Tuesday 16th June 2020
- COVID 19 partnership working
- Welcome Mentor – Scholarship
- Carry My Story
Carry My Story is a Cohesion and Integration based programme in partnership with Kim Strickson, The Linking Network and the Kirklees Council Cohesion Team. The programme works in both primary and secondary schools and also neighbourhoods, with the aim of encouraging story exchanges with refugees, asylum seekers, school children and also the parents of children.
Carry My Story created an opportunity for children from a young age to get first hand experience from asylum seekers and refugees as they shared their stories about their lives, experiences and how they came to the UK . The aim of this is strengthening communication, having open and honest and heart-felt discussions, challenging preconceptions and creating an save environment where everyone involved showed empathy for others.
Carry My Story encourages children and young people to challenge stereotypes, understand and embrace difference and celebrate identity, by carrying one another’s stories. It allows safe spaces for people to share stories in a creative and reflective way. This took place in a classroom setting and celebrated in June 2019 with a celebration event where children used their creative abilities to share the refugee story in a light hearted way. They shared their understanding by creating vibrant responses creating plays, story books, poems, theatre productions to celebrate and show their commitment to breaking down barriers and celebrating each and every journey in a positive way. We collected quotes, photographs and creative responses from the stories shared.
Please take the time to watch the video, it really gets across how powerful this work has been for the schools but also the impact it has had on asylum seekers and refugees sharing their personal experiences.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved last year and to those involved for planning the 2020 programme.
We hope you enjoy and learn from the video below
If the video isn’t working click on the link https://vimeo.com/347086557
- ESOL sessions via Zoom
This Way for English is launching a new English sessions classes via Zoom.
The themes will be varied from class to class depending on the English level of participants. However, the main focus of the sessions will be around celebrating the positive impact of refugees in the UK.
In addition, the Libraries Team will visit the virtual sessions to encourage the participants to register with the libraries and explain the available resource they have such as e-books and press reader.
Furthermore, the Welcome Mentor programme will shortly join some of the classes to explain the concept behind the matching process.
For more information about registering and class timetable please see the below leaflet.
kirkleeswelcomes 