STAR is a network of 30+ university based student groups and young people (aged 16-25) who support refugees and asylum seekers by;

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1 1. All About STAR STAR is a network of 30+ university based student groups and young people (aged 16-25) who support refugees and asylum seekers by; Providing practical local support through volunteering Promoting awareness of refugee & asylum issues to other students and young people Campaigning on refugee & asylum issues A bit of history STAR was started in 1994 by a student at Nottingham University. After reading a copy of UNHCR Refugees magazine he was amazed to discover that nothing existed that enabled students to get involved in supporting refugees. He held a meeting at university (where over 60 students turned up!) and the first STAR group was born By 1996 three student groups existed in Nottingham, London and Edinburgh In 1998 STAR held its first student CONFERENCE. Beyond Words was attended by over 80 STAR members By 2000 STAR had grown to 16 groups. In that year the FRIENDS OF STAR scheme was launched as a way of enabling STAR graduates to remain supporters of the network 2002 saw STARs first ever ACTION DAY. STAR started CAMPAIGNING and launched the STAR WEBSITE. STAR took to the road with the YOUTH ROADSHOW, which sowed the seeds of what became the STAR YOUTH NETWORK And now There are over 3000 members and supporters in 30 student groups nationally as well as a group in Cairo! Over 350 youth members (50% of which have had a refugee experience) Thousands of friends and supporters of the network FWOARGH! Look at that for a STAR. Here s something to help you remember the essentials of what being a part of STAR is all about F Be FRIENDLY and open to new people W O A R G - H - Be WELCOMING to new members and to the refugees you may work with Be ORGANISED, it is important to plan! You ll be much more effective, attract more members and help STAR achieve more of an impact Be ACTIVE, be seen, be heard. Raise the profile of STAR and the experience of refugees Be REMEMBERED. Get out there and make a positive impression Be GROOVY! STAR needs to appeal to students wear those cool T-shirts, hold a club night to raise money or have a joint social event. Make your mark in a funky way! Be HAPPY! Although STAR is about serious issues you can enjoy it! Smile, have a laugh, make friends, learn lots.

2 How the STAR national office helps STAR groups Every STAR group has the support of the STAR national office which is made up of 5 staff members plus 3 volunteers and interns. Natasha is the Student Outreach Officer. Get in touch with Natasha to: Keep the national office updated on what your group has been up to Request help at your freshers fair stall Request attendance at your meetings, especially at the start of term Book a training session and/or additional STAR resources Order STAR merchandise, including t shirts and hoodies Get straight forward facts and information on refugee issues Get help finding a speaker, or for advice on activities, events and campaigns Contribute to STARs quarterly newsletter Russell is the Volunteer Support Officer. Get in touch with Russell to: Find out more about volunteering and internship opportunities o With STAR and in our national office o With other organisations in your area Discuss your volunteering projects and get help and advice Find out more about STARs volunteering guidelines Find out more about becoming a STAR Regional Coordinator Get advice on CRB checks Get in touch with STARs Campaigns Coordinator to: Find more about STARs new campaign for 07/08 Sarah is the Youth Outreach Officer. Get in touch with Sarah to: Find out more about volunteering with STARs youth outreach programme: delivering awareness raising outreach in schools and colleges Emer is the Development Officer. Get in touch with Emer to: Become a Friend and supporter of STAR Katherine is the Chief Executive. Get in touch with Katherine to: Get involved in STARs Management Committee Give direct feedback on your experience of STAR How STAR groups support the national STAR network Pay your affiliation fee! This can be paid by your students union, rather than from your own members pockets, and contributes to the cost of supporting STAR groups Let us know what you are doing throughout the year So we can tell the rest of the network what you are doing and tell the people who support us too! Use STAR resources! - STAR produces resources for you to use on your stalls and displays. We are happy to send more resources if you need them. Tell us what you need and what you like and dislike Keep track of your resources So that our limited resources are used effectively Give us your suggestions STAR is your organisation and we want to help you in the best possible way. So let us know if you have ideas for improving our services or resources. Additionally STAR reserves 4 places n the Management Committee for STAR members. Contact us to find out more.

3 Affiliating to STAR In order to become a fully affiliated STAR group, each STAR group becomes a member of the national network each year and pays a 50 affiliation fee at the beginning of the academic year. Group affiliation fees contribute essential funds to those areas of the networks work that is difficult to fund, such as campaigning and STAR annual national conference. Your 50 affiliation fee provides you with: Access STAR national activities such as annual national conference, summer training and other training events at reduced rates. Visits to your group by national office staff on request, as well as help with meetings, freshers fairs and other events STAR awareness raising and campaigning resources - including leaflets, posters, bookmarks and banners for free Regular information and updates on refugee issues in language that is simple to understand Regular E mail updates, the STAR quarterly newsletters and members only access to the STAR website, providing you with insiders info on refugee, youth and student sectors plus downloadable STAR resources Regular telephone and E mail contact with the national office to support you in your activities Reduced rates on STAR merchandise, including t-shorts and hoodies How to pay the STAR affiliation fee 1 Each STAR group is issued with an invoice at the beginning of the academic year. STAR groups must pay the affiliation fee, and return it together with a completed and signed affiliation agreement by the end of the first academic term in order to be considered a full STAR member. The fee can be paid by cheque to Student Action for Refugees. Speak to your Societies Sabbatical Officer or equivalent about paying the fee by cheque directly to STAR. Affiliation agreement forms are also available from the national office on request. 2 The affiliation agreement must be signed by the group Chair, plus 1 other member of the group committee and returned with the affiliation fee 3 STAR does not expect members of STAR groups to pay the fee from your own pockets. Like all society expenses, the affiliation fee should be covered by your Students Union. This may mean including the fee in any budgets you submit to your union in advance. Each union is different but many require societies to submit a budget proposal for the next academic year before the end of the previous academic year. 4 Alternatively, you may want to collect a small joining fee from members which can act as a good start up fund for your group. STAR Resources Available to You! Every STAR group receives a starter pack before freshers week which contains: Resources to promote your group including a weather proof banner, leaflets, games sheets, bookmarks and balloons Resources to support STAR committees in running a group including the STAR Action pack Info on refugee issues Campaigning resources Each STAR group also receives a bunch of newsletters 4 times a year

4 Training Available to your group STAR offers a range of interactive training workshops for STAR groups and students. Training is free to affiliated STAR groups and is run by STAR staff. If you would like to book a training session then please complete and return the attached booking form in the Appendix. Workshop title Duration Description The asylum process and how it mins If you want to know what happens to an works asylum seeker when they claim asylum in the How to run a successful STAR group UK then this workshop is for you mins Tried and tested tips on raising interest in your group, running kick ass awareness raising events and getting voted the best society on campus! How to campaign effectively 90 mins From lobbying your MP to the legal aspects of organising a campaigning demo, this workshop covers all the aspects of winning campaigns locally How to raise awareness of refugee issues in schools and colleges mins Journey to Safety is a drama based activity that explores the issues facing refugees. The workshop runs through the activity and provides advice and guidance on raising awareness with young people in fun and effective ways. Additional resources, as well as training visits can be ordered at any time on request from the national office. Please see the booking form in the Appendix About STAR National events Annual National Conference, October/November Loads of opportunities to get informed & inspired. Conference 2006 was attended by 150 delegates & contributors including Naaz Coker, Chair of The Refugee Council, Emmanuel Jal, the Internationally famous Sudanese rapper, Refugee Action, Save the Children & many more. Action Day, March The entire STAR network comes together to raise awareness about refugee issues on one day and make a real impact Summer Training, June A fantastic opportunity to learn about refugee issues, gain new practical skills and prepare for the year ahead, as well as meet other STAR members and have fun.

5 About STAR Regional Coordinators STAR Regional Coordinators are a team of 11 volunteers based across the UK. Regional Coordinators are generally students or very recent graduates who take on the role for at least 1 year. Regional Coordinators: Represent STAR members at a national level, attending and contributing to Management Committee meetings and to the organisation and development of the STAR network Represent STAR locally; building relationships with relevant organisations and representing STAR at events Maintain telephone and contact with the STAR groups in their region, visiting groups at least twice per academic year Are a point of contact for youth members in the Region Provide practical support and advice to STAR groups, for example helping with Freshers Fairs or developing a varied and useful programme Facilitate communication between the national office and STAR groups, and encourage STAR groups to participate in national events and use national resources How can I contact my Regional Coordinator? Region Scotland North East Yorkshire and the Humber North West Midlands East South West and Avon Thames Valley London South South West Contact E mail address scotland@star-network.org.uk northeast@star-network.org.uk yorkshire@star-network.org.uk northwest@star-network.org.uk midlands@star-network.org.uk east@star-network.org.uk southwest@star-network.org.uk thamesvalley@star-network.org.uk london@star-network.org.uk south@star-network.org.uk southwest@star-network.org.uk How can I become a Regional Coordinator? When a Regional Coordinator role is vacant, it will be advertised in the Getting Involved pages of the STAR website. Vacancies are most likely at the end/start of the academic year. If you would like to know more, please contact Russell at volunteering@star-network.org.uk