For Volunteers Week 2024, we are celebrating STAR volunteers and shining a spotlight on the brilliant projects they run. There are thousands of students dedicating their time to make the UK a more welcoming place for refugees and people seeking asylum. In this blog students from Warwick STAR talk about their experience running open days on campus.
Warwick Student Action for Refugees is committed to building a welcoming environment for asylum seekers and refugees in the UK and in Higher Education. The University of Warwick has been a University of Sanctuary since 2017 and we are immensely proud of what we accomplish together to create more inclusive paths to higher education.
On Saturday the 4th of May 2024 we welcomed 40 people, women, parents and kids, from sanctuary backgrounds on campus for our Family Day.
Our dedicated volunteers helped us organise this amazing day. We started with a sculpture tour of campus, and we will not hide that the Faculty of Arts Building and Sports Centre were the most appreciated buildings! In the afternoon we took the children to play hockey with the Warwick Mixed Hockey Club while parents were learning about pathways to university and sanctuary scholarships with Refugee Education UK
They all departed with big smiles, asking for more days like our Family Day and more sports taster sessions. We hope that we have inspired children and parents to follow the path to university.
As a bit of background Warwick STAR organised an Open Day for the first time in February 2023 with the help of Baljit Gill, and ever since we have had another Open Day in November 2024 and a Family Day in May 2024. We wish to keep the tradition and welcome individuals from sanctuary backgrounds on campus for many years to come.
Amidst all the hostility towards people seeking asylum, we are committed to creating a safe environment for everyone regardless of their race, skin colour, and religion. We want to thank one more time all our volunteers who mobilised their time and energy for this Family Day, we hope to see you for our next Open Day!