Birmingham is home to a large number of refugees. STAR (Student Action for Refugees) is a national charity that offers non-judgmental support by befriending refugees, campaigning for them, and raising awareness. We aim to provide a safe, friendly environment when interacting with refugees. No previous experience is necessary!
Currently, we run the following activities for asylum seekers and refugees in Birmingham...
English Conversation Classes:
The English language club is an opportunity to share some useful language skills with the individuals staying at a local accommodation centre. Different topics are covered every week and it is a chance for the adults at the centre to put their English language into practice.
Children's project:
We show a film for refugees at a hostel and provide snacks and drinks. We also bring various activities, including colouring books and games for the children.
Women's Project:
We offer a range of sessions specifically for women at a local hostel. These include makeup lessons, henna sessions, and sewing.
Cricket Project:
A new project that will be held at Edgbaston Cricket Stadium. It will be a friendly cricket game with asylum seekers from local accommodations.
Football Project:
We've partnered with Sport4Life to offer football sessions for asylum seekers. Volunteers will come to the sessions to play football and chat to participants.
We also run campaigns on refugee issues, such as equal access to university, indefinite detention and family reunion, and organise events to raise the money needed to enable our volunteering sessions to run and be improved.
Volunteering for STAR is flexible so you can do as much or as little as you like. We'll give you training, and pay for all the transport involved.
For more information, please get in touch with us and we will be happy to help with any queries.
Email: star1@guild.bham.ac.uk
Instagram: @starbirmingham
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/STARbrum16
To apply to become a Student Action for Refugees (STAR) volunteer, send us an email at the address mentioned above, and we'll get back to you ASAP.
How to get involved:
- Get a free membership to the society on the Guild website (this will add you to our mailing list)
- Follow our Instagram (@starbirmingham) for updates
- Send us a message expressing your interest
- Attend a training session
- Start volunteering!