QARN members are all Quakers, some are members and others are attenders.
We have wide experience that we bring to the Network, and have identified the following as examples of what we as individuals and with our Meetings have been involved in:
- I worked 22 yrs in European Commission. Last 5 yrs i.c. anti-racism action development, and welfare questions for extra-European migrants in the E Union.
- Founded Brussels Q meeting, and founder member and some-time treasurer of Quaker Council for European Affairs [QCEA].
- Since retirement, some 12 yrs visiting detainees in Dover Immigration Removal Centre as member of Dover Detainees Visitor Group, and standing as bail security for detainees at release request hearings.
- Some lobbying of MPs.
- My main activity over the past 18 months has been the Bail Observation Project of the Close Campsfield Campaign and that is likely to continue as we intend to do another study, and I have offered to work on the analysis of the data as I did for our first report.
- I now attend the Detention Forum meetings for QARN.
- I am on Quaker United Nations Committe, Geneva [QUNC], and I am part of the reference group – Refugees and Human Rights.
- My local meeting contributes food for destitute asylum seekers and I collect it and ensure that it goes to Asylum Welcome
- Founder and coordinator of Merseyside Churches’ ecumenical fund for destitute asylum seekers
- Chair of charity giving psychotherapeutic support through horticulture to traumatised asylum seeking families
- Former Chair (10 years) of Liverpool’s only open access drop-in centre for asylum seekers and refugees (also offering food, English language classes, housing, immigration and employment advice)
- Trustee of Merseyside Refugee Support Network
- Member of steering group of Churches’ Refugee Support Network (an informal network of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland)
- Convenor of trustees of Quaker Concern for the Abolition of Torture (Q-CAT).
- Turning the Tide Resource Person,
- Msc Social Policy and Planning, European MA in Migration, Mental Health and Social Care, Past research worker at UEL on the survival strategies of migrants in East London.
- Retired social worker, community worker and voluntary organisation manager.
- Initiator and member responsible for development,and administration, Spare Room for forced destitute migrants.
- Member London Hosting Development Team, NACCOM. Caseworker Refugee and Migrants Project Newham.
- Committee Member Assoc. of Families Adopting from Abroad from 1995 to its amalgamation with OASIS – 2012
- 2001-2004, first Chair – Yarls Wood Befrienders, 2005-2011 on the Committee as Fundraiser
- Visited and supported assorted Detainees, and ex-detainees, continuously, since 2001. 2004-8 I set up and ran a four-year project mini-hostel (4 beds) for homeless, destitute, ex-Yarls Wood women. I raised funding from local charities, Mothers’ Union, and individuals.
- Luton & Leighton AM has accepted my concern to get children fully innoculated before removal.
- Since 2004 I have been mentor to an Afghan man and later his family as well, who now all have settled status (through a project entitled “Mentoring Refugees into Employment” run by Leeds Met Univ/St George’s Crypt/Refugee Council/Leeds City Council).
- I have been volunteering on the Teaching English at Home project run by Leeds Asylum Seekers Support Network (LASSN).
- I write lobbying letters to my MP and other relevant people as issues arise.
- I support Leeds Asylum Seekers Support Network [LASSN] financially
- As a Quaker Meeting we are providing financial support to Solace, an organisation doing mental health work with asylum seekers and refugees in Leeds
- Hosting destitute asylum seekers in my home
- Running a winter night shelter for destitute asylum seekers one night a week – other churches cover the other 6 nights
- Visited and supported detainees, and ex-detainees, continuously, since 2001. 2004-8 I set up and ran a four-year project mini-hostel (4 beds) for a group of 9 or 10 people.
- Local Meetings keep in touch about asylum issues. Most are involved in support, visiting, fundraising or campaigning in association with 5 different local organisations.
- I represent QARN on Still Human Still Here, the national campaign to end destitution among asylum seekers.
- We have face to face contact, an email group, and occasional business meetings. We take asylum and immigration matters to our local business meetings, organise our food collections for destitute asylum seekers, and from time to time hold other events to maintain awareness about asylum issues.
- I was trained up as an accredited immigration/asylum lawyer in around Jan 2008 (which is different from a solicitor) with Refugee Legal Centre, which then became Refugee Migrant Justice.
- Throughout I have had friends in the system, and have been involved in supporting them in various ways with their anti-deportation campaigns; finding solicitors; aspects of their cases including accessing legal reps and expert witnesses for judicial review and appeals; mental health breakdowns; housing issues; raising funds for a mobility scooter; Refugee Week activities; homelessness; detention; giving birth; family deaths; and also joyous singing and performing at music festivals; and involvement in an episode of Secret Millionaire (that was a surprise) etc etc
- I’m not really active on refugee issues at the moment, no longer volunteering at the Red Cross and my Spare Room guest has moved out after 2.5 years. Still interested but my time is mainly on other issues.
- I work with the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, a Quaker trust which makes grants for work promoting rational and humane migration and asylum policies benefitting both migrant and settled communities in West Yorkshire; at national level in the UK; and across Europe