Do you work in housing and regularly engage with the Polish community in Birmingham?
This unique cultural intelligence training is designed to support housing professionals like you in building stronger, more informed relationships with one of the city’s largest migrant populations.
Centrala is a migrant-led organisation working at the intersection of culture, wellbeing, and social change. We are currently leading work to address health inequalities affecting the Polish community in Birmingham and have recently published a report titled “Central and Eastern European Communities in Birmingham and Mental Health Support.” Our findings show a deep need for culturally informed approaches in health and mental health services.
Participants will explore key topics such as communication styles, family dynamics, and cultural values that shape attitudes toward health, mental wellbeing, and authority. You’ll also gain a clearer understanding of the barriers Polish migrants face when accessing services and the root causes of common misunderstandings. Most importantly, you’ll leave with practical strategies to build trust, improve communication, and deliver more inclusive and effective support.
This training is ideal for housing officers, support workers, local authority teams, and professionals in advice and welfare services looking to engage more effectively with Polish tenants and service users. By building cultural awareness and sensitivity, we can reduce inequalities, strengthen relationships, and improve outcomes across the housing sector.
The training will take place online via Zoom. A link will be sent to all registered participants on the day of the session, please double-check your email address when registering.
About Facilitator:
Alicja Kaczmarek is the Founder and Director of Centrala Space and the Polish Expats Association, a pioneering non-profit organisation established in 2009 to support the integration of Central and Eastern European (CEE) migrant communities in the UK and to promote CEE arts and culture.
With a background in Sociology from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland, Alicja holds an MA in Social Policy from the University of Birmingham and a Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy from Coventry University. Since relocating to Birmingham in 2004, she has become a leading voice in community development, migrant integration, inclusive project design, and research-led cultural programming.
Alicja brings a wealth of experience in designing and delivering impactful local and international initiatives. Her portfolio includes innovative projects such as Art and Brexit – International Collaborations, In-Between Spaces: Inclusion and Representation of CEE Artists in the UK Creative Economy, and Testimony in Practice: Working with Stories of the Self and Others. Her work is rooted in a deep commitment to equity, representation, and the empowerment of migrant voices through arts, culture, and policy engagement.
Project funded by Birmingham City Council Public Health