Keele Language Centre, in conjunction with ASHA North Staffordshire, successfully hosted an ESOL training event on Thursday 20 February 2020 led by John Sutter, Director of Learning Unlimited (specialist in ESOL/ELT and Literacy Education) and funded by the Education and Training Foundation. The event was well attended with representation from a majority of the local ESOL

For several years, Asha has welcomed four second year medical students on a  community placement for a minimum of 22 hours.  Starting with an induction about Asha’s services, policies and procedures the students meet with newcomers to our country and to Stoke and hear something of what they have endured to get here.  This year

Twenty-two children and eight parents strapped on roller skates and got in touch with their inner child during the half term break. There were a few trips and falls, no broken bones and a lot of laughter as Asha children and parents had their very first Roller Disco at the YMCA in Hanley. Many had

Women from Asha joined in a kitchen party to decorate biscuits for Valentine’s Day and make these lovely gift boxes. We celebrated together the importance of companionship and support for each other, and gave out our gifts to others in order to spread the love. At Asha’s Friday community meal, men and women wrote love

(Men predominate in the English classes and this sidesteps learning around those things likely to matter most to women, hence a ‘women only’ group to be tutored by a young Muslim mother!)  The tutor began with two women from Sudan and one from Morocco. Reporting on her first session, she commented “The students seemed very

Time to Talk Day is a national event taking place in work places, schools, community settings and homes.  Its a chance for us to talk about mental health and encourage friends, colleagues, neighbours and families to do the same. At Asha we had a wellbeing awareness day.  Around 30 Asha members took part having conversations

Prompted by Penny and gathered together by Jackie, twelve Asha users attended  joyful performances from a superb selection of Choirs from in and around Stoke-on-Trent. “We should be on the stage next year” commented one user!  Who would disagree? Singing is good for the soul and a welcome respite from the constrained everyday life of

Accompanied by Ryn and Jackie and with free tickets and a 70-seater coach paid for by Faz Shah, a musician performing at the New Vic, a medley of Asha children and parents, adult users and volunteers enjoyed a morning performance of ‘The Prince and the Pauper.’  A volunteer who attended with a couple seeking asylum

Marshalled by Tamba, seven Asha users trooped down the road to tidy-up around the Mosque and Stepping Stones.  This was by way of a thank-you to the Mosque for their support and a reciprocal gesture to Stepping Stones who hosted a solidarity event attended by Asha users shortly before Christmas. The wind was getting up