’speakers’ - we receive regular requests from organisations, groups, and schools, to go and talk to them about asylum seekers and refugees, and about Leicester, City of Sanctuary. We currently have a small group of people available as ’speakers’, who meet to share ideas and develop resources to use during talks - if you would like to join the group please let me know.

‘voucher exchange’ - many asylum seekers are issued supermarket shopping vouchers as their only means of buying food, toiletries, clothing etc, meaning they cannot make use of markets, charity shops, etc to make their limited income go further, and also meaning they do not have any access to cash, for example to catch a bus or to use a payphone. In other parts of the country there are projects where people who usually shop in supermarkets already can indirectly ‘exchange’ them, thereby giving an asylum seeker choice in where they do their shopping - but we need a small group of people to help us set up and run this project.

‘website development’ - we have our own section on the national City of Sanctuary website but are currently under-using this valuable resource - if you are interested in developing and regularly updating the information on the website please get in touch.

‘golden giver challenge’ - we have had an amazing response over the past few months when we have put out appeals for food and toiletries for the destitute asylum seekers supported by the British Red Cross, who provide approx. 150 food parcels each week to those denied access to housing and/or financial support, and also denied the right to work and support themselves. Because the need is ongoing, and as a way of encouraging and recognising those who give so generously, over Refugee Week we launched the Golden Giver Challenge - a challenge to get together with family, friends, colleagues, classmates etc, and over the period of a year donate 50 bags of food and other essential supplies to the British Red Cross (flyer below with more information) - this project has been launched but needs more people to get involved in it’s running and in taking it into schools and other groups.

Golden Giver Challenge Flyer

‘refugee week 2009′ and other events - we are already thinking about future events, as far ahead as Refugee Week 2009 next June! - if you have ideas and/or would like to get involved in organising an event please let me know.

That’s it for now, if there is anything you would like more information on please get back to me

Gill Buttery

Development Worker
Leicester, City of Sanctuary

leicester@cityofsanctuary.org
www.cityofsanctuary.org

The basic idea behind the new, Small Actions Campaign is that simple, everyday actions, when performed by lots of people, can create a difference and positively change a society.

The development and delivery of various phases of the campaign will be overseen by the Small Action working group - a motley crew of enthusiasts from the Refugee Week Partnership, marketing experts and artists.

To launch the first phase of the campaign in Refugee Week 2008, we have collected, with the help of various organisations, supporters and friends, around 100 ideas which can be found on the Small Actions pages on our website: http://www.refugeeweek.org.uk/getinvolved/smallactions/   

Our plan is that in the next three months we continue collecting ideas that suggest similarly great and silly ways of changing perceptions and bringing refugees and British people together.

Once the process of collecting ideas is over (September 2008), the group will create a list (possibly by organising a vote via the internet) of the “best” ideas around which the campaign will be organised.

The second stage of the campaign will consist of inviting individuals, communities and organisations from different parts of the country and different walks of life to participate in the campaign, encouraging them to mobilise friends, families and colleagues (particularly those who have little contact with refugees).

The third stage, and the ultimate aim of the campaign will be to get thousands of individuals to do simple, everyday things that will lead toward improving perceptions of refugees and bring about a better understanding between “refugee” and “host” communities in 2009, 2010 and beyond.

If you are interested in supporting the campaign, please contact us for more information at info@refugeeweek.org.uk or simply encourage your contacts to upload their ideas on our website.

Contact: Almir Koldzic Refugee Week UK Co-ordinator

Refugee Week, 240 - 250 Ferndale Road, London SW9 8BB

T   020 7346 6753
M  07960 469 271

Refugee Week is a UK wide programme of cultural and educational events which celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK , and aims to encourage better understanding between communities.

For more information please visit the website: www.refugeeweek.org.uk

This has been updated due to both an urgent need for these services and this week being national Refugee Week.

Organisation Contacts & Map

The evening will start with a presentation about conflicts around the world by a speaker from the International Red Cross, followed by Navigating Safety, an activity which examines why the majority of those forced to flee only make it as far as a neighbouring region or country.

For those who do manage to make it here but who are unable to prove that they faced persecution in their home country and would be under threat if they returned, we will be showing The Destitution of Refused Asylum Seekers, a dvd which highlights the reality of life when you are denied permission to work and do not have any entitlement to benefits or housing.

The evening will finish with a question and answer session, and suggestions for ways we can work more closely together to support those who, having been through conflict and flight, are still looking for sanctuary.

Places are limited and can be reserved by contacting Leicester, City of Sanctuary on: leicester@cityofsanctuary.com or contact 07716 073403.

From Saturday 14th June to 12th July during normal opening hours at the Central Library on Belvoir Street, including an invitation evening on Monday 16th June - “The Missing Pen“, an exhibition of digital artwork by Anwar Badrie. Simon / Central Library: 0116 2995448.

Monday 16th June, 5-7.30pm at the De Montfort University Clephan Building on Bonners Lane - Conflict, Flight, and Sanctuary? An opportunity to explore the journey of an asylum seeker, with an International Red Cross presentation about conflicts around the world, Navigating Safety - an activity to experience the options faced by those needing to flee, and The Destitution of Refused Asylum Seekers - a dvd which highlights the ’sanctuary’ experienced by those denied permission to work and who do not have any entitlement to benefits or housing. Places are limited and can be reserved, Gill / Leicester, City of Sanctuary: 07716 073403 / leicester@cityofsanctuary.com.

Monday 16th to Saturday 21st June during normal opening hours at LUSH on Gallowtree Gate - LUSH cosmetics and toiletries store staff will be distributing awareness raising booklets to customers.

Tuesday 17th June, 5-8pm at 120a Hartopp Raod - “I Came Here: 1939 to Present Day“, an open evening with a showing of a short film about people who have moved to Leicester. Places must be booked by 12th June, Chris / Soft Touch: 0116 2702706 / chris@soft-touch.org.uk.

Thursday 19th June, 10am-1pm at 21 St Martins - Welcome Project ‘open morning’. An opportunity to find out about the weekly drop-in for asylum seekers and refugees.

Friday 20th June, 9.15am-4pm at the Business School building at Loughborough University - Women and Migration Conference: Art, Politics and Policy. Places are limited, registration forms are available from r.bessell@lboro.ac.uk and v.l.dhaliwal@lboro.ac.uk.

Saturday 21st June, 10am-5pm at St Margaret’s Pastures - International Football Tournament with 20 teams representing countries from around the world, and organisations from around Leicester. Volunteers needed - Rayhana / Refugee Action: 0116 2616200.

Saturday 21st June, 12noon-4pm at the Newarke Houses Museum - Connecting Cultures, Celebrating Diversity including stalls and performances, arts and crafts, workshops and food.

And after Refugee Week: Thursday 3rd to Fri 4th July at Loughborough University - Making the Connections Conference: the Arts, Migration and Diaspora. Places are limited, registration forms are available from r.bessell@lboro.ac.uk.

Please check for any last minute additions and amendments in the ‘Events Calendar’ section at top of Home Page.

We’re going to be having an end of year barbecue in the evening but then we will be sleeping rough on the university campus overnight to protest against the forced destitution of asylum seekers.

If you wish to find out information about this event please contact:

Eben Marks - email ebenmarks@googlemail.com
President - ULSU Amnesty International Society

St Margaret’s Pasture, St Margaret’s Way, Leicester LE1 3EA

10am - 5pm

An event to be enjoyed by the whole family so bring them along too! We have fun and games for the children and access to AbbeyPark playground nearby!

 Closing date for entries is 1st June and its a maximum of 20 teams so please get your entries in now!

Contact Rayhana Brydson on 0116 261 6200

Football Tournament Poster

The Refugee Week website www.refugeeweek.org.uk states:

The purpose of Refugee Week is to deliver positive educational messages that counter fear, ignorance and negative stereotypes of refugees, through arts, cultural and educational events that celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK, and promote understanding about the reasons why people seek sanctuary.

Refugee Week was first held in 1998, and was created in response to the increasingly negative perceptions of refugees and asylum seekers held by the general public in Britain. It remains the only UK-wide event that promotes the importance of sanctuary and the benefits it can bring to both refugees and host communities.

During Refugee Week 2007, between 400 and 450 events took place across the UK, organised by charities, local government, small refugee community organisations, schools, churches, arts organisations, day centres, refugee umbrella networks, regional and national consortiums amongst many others .

Each year here in Leicester there is a varied program of events and activities throughout the week and beyond! Those organisations and groups locally who are involved in supporting asylum seekers, refugees and their communities have a very strong ethos of partnership working and each year we meet regularly in the run up to Refugee Week to make sure we are developing a varied program to run throughout the week, and to discuss opprtunities for partnership working / ways of supporting each other.

If you are interested in having a display, holding an event / activity, or in supporting events / activities that are being organised (as a volunteer or with a donation), then you are welcome to come along to the next (or a future) meeting -

for more info contact Gill Buttery on: leicester@cityofsanctuary.com

Next meeting: Wednesday 9th April 2008, at 3pm at the Central Library on Belvoir Street in the city centre.

Events will be taking place in Leicester & Leicestershire and Citizens Eye will have all the details over the coming months.

During Refugee Week hundreds of events exploring refugee experiences take place across the UK. These range from small community and school activities to art exhibitions, political debates, film screenings, conferences, big music festivals, sports events etc…

Anyone can get involved in Refugee Week either by organising or visiting an event or by just spreading the word!

For further information on Refugee Week 2008