I recently helped build a Sukkah for the first time in my life. It might sound odd, but I was brought up to mark Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Hannukah and Pesach but somehow Sukkot was missed out. A group of us built our Sukkah at Friends Meeting House, with fragrant fresh greenery brought from people’s […]
Sukkot at Friends Meeting House Read More »
Every week in a library community room, you’ll see a group of people sitting around a table reading a story together. You might notice intense discussion, bursts of laughter, occasionally tears. This is Story Tree, a safe, comfortable space where refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants gather to share reading and improve their English. Unlike
Story Tree – reading together Read More »
‘Thank you for coming in yesterday. The children really enjoyed your session and we’ve raised lots of awareness and money for Care4Calais which is wonderful.’ Rhona Sykens, Year 5 teacher, 23 June 2023 For the past two years, the children and parents at St Christopher’s Prep School have collected donations for Refugee Week and spent
Refugee Week visit to St Christopher’s Prep School, Hove Read More »
In Refugee Week in June 2022, St Christopher’s School in Hove was holding a donator day. The children brought donations for Care4Calais, and were going to make up bags of essentials for refugees stuck in Calais. To provide some context, Lily Smart from St Christopher’s School in Hove invited me to speak to the children
Lamar’s story – a refugee tale for young children Read More »
Here’s a report I wrote as part of the Hopeful Solidarities research project Cath’s report_v4
What refugees need: Perspectives from Migrant English Project students Read More »
Migrant English Project (MEP) is run by volunteers. It is a safe space where refugees and migrants can learn English. A short report for MEP by Cath Senker, Amy Clarke and Ben Rogaly[1] All names have been changed. 1 What is MEP? Migrant English Project (MEP) is a place to learn, find support and make
Hope and Solidarity at Migrant English Project Read More »
When I was young, I quizzed my granny Bea Senker about her childhood in the East End. An enthusiastic socialist, I hoped to hear heroic stories of my forefathers joining the mass protests to stop Oswald Mosley’s fascist Blackshirts at the Battle of Cable Street in 1936. Servants Instead, granny told me that her parents
Charles Henry Goff: from Baltimore to the East End Read More »
I’ve recently discovered that some of my forefathers came from the shtetl of Sadowne, in Poland. A great-great aunt, Sarah Appelbaum, was apparently a midwife and teacher in Sadowne, helping to maintain the health and morals of the community. Jewish shtetl society was hierarchical. At the peak were a few wealthy estate managers and successful
A sense of community Read More »
Relieved to finally reach sanctuary in a safe country, Ali arrived in a south-coast town at the end of 2019. Moving into a new home, he hoped to start learning English and rebuilding his life. Within three months, the UK was in lockdown, and all classes shut their doors. Life was on hold for Ali
Face to face with the pandemic Read More »