Author Archives: Alice Allwright

Compassion in Action: your clothing donations are making a difference

Following our initial round of clothing collections for Refugee Week at the Kent, we were able to donate eight large bags of much-needed men’s clothing to the Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group (GDWG). These clothes have gone on to make a difference in the lives of detainees who have experienced hardships on their journey to safety.

Anna Pincus from GDWG highlighted the significance of providing good-quality second-hand clothes, stating:

“People are frequently detained in only the clothes they are wearing and do not have a second set of clothes. Sometimes people arrive in detention in clothes that are not dry after having crossed the channel. People may face deportation in clothes that are inappropriate for where they are being sent to. Providing good quality second-hand clothes meets practical needs and also counters dehumanisation and gives people basic dignity.”

The impact of your support can be seen through the words of those who have directly benefited from your donations. Mohammed said:

“I needed clothes and had only flip flops when I left detention. Thanks to GDWG for clothes I could not buy for myself. We are not allowed to work after detention but we need shoes and clothes.”

Ali said:

“When you have nothing, any clothes are a big gift. Thank you for helping us.”

There are still many more in need, and if you have not yet donated there is still time to make a difference.

Keep the Donations Coming

If you have any of the following clean items to spare, please consider contributing clothing:

Men’s trainers, especially sizes 8 and 9.
Men’s jogging bottoms.
Men’s jeans.
Men’s t-shirts.
Men’s jumpers.

Your donations can be placed in collection bins located at various spots around campus.

The Power of the Refugee Tales Trail Walk

In addition to clothing donations, we want to remind you of another impactful way you can make a difference, by learning more about the stories of refugees and asylum seekers on our Refugee Tales trail walk. On the trail you can read or listen to the real-life stories of individuals who have experienced the UK’s immigration system, offering a powerful opportunity to engage with their narratives.

The trail was launched for Refugee Week back in June, but remains in place on campus.

For more information on the trail and how you can get involved, please visit the Refugee Week webpage.

Sanctuary fund

We at the University of Kent believe that everyone should have the opportunity to study at a university irrespective of their background. We are proud that our campus is a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone.

In committing to become a University of Sanctuary in 2019, we set up Sanctuary scholarships to give three refugees and asylum seekers every year the opportunity to receive a University of Kent education. The scholarships cover a full fee waiver for an undergraduate programme as well as small maintenance grants.

Find out more about Kent’s work to become and University of Sanctuary, and donate to the fund to empower refugee students at Kent.

Kent Law Clinic staff and students deliver advice workshop to Napier Barracks residents

Kent Law Clinic staff and students have been involved in a project to deliver legal advice workshops to asylum seekers residing at Napier Barracks, in collaboration with local charities Samphire and Napier Drop-In.

By Dr Richard Warren, Immigration Law Adviser & Lecturer, Kent Law Clinic

Since September 2020, Napier Barracks on the outskirts of Folkestone in Kent has been used to accommodate male asylum seekers, sometimes for significant periods of time. Residents at the camp come from a number of well-known refugee-producing countries including Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan. A recent report by the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) [1] has outlined the poor living conditions which residents face, noting specifically the uncertainty faced by those who are unsure what is happening in their asylum claim. The camp was also subject to a scathing High Court judgment in June 2021 in which Mr Justice Linden was unable to accept that the accommodation there ensured a standard of living which was adequate for the health of the claimants.[2] Despite assurances by the Home Office that improvements have been made following that High Court case, the JRS report has documented continuing concerns including difficulties in accessing basic necessities including shoes and winter clothes, inadequate healthcare and barriers to accessing legal advice.

The current historic backlog in the asylum process has been widely reported, with more than a 173,000 applicants’ claims still outstanding,[3] some of whom have been waiting years for a decision. A significant number have received no legal advice since arriving in the UK – again a situation that has been well documented.[4]

As a result, individuals are receiving notices of intent to declare their claims inadmissible, with the possibility of removal to Rwanda[5] without the ability to make representations to the Home Office. The policy of declaring claims inadmissible where an individual has passed through a so-called safe third country has been in place since January 2021 when the UK left the EU and so ended its participation in the Dublin 3 Regulation.[6] In June 2022, s16 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 placed the process on a statutory footing.[7] However, that process, arguably an essential part of the government’s aim to ‘stop the boats’, cannot currently be implemented. Currently there are no returns agreements with any major countries of transit, including with any EU country. And the proposed policy of removals to Rwanda is on hold pending the outcome of an appeal against the High Court judgment last year.[8] It is therefore unsurprising that the backlog of undecided cases has risen. For those at Napier Barracks the uncertainty of knowing whether they are even going to have their asylum claim considered is clearly taking its toll.

It is against this background that the Kent Law Clinic agreed to run a legal advice session at a local drop-in centre for Napier residents in need of legal advice. The workshop provided a basic overview of the asylum system, including information on inadmissibility, the decision-making process and rights of appeal. Kent Law Clinic student volunteers assisted with interpreting. The session was well received, and the Clinic plans to run further sessions in the future.

[1] JRS-UK-Report_Napier-Barracks-the-inhumane-reality_March-2023_WEB.pdf (jrsuk.net)

[2] NB & Ors, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] EWHC 1489 (Admin) (03 June 2021) (bailii.org)

[3] National Audit Office report 16/6/23 https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/the-asylum-and-protection-transformation-programme.pdf

[4] 628f50a1917c740a7f1539c1_No access to justice- how legal advice deserts fail refugees, migrants and our communities.pdf (website-files.com)

[5] UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership – House of Commons Library (parliament.uk)

[6] EUR-Lex – 02013R0604-20130629 – EN – EUR-Lex (europa.eu)

[7] Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (legislation.gov.uk)

[8] AAA v SSHD Rwanda judgment.pdf (judiciary.uk)

Migrateful: supporting migrants with the power of food

Written by Katherine Moss, Senior Press Officer

As part of Refugee Week, Dora Perera, Immigration Compliance Officer at Kent, shares her experience of working with Migrateful – an award-winning UK charity with a mission to support migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in their journey to integration through food.

Food is more than nutrition. When we cook we create, learn about our history, customs and discover our identity. Sharing food is sharing our inheritance, it is a language we all speak and the best medium to bridge the gap between communities.

A charity integrating refugees and asylum seekers through cooking

Migrateful was founded in 2017, seeking to use the power of food to integrate refugees and asylum seekers arriving in the UK into the community. Displacement creates ‘refugee’ and ‘asylum seeker’ labels and the most emotionally disheartening obstacle faced is long term integration. Migrants can become isolated waiting for their immigration status to be regularised, which can take years, and in some cases are unable to work or access public funds. The act of cooking, making mistakes and sitting down together to have a family-style dinner humanises the current migration narrative, opens the hearts and minds and fills the bellies of everyone involved.

Migrateful offers a 2-year development programme where migrant integration is fostered through practice of the English language, presentation training, improving self-esteem and learning of transferrable skills to use to interact with the UK community and enrich it with their culture. Refugees are supported, encouraged and trained to lead cookery classes, share their traditional cuisine and heritage to make connections. They develop menus based on their personal family recipes, share the social status behind each recipe or the cultural importance of serving a dish in certain circumstances.

Rebuilding lives, finding purpose

Many migrants who arrive in the UK due to conflict in their country were qualified professionals in HR, nursing, firefighting, lecturing or dreamed of working in the food sector. Where qualifications were not transferable or destroyed in conflict, our chefs are rebuilding their lives and finding connections and passion through sharing their country’s food. After their Migrateful ‘graduation’ they lead teams and share their experience. Once their status was regularised, some became head chefs, owners of catering companies or picked up where their education left off.

The Migrateful experience unsettles the traditional narrative of charity by inviting the contributors to learn from migrant chefs and integrate new techniques and ingredients into their daily lives. Tickets are exchanged for a journey in learning customs and breaking down barriers along the way. The food cooked in a family home in Aleppo contributes to the making of a dish in a home in Canterbury.

Dora’s experience

I come from two war-torn islands and grew up seeing the impact of war on communities; in Cyprus and Sri Lanka. When I emigrated to the UK, I specialised in immigration law and work as an Immigration Compliance Officer at the University of Kent. By day I help international students comply with the terms of their visas while realising their dreams. By night, as the Canterbury Migrateful facilitator, I advocate for impactful and far-reaching opportunities for displaced individuals. Through Migrateful, I am honoured to support asylum seekers, refugees and migrants from across the world on their journey to independence and contribute positively towards the migration discourse by encouraging an inclusive community.

Get involved: cook and support Migrateful in your area

Tickets for the cookery classes include ingredients you need to make a traditional dish with a choice from over 30 countries. In 5 years, Migrateful has hosted over 3,000 cookery classes with 30,000+ participants across London, Bristol, Canterbury and Brighton. Migrateful’s Canterbury classes are hosted at St Martin and St Paul’s CT1 – find out more about Migrateful classes.

Help these classes run: Each Migrateful cookery class relies on a small team of volunteers to run successfully. Find out more about volunteering to assist in cooking classes.

Join an online cookalong for Refugee Week!

On Wednesday 21st June, 5.30 – 7pm, UNHCR (the United Nations Refugee Agency’s national charity for the United Kingdom) have teamed up with Migrateful Syrian refugee chef, Amani, and for an evening of culture and cuisine to celebrate Refugee Week. You can register online to join the free, virtual cooking class on Wednesday. Amani will be taking us step by step through how to make a delicious Syrian Mousakaa (Aubergine & Tomato Mezze) and Fatosh (Arabic Flatbread, Vegetable & Herb Salad).

Refugee Week at Kent

To see what’s on at the University of Kent for Refugee Week an beyond, check out our Refugee Week website for ways you can get involved and contribute, and look for #KentRefugeeWeek on social media – together, we can make a difference in our communities.

Paid Research Assistantship – opportunity for undergraduates

Are you an undergraduate looking for an opportunity over the summer?

We’re recruiting for a Research Assistant for a short-term summer project entitled ‘Career Conversations with Professional Service Staff’.

The project aims to shed light on career pathways and barriers for professional service staff within Higher Education (at Kent and beyond). It will give the successful candidate an insight into the various jobs that exist within Higher Education and enable them to utilise skills acquired during their degree (such as communication skills and data analysis skills).

To see the full job description and apply for the role, visit the Target Connect site.

Deadline for applications is Wednesday 23 March 2023.

JSNCC elections – New Staff Representative for Grade 7

The Chairs of the Joint Staff Negotiating and Consultative Committee, Martin Atkinson and Roger Giner-Sorolla are pleased to announce the election of Paul Cornwall-French as the new staff representative for non-union colleagues in grades 7 and above.

Paul has served as a representative previously for staff in grades 1-6 and brings a significant wealth of experience at the university to the committee.

Both Martin and Roger extend a warm welcome to Paul and are looking forward to working with him over the next three years. The chairs would like to extend their thanks to the other nominees for coming forward and to all staff who took the time to vote.

They would also like to thank Charlotte Ransom, the outgoing representative, for her hard work in representing staff views on the committee and would like to wish her well in her new role.

The vote percentage was 48% for Paul Cornwall-French, 25% for Alastair Bailey, 20% for David Bird and 7% abstain.

Trustee and Governor Opportunities

Have you ever considered fulfilling an Education Trustee and Governance role?

We sponsor the University of Kent Academies Trust (UKAT), which is an established multi-academy trust that has two Secondary Schools in Medway:

Chatham Grammar School (CG) – a selective 11 – 19 girls school with a mixed sixth form
Brompton Academy (BA) – a mixed comprehensive school, with a joint sixth form across the two schools.

The Trust focuses on developing the life experience and opportunities of its students, parents, carers, staff and wider community.

If you would like further details on a UKAT Trustee role, or if you’re interested in finding out what Education Trustee and Governance role opportunities we have at our colleges and schools at Kent, please get in touch with Sam Dorey.

“Being a school governor or trustee is a fantastic opportunity to have a positive impact in our local community, build networks within our region and to develop personal skills and experience. In my time as a trustee, I have found the diverse perspectives from parents, industry leaders and educational professionals to be invaluable in broadening and deepening my understanding of the issues facing young people and our local community. I encourage anyone who is considering this to give it a go!”

Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura, Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Academic Strategy, Planning and Performance

Complete our Right to Food Staff Survey

The University of Kent wants to become a Right to Food University.

What does this mean?

it commits itself to promote food justice, to tackle food poverty, and transform our food system so that it operates to advance human health and an environmentally sustainable society.

The University has four missions to achieve this:

1) Putting the Right to Food on the World Stage, including inspiring and supporting other universities to establish the right to food.

2) Transforming food systems through teaching and research

3) Tackling food insecurity, while promoting a healthy and sustainable food community for staff and students.

4) Addressing food inequality throughout Kent and the Medway

Complete our Right to Food Staff Survey

This Right to Food Staff survey aims to look at the factors involved in food insecurity, including availability and accessibility of healthy food, cost and marketing; whether staff are currently utilising existing cost-of-living support from the University and elsewhere; and the impact food insecurity is having on staff wellbeing, including on physical and mental health.

The issues uncovered will form part of an action plan to improve the University’s food environment. This falls under our Mission 3 of the Right to Food project, which is: Tackling food insecurity, while promoting a healthy and sustainable food community for staff and students. The University’s aim to “provide a healthy, happy and purposeful environment that promotes the physical and mental wellbeing of all our staff”.

Following this survey, we will share the results and work with you on the actions we need to take to make improvements with some open sessions – Medway Session 19 June 10.00-12.00 and Canterbury Session 20 June 13.00-15.00 – More details to follow.

The survey is anonymous and is open from the 6 to 31 March, paper copies are also available if needed. Complete the Right to Food Staff Survey form.

Got a question email Claire Chapman, HR Manager- Strategic Delivery.

Walking to victory: VC Cup Walking Netball highlights

As we enter the 5th event of the VC’s Cup series, teams were primed to play walking netball, a game designed for anyone, regardless of their level of fitness or age.

Initially, it was mayhem on the court! Players were running, jumping, and going offside left, right and centre, which kept the umpires on their toes. Even experienced netball players and Kent’s very own Unicorns struggled to grasp the pace of the game, launching themselves across court and throwing themselves into each game as they would any other. However, as the games progressed, teams and players grasped the rules and became more comfortable and strategic.

Read our blog to find out which teams came out on top! You’ll also find an entertaining and creative rap, written in collaboration with some of the competing teams.

Want to find out more about the Vice Chancellor’s Cup, head over to the VC Cup webpage, where you can see which events are coming up, past event summaries and current leader board positions.

The Global Challenges Doctoral Centre poster exhibition

Come and see The Global Challenges Doctoral Centre (GCDC)’s poster exhibition in the Colyer Ferguson lobby by the 15 March 2023.

The exhibition shares and celebrates the doctoral work being undertaken by 29 PhD students whose research is focused on tackling one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals. The students, who come from 17 different countries and are based in every Division, are working on projects that include climate change adaptation strategies, increasing global food security, reducing deaths from snake bites, and developing low cost and environmentally sustainable rapid tests for infectious diseases.

The exhibition was opened by Vice Chancellor and President Karen Cox at an evening reception on 8 March, attended by many of the GCDC supervisors, supporters and friends. The university’s Sustainability team, led by Catherine Morris, also had a display to share the work they are doing across campus to embed sustainability and minimise environmental impact.

Dr Beth Breeze, director of GCDC, says “We are so proud of our talented doctoral students and are confident that, with the help of their supervisors who are also deeply committed to challenge-led research, they will make a meaningful difference to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals”

Come to our KMMS evening events 22 – 23 March 2023

You are warmly invited to our two Kent and Medway Medical School events on the 22 and 23 March 2023, find out more about each event below:

Interdisciplinary Global Health Research

Wednesday 22 March 2023, 16:00 to 17:30 at Pears Lecture Theatre 1, Kent and Medway Medical School.

This event will include presentations from key members of the global health research group, led by Professor Lisa Dikomitis. The talks and screenings will cover several interdisciplinary global health studies been undertaken at the Kent and Medway Medical School. Researchers will share findings and outputs from several interdisciplinary global health research studies, which are all strongly underpinned by community involvement and engagement.

The event will include screenings of community-produced films as well as presentations of collaborative projects with artists and global health researchers from Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the Philippines and the UK.

To book your place visit the Eventbrite site.

Kent and Medway Medical School host Kaleidoscope Live!

Thursday 23 March 2023, 17:00 to 18:15 a hybrid event at Sibson Lecture Theatre 2 at Kent and Medway Medical School. You will find a link to join online in your order confirmation

Each month Dr Dawn Albertson, Professor Sukhi Shergill, Dr Derek Tracy and Professor Dan Joyce write an update and commentary in The British Journal of Psychiatry (BJPsych). Their Kaleidoscope column focuses on developments in mental health and neuroscience from around the world.

In this Kaleidoscope Live, hosted by the Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS), the four researchers will discuss several papers on global and mental health research with a live audience. They will be joined by Professor Kara Hanson who is a professor of health system economics and dean, faculty of public health and policy.

Book your tickets by visiting the Eventbrite site. You will find a link to join online in your order confirmation.