Services
A wide range of services are available at BACC including personal support to those who need it. BACC is committed to offer the best services that will meet each individual needs. The organisation is aware of the complexities of different African cultures, traditions and experiences and thus it has developed an open mindset and is always ready to extend to all those who require its services without favour or discrimination of any persons or groups over others.
Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG)
Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) services play a pivotal role in delivering the Skills Strategy. We promote the benefits of learning, help individuals to address and overcome the barriers to learning, and support them in making realistic and well informed choices.
Our IAG services are part of our policy to offer individuals an entitlement to learning to secure a needed qualification. We are committed to high standards of delivery in all our services. We believe that beneficiaries’ of IAG services are entitled to a high standard of delivery wherever and however they access IAG services.
We are committed to high standards of delivery; this has propelled the organisation to work towards achieving the Matrix Standard accreditation.
Core IAG Services
The advice services include the following, as appropriate for the individual:
● Interpreting any information and taking into account personal circumstances;
● An individualised service tailored to users’ needs;
● Personalised information including possible referral to specialists services;
● Helping service users to link their personal interests and/or skills to their desired job/career requirements;
● Identifying basic skills needs and referring those clients to sources of help in gaining basic skills in literacy, language and numeracy;
● Meaningful interpretation of Labour Market Information and Intelligence;
● Advice on job search methods (CV, interview skills, or referral);
Accessible and Visible – Our IAG services is recognised and trusted by our service users, with convenient entry points from which clients may be signposted or referred to the services they need.
Professional and Knowledgeable – BACC frontline staff have the skills and knowledge to identify quickly and effectively the client’s needs. They have the skills and knowledge either to address the client’s needs or to signpost or to refer them to suitable alternative provision.
Availability, Quality and Delivery – The Services is targeted at the needs of clients.
Diversity – The range of IAG services we are providing reflect the diversity of clients’ needs.
Volunteering Opportunities
Volunteering is an enormous way to make a noteworthy difference to your community or cause you care about. It is also a way of giving your time to the community.
BACC welcomes people with a wide range of expertise and backgrounds to join the organisation. If you have personal experience in different profession, management or other life skills and experience,
then you have a unique combination of expertise and perspectives to offer to the community. Also if you have a good knowledge of issues facing the Africans, new migrants, asylum seeker, refugees and
other BME such as mental health, depression, isolation, and social exclusion, please feel to join the network to tackle these concerns. This is an excellent way of using the skill and expertise that
you has developed through a lifetime’s experience to advantage your community.
The benefits of volunteering are well known. Volunteering in our organisation will help you to:
• Share your skills
• Help the community
• Develop a personal interest
• Improve your self confidence
• Gain useful experience
• Learn new skills
• Access training and qualifications
• Relieve boredom
• Enhance your CV
• Get additional work experience
• Make friends and enjoy yourself
Below are ways in which you can get involved at BACC include:
• Financial Assistance
• Admin/Data Entry
• Marketing
• Community Work
• Press Relation
• Fundraising
• Web Master
• Receptionist
• Network/ Software Engineer
• ICT Support Tutor
• Family Support Volunteer
• Project Outreach Volunteer
• Quality Control Volunteer
Advocacy and Advice
Bedfordshire African Community Centre (BACC) provides Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) on statutory, public and voluntary sector services to Africans living in the Luton & Bedfordshire area, through advice sessions, surgeries as well as developing advice and support services literature in common African languages. In addition, BACC assists in the provision of information on how to access basic services regarding jobs, housing, access to education for children, healthcare for families, registering for benefits and other public services. Also, the organisation offers signposting support services to organisations that provide advice on welfare, benefits, housing and employment to enable Africans to fully access services in the Luton and Bedfordshire.
Assistance and Support for Mental Health and Well-being
Bedfordshire African Community Centre (BACC) offers an emergency welfare support service to African people in immediate need, living in Luton & Bedfordshire. Additionally, the organisation aims to address mental health and well being issues faced by Black Africans including refugees, asylum seekers and new migrants to Luton and the surrounding area of Bedfordshire through outreach and drop in facilities. The Brighter Future Project which seeks to develop a new approach to mental health problems in order to manage stress, anxiety and depression to enable Africans to effectively live independently in the wider community. The project aims to tackle mental health problems and social exclusion with the aim of improving the well-being of asylum seekers, refugees and recent migrants of African origin.
Translation and Interpretation
BACC offers interpretation and translation services to individuals, statutory and voluntary sector organisations.
Training Courses
Without any form of education or training, employability within the UK is difficult. BACC thus endeavours to offer learning and training opportunities including ICT and life skills to both adults and young people. Some of the courses include; Emergency First Aid, Health and Safety, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), Food Hygiene, Manual Handling, Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA, CV Workshops, among others. To view and register for ongoing training courses, please click on the Training menu.
Social Events and Peer Support Groups
Every now and then we organise different social events that enable people to meet, make friends as well as share their experiences. These events are aimed at creating opportunities for social interaction and develop community cohesion for African people living in Luton & Bedfordshire including facilities to encourage young Africans to develop holistic life skills and integration into the community.
