SWAP’s mission is:

To improve the lives of the newly arrived in the borough through positive action and practical support, without discrimination, and through touching the lives of individuals to empower the wider community.

Our mission stems from our belief that everyone living in Wigan should feel welcome, should be given an equal chance to build a decent life, and should know where and how to access support when necessary, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, cultural background, language or immigration status. Our client group is defined primarily as newly arrived individuals from abroad, including asylum seekers, refugees and migrant workers from the EU accession states, who are in situations of hardship and would benefit from the project’s services to solve practical problems and reduce social isolation.

Our governing constitution defines the project’s aims as:

• To provide practical support for migrant arrivals (in particular, but not exclusively, asylum seekers, refugees and migrant workers).
• To aid and promote integration.
• To alleviate isolation and exclusion amongst individuals from migrant communities.
• To encourage members of migrant communities to participate in volunteering activities and gain confidence.
• To foster development of community-led well-being, culture, mental and physical initiatives which impact on the lives of migrant arrivals.