As part of Newcastle University Student’s Union Go Volunteer Opportunities Festival (16-20 Nov), International Newcastle is proud to profile the work and impact of North East Solidarity and Teaching (N.E.S.T).
N.E.S.T is an important partner in the Newcastle Internationalism Alliance, supporting the Our Newcastle Our World international city plan.
This project and the student volunteers involved embody our priority theme of ‘Newcastle as an international city for children and young people (0-30) as confident, global citizens‘. There are 500+ students from over 30 nationalities involved, supporting people who have been forced to migrate, including refugees and asylum seekers.
Bridget Stratford, Newcastle University graduate and N.E.S.T Project Worker explains in this article, the vital work that this student volunteering project does, the changes in approach due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the new opportunities and partnerships they are forging in the UK and around the world.
About N.E.S.T
North East Solidarity and Teaching (N.E.S.T) is a Newcastle University Students’ Union Go Volunteer project designed to educate and empower the forced migration community in the region, primarily by teaching them English and supporting them to integrate into the community.
N.E.S.T was set up in August 2016 as a Homework Club where eight students taught one Syrian refugee family for two hours a week.
In the past twelve months, with a volunteer body of over 500 student volunteers from over 30 different nationalities and one employed Project Worker, N.E.S.T has supported over 600 refugees and asylum seekers.
The Project provides a unique, dynamic and sustainable solution to a global challenge which is heavily impacting the North East.
By creating an environment for mutual learning amongst learners and student volunteers with a shared goal for growth and community cohesion, N.E.S.T has developed an opportunity to meet a gap in third-sector and state provision for refugees in the North East.
By working alongside the Local Authorities and collaborating with schools, charities, DWP centres, refugee support agencies and the resident community, N.E.S.T has reduced pressure on vital services and increased provision and services available to learners. This has been done without duplicating provision or competing for key funding.
N.E.S.T is an integral part of the region’s response to the refugee crisis and has cemented itself within the University by providing students with direct experience and learning which has developed their skills, increased their employability and confidence and provided them with a sense of pride and a deeper connection to the North East.
N.E.S.T moves online and extends its model and reach across the world
In response to the pandemic, N.E.S.T is now running a fully digital programme of support, the project has been able to expand beyond the geographic barriers which have previously limited recruitment of volunteers and delivery to learners to within the North East region.
Primarily, in March 2020, when the University changed to online provision and student’s went home, many volunteers were able to continue to volunteer from all across the UK and indeed the rest of the world.
Students volunteered in a variety of roles including teaching online classes, leading teams of volunteers, coordinating deliveries and distribution of support packages and translation support. N.E.S.T was operating from Malaysia, America, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, China and many more countries.
Following the successful model of ‘distance volunteering’, N.E.S.T was able to recruit volunteers from the Newcastle University campus in Malaysia to increase the volunteer body and support students there to become involved in meaningful opportunities with N.E.S.T. Indeed, as the new academic year approached, N.E.S.T has been able to recruit volunteers from the new first year students, many of whom have not yet come to Newcastle and remain both around the UK and internationally based.
UK partnerships
On top of this N.E.S.T has a number of partnerships with projects based around the UK and is now taking referrals from groups in Carlisle, London and Cardiff.
One of the main collaborations is with Streetwise which is a CIC in Belfast which delivers ‘Social Circus’ to marginalised groups to support their physical and mental wellbeing.
N.E.S.T and Streetwise deliver ‘The Circus Club’ which is youth provision to support children to develop confidence and engage in fun extra-curricular activities.
“Streetwise Community Circus CIC is a Community Interest Company which has been delivering “Social Circus” programmes since 1995. Originally founded as a co-operative of professional street entertainers we use the skills of some of Northern Irelands leading professional circus street performers to teach in the community using circus skills workshops to have wider social impacts. Individuals participating in workshops can gain a wide range of both physical and mental health benefits including, improved co-ordination increased physical activity, improved confidence and self-esteem. In addition to these personal benefits, there are wider social benefits of social interaction and helping to form bonds and friendships with people from different backgrounds as well as programmes enabling us to challenge stereotypes towards marginalised sections of the community. Since our formation we have run programmes bringing people together across sectarian divides, as well as programmes for the following marginalised groups: adults with learning disabilities, older people, people living with dementia, homeless community, youth justice programmes, and children at risk of being excluded from school.”
N.E.S.T is also running a collaboration with the Workers Educational Association (WEA) in Aberdeen who are supporting Syrian Refugees under the ‘New Scots’ programme.
N.E.S.T takes referrals from the project for ESOL support and children’s provision including The Circus Club. N.E.S.T learners in turn are invited to attend the Women’s weekly meeting with the New Scots refugees.
New international collaborations
N.E.S.T is working on two collaborations and partnerships in the USA, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and in Portland, Oregon.
The collaboration in Pittsburgh is in very early stages, but N.E.S.T hopes to be able to work with Pittsburgh students to set up a branch of N.E.S.T to be run in partnership with Newcastle Students and to support refugees based in Pittsburgh, where N.E.S.T has a number of contacts within the community after having visited in 2019 to present at an Adult Literacy Learning Conference.
The partnership with Oregon is slightly further forward and will focus on supporting a community social enterprise called ‘People Places Things’ (PPT). The collaboration will see N.E.S.T volunteers engage with refugees in Portland and PPT support N.E.S.T learners with more personalised skill building.
N.E.S.T also hopes to create a link between all international and national collaborations through a series of ESOL classes delivered and received by learners and volunteers in the collection of linked projects. This is likely to focus on exploring local areas and understanding what life is like in the various cities and countries which learners have been dispersed to. For example, how is Syrian culture celebrated in Newcastle, Pittsburgh, Portland and Aberdeen.
Go Volunteer with N.E.S.T
If you are a Newcastle University student and interested in volunteering with N.E.S.T, find out more here.
Go Volunteer programme and Opportunities Festival
Newcastle University Student’s Union runs the Go Volunteer programme and there are lots of opportunities for students to be involved. Click here to find out more.
The Go Volunteer Opportunities Festival is a week-long online campaign to advertise and promote all current volunteering opportunities. The Festival is on this week, 16–20 November, with a mixture of pre-recorded videos, introduction zoom sessions with live Q&A’s and even some micro volunteering activities.
Things are very different this year and volunteering is too. This weeklong event will showcase the way our projects and activities have adapted and how they will be operating to cater to Covid needs.
Potential volunteers will have the chance to chat to project leaders and providers about the opportunities they are interested in, the opportunity to ask any questions they might have but mainly to find out more.
The microvolunteering activities will give students the chance to take part in some virtual volunteering, with flat mates or by themselves. These activities are very relaxed and a great way to chat to others, maybe make some new friends.