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4 weeks ago

RAIS Lancaster
Two weeks ago, RAIS took 10 refugees to Glenthorne Guest House & Quaker Centre, who offered us a two-night residential trip in Grasmere as part of their amazing Welcome Project. We want to give a huge thanks to Terry who planned and led the trip, for all of the staff at Glenthorne for being so welcoming, and to the Quakers for funding the project.Our group included people from Palestine, Uganda, the DRC, Egypt, Kurdistan, Sudan, and Afghanistan enjoyed rest, adventure, and connecting with the beautiful Lake District. We explored Grasmere, took a ferry from Ambleside to Bowness-on-Windermere, walked up Brant Fell in the rain, received a tour at Wordsworth Grasmere and visited Dove Cottage (a huge thank you to the wonderful team at the Wordsworth museum for fitting us in), wrote Wordsworth’s poems with a quill (in Arabic, Pashto, and Kurdish), ate great food, joined morning Quaker worship, learned about the Lakes, laughed (a lot), bonded, rested, and had a much-needed break from all of the worries that they face every day. Before Glenthorne, the group faced exhaustion from the asylum process and the re-living of trauma it entails, being apart from family, war and genocide in their countries, and trying to make sense of a new life here when they never expected to become refugees. Two nights away did not change these things, but it gave the break, distance, and respite that they needed to face their challenges upon return, with some friends to stand alongside them now.On the last night, those who came on the trip gave feedback. Some of the things they said were that: "it was life-changing", "the best days" they’d had in the UK, that they felt stronger, that "everyone should have the opportunity to come here", that it gave them peace, that they finally managed to sleep after months of insomnia, and that they had made deep friendships with others on the trip after a long time of being isolated and struggling to leave the house. Many had fallen in love with the Lakes by the end of the trip, and said they can’t wait to return and explore further.Thank you to all of those who came on the trip – it was an honour to see your joy, laughter, and connection. To see you link arms with those struggling to walk up the fell in the pouring rain and make sure everyone made it to the top says everything about the resilience and care in this community. Helping each other even when you’re struggling yourself is an amazing thing.The value of nature, community, and rest in healing cannot be understated! See MoreSee Less
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2 months ago

RAIS Lancaster
Our next episode of Beyond Sanctuary is on at 8pm tonight! We are in conversation with Omar, a long-time volunteer and interpreter at RAIS, who is a professor and refugee from Syria. We hope you enjoy!You can listen live on Beyond Radio or on their website: www.beyondradio.co.uk/on-air/ If you don’t have the chance to listen live, you can listen afterwards on the Beyond Radio website: www.beyondradio.co.uk/on-air/listen-again/It will also be uploaded as a podcast episode on their website (and you can find previous episodes there too!): www.beyondradio.co.uk/…/beyond-sanctuary-the…/ See MoreSee Less
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3 months ago

RAIS Lancaster
Merry Christmas from the team at RAIS!🎄For all of the refugees around the world who are away from their families, on their journeys to a safe place, or in their new land of sanctuary – we wish you a safe and peaceful Christmas, and a New Year with a more kind and just world 🧡 See MoreSee Less
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4 months ago

RAIS Lancaster
Our job advert closes tomorrow at 5pm! If you are interested, send in your application soon ☺️RAIS Lancaster is hiring! We are looking for a new Senior Support Worker to work for us part-time (16 hours per week but a 50/50 job share could be considered), with the role beginning on 3rd February 2025.www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs/rais-lancaster/senior-support-worker-part-time-/997111?jobTitle=view&ts…The role will involve having appointments with refugees requiring longer-term support, reacting to enquiries, and running drop-ins with a team of volunteers, while ensuring confidentiality and record-keeping are maintained. We welcome applications from all who feel they have the passion, experience and skill needed for the role, and encourage applications from those with lived experience of the asylum system or forced migration. The job requires someone to have full Permission to Work in the UK.Applications should be made through the Charity Job website (the deadline for applying is 5pm on Friday 13th December) See MoreSee Less
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4 months ago

RAIS Lancaster
We were honoured for RAIS to present alongside Morecambe Bay Poverty Truth Commission yesterday to nearly 50 trainee GPs from Lancaster and district around best practice for healthcare providers treating asylum seekers and refugees, and the health inequalities these groups face.Some wonderful questions and insights from the GPs and some valuable collaborative thinking about how we can work together to best support refugees and asylum seekers locally. See MoreSee Less
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4 months ago

RAIS Lancaster
RAIS Lancaster is hiring! We are looking for a new Senior Support Worker to work for us part-time (16 hours per week but a 50/50 job share could be considered), with the role beginning on 3rd February 2025.www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs/rais-lancaster/senior-support-worker-part-time-/997111?jobTitle=view&ts…The role will involve having appointments with refugees requiring longer-term support, reacting to enquiries, and running drop-ins with a team of volunteers, while ensuring confidentiality and record-keeping are maintained. We welcome applications from all who feel they have the passion, experience and skill needed for the role, and encourage applications from those with lived experience of the asylum system or forced migration. The job requires someone to have full Permission to Work in the UK.Applications should be made through the Charity Job website (the deadline for applying is 5pm on Friday 13th December) See MoreSee Less
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4 months ago

RAIS Lancaster
🌟 ON AT 8PM! 🌟Our next episode of Beyond Sanctuary is on at 8pm tonight! We are in conversation with a young Iranian man who was recently granted Refugee status in the UK. You can listen live on Beyond Radio or on their website: www.beyondradio.co.uk/on-air/If you don’t have the chance to listen live, you can listen afterwards on the Beyond Radio website: www.beyondradio.co.uk/on-air/listen-again/It will also be uploaded as a podcast episode on their website (and you can find previous episodes there too!): www.beyondradio.co.uk/podcasts/beyond-sanctuary-the-podcast/ See MoreSee Less
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4 months ago

RAIS Lancaster
Last week, RAIS was honoured to give a lecture on ‘Journeys to Leave to Remain’ to third year Law students at Lancaster University Law School who are studying the Asylum and Immigration Law module, delivered by Georgina Firth. Four of our incredible team members and clients who are refugees shared their stories of claiming asylum, leaving their country, and the legal process of preparing for interviews and completing appeals. Each person had a very different journey to Leave to Remain.The students asked many thoughtful questions during the Q&A and some have since applied to volunteer at RAIS! We thank the students and university for welcoming us and we look forward to attending next year. See MoreSee Less
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5 months ago

RAIS Lancaster
We were delighted to be a part of the Autumn Fiesta 2024 on Saturday at St Thomas’ Church. The generous donations from the hundreds of attendees have fundraised for organisations, including RAIS, supporting asylum seekers and refugees.It was incredible day with delicious food from The Global Village Cafe and performances from talented musicians and dancers. We were so happy to be sat amongst our amazing partners, The Olive Branch, Lancaster District CVS, Global Link, Lancaster & Morecambe City of Sanctuary, East Meets West Lancaster, and Lancashire County Council’s Refugee Integration Team. See MoreSee Less
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5 months ago

RAIS Lancaster
What a lovely day at the Lancaster Festival of Culture! It was a beautiful celebration of so many cultures. Thank you to Fiona, John, Ilana, Becky, Lindsey, Bibi, Pourya, Omar, and Anas for representing RAIS today at such an important event. See MoreSee Less
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5 months ago

RAIS Lancaster
A snap of some of our wonderful volunteer support workers and translators who ran our Thursday drop-in this week at the Cornerstone. They do such amazing work, and with a smile on their faces too!We had a fantastic week at RAIS supporting asylum seekers and refugees with housing/homelessness support, legal support, job searches, benefits, finding solicitors, healthcare advocacy, and joining community groups, amongst other things! See MoreSee Less
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5 months ago

RAIS Lancaster
Photos from Care4Calais’s post See MoreSee Less
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