News and Events
The latest news and events from WERS:
RECENT FUNDING SUCCESS!
(5 July 2010)
Three 3 year grants have recently been secured:
- £75,000 has been awarded by J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust to part-fund the Project Director's and Office Manager's post
- £45,000 has been awarded by Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, also for the above posts
- £30,000 has been awarded by the Shears Foundation for core costs
£1,000 has also been received from the Trusthouse Charitable Foundation towards running costs.
A big thank-you to these Trusts and Foundations for investing in our work!
Archbishop of York visits WERS
(4 February 2010)
On 4 February WERS was delighted to welcome the Archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu, to the project.
He is seen here chatting in the clothing store with WERS support worker Musa Hassan Ali.
*NEW* Hungry WERS Recipe Book!
(1 February 2010)
WERS and its clients have joined forces to produce a collection of mouth-watering recipes from around the world.
The book is available to order directly from WERS - please click on the image for further information and how to order.
WERS Annual General Meeting and 10th Birthday Bash
(22 October 2009)
Thursday 22 October 2009 @ 7pm
Westgate Baptist Church
366 Westgate Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE4 6NX
Our speaker will be The Rt Revd Martin Wharton, Bishop of Newcastle.
The business meeting will be followed by the birthday party with live music and buffet.
If you would like a ticket for this event please contact our office.
LANKELLY CHASE FOUNDATION AWARDS £30,000 FOR HARDSHIP
(September 2008)
During the 2007/2008 financial year WERS gave out over £72,000 to destitute clients in weekly cash payments, food parcels and toiletries. Everyone at WERS is delighted that Lankelly Chase Foundation has given £30,000 to the fund. The grant will be paid in two annual instalments of £15,000.
WERS Annual General Meeting
(31 July 2008)
Thursday 9 October 2008 @ 7.30pm
Westgate Baptist Church
366 Westgate Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE4 6NX
Buffet supper from 7.30pm
Business meeting 8pm
Guest speaker: Canon Nicholas Sagovsky,
Canon Theologian at Westminster Abbey will speak about his work with
The Independent Asylum Commission
All most welcome!
World Music Fundraiser a huge success!
(11 March 2008)
An amazing £3,488 was raised for the WERS hardship fund at the Cluny event on 1 March. WERS thanks everyone who made it such a success:
- Clive Davies - the mastermind behind the event
- The Cluny for waiving the room hire charge
- Colin the friendly sound technician
- Kouresh, the wonderful musician
- Pony Club for their vibrant dance music
- The businesses who donated the fabulous raffle prizes
- All those who helped on the night and ………
- EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED THE EVENT!
WERS Befriending Scheme awarded the Approved Provider Standard
(6 November 2007)
The Befriending Scheme was recently awarded the Approved Provider Standard – A National Standard for Mentoring – by the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation.
The Befriending Scheme, the first of its kind for refugees and asylum seekers in Newcastle upon Tyne, has been operational since 2000. When the scheme was initially established, WERS operated with 6 volunteers who were co-ordinated by the WERS support workers. Our client group at that time was around 70. WERS currently has over 800 clients and over the past 7 years our number of volunteer befrienders has reached 32 Since 2000, over 200 clients have been supported by the scheme.
Why not join the scheme and become a volunteer befriender? Click on the Volunteering page for more information.
WEST END REFUGEE SERVICE GETS THREE YEARS OF SUPPORT FROM GREGGS TRUST (23 July 2007)
WERS has been awarded a further grant from Greggs Trust which will provide funding for the part-time clothing store manager, a post which Greggs Trust has funded since 2000.
Mark Wilson, manager of Greggs Trust, said: “WERS is an impressive project, and the clothing store is an integral part of the charity’s work. It provides for the immediate needs of people who arrive in the UK with few possessions, and the project is also working to encourage integration within the community. The Trust is very pleased to continue supporting the West End Refugee Service.”
WERS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (23 July 2007)
Everyone is warmly invited to the Annual General Meeting on Thursday 27 September at 6pm It will be held at WERS’ usual venue, Westgate Baptist Church, Westgate Road, and we are most grateful to the church for letting us use their premises. A light buffet will be available after the meeting and we all look forward to catching up with friends, colleagues and supporters.
Our guest speaker will be Dr Kim Seaton, a Research Associate in the Institute for Policy and Practice at Newcastle University. The presentation, entitled ‘Immigration Policy and the Asylum System in Europe’ will focus on the dual issues of immigration and asylum in Europe with reference to three case study countries – the UK, Germany and Sweden. It will consider some of the key policy developments in the last 10-20 years, given the intention to move towards a Common Asylum Policy in 2010. Kim is a human geographer and has a particular interest in the functionality and ‘morality’ of the asylum system as it currently stands. This will be a most interesting talk and give us an insight into asylum systems in other European countries.
Many events have been organised across the country to raise awareness of the destitution situation through the ‘Still Human Still Here’ Campaign.
On 29 June, Hexham Amnesty Group drew attention to the plight of destitute asylum seekers with a sponsored sleepout outside Hexham Abbey in aid of WERS.
Alison Page one of the event organisers who took part said:
‘It was an experience I won’t forget and made me realise how awful it must be for the destitute.’
Alison was also interviewed on Radio Newcastle and the event was mentioned in the local press. Sponsorship money is coming in to WERS as I write this newsletter and WERS is most grateful to the Hexham Amnesty Group, both for supporting the hardship fund and particularly for raising awareness of the situation.
LATEST FUNDING SUCCESSES (10 May 2007)
New Big Lottery Award for WERS!
WERS is delighted about the latest award, announced on 8 May 2007, which will fund the two management posts for the next 3 years. This is the third award: WERS has been funded by Big Lottery (and its former incarnations) since 2001.
WERS’ new Northern Rock Foundation award will fund a full-time support worker’s post for 3 years.
Further awards of project funding have also been received from Lankelly Chase Foundation, Christ’s Hospital in Sherburn and Your Homes Newcastle Grant Aid Budget.
And for the Hardship fund………..
Grants have been received from GoodFund and William Moulton Charity as well as numerous individual and church donations. The Award from GoodFund will pay for all our purchases of food for the food parcels for the next 6 months.
A big thank-you to all our funders and supporters!
ROYAL VISIT (14 November 2006)
On Tuesday 14 November HRH Princess Alexandra visited West End Refugee Service and saw the innovative work the charity undertakes with refugees and asylum seekers living in the West End of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Her Royal Highness was greeted by the Lord Mayor, the Project Director Lindsay Cross and Trustee Kate Clarke. During the visit the Princess met the staff, volunteers and some of the clients who have benefited from the services WERS provides, including several clients who have now settled in the city as refugees and are working locally.
The photograph from left to right shows HRH Princess Alexandra with Lindsay Cross, WERS Project Director, Charity Brown and Robert Tshisekedi.
Robert Tshisekedi has set up 'IT For ALL' with funding from Community Foundation and the project offers IT facilities and training to the local community. Charity works at Westgate Baptist Church.