FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS SAATHI HOUSE?
Saathi House was established in 1977 in response to the emerging problems of immigration and new arrivals into the Ladywood area of Birmingham. Although no geographical limit is imposed on its activities, the Charity was originally established (as the Saint James Language Project) to address the extramural educational needs of younger members of the growing immigrant communities of Aston, Lozells and Perry Barr.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Saathi House's key objectives are: Personal Development; Health and Well-being and Sports, with its target audience being women and young people.
We conduct and host a variety of activities, workshops, classes, projects and initiatives. Some of these include
Arts and Crafts sessions, Zumba and Self Care; Parenting Workshops, Coffee & Conversation Morning; Creative English; Saturday Language Project for young people; Women in Civic Leadership and Personal Development Programmes.
We also hold Empowerment Programmes - Parenting Workshops, Financial Management, Wellness through Arts and Crafts, Wellbeing through Healthy Eating; and Social Prescribing Activities such as Sewing and Gardening.
WHO DO YOU WORK WITH?
In 1980, Saathi House became a registered charity, working with young people from Indian, Pakistani, Jamaican and Bangladeshi backgrounds. Over the last two years, the charity's renewed activities have continued to be directed principally towards these communities, although most of its recent clients have been local women of Bangladeshi heritage.
WHY DO YOU WORK WITH WOMEN?
Saathi House was founded to address inequalities faced by women and empower them to lead independent lives.
A lot has changed since the 70s, but unfortunately gender inequality persists. Women are at a greater risk of poverty than men, make up the vast majority of domestic violence victims (at least 1 in 4 women will experience some form of domestic violence in their lives) and are more likely to experience mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
To help women overcome these issues, we feel that a women only space provides a safe, welcoming and non-judgmental environment for women to come to access support.
DO YOU ONLY WORK WITH WOMEN?
Saathi House has a history of working closely with women, men and young people of all genders, backgrounds and age groups from across the West Midlands; but has more recently been focused on the needs of women from migrant communities. As our programs and projects develop and evolve, we once again aim to host a greater range of activities and opportunities for people of all identities and backgrounds.
WHAT DOES 'SAATHI HOUSE' MEAN?
'Saathi' means friendly companion, and reflects the ethos of the centre, a place where local people meet to complement each other.
For the first few years Saathi House was administered by the voluntary management committee delivering homework clubs, youth groups and a range of community led projects and services addressing the causes and effects of social and economic disadvantage.
WHERE ARE YOU BASED?
Saathi House is based in Aston in north-east Birmingham, located at the junction of Bevington Road and Trinity Road, a stone's throw from the Aston Villa Football Club.
IS ASTON IMPORTANT TO YOUR WORK AIMS AND OBJECTIVES?
Saathi House is situated in Aston in the Ladywood constituency of Birmingham (one of the top 10 most deprived constituency nationally) with substantial pockets of multiple deprivation. Worklessness and unemployment are well above the city average with 40% of the population being classed as economically inactive. The percentage of ethnic minority residents is well above the city average. For 40% of the population, English is not their first language. The area has seen major civil unrest in 1981, 1985, 1991, 2005 and more recently 2011.
HOW DO I GET INVOLVED WITH SAATHI HOUSE ACTIVITIES?
To find out more about Saathi House activities, projects and programmes, explore our website, check out our social media channels and/or contact us on info@saathihouse.org.
You can also visit our Projects and Events pages for more details.
DO YOU HAVE ANY JOB OPPORTUNITIES?
We do have job opportunities from time to time. To see if we have any current vacancies, please visit our careers page where we will detail any full-time or part-time opportunities.
You will soon be able to sign up for our regular newsletter for updates but, in the meantime, can keep an eye on our social media platforms to find out about job opportunities first.
DO YOU HAVE ANY WORK EXPERIENCE OPPORTUNITIES?
We do offer work experience placements at Saathi House. If you are looking to gain experience with us, please email info@saathihouse.org.
DO YOU HAVE ANY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES?
We have a range of volunteering opportunities at Saathi House that arise during the year based on the needs of each project or programme. If you would like to express an interest in being involved, please contact us with your area(s) of interest and we will contact you when opportunities arise.