The Magpie Project

We are finally confident - after nearly 4 years of kerfuffling - that we are moving to a new building. The days of setting up and putting away a full children's centre worth of toys and lunches and donations each day ..... The days of scrabbling for a corner to do a zoom meeting in - car, cupboard, heaven forbid the loos ... The days of becoming instantly overcrowded if it rains... The days of prepping lunch for 100s with just a microwave and a kettle.... We hope the are gonna be a thing of the past soon. Our new building will have a dedicated kitchen, (and a few tea points to boot) A dedicated 'shop' for our donations A massive play area Actual rooms for our visiting professionals instead of legal advice in the sandpit (although we hope some of that will continue!) A real cafe! BUT there's lots to do. Can you help us create a beautiful new nest - with all the shiny things - for our wonder Magpie Mums and Minis?: If so have read and let us know what you're in for. Thanks - our wonderful community! https://lnkd.in/eba9svyy

Our wonderful REACH team of mums living through the horrors of the hostile environment is campaigning that no child be housed without a kitchen. Posting every day until Christmas Eve and turning up at christmas markets. The health impact of living in homes without a kitchen is devastating. Children are being given with food that does not meet their nutritional needs and this is making them sick. https://lnkd.in/epWCQDz4

The coroner's prevention of future deaths report is clear that a toxic culture exists to such an extent within Newham's NRPF team, that it is unsafe in protecting the lives of our vulnerable children. We, Shelter, London Black Women's Project, and Hackney Migrant Centre brought this to Newham's attention in 2019 and we are heartbroken that we did not go far enough to insist on change, meaning that Mazeedat was dealt with in the same callous and uncaring way that we had called out. This time, we don't feel like we can rest until we know that the NRPF team is safe for our children. It could be impossible to change such an entrenched culture in the team - if that is the case - and it is not safe, then shut it down and start again.

The Magpie Project's Rights Experience Advocacy Change team are running their first full campaign this year - based around their own experience living in hotels with no cooking facilities provided by both the home office, and local authorities. It has been an incredible year - meeting MPs, talking at conferences, running stalls. Now, in the lead up to Christmas we are asking that everyone sign up to our petition - we are asking Angela Raynor, and Yvette Cooper to act for our families. ------ As we approach the Christmas countdown, thoughts are turning to our families, loved ones and home. We at the Magpie Project are wishing you all a full plate and a warm heart this Christmas. But we are also thinking about some of our own wonderful Magpie Mums and Minis and those around the country who, this holiday season, will face another day without a home cooked meal. If you are appalled by the idea that - in one of the richest countries in the world - there are so many families living without any means to cook, store or eat hot food then please act now, share our campaign, find out about our asks and sign our petition now to change this. https://lnkd.in/e83P3kdE

We won!! Just so so proud of Marcia Thompson and her work with the incredible and tireless team at UCL CAJ especially Rachel Knowles who's brainchild this was. We love working the you and Clyde & Co - this elegant solution to the lack of form filling capacity in Newham has seriously sped up processes of getting support, and enabled us to bring Magpie Project family centred and trauma aware working together the the might and capacity of two major organisations. Incredible stuff. Thank you.

Thank you to Tom Wall for telling the story of our mums and Professor Monica Lakhanpaul for adding all the learning and research to the stories of families and our own mum-led campaign. We will continue to ask for immediate relief for families forced to live without food facilities, and for change as soon as possible. https://lnkd.in/ejFWePPy

We are devastated. This is the most viewed story on the UK Guardian website this evening. If only as many eyes were on Mazeedat in the weeks leading up to her death when her mother and many agencies, including us, were asking repeatedly for help and support for her. Coroner in her inquest could scarcely have been more damning in what was described as the first death of a child thought to be linked to NRPF'. He said some of the social workers who failed to support the family were “obdurate and stubborn”. “[mum] was treated in a dehumanising way on account of her status in the UK,” the coroner said. He found that “a culture of impunity” operated in the team. This chimes with accounts from multiple Magpie Mums. Juliet Spender, a human rights lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, representing mum, said: “It’s now vital that lessons are learned from this tragedy to protect children in the future.” We agree and genuinely hope that Mazeedat's death was not in vain and the withholding of vital basic support to children in the name of 'controlling immigration' is seen for what it is - immoral, inhumane and unworkable. Rest now, beautiful little one, and may mum find some peace moving forward from this un-imaginable, and avoidable loss. https://lnkd.in/e5w5eNai

Today we had a meeting with mums, minis, staff and trustees to talk about our vision, mission and values. One of our trustees said: 'It is really gratifying to hear mums say that what staff think they are doing - acting with love, kindness, creating dignity and belonging - is reflected by the mums' experience'. Sometimes it can feel like all our work on trauma aware, psychologically informed, somatically based practices (thank you Sophie Doswell, thank you Louise Klarnett), is maybe more for us not the mums and minis - but when we see it translating directly in to how mums feel supported and seen - it all seems worthwhile. Thank you Just Ideas Sustainable Solutions Ltd. for the wonderfully facilitated afternoon.

📢By popular demand, the 2024 #NewhamCivicAwards nomination window has been extended by 1 more week➡️🏆 Jane Williams, CEO and Founder of The Magpie Project is calling on YOU to nominate exceptional individuals, groups and organisations🏆✨ Do you know someone making a positive impact in Newham? 🚨Nominate before Monday 18 November at 23:59pm 👉https://lnkd.in/egpFSXGu #NewhamCivicAwards #LocalHeroes #NewhamCommunity #FreedomOfTheBorough

So it turns out that making a noise works! Our Rights Experience Advocacy Change group (REACH) team made up of mums who are experiencing the issues we are speaking up on - has been campaigning to stop children being housed without a kitchen for around a year now.... There are two main types of family this affects - those housed by the home office in hotels that have not cooking or food storge facilities and are pre-catered. Those who are housed by the local authority in hotels with no cooking facilities who have to rely on takeaways and pre-packaged food for every meal. In that year we have had regular meetings hosted by the Public health team to tackle issues around food quality, alternative sources of meals, in the contingency hotels. They are working on the guidelines for hotel meals, toddler meals in hotels, and have already enforced a change of caterer in one of the hotels in Newham due to failing food hygiene inspections. We have also met regularly with housing on the issue of families placed in hotels - some for longer than the six week legal limit without kitchens. There we have seen extraordinary change. Last week they reported that: Newham Council have reduced hotel/B&B placements by 80% on past year.    76 families in hotel/B&B down from 337 beginning of August 2023. Newham also used HSF funds to support community warm spaces and kitchens, as well as giving some vouchers for families in hotels placed by them at christmas. We have had public support from the Mayor of Newham and our local MP Stephen Timms. Our three goals were immediate relief locally for families - we are well on the way, Next is no child in hotel for longer than the legal limit of six weeks (and wouldn't it be amazing if the legal limit also applied to home office accommodation!), On the way to no children without kitchens at all. Join us! Let's ge this done! Making a noise can help!