LGBTQI asylum seekers who are granted refugee status in the UK often begin their new lives facing poverty, uncertainty and the loss of community. Many encounter barriers such as invalid/unrecognised qualifications, a lack of UK work experience, limited support networks and the emotional burden of trauma and persecution.
Micro Rainbow’s Moving On programme responds directly to these needs. It provides practical support to open bank accounts, register for Universal Credit and gain employability skills, as well as opportunities to build confidence.
A part of this is our new Leadership Group Coaching Programme, held in autumn 2025. Over three months, eight LGBTQI refugees took part in group workshops, small‑group coaching sessions and one‑to‑one coaching with experienced mentors – Micro Rainbow founder and CEO Sebastian Rocca, and creative coach Caroline Bergvall. The programme focused on navigating leadership challenges, understanding personal strengths, building resilience and developing practical habits that help participants move forward in their lives.
One of the participants was Joy, a lesbian woman from Nigeria who was granted refugee status in 2024. She was connected with Micro Rainbow after experiencing homelessness, and received temporary accommodation and advocacy support during her wait for an asylum decision.
Since getting her status, Joy has returned to her university studies, which highlighted just how much she needed support to act decisively and confidently.
“I always had doubts, maybe because of my background, my sexuality or the way I pronounce things. I procrastinate a lot. I needed something to motivate me. The course I do at university requires making decisions that affect others. For me to do that, I need to portray leadership skills.”
Omid, a gay man from Iran who was also granted refugee status in 2024, joined the coaching programme hoping for clarity and direction in his life:
“I was confused, and my mind was struggling. I thought maybe I need to try something that helps me understand what is happening in my mind.”
Developing practical tools and habits
For Joy, the coaching programme helped her develop practical skills to organise her time and overcome obstacles. One memorable activity involved discussing barriers and resilience through the metaphor of a ship hitting obstacles:
“We talked about when the ship meets a barrier. The barrier could be something like health. How do you move past it? That made me realise some stumbling blocks are inevitable and you must work around them.”
She also created a new system for managing her time and wellbeing:
“I got a small diary I can keep in my pocket. I have been using it since January. I record everything. It helps me follow what I need to do.”
For Omid, a key moment came during a personalised coaching session:
“I was struggling with my mind. During a one‑to‑one coaching session, Sebastian helped me prioritise and organise my thoughts. In the end, I felt that I was not alone with my challenges – that was effective for me.”
This led to a noticeable shift in how he processed his thoughts:
“My mind was more clear in the last sessions. I was overthinking before, but the programme helped me recognise the problem.”
Achievements and growth
Joy noticed the biggest transformation when she came across an interesting job listing at her university:
“If it were in the past, I would procrastinate until the last day with the job application. When I saw that I needed to write a cover letter, I would get worked up. But now I said - I can do it. And when I did, it felt so good.”
Joy applied for the coordinator role and got the job. She believes one of the most valuable lessons she learned from the coaching programme is respecting others’ views – a skill she hopes to use in her new role:
“Something I took away from the programme is listening to other people and respecting their views without judgement. I think this will help me in my new role working with young people - always being able to listen to their voices and what they want.”
The programme has already helped Joy achieve her short‑term goal of securing employment. In the future, she hopes to develop professionally and find a position where she can demonstrate her leadership skills.
For Omid, being part of the group helped him realise he was not alone in facing difficulties:
“Hearing about the issues others had helps you understand it is not just you who has problems. When you talk about them together, all of you get stronger than before.”
Omid has a background in civil engineering, but has also pursued arts and activism. He is currently taking English language lessons and working towards getting a driving licence. The coaching programme helped him clarify his ambitions:
“I think the programme helped me find my way. I don’t have just one goal - in the future, I’d like to be an activist for LGBTQI and human rights in Iran and the Middle East. I’d like to own my own company or maybe work for a global organisation like the UN.”
