Unlocking Potential – The Destitution Narrative Project

IMIX wanted to spark discussions around the injustice of destitution for people trapped in the asylum system in a way that both reflects how it feels for people living that experience day in, day out, but in a way that doesn’t leave them regarded as victims without agency.
Building on what we’d learnt from our narrative work on The Struggle For Safety, we teamed up with our partner Eden Stanley over an 18-month period putting the voices of lived experience at the centre of a series of workshops and focus groups along with other charities, organisations and journalists.   
The aim of the resulting  Unlocking Potential narrative toolkit was and is to help the sector communicate more effectively about migrant destitution, to help change practice and policies so that fewer people end up cut off from their communities.  It’s designed to be used by a broad range of organisations including frontline charities and organisations who support refugees and migrants, local, regional and devolved governments and other charity allies. It provides all the elements of a strategic narrative: a messaging framework, suggested copy, and advice on how to engage particular audiences on this important topic.  
One of the most significant findings from this work is the need for the messaging to punch through at a regional level where local authorities have more power to improve conditions for people living with No Recourse To Public Funds. Our close links with both Newcastle City Council and grassroots organisations in the city and the constructive way they work together has demonstrated how powerful and effective these narratives can be.
We also realised how delivering workshops could be a great way to widen the influence of the messaging we have created and tested. Our CEO Jenni Regan delivered a special workshop around the Destitution Narrative work just before it officially launched to project stakeholders NACCOM at their Annual Conference. We also organised a media briefing event to engage with members of the press on how destitution affects people in the asylum system using the narrative frames.