Support Group Network (SGN)

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Support Group Network (SGN)
In August 2014 Support Group started and after two years in July 2016 it become officially licensed organization called Support Group Network (SGN).

Support Group Network target Audience: is the asylum seekers, refugees, immigrants and migrants, new countrymen and Local Societies, Municipalities, associations, NGOs, groups and individual volunteers.

Vision: Work with associations, groups and individuals who want to empower and help asylum seekers, refugees, immigrants, migrants in Sweden and around the world by encouraging their own initiatives, and helping them to establish local Support Groups in their temporary or permanent areas of living, make them part of this Umbrella and support them in all fields: (social, cultural, educational, health and psychological care) and gather advocacy for their cases in all levels.

Mission:
• Empower and encourage Refugees and migrants own initiatives and support them in all fields: (social, cultural, educational, sports, health and psychological care).
• To encourage the local communities and civil society to connect to the Local Support Groups in their areas.
• Work to promote understanding of the norms of society to contribute to integration, inclusion, and coexistence for kids, youth, Adults and families, in a way that takes care of their competence and give them the tools to become active members in the society.
• Cooperate with other organizations and groups in Sweden and abroad that have the same objectives.

Current work:
- Work with Save the Children in the ReAct project to support the Local Support Groups in camps in all fields and strengthen the relation with them to reach our objectives, by including them with the national projects and give means of organizational support to them.
- Start to work with Support Groups inside the cities and not only in the camps.
- Focus more on Projects that build and maintain competence and skills and give more opportunities to refugees to reach job market.

SUPPORT Group is a collaboration where Swedes and refugees together support and assist arriving countrymen and asylum seekers and it starts in Restad Gård in Vänersborg.

Purpose and direction

- Provide insight and understanding of Swedish society; laws, culture and lifestyle.
- Create the conditions and opportunities in different ways to access and integrate into the Swedish society.
- Initiate and create cultural activities and sports.
- Identify different professions such as academics and craftsmen to create working contacts.
- Initiate and offer various forms of workshops and education in the Swedish language.
- Create activities and venues exclusively for women.
- Initiate and organize activities for children.

Actions
Welcome gathering - we meet new arrivals and capture preferences, interests and professional activities. We provide information about the Swedish society, Swedish culture and lifestyle. We provide information about different activities at Restad Gård and in Vänersborg.

Academic club - we gather groups based on different professions where venues are created with Swedish colleagues. This is to create opportunities for a future career and to keep up the specific professional skills.

Craftsmen club - we gather groups based on different professions where venues are created with Swedish colleagues. This is to create opportunities for a future career and to keep up the specific professional skills.

Women's club - we conduct regular meetings where only women meet for talks and activities.

Kids Club - we offer activities for children.

Language club - we inform about and initiate workshops and courses in Swedish. We organize childcare for participants with minors.

Sports club - we offer various sports activities.

Culture Club - we create conditions for activities such as painting, music, theater and dance and this, in conjunction with existing activities in Vänetsborg.

Clothes registration - we capture the needs and desires of clothes for different ages.