ABOUT SEIN

SEIN is a membership organisation made up of voluntary organisations and community groups. Our members work with local residents from all backgrounds, countries and cultures providing services from advice & advocacy, to musical activities, to family support – and everything in between.

As a network, we create the opportunity for our members to connect & work together and support what they do. We do this by sharing information about their activities; providing access to training, advice and resources; hosting monthly network meetings; sitting on the Council Area Partnerships of the 4 wards we cover; running Peer Action Groups (co-produced peer support spaces); and acting as a hub for community integration work in the south east of Glasgow.

Through being a part of SEIN our members are better equipped to assist their communities across the full range of their needs. As a result of the network, members have develop new collaborative projects, make new referral partners, and built more inclusive practices, build skills and knowledge, and their organisational profile is raised. This all means that people in the South East feel better supported to live authentically and participate in the community.

THE History of SEIN

Integration networks were originally set up between 2000-2003 to support refugees and asylum seekers who were being accommodated in Glasgow. Four of these were in the south east of Glasgow.

Over the years, changes to the communities that they supported and to the funding environment led to these four networks coming together. In January 2013 the South East Integration Network (SEIN) was formed & became Scotland’s 500th Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO).

OUR MISSION

To connect and support local non-profit organisations who are committed to creating a collaborative and welcoming community in the south east of Glasgow.

our values

  • Connecting - we actively bring people & organisations together

  • Inclusive - we ensure that everyone is welcome, heard & able to participate

  • Supportive - we help, encourage & celebrate the work of our members

  • Open - we listen and respond to our members’ needs

We understand community integration activity to include:

  • the promotion of equality and diversity by encouraging mutual respect, ensuring everyone is welcomed and included;

  • the promotion of cultural, racial and religious harmony by encouraging dialogue and learning, by sharing information and experiences, and by challenging racism and prejudice;

  • the advancement of community development by building the capacity of individuals and groups to influence decisions affecting them and their communities;

  • the relief of poverty by supporting the most marginalised people, seeking to meet their needs and advocating for them;

  • the advancement of education, leading to mutual respect and diversity being valued.

This post by Greater Govanhill Magazine’s Jack Howes brilliantly captures what we mean by the term integration and why it’s in our name.