Asha has offered English language classes to asylum seekers since 2011, thanks to our partnership with Keele University’s Language Centre.
Classes taught by Keele students have been popular but with an ever-increasing number of asylum seekers arriving with little or no English, the task of teaching them was supported by teaching volunteers.
In 2018, funding was secured for a project to equip these volunteers with the knowledge and resources needed to teach beginner-level English, under the guidance of Dr Barbara James and Russell Clark from Keele.
Last February, shortly before Lockdown in March 2020, Keele Language Centre in association with Asha, hosted a training event led by John Sutter, Director of Learning Unlimited and funded by the Education and Training Foundation. The event was well attended with representation from a majority of local ESOL providers. The focus was on the crossover area between Literacy and A0 Beginner English, a field which is currently undergoing a significant amount of research. Then, the March Lockdown and teaching ceased.
Happily, Dr Barbara James, a former trustee and long-term Asha volunteer, and Keele’s Language Learning Unit, was soon into the task of setting up online learning to enable student teachers at Keele University and volunteer teachers at Asha to deliver classes to asylum seekers. Keele staff continue to test students before allocating them to be taught by TESOL students one of two classes of eight students each.
Barbara introduced volunteer teachers to the operational features of teaching online, while Keita refers asylum seekers wanting to learn English. They, too, are tested before being introduced to a volunteer teacher.
The programme is developing within the constraints of lockdown and social distancing, and the need for more laptops and tablets for students.
For anyone who would like to teach English, please get in touch with [email protected] and for anyone wanting to learn English, contact [email protected] or call down to Asha on a Thursday morning and speak to Keita and he will arrange for level testing to be carried out.
Asha welcomes donations of laptops and tablets which will be cleaned before being given to an asylum seeker.
It’s important that asylum seekers have the opportunity to take part in activities to lessen their social isolation, and Asha’s clubs play an important role in achieving this aim.
It is often through their participation in these clubs that a user finds the confidence to raise a problem or concern which has until then remained hidden.
We run Saturday clubs aimed at both women and children at our headquarters in Hanley. These are facilitated by local volunteers, with the help of some of Asha’s more experienced users.
Both the women’s and children’s clubs run on Saturday mornings from 10am to 1pm at our Hanley HQ.
Our football club, meanwhile, helps bring people together through sport and helps participants build vital life skills, such as teamwork and communication.
We currently run four separate teams across a wide age range, bringing together asylum seekers and refugees from a wide variety of countries.
The football club also runs on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm, but is hosted at North Staffordshire YMCA.
Our clubs are very popular and we are always on the look-out for more volunteers to help run them. If you think you can help, please click here to contact us.
Christmas can be an especially bleak time for families living in exile from their homes, families, communities and countries.
That’s why in 2010 we decided to begin organising a Christmas party for the children of refugees and asylum seekers.
More than 100 children attend this party every year.
During the summer, Asha fills two coaches for a trip to the popular Welsh seaside resort of Llandudno.
Some of our children may be familiar with the River Nile but they’ve never seen the sea, or played and paddled on the beach. This outing creates a special day for them to remember.
If would like to financially support either the Christmas party or the summer outing, please visit our donations page.
- Connect with people
- Be physically active
- Learn new skills
- Give to others
- Pay attention to the moment
Before the pandemic, many asylum seekers visited the Asha Centre to meet with others, have a coffee, feel connected, enjoy Saturday football, attend the women and children clubs, to sew and do crafts. Some became volunteers at the centre or in the community. There was a summer excursion, a Christmas party, classes, and opportunities to contribute local events like the Hartshill International Festival, or a NorSCARF conference. More recently Asha’s drummers were in demand for local festivals.
Lockdown severed these connections, but Asha immediately set about the task of adapting to these straightened circumstances.
Food was delivered to those unable to travel into Hanley and distributed on the car park for those who could. Bicycles were donated, repaired, and distributed, casework and after a brief gap, English teaching continued online.
Supporting families and children remained a priority and funding was obtained to purchase and distribute tablets and speakers and Wi-Fi to 50 of the most vulnerable families. Staff kept in touch weekly by phone, WhatsApp and online. The Asha bulletins (under News) describes how this work has progressed to include Zoom exercise classes for men, women, and children.
Here are some websites with information about Covid-19 and links on activities to promote a sense of well-being.
Information
information to support mental health during coronavirus – https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/?fbclid=IwAR0gm5-Q0AX6yBnAqF2ZWn6yBXYD4UmAJA6bqRnE-ZIG27UzTjwy49FCoVA#collapsea1397
how to get Coronavirus info on WhatsApp – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-launches-coronavirus-information-service-on-whatsapp
An article about guarding mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic – https://www.rehab4addiction.co.uk/coronavirus/mental-health-coronavirus |
Wellbeing/meditation exercises
relaxation techniques developed for refugees and asylum seekers – https://www.uel.ac.uk/research/refugee-mental-health-and-wellbeing-portal/resource-centre/relaxation-techniques
written information on meditation and meditation audio – https://www.mindful.org/how-to-meditate/
http://learn.4mentalhealth.com/sites/default/files/courses/wb8/index.html#/
from young minds, lots of information about how to help mental health issues –
https://youngminds.org.uk/blog/looking-after-your-mental-health-while-self-isolating/
YouTube video links
Mini meditation – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IReEu2kI6oI
Breathing Ball – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f5N6YFjvV
Laughter yoga exercises – one teacher –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1v1WvakrYY&list=RDr1v1WvakrYY&start_radio=1&t=0 – laughter yoga exercises
Exercises to do in the park on your daily walk –
Sir Duke from St Joseph’s School, Stoke-on-Trent – An uplifting song performed by children from a Stoke-on-Trent school to get you dancing in your room –
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