Project report: Association of wives and mothers of soldiers participating in the war in Eastern Ukraine

Women united by war Grantee: Association of wives and mothers of soldiers participating in the war in Eastern Ukraine Project: “United we are Stronger!” supporting groups of vulnerable elderly women in remote areas of the Donetsk region  The Women of the Donetsk region are among those most affected by the war. Many of them have lost …

New BEARR volunteer

Please meet our latest volunteer recruit – Anita Pant. BEARR is delighted to welcome Anita to our team and we look forward to working with her. Anita has a master’s degree in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Oxford. Since graduating, she has worked in migrant and refugee support roles in Greece …

The BEARR Trust Small Grants Scheme 2022

A) Projects to improve the social welfare of migrant workers and the wellbeing of their families. B) Projects to improve the welfare of the applicant organisation’s staff and volunteers, and its resilience. Small Grants Scheme 2022 The deadline for applications for our 2022 Small Grants Scheme has now passed. Applications are being assessed and both successful …

2021 CSO survey – results

In 2020, BEARR organised a survey to find out how civil society organisations (CSOs) in our region, and the people they were trying to help, were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. We have just repeated this exercise in 2021 in order to track developments over the past year, and to find areas of need that …

Project report: I can do anything because you believe in me!!

Grantee: Society of People with Disabilities, TAUR, Moldova Project: to reduce the social isolation of people with disabilities  People with disabilities need our support, they need somebody to believe in their capabilities. In Moldova, even in the capital, there is no accessibility for people with disabilities. The social support guaranteed by the State is miserable (about €100 per month).  With the isolation engendered by the pandemic, life has become even more difficult… There are no support services for families with severely disabled members, and home medical assistance is unavailable.  But… …

Report: fourth leg of the Bristol2Beijing bike ride

By BEARR trustee Jane Ebel13.12.21 We have come to the end of the road (for now!) for BEARR’s partnership with Luke Grenfell-Shaw, as he moves into the fifth and final leg of his intrepid journey. Luke, himself a “CanLiver” (someone living with cancer: facing the challenges and uncertainties of cancer on a daily basis, yet …

Sewing for confidence and independence: a social enterprise for Roma women and girls

Grantee: Winds of Change, Odesa, UkraineProject: creation of a needlework social enterprise for Roma women and girls.  Poverty and multiple forms of discrimination have long kept Roma women in the shadows. What is expected of Roma girls is to stay silent, get married as early as possible, have children and spend their life on housework and child-rearing, sometimes earning a small …

Report: BEARR Trust Autumn Lecture

Media and civil society under attack in Russia: What can we do?   September 2021  Independent political and civic activity has been increasingly repressed in Russia in recent years. While the jailing of Alexei Navalny and the suppression of his organisation has made headlines around the world, measures to restrict ‘foreign agents’ have also impacted civil society …

The Middle Years: BEARR takes a hard look in the mirror

2001 – 2011 The adolescent years of BEARR’s life span to date saw much of the international development funding for the former Soviet Union being redirected elsewhere, forcing BEARR to reassess its role, and make some significant cutbacks. Ultimately, this period of hard reflection ushered in a new era for BEARR, with an increased focus …