The Student Network
Students at De Montfort spread the message
The STAR national network is made up of approximately 3,000 members in 30 student groups based at universities across the UK.
From Glasgow to Southampton, Cardiff to London and Plymouth to Newcastle, students all over the country welcome refugees in their communities.
Find a STAR group
See where STAR groups are using our online map:
If there is not a STAR group at your university you can start your own!
Contact the national team to find out what you need to do. See below for more information.
What do STAR groups do?
STAR groups work with and support refugees in 3 main ways:
- promoting positive images of refugees
- volunteering for local refugee projects
- campaigning for refugees
Why Promoting?
The UK does not provide a warm welcome to refugees. Years of misrepresentation in the media and elsewhere has resulted in people seeing refugees and asylum seekers as liars and scroungers.
STAR members can promote greater understanding of refugees and asylum seekers among other students and in the local community. Students do this in lots of ways including publicity stunts like sleeping out in mock refugee shelters and hosting debates, film screenings, theatre performances and speaker events.
Universities are unique places to reach young people with the facts about refugees and increase their awareness of the difficulties of seeking protection in the UK.
By promoting positive images of refugees students can ensure that the UK will provide a warmer welcome to refugees in the future.
Why Volunteering?
Life as an asylum seeker in the UK can be full of loneliness, upheaval and uncertainty.
STAR members can make a positive difference to the lives of refugees by volunteering at local community centres and schools. Students can offer a friendly face at drop-in centres, help with English conversation, organise food parcels or clothes collections, run activity clubs and arrange day trips for refugee children.
In return, STAR members make new friends, learn about life as a refugee and understand why people have been forced to leave their homes.
By volunteering for local refugee projects students can support people during a difficult time and assist them to build a new life in the UK.
Why Campaigning?
Read more about STAR campaigning:
STAR Campaigning Policy
Over the years the Government has introduced ever stricter policies for asylum seekers and refugees: thousands are denied accommodation and financial support if their claim is refused; everyone is forbidden from working during the asylum process; and hundreds of children are held in detention every year.
STAR members can effect direct change by standing up against the unacceptable treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. Students can campaign locally, such as lobbying their university for fair access for asylum seekers or protesting against a nearby detention centre. Students can campaign nationally as part of a wide coalition of refugee organisations, such as to end the destitution of refused asylum seekers with Still Human Still Here.
By campaigning for refugees, students can change policy to directly improve the lives of refugees in the UK.
Start your own STAR group
STAR is continually growing! You can start a new STAR group at your university and become part of a network of 3000 student members.
Download our short guide to starting a STAR group:
10 steps to starting a STAR group
To join the STAR network you need to:
- Register as a society at your students’ union or university
- Affiliate to the STAR national charity annually by signing the STAR Affiliation Agreement.
Download a copy of the Affiliation Agreement:
STAR Affiliation Agreement
How much will it cost? Nothing 
because STAR national fundraise for all the resources, but groups are encouraged to help by fundraising for STAR national throughout the year.
STAR groups affiliated to the national network get:
- to use the STAR name and logo
- free materials to promote your group and refugees, e.g. banners, books, leaflets
- free training on running STAR activities including committee training
- assistance, direction and advice on volunteering and campaigning with refugees from the experienced national team
- the opportunity to join with other students to campaign nationally for refugees
- a say in the direction of STAR including a vote at the Annual General Meeting (AGM)
- to promote your group on the STAR website
- discounts for the National Conference in November and on STAR merchandise
This includes regular support from the national team by phone, email and visits to your university.
