Every STAR group can send their 3 lead committee members to this fabulous free event to learn from lead activists how to run a great STAR group and help make the UK a safe and welcoming place for refugees.

The day promises to be great fun and a brilliant opportunity to meet inspirational STARs from over 30 universities!

Get the date in your diary and look out for more details soon.

To book, just complete the Booking Form below and send it back to us.

Booking Form 2012

You can watch ‘Escape from the World’s Most Dangerous Place’ online on BBC i-Player until Monday 7th May.

So Frankie, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Well I’m just coming to the end of my final year studying International Relations and Peace and Conflict Studies with Arabic at London Met. My course pretty much sums me up! Since I was little I have been so intrigued by the world, I love learning languages and travelling and visiting other countries is a massive part of my life. When I graduate, my plan is to work for a while to be able to fund a year-long placement abroad, as an intern or volunteer. Hopefully this will get my foot in the door with an international organisation that works with refugees or victims of trafficking. Human, arms and drugs trafficking is a particular area I would like to work in as it is a global problem we cannot escape from and have a responsibility to put an end to.

When did you first hear about STAR and what inspired you to get involved?

I heard about STAR almost three years ago just before starting at London Met when I met Emma Williams. She told me that there were plans for starting a STAR group at London Met so together with a current student Lamine we created the group. I was inspired by the fact that so many students across the country were not only taking such an interest in the lives of refugees in the UK, but were actively involved in campaigns and improving the communities close to them. Immigration is always a hot topic but people in this country are still so ignorant to the real issues surrounding asylum. I realised how little I knew when I attended my first STAR National conference!

So can you tell us about something you have been involved with through the London Met STAR group?

An event that will stay with me forever is the London Sleepout 2012 with the London STAR groups. Even though we were a lot less people then the year before, I feel like this year was an even greater success. Firstly on a personal level, I felt a lot more confident in myself and in my place at STAR and my awareness of the issues. But then in terms of the campaign, Still Human Still Here, everybody was 100% involved with the quizzes and speaking to the public, it felt like we covered more ground and had an impact on a lot of people that night.

What are your best memories of your time with STAR?

There are lots of moments from our conversation club and from the conferences I have attended and of course the Sleepouts which I always think about, but my best memory was the STAR party after the National Conference in 2011 that I organised with Theresa. Just because it made me so happy to be so involved with organising something with STAR, it seemed like everyone enjoyed themselves, I definitely did! And getting to know other STARs is always amazing!

What can students do to support refugees in the UK, and in London in particular?

I can’t stress enough how just knowing some simple facts and truths can make such a difference. Especially in terms of awkward conversations about ‘immigration’ and ‘policies’ etc. if one person is able to say “Actually hang on, that’s not the case…” it can have a huge impact on what a number of people thought they knew. In terms of supporting refugees I still believe ignorance is the biggest issue! Also students always have time, time that can be spent even just a few hours a week doing something to improve the community, and why shouldn’t that be refugee projects? I think we all owe something to our communities.

You recently ran a marathon for STAR! What motivated you to fundraise for the STAR network?

The money fundraised from the marathon is for the benefit of all students in the STAR network, and most importantly for the people living in this country we are involved in trying to help. My personal motivation to fundraise in this way was as a massive gesture for STAR on behalf of London Met. Compared to other STAR groups our activities probably haven’t affected as many people, but hopefully this will be something that London Met STAR in the future can take inspiration from and be proud of.

Can you tell us a bit about your marathon experience? Do you have any advice for other ‘sporty STARs’?

Without a doubt it has been an insane journey, but I do like to set myself ridiculous challenges! I couldn’t have been more prepared for the day, so for that I am very happy with myself for, but nonetheless I had absolutely no idea that it was going to like that! Spectators in London were an absolute dream, they were amazing, and seeing my friends at various points along the ways was incredible too, as well as Emily and Ellen at Mile 20 when I had definitely hit my wall! My advice for any sporty STARs would be to not hesitate in getting involved in a challenge that you know you will remember forever. The most important thing is to know why you are doing it; if you do something for yourself as an own personal achievement AND for a charity that you really care about then it’s the most rewarding experience you will ever have!

What did STARs get up to?

UCL

Our brand new UCL STAR group kicked off the action with a fantastic event, ‘Unaccompanied Afghan minors and the UK Asylum Policy’, highlighting the legal complexities facing unaccompanied Afghan minors arriving in the UK.

STAR Northern Conference

Up in Manchester, the STAR Northern Conference dedicated a whole day of interactive workshops and panel discussion to the situation of young refugees. Students from 7 STAR groups all pitched in to make the event a fantastic success. Hannah Ashman from STAR Manchester said,

“the decision to focus on young people in the STAR Northern Conference was influenced by the fact that many of us in STAR are also young people. Being young is hard at the best of times – I can only begin to imagine what it must be like for someone who has fled their country for protection in the UK, only to end up in an asylum system which is isolating, disorientating and disbelieving of the people it should be supporting! Raising awareness about the issues that young people seeking asylum face in this country is really important. Not only are some of the difficulties they face often quite different to those faced by other asylum seekers, but people in general tend to forget – or prefer to forget – this particular demographic within the refugee community.”

Catch up on what happened at the conference here

Why is YPSS Important?

Young asylum seekers in Britain face a range of unique challenges which make their experience of the asylum system in the UK particularly painful. Many also experience extremely distressing circumstances before they arrive. They may have seen loved ones persecuted or killed, faced horrific and prolonged journeys and experienced extreme isolation. When they arrive in the UK the welcome they receive is often far from warm. Some of the key problems stem from the high rate of error in age assessments and confusion over legal statuses and decision making. Age assessments are crucial since they determine how the asylum application is treated. Getting the assessment right can make the difference between unlawfully detaining the asylum applicant or rightfully directing them to the care of their Local Authority.

The UKBA decision-making process has been widely criticized by organisations and policy makers with regard to young people. In 2009 only 7% of 780 unaccompanied young asylum seekers were granted refugee status, humanitarian protection or discretionary leave to remain. 93% were refused and subject to forced removals.

Young asylum seekers may wait years in the UK awaiting the resolution of their case, and life in UK is a daily struggle for many young asylum seekers who are caught in the system. A recent report from the Children’s Society revealed that thousands of asylum seeking children suffer the effects of destitution. Like all asylum seekers, young people in the asylum system are also effectively barred from access higher education due to policies which treat them as international students and prevent them from working to support themselves. Some children continue to be detained for the purpose of immigration control.

What Can STARs Do?

There are several things that your STAR group can do to support young people seeking safety.

1. Volunteer with STAR

Hundreds of STARs up and down the country give their time every week to volunteer at projects that support young refugees in their local communities. These include homework clubs, mentoring schemes and play groups. Check out what your local STAR group can offer by consulting our group map here!

2. Be a STAR Campaigner

Join 5,000 other students across the UK and campaign for equal access to higher education for asylum seekers and refugees, and an end to destitution! Make sure you keep checking the STAR website and join our Facebook group for the latest campaign updates from around the Network.

3. Put on a YPSS Event

The YPSS coalition aims to bring local attention to the issues faced by young asylum seekers and to encourage conversation and action across the UK. You could help to provide a platform for young people to share their experiences and showcase for their talent through creative events! For event ideas, and to see what’s already going on near you check out the YPSS website.

STARs, 5,000 of you really can make the UK a safe place for young refugees!

As Christina Lumsden, President of STAR Manchester and STAR Trustee explained, the idea was to “make it fun, vibrant and musical so as to draw people in by our enthusiasm and push for a change in policy and change in attitudes towards asylum seekers in the UK.”

Thousands of people in Britain are forced to live well beneath the poverty line or in total destitution in the UK each year due to government policies that prevent asylum seekers from working and do not give them enough to support themselves. Those who have been refused protection receive no support at all. Living in extreme poverty or in a state of destitution has serious consequences. In 2010, the British Red Cross alone assisted around 10,000 destitute asylum seekers in need of emergency assistance. A survey of their clients found that 28% slept rough at some stage and nearly 90% survived on one meal a day. Learn more about the issues that face destitute asylum seekers here

Quizzing the public!

Throughout Action Week students quizzed thousands of people on asylum facts and asked whether they agreed with STAR’s campaign asks to end the poverty and destitution of asylum seekers. Watch this space – the results of the quiz will make up STAR’s first ever national survey on public attitudes towards refugees!

The good news is that the quiz saw widespread support for our campaign aims; from Glasgow down to Southampton thousands want to make the asylum support system fairer! In London, well over half of those interviewed agreed that asylum applicants should be able to support themselves or be given enough to live on while they are in the UK until they are either given protection or returned to their country of origin. Visiting a sleepout organised by students in Leeds, Lord Mayor of Leeds, the revered Alan Taylor, and Leeds Councillor Jamie Matthews both achieved great results on the quiz. Councillor Jamie Matthews referred to the campaign as a “fantastic cause”, whilst the Lord Major thanked the group on behalf of the whole city for all their work supporting local refugees. Here they are being quizzed by Abdullah from the local STAR group!

Yet the preliminary results of the quiz also indicate wide-spread misconception of key figures. In London, 50% of participants thought that 125,240 people claimed asylum in the UK in 2010 – that’s more than 7 times the actual number of 17, 790! This level of misunderstanding was even more apparent in the pubs of Liverpool, where STARs adapted the quiz for a pub quiz round with the added twist of no multiple choice. 50% of respondents believed literally millions of asylum applications were made in 2010, with two teams thinking that there were 6 million! It’s a good job STARs are getting out there to set the facts straight!

If you want to test your knowledge then download the quiz and have a go yourself!

Living on £5 a day

Action Week also saw hundreds of students rising to the challenge of living off £5 a day, the amount that most asylum seekers are expected to survive on. This is just 55% of Income Support, and £10 less than the amount needed to live above the poverty line in the UK. Students created video diaries and photo blogs of their experiences, as well as comparing stories on Twitter. On the final day of the challenge, Tom Stephenson from STAR Cardiff tweeted: “Over! No hunger strike, but often awkward. To do it indefinitely, nvr > £36, like asylum seekers wld be v tough.”

STAR students were joined in this action by supporters including Keith Best, CEO of Freedom from Torture, Liam Burns, President of the NUS, and Mike Lewis, Chief Executive of the Welsh Refugee Council.

STARs will be using the evidence gleaned from their experience to persuade MPs to support moves to increase asylum support rates. £5 a day is simply not enough to live on!

Sleeping out to end destitution

For the fourth year running, hundreds of students from 12 different STAR groups braved the cold during Action Week and slept out in seven different cities across the UK to raise awareness of the desperate circumstances in which refused asylum seekers can find themselves. In Oxford, 40 students staged a sleepout outside the iconic Radcliff Camera library. Tilly Hill was among them. She remarked: “media coverage of the issues surrounding asylum is largely negative; little attention is paid to the adversity and hardships experienced by asylum seekers. I think it’s really important to speak out on behalf of those whose voices are not often heard, draw attention to the problems and push for these changes.”

At the London-wide Sleepout in Covent Garden people crowded round to hear Mike Kaye from Still Human Still Here talk about the UK asylum system’s failure to effectively support these people, and how STAR is helping to push for real change through campaigning for a rise in asylum support rates and for the right to work. Mike was followed by Gladys from Zimbabwe Association who gave an inspiring speech about her continuing struggle living as an asylum seeker in the UK. Waking the next day, Jessie Potts, from STAR national, said the whole experience had been “eye-opening and very surreal”.

In Leeds, 64 students wrapped up warm to sleep out in front their Students’ Union. Sleepers were joined by friends from the Refugee Forum where the group volunteers, and Tendai delivered a powerful poem entitled ‘Still Human Still Here – a Voice for the Voiceless’:

Everyone is busy, going on with their own business,
they pass me by like I am non-existent, perhaps made of ice.
Yes! They see through me.
Still here, still human cries the voice of the voiceless.

Manchester saw similar numbers, joining forces with Amnesty to produce a massive turnout whilst in Bristol, STAR Bristol and STAR UWE teamed up to put on live music and a creative handprint petition, drawing in hundreds of students and members of the public alike. Here is Stephen Williams, MP for Bristol West showing his support for the cause!

Rallying Support

Action Week events have attracted support from a wide range of politicians. McAvan, Labour MEP for Yorkshire and The Humber showed her support for the campaign by attending the sleepout in Sheffield. Taking part in an activity organised by the group, she said the thing she couldn’t live without was “heating and hot water”.

In Cambridge, local MP Julian Huppert spoke at a demonstration organised by STAR students in the town centre as part of an afternoon quizzing the public and rallying support for the campaign.

John Leech, MP for Withington in Manchester slept out last year and this year showed his support by writing to the group to say: “the sleepout is a great opportunity to highlight the plight of destitute asylum seekers who end up forced to sleep on the streets in Manchester. Last year I was struck by how many people stopped to talk and hear about the campaign. I am delighted to give my support to the 2012 STAR sleepout and my thanks to everyone who has been involved in campaigns like ‘Still Human, Still Here’ for all the work that has been done to support destitute asylum seekers here in Manchester.” Great work STARs!
Such political support is needed ahead of the decision in April when ministers will decide whether to increase asylum support rates in line with inflation.
What’s next?

Action Week has certainly been action-packed, but the action doesn’t stop here! A number of universities, such as Glasgow, Barts, Warwick, Sussex, Queen Mary’s and London Met have planned events for the coming weeks, and students up and down the UK will be meeting with their MPs to discuss the campaign. STARs will be using the results of the quiz to lobby their MPs and help continue pushing issues of destitution further up the agenda. Watch this space for more news soon!

Get Involved

Be a part of the campaign!

Write to your MP and tell him/her that you want the government to:

• Ensure that all asylum seekers are adequately supported until they are either given protection in the UK or returned to their country of origin.
• Make sure that when they introduce annual increases to Income Support in line with inflation, they do the same for asylum support rates too!
• Provide asylum seekers with support rates equivalent to at least 70% of Income Support, paid in cash, and increase the support rate for lone parents to 70% of Income Support immediately.
• Grant asylum seekers permission to work if their cases have not been resolved in 6 months or they have been refused but cannot be removed through no fault of their own.

Donate to STAR and help students all across the UK to keep supporting
refugees!

Students will be living on asylum support rates for the week, sleeping rough for the night and quizzing the public for STAR’s first ever national survey on public attitudes to asylum!

See what the students are up to this week and how you can get involved by downloading our Action Week Programme STAR_Action_Week_table_of_events

Read what UNHCR say about Action Week here.

The Campaign

Tens of thousands of asylum seekers are destitute in this country. Some are supported by the government, but simply do not receive enough to meet their basic needs, and others have been refused asylum and receive no support at all.

In April 2012, a decision will be taken on whether to increase asylum support rates in line with inflation, and we need to make sure that the issue of destitution is high up the agenda so that they make the support system fairer for refugees!

STAR is teaming up with Still Human Still Here for Action Week 2012 and asking the Government to ensure that:

• Asylum seekers who are not allowed to work are given at least 70% of Income Support, paid in cash. That’s around £45 a week – just enough to meet their essential living costs!

• Asylum support rates for lone parents are increased to 70% of Income Support immediately.

• Asylum seekers are given permission to work after 6 months if they are still waiting for a decision on their case or if they have been refused asylum but cannot be removed through no fault of their own.

• Increases to asylum support rates are linked to annual increases to Income Support in line with inflation.

Support STAR here

This kind of fundraising is extremely important to STAR. It raises much needed funds so STAR can keep on helping refugees!

A well deserved break for Sporty STAR George!

STAR is excited to announce that George has completed the Barcelona marathon in an amazing time of 3 hours and 28 minutes, raising over £1400 for STAR!

If you would like to follow George’s lead and run, cycle or jump out a plane to support STAR then please get in touch here. If you need some inspiration, here is what kept George on track:

I think that Britain’s attitude towards asylum seekers can sometimes seem a bit ignorant. The real issues are often shamefully misstated by the media and, as a consequence, refugees and asylum seekers rarely get the help they truly deserve. Charities like STAR make me proud to live here. I didn’t think twice about running for them!

To sponsor George and support STAR, go his Just Giving page now!

Francesca – long-distance in London

Francesca Sena, President of the STAR group at London Metropolitan University, will be a little closer to home when she completes the London Marathon on the 22nd of April.

Fancy coming to cheer her on the day? We’ll see you there with all our other London STARs!

Francesa hopes to fundraise an amazing £1,800. This money and publicity will make a massive difference to their group, and all the others across the UK. Here’s what Francesca had to say:

“I’ve always wanted to challenge myself. The London Marathon will be the greatest achievement of my life! It’s going to take a lot of dedication but running for STAR is a great motivation!”

To sponsor Francesca, go to her Just Giving page now!

This is a massive challenge for both our sporty STARs. As first time marathon runners not only are they training hard, but they are fundraising their socks off too!

Help our sporty STARs

There are lots of things that you can do to help put our sporty STARs on the map.

Take one of the following actions now to show your solidarity for this fantastic cause!

• Post George and Francesca’s justgiving pages on your facebook walls!
• Tweet messages of support
• Mention them in your group meetings.
• Sponsor them!

Be a sporty STAR

If you would like to be a Sporty STAR and take on your own challenge then we want to hear from you! Contact us to hear about other opportunities available.

The New Regional Asylum Project is an exciting new project which will use regional organising to achieve a louder, better coordinated voice for asylum seekers. It has a dual focus – to inform and change attitudes about asylum seekers and refugees, and to campaign for positive change to the asylum system. It will operate in partnership with Still Human Still Here and will seek to support existing campaigns.

STAR will be acting in the role of National Co-ordinator.

The project aims to enhance grass roots and national campaigns, increase the involvement of those with direct experience of asylum, and build a movement in support of change. Funding is confirmed for 12 months, and the project is anticipated to continue for at least a further two years.

The Posts

Hours: 3 days per week (each post)
Salary: £25,000 per annum pro rata
Closing date: 10 February 2012, midnight.

The posts will involve working in partnership with existing organisations to develop, refine and implement strategies for promoting change in the region. Applicants should have experience of working with asylum seekers and refugees, skills in building networks and partnerships, campaigning expertise, and an openness and commitment to the project being directed by the priorities of community organisations and local organisations working with asylum seekers.

To Apply

An application pack and more information can be downloaded here.

When did York STAR start-up and what was the inspiration behind it?

York STAR was ratified by the Students’ Union on the 21st of June 2011. However, York STAR really only became real in October 2011, at the start of term.

To be honest, back in June we knew very little about the cause in York. The inspiration behind setting up the group was thus first, to discover what the situation was like in the place where we were studying, and second, to discover what we as students could do. STAR is answering all of these questions!

How many members do you currently have in your group?

Currently we have 15 members, that is, members who have paid the membership fee. We are looking forward to welcoming more and more students to come on board with us! In the meantime, we’re also enjoying our small group as it gives us time to lay a solid foundation for York STAR.

For you personally, what has been the highlight of being involved with STAR so far?

I think that the favourite moment for all of us has been volunteering with Refugee Action York. That’s when we started building friendships while serving the people at the drop-in centre.

Can you tell us a bit about this volunteering project, e.g. how it started and what you do?

York STAR students volunteer with Refugee Acton York every Sunday during term time. Activities include: teaching English, taking care of children under 5 years old, organizing activities with children over 5 years old, helping in the kitchen and preparing the food for the shared meal. I believe that all of those activities offer great opportunities for all of us to learn about each other and build relationships!

As Christmas approaches, York STAR students have volunteered to buy presents for the children at the drop-in centre (see picture above). A homework support group has also just been created. This will be a great way of encouraging children who may face difficulties at school.

Can you tell us about one of your favourite moments volunteering?

One of my favourite moments at Refugee Action York has been learning a Turkish dance with three girls from Turkey! It’s such a welcoming and friendly dance.

Do you have any plans for next term yet?

Right now we are in the process of organising a panel discussion at our University for January. I have to say that during York STAR’s first term we have primarily chosen to focus on raising awareness and volunteering in the community and we haven’t been involved with any STAR campaigns yet. This is something that we will not forget to do as we are aware of the fact that campaigning is one of STAR’s aims.

What would you say to encourage other students to get involved with STAR?

We are young, we have the time and energy to give so let us realise how much we can do to help refugees and asylum-seekers in our community!

Fundraising for STAR makes a massive difference to the lives of refugees by helping to ensure that we, as a network, can continue our amazing work. It is a great way to get involved in exciting challenges and events as well as creating a buzz around STAR campaigns on campus!

The new Fundraising Guide includes tips on how to run successful events and ideas of what to do. This includes a comedy night, a treasure hunt and even a sponsored wax! It also has advice on different ways to promote your events to have maximum impact and lists some tips for collaboration with other student societies.

Why fundraise for STAR?

STAR is a major force in the refugee movement. In your thousands you make a huge difference to the lives of refugees in the UK each year by volunteering, campaigning and promoting positive images of refugees. The team at STAR national fundraise hard to help make this happen but we really need your help too! STAR needs over £200,000 a year to run the network and pay for all the things that make this happen, such as:

• work with policy makers, the media and other refugee organizations to change national policy for refugees
• produce the resources we send to you at freshers so that you can recruit more members
• run the STAR conference where you learn about refugee issues and share ideas for more great work (each place costs £100!)
• develop and update the STAR website
• train STAR members who volunteer with refugees
• run STAR campaigns

Getting involved in fundraising can also be beneficial to your STAR group. It can boost your profile on campus, raise greater awareness of refugee issues and get STAR recognized by your Student Union as an important and active society! This can result in them giving you bigger budgets and greater support. Durham STAR, Warwick STAR and Cardiff STAR have even won awards from their SU in recognition of all their fabulous work on campus – well done you!

How you can fundraise for STAR

As well as ideas in the guide below, we have two national fundraisers coming up:

Sporty STAR Challenges Take part in a challenge such as the Brighton Marathon or the Euro City Cycle!

World Food Night In February STAR will be teaming up with Refugee Action and asking you to get together and cook delicious food from around the world for students at your university. Alternatively you could hold a STAR ‘Come Dine With Me’ to raise funds for STAR!

At STAR conference 2011 you also came up with some fantastic new fundraising ideas. Why not try:

• A Citizenship Test Pub Quiz
• A Refugee Rhythms Music Night
• A Poetry Slam
• A comedy or open mike night
• A Pop up Charity Shop or Swap Shop on campus
• A stall selling snacks or glow-sticks at an SU club night

If you would like to do a sponsored challenge for STAR, get some help organising an event or share a great idea then get in touch with the STAR team.

Fundraising Guide

6.1 Why Fundraise?
6.1 Why Fundraise?

6.2 How to fundraise
6.2a Organising Events
6.2b Personal and group challenges
6.2c Collaborations and joint events
6.2d Advertising your event

6.3 Fundraising Ideas
6.3a Club or band night
6.3b Comedy night
6.3c Pub night
6.3d Stall sales and raffle
6.3e Treasure hunt
6.3f Sponsored anything
6.3g Other_ideas!
6.4 Checklist for Organizing an Event

Christina from Manchester STAR tells all…

“From the beginning of the National Student Conference I was immediately immersed. The brief introduction set the scene for what would be the most interesting and educational 11 hours I have had in a long time. This coming from a 3rd year student is no mean feat! Of course most of the details are so deeply locked in my subconscious by now that I have no access to them…But a lingering awareness of all the issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers in this country are with me always so that any unsuspecting unbeliever would be faced with a strategic onslaught of arguments as listed by Jonathan Ellis, Director of Advocacy at the Refugee Council, in his step by step guide to changing minds.

In my opinion, the most special aspect of the conference was the attendance over the 2 days of an eclectic mix of experts, who were happy to offer their knowledge. It was awesome to be in the presence of UNHCR, Refugee Action and Still Human Still Here representatives as well as refugees and asylum seekers willing to share their stories so openly. I do try to keep up to date with news and reports from many of the organisations that were present but to have someone from their office come and talk was a precious experience.

Of the many parts of the conference, I most enjoyed the workshops as in small groups everyone seemed more comfortable and open to asking questions and discussing topics of interest, if only to express shock and horror at the atrocities taking place. I learnt of the vulnerability of women in the asylum process and finally got a good grasp of the elusive Section 4! Its content may not be as elusive anymore but its criteria are just as incomprehensible.

Next, I came to grips with detention in the UK. Although I had heard all about it, the information I acquired was invaluable. This was the beauty of the conference for many of us students: it gave us a more concrete and complete understanding of all the issues such as detention, destitution and the asylum process so that we now feel empowered to take action. I was surprised at the heated debate that emerged naturally in some of the sessions. In the workshop on detention we had one student defend detention centres as economically viable in preventing those considering absconding. Immediately, passionate retorts clarified how unnecessary detention is and I was particularly touched when a refugee spoke of his personal experience of detention. Suddenly the room was quiet again. It seems most often real life testimonies are the greatest tool in convincing people that what seems horrific IS horrific. Too often we justify cruelty so as not to face it…

Although exhausted by the first day, STAR staff still managed to give us a fun party in an unexpected setting…Returning to a primary school was a blast from the past but I for one enjoyed the mini toilets and impossibly low sinks making me feel like a giant! As we all sat in the main hall, we enjoyed some of the conference’s consistently amazing food, including a delicious curry! The most exquisite sandwiches and perfect weather were our fuel for the long days of learning…

Saturday night was a great opportunity to get to know other students and find out what they are up to in their respective STAR groups. It also gave us an excuse to talk openly of all issues relating to refugees, I was quickly engrossed in a conversation about Burmese refugees and then tumbling onto the general work of the UN…Relief from the mental overload came with a creative quiz and a new and improved X factor competition. My team painstakingly learnt ‘We all live in a yellow submarine’ in Lithuanian and embarrassed ourselves with our attempt at submarine-like dance moves…The Kurdish dancing that followed was the perfect amount of exercise and excitement to ease us into a deep sleep on the cold floor of a primary classroom. As crash pad volunteer I took on the maternal role of turning the lights out so all the children could sleep soundly…

Sunday: After a cup of tea I was ready to go again and what better start than a Masterclass! This title may have been daunting for Jonathan Ellis but he did not disappoint. I came away inspired to try his technique on my parents who occasionally try and quiz me on the reasons I care for what happens to refugees and asylum seekers. Sunday was a particularly inspirational day with Marjorie from Women for Refugee Women humbling us with her story. This was followed with some practical brainstorming on campaigning and fundraising to equip us STARs with all the tools for creating change in our society.

Ultimately however nothing prepared us for the moving speech by Keith Best, Chief Executive of Freedom From Torture. He told of us the great feeling of responsibility that goes hand in hand with helping guide people through a difficult and for many an uncertain time in their lives. Many of us struggled to hold back tears when he shared the story of one individual on the brink of suicide before someone reminded him that he was loved. Although difficult to hear I think all of us were so intrinsically moved that we made internal oaths to do something. That weekend that something started with a simple act…banners up, lollipop ladies at the ready…End Child Detention Now!”

Some of your fab pics!

Join STAR on Facebook to check out more fab pics from the conference!

The conference will take place in London on the weekend of the 19th-20th of November in an amazing venue which is buzzing with inspirational peeps! The National Conference is one of the most important dates in STAR’s calendar and is a great opportunity for all students to find out more about refugees, meet other like-minded students, and most importantly, have fun and get planning for the New Year!

Programme Hot off the Press!

Check out the Conference Programme for a list of fab workshops and speakers and contact us for more info!

The conference will run at these times, Saturday 19th November 10.15am – 6.30pm and Sunday 20th November 10am – 3.15pm

Last year 1,200 of you took part in sleepouts calling for an end to the destitution of refused asylum seekers, hundreds of you took action to promote Equal Access to university and hundreds more served as dedicated volunteers in a range of exciting projects across the UK. From bike recycling to women’s groups, from English conversation classes to sports clubs, STAR members all over the country have set a gold standard in getting out into their communities to support and uphold the rights of refugees.

To help to welcome new STAR members and to celebrate a new year of student action for refugees the national team is sending each group a box of fab STAR resources including a T-shirt, badges, balloons, posters, flyers, stickers, leaflets and much, much more. Our supporters at UNHCR, Refugee Council and Refugee Action have also included some materials to help you spread the word and continue the amazing work you do in your local communities. Our new pop-arty conference posters are also on their way, bright and funky to make your stalls stand out! The conference is only 2 months away so keep checking the website for more information!

Setting up a new STAR group

If you’re just starting University and are having problems tracking down a STAR group just contact the national team and we can help put you in touch. If your University doesn’t currently have a group then why not follow in the footsteps of York and UEL and get a brand spanking new group going this year? We’re always here to offer a helping hand.