[p][b]We are OSH: a youth movement that empowers refugees and migrants to flourish in the place that they call home.[/b][/p][p]There are thousands of young refugees and migrants arriving in the UK every year. We believe in the unbounded potential of these individuals and are driven to help them thrive.[/p][p]Our residential experiences are at the start of this journey, allowing us to create a space where we can build a community, teach leadership skills and spark ideas. With the right support, our ambition is to ensure that young refugees and migrants have the agency to take control of their own lives.[/p][p][br][/p][p][b]What we do[/b][/p][p]The young people arriving in this country are often isolated and lonely, living in foster care or supported accommodation, without the necessary infrastructure to develop positive social relationships or learn vital skills. [/p][p]OSH exists to plug this gap. Using a model of peer leadership and regular activity, we are creating a participant-led social movement. We believe that by providing the infrastructure and tools that they lack, we can tap into the potential of these individuals and help build the next generation of refugee leaders. To do this, we host residential programmes and year-round activities, creating a safe, communal space that enables us to teach leadership skills and spark ideas. [/p][p][br][/p][p][b]‘What can we do to help refugees?’[/b][/p][p]As a group of former youth leaders we know how transformative it can be to grow up in a youth movement. A few years ago, we started thinking about whether our experiences could apply to the thousands of young refugees and migrants in this country, many of whom lack the community and support that is so fundamental to building a life here and, importantly, to feeling at home. [/p][p]We have laid the foundations of a youth movement, but we strongly believe that it is up to our participants to decide how to shape it. This has already started to happen: in 2019 seven young participants completed our Leadership Training Programme and ran our summer residential alongside other volunteers. Our ambition is that OSH will become a fully peer-led movement, one whose leaders act as role models to participants, inspiring them to lead and giving them the tools needed to thrive in their second home.[/p]
