By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
Nottingham City Council is to accept up to £140,000 in Government funding to help Hong Kong nationals learn English.
Funding from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing & Communities will provide up to £850 per adult to access English language classes.
Nottingham City Council will receive 20 per cent administration fee per person.
Local data shows that there are approximately 4,000 Hong Kong BNO (British National Overseas) in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Nottingham City Council will work with partners including Belong, which support community integration.
To date, Belong have engaged with 486 Hong Kong British Nationals of which 35 per cent live within Nottingham City boundaries.
“Demand has increased over the last two months”, city council documents said.
City Council documents said: “An immigration route opened in January 2021, providing British National status holders from Hong Kong and their dependants with the opportunity to come to the UK to live, study and work, on a pathway to citizenship.
“This route reflects the UK’s historic and moral commitment to those people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK by taking up BNO status at the point of Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997.
“In March 2023, DLUHC announced the continuation of its Hong Kong BNO Welcome programme for 2023/24. This includes continued demand-led funding for local authorities in England for English language courses.”
As a result, the Government have implemented a new national support programme for Hong Kong British Nationals to support “Civic integration” at a local level and enhance English language skills.
The Government has started the ‘bespoke’ programme as Hong Kong British Nationals are not eligible for free Education Skills Funding Agency support currently funded through the Adult Education Budget.
