More than 140 families from ethnic minority backgrounds are now getting support to reduce isolation and adapt to life in Northern Ireland, thanks to an inspirational Nigerian woman, who used her own experiences and skills to set up a charity.

Eyi Yemi Bamidele, 49, established Family Comfort NI, an organisation that helps families and creates safe places for people to come together, get support and share their experiences while gaining a sense of belonging.

Thanks to a grant of more than £145,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund, Family Comfort has been able to provide creative and educational activities for young people from diverse ethnic communities in the Belfast City Council and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council areas. 

“When I moved to Northern Ireland in 2012, there were a lot of issues with discrimination for me, and the people of colour community was so small; there was no social space where my children could find commonality with other children,” Yemi said.

“On a number of occasions, I was assaulted with racist comments while walking on the road; some of them were quite disturbing because they were of a sexual nature. Each time, thoughts went through my mind asking, why would anyone think they could throw sexual comments at you just because you have a different coloured skin?

Ealing Times:

“This kind of discrimination and inequalities were ongoing and sometimes people came knocking on my door and then ran away, or threw eggs on my window which was reported to the police more than once. 

“Fortunately, there were three other women from other minority countries, who came into my children’s school two years later, experiencing similar things.

“I thought, ‘Okay, I think I can actually bring these people together and talk about the problems we have and how we can support one another'. I felt I couldn't change what was happening at that time. I could only report it and create a secure space for victims to find solace and understanding in the group, sharing experiences and supporting our young people. So, I initiated a gathering with four ladies with eight children.

“We said, let's help the children and see how we can make them also feel like they belong here; different countries coming together - irrespective of age, race, belief or culture, and that was how it all began. I used my ability to mentor these families, helping them achieve their daily goals and support their personal development to create a sense of belonging. Then, it grew and became something that was and is now the perfect support network for the new ethnic minority in Northern Ireland.”

The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funding body in the UK, gave more than £50 million to over 1,000 projects supporting Black communities across Great Britain and Northern Ireland last year, demonstrating its ambition to invest in places, people and communities experiencing poverty, disadvantage and discrimination. 

Through funding, Yemi, was able to enrich the lives of young people in her local community by creating the Play, Creativity and Learning Programme. This programme became a safe space with open access to a wide range of learning activities for young people of colour. It also facilitates a network within the local youth groups for continued understanding of diversity and inclusion across the board.

Speaking on the importance of National Lottery funding, Yemi added: “It makes me feel proud that we can actually have an impact on the lives of people, and anyone can come to us and share their experiences. It gladdens my heart when three parents at different times came up and presented me with flowers and sweets and said: “Thank you for making our son happy and busy”.

“The project is boosting young people’s confidence, bringing a mutual understanding of different cultures and building social resilience through the series of activities, such as craft, music, dance, fitness, ICT, filming, animation, cookery, games and outdoor activities to name a few.

“We also create awareness on various issues, providing learning and information to help families to enrich their local community.

“The funding has been so supportive – it ensures that the project continues to bring both parents and young people together. Parents are given the opportunity to meet and have direct contact with other parents who have been neighbours but never got along. But because they need to utilise our social support, they became best friends and have built continuous relationships.

Additionally, the funding has also helped in the development of skills for young people by empowering them to explore their potential and gain skills through a range of creative activities and improve local networking

Each week National Lottery players raise more than £30 million for good causes throughout the uK. To find out more about National Lottery funding in your area, please visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk