Welcome to City of Sanctuary: An introduction Want to get stuck in with this movement of welcome for people seeking sanctuary? Join us 7 March 12:30 for an intro to our work and how you get involved. There's no better place to get going – there's no better time than now. Register your free place here.
FE Colleges Lunchtime networking meet up Join us on 2 March at 12:00 for a free informal lunch time meet-up for FE colleges to share updates and information about their efforts to promote welcome & sanctuary at their institution and in their community. Sign up here.
Local Authority Network: Supporting Hotel Accommodation On 21 March at 12:00 we invite our local authority partners to discuss how councils and their local partners have been supporting Contingency Hotel Accommodation. We will cover issues around health, school admissions, adult education, regulatory checks, food provision, community cohesion and advocating for change. Sign up here.
Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Meeting Join us on 22 March at 16:00 to meet, share ideas and build stronger regional ties. Migration Yorkshire will speak at the event and share updates on asylum issues impacting Yorkshire, Humberside and the wider UK. Asylum Matters will also share updates on campaigning and advocacy efforts in the region and across the UK. Sign up here.
North East Regional Meeting Join us on 27 March at 12:00 to meet, share ideas and build stronger regional ties with other groups in the North East. Sign up here.
Training for Further Education Colleges We have collaborated with Refugee Education UK to develop a suite of training modules to help colleges to grow in their confidence and expertise to support refugee and asylum seeking students. Find out more here.
Hampshire Library Service and Welcome Join colleagues from Hampshire Library Service as they discuss how they support new arrivals. Hampshire have not only gained the Libraries of Sanctuary Award across all 40 Libraries, but improved their outreach, partnerships and opened up new funding streams. Come along and learn how one small act has snowballed into a successful, welcoming service for all. Sign up here.
UK attitudes to immigration among most positive internationally According to a new study that ranks the country at the top of an international league table as the most accepting of new arrivals. Read more here.
The Commission on the Integration of Refugees - call for evidence The Commission - an independent commission that aims to improve the integration of refugees in the UK - invites groups and individuals to submit evidence on how the current refugee and asylum system affects refugees’ integration into wider UK society. Deadline: 31 March. See more here.
Majority of people on small boats crossing Channel last year are refugees At least six out of ten (60%) of all those who made the dangerous Channel crossing to the UK in small boats last year will be recognised as refugees through the asylum process, new analysis from the Refugee Council shows. Read the full report here.
New briefing: ‘Principles for Asylum Dispersal’ Asylum Matters and NACCOM have launched a new briefing in response to the government's new policy of ‘Full Dispersal'. It includes a series of principles for good asylum dispersal and case studies of successful partnerships between Local Authorities and voluntary sector organisations. Read it here.
Other Side of Hope Magazine - submissions open The UK's first Magazine of Sanctuary is open to submissions of poetry, prose and art from authors from a refugee and migrant background. Everything published is paid for. Find out more here.
Funding - Refugee Festival Scotland Refugee Festival Scotland Small Grants Fund awards funding of up to £500 to community groups so they can run events as part of the festival. Find out more here.
Martha Petryna and Paul Bidos - thank you We are incredibly grateful to Paul Bidos and his family. Following the passing of his mother, Martha Petryna, they asked their friends and family to make a donation to City of Sanctuary UK in lieu of flowers. Martha arrived in England in 1948 from Ukraine as a displaced citizen, after a very painful journey through a horrible war. She will be remembered by all for her generosity, particularly to those that needed help. Thank you so much. If anyone would like to make a donation in Martha's name, they can do so here.
Scholarships The Royal Drawing School is offering a post-graduate course, The Drawing Year, offering up to 30 students a full scholarship and studio space in an effort to improve opportunities for underrepresented groups. Find out more here.
Seven new opportunities for refugees and people seeking asylum via the Displaced Student Opportunities UK portal.
Human Rights Watch Film Festival NO U TURN is showing at the Barbican in London with a Q&A with the filmmakers from Human Rights Watch on 18 March. The film will also be available to watch across the UK and Ireland online via the Human Rights Watch streaming website from 20 March to 26 March. Use code CHANGE23 for 15% off tickets for the online screenings. See more here.
Refugee Rhythms Festival Festival in Cardiff on 3 March fundraising for Cardiff STAR - Student Action for Refugee - Conversation classes, STAR National and charities supporting the relief efforts in Turkey and Syria after the earthquake. Buy tickets here.
Right to Work Checks Survey Employment rules and immigration laws change constantly making life very difficult for migrant workers. The Migrants’ Rights Network (MRN), Migrants at Work and the Open Rights Group are asking people to fill in this survey to share information on how they are affected by the employment and immigration laws.
Workshop: How to make an impact with the Destitution Narrative Join IMIX on March 20 for a workshop exploring why narrative frameworks are important, why destitution should be on the agenda, and what organisations can do at a local/regional level to use this messaging to take action and shift perceptions. Sign up here.
Supporting New Scots Fund Organisations supporting refugee integration are invited to apply for funding to deliver projects that help people seeking safety in Scotland learn English and access employment. Find out more here.
Funding opportunity in London: Hong Kong Community Fund The Mayor of London has launched the Hong Kong Community Fund. The fund aims to support Hongkongers, to make them feel welcomed and build a sense of belonging in their new communities in London. It is targeted at non-established, newly established, or smaller grass root groups or organisations run by and/or for Hongkongers and their partners. Find out more here.
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