across the country and abroad to incorporate accessibility and awareness of the needs of disabled peoples to allow the hospitality industry increase its attractiveness to potential customers. Therefore, increasing accessibility is not seen as a cost, but an additional way to bring in more business and boost profitability in the tourist industry.
Mr Ross Calladine from the national tourism agency, Visit England, addressed how tourism in the U.K. could become more inclusive. One in five of people in the U.K. are disabled, and reflects a large share of the population not being marketed for tourism. People with disabilities also include an increasing ageing population in Europe and serves as a growing business potential of improving the tourism industry to become more accessible. Research showed that 54% of people with disabilities chose not to take advantage of domestic tourism due to lack of information. National tourism agencies can work to provide more information in accessibility to support the growing need of people with disabilities and boost the tourism industry as well.
Study Visit Summary
The study visit hosted by Shared Enterprise CIC brought together a diverse array of organisations, from public to private, that engage in filling the needs of education, society, business, and government. By highlighting the creative methods used by these organisations, the study visit provided a useful platform for the COMPASS project delegates to reflect on what ideas could be taken back and applied in their home countries. It also provided opportunities to network with partners from different countries and exchange ideas and possible future collaborations, and partners are looking forward to the next study visit planned in Riga, Latvia.
More information about examples of good practices and presentations of the meetings are given in the 4th ComPass COMPENDIUM
 was organised in London, the United Kingdom. The main focus of the visit was given to such aspects as requirements for vocational training and the opening up of entrepreneurial opportunities in tourism for people with a migrant background, including migrants as well as qualification, training, and employment of unskilled and skilled workers.){kind=link}