RAISING AWARENESS
“It was lovely to have those that have real life experience present and contributing.”
-Katie Jessett, Lead practitioner and Teacher of English as an Additional Language
What we do
We deliver a range of tailored talks, awareness-raising sessions and workshops to local schools, community groups, health & social care and cultural sector professionals.
These sessions are delivered by team members along with people with lived experience of the asylum system.
Sessions provide an insight into the lives of asylum seekers and refugees on Tyneside, equipping organisations to best support people with refugee backgrounds as well as tackling prejudice and racism in the region.
If you are interested in organising a talk in your workplace, school or community group please email alison@wers.org.uk.
Our programmes
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Schools
We are able to provide a range of options in schools from whole school assemblies to smaller classroom based workshops. The topics we cover range from multiculturalism and diversity to the asylum process.
Please contact us below and we can work together to deliver a custom program that works or you and your students!
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Community Groups
We are happy to come to local community groups to offer training, talks or workshops around the immigration process and refugees.
Our team includes many people with lived experience of the asylum system in the UK who are available to share their stories and offer Q and A sessions.
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Businesses
To help your business with it’s community outreach and corporate responsibility training we can work together. For a donation or fundraising promise we will give a lived experience presentation on a topic of your choice. From the asylum process, mythbusting, life as a refugee in the UK and how we can work together to make the north east a welcoming place
“It was lovely to have you in school and I had some really positive feedback.”
Jennifer Gowdy, School of Sanctuary Lead at Brunton First School
“We very much enjoyed your visit to CLV yesterday. The activities were very engaging and spot on in terms of our project aims. The staff that visited were so engaging and informative. The students learnt so much about the refugee experience and I feel that learning will stay with them forever. It was especially powerful to hear from people with that lived experience.
Students said the most useful bits were talking about how they could help and discussing the financial implications and possible solutions.
They were also feeling more confident about talking and challenging other people regarding any misconceptions.
Thank you so much for coming.”
-Jan Brechin and Emily Wilson, Cramlington Learning Village
“I thought the session was informative and well-structured with plenty of time to ask questions. The part which I believe was most effective was how Wael was there to support the session with a personal touch, and Alison was well informed on the subject.”
-Nexus staff member
“A really informative presentation, I thought I knew a lot, but turns out I didn’t and learned a great deal from the presentations today. The lived experiences of the two people were particularly eye-opening and thought provoking, it’s horrifying to find out that the process is so unsettling for those who are escaping such an unsettled world to be placed in a safer state but still unsure of what may happen day to day and week to week whilst the asylum status is confirmed. I can definitely use what I have learned in my day-to-day role, and in my wider life just being more empathetic towards people.”
Staff member at Children’s North East
“Personally, I gained a lot of insight from the session with Alison and Wael and the work they do at WERS. Alison's understanding of the plight of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK gave me a better understanding of their situation. It was hard to listen to the mental, physical, and administrative hardships, but it was very informative. It was Weal's openness that helped him to describe his journey through the refugee and asylum seeker system as well as his current situation.
My moral compass already points in the right direction and hearing the statistics and seeing the personal hardships only strengthened my resolve.
Alison and Wael deserve a big thank you.”
-Nexus staff member
“I think your training incorporating lived experience is really impactful and important.
Whilst I had been aware of some of the facts, heard about hotels etc., it resonates so much more when you hear it directly.
Phillipa McArdle, HR manager- Dance City
“I really appreciate WERS' session - it is important to be able to talk about the asylum system and hear from people who are currently facing the many challenges thrown at them to really comprehend the full scope of it and reflect on how to demonstrate support and solidarity while also recognising the wide range of experiences and positions different people seeking asylum may hold. Hearing from the speakers today highlighted the diversity of those experiences and enabled us to have a conversation on a topic that may not the easiest to approach, but that it vital to our understanding of some the people who use our building and that relates to use in important ways as an arts organization and charity. Thank you!”
-Dance City Staff member
“Our students had a fantastic workshop with the WERS group last week. The students learnt a lot about multiculturism and diversity in our community and what WERS do for migrants and refugees. Our students had the pleasure of meeting two refugees who shared their experiences which encouraged our students to ask thoughtful questions. We look forward to doing more workshops with WERS in the future. Thank you so much.”
Beth Marks, Teacher of Music & Assistant SENDCo, Bede Academy
“I thought the presentation on Monday was fantastic! It was so informative and will help massively when we work in schools, especially during feedback situations. It has also made me think about questions that we can ask staff / schools.”
-Children North East Staff Member
Contact us
alison@wers.org.uk