Could you volunteer to lead Shared Reading groups to support wellbeing of Asylum Seekers and Refugees?

We're launching an innovative new project in Halton for refugees and asylum seekers with an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) focus to explore experiences of migration, loss, and displacement through international stories, while also bridging community connections.

These two new Shared Reading groups aim to “foster empathy and understanding” with refugees and asylum seekers in Halton, as well as building community cohesion.

And we're currently seeking four enthusiastic individuals to join a fully funded training programme to start their journey as Reader Leaders, who will deliver and facilitate Shared Reading sessions in these new groups.

Halton Borough Council has funded the two-year Our Halton Shared Reading project in Widnes and Runcorn, in collaboration with The Reader, Halton Library Services and our referral partners, Trinity Safe Space and A Better Tomorrow Halton CIC.

It will include:

• a Shared Reading Group for asylum seekers and refugees with an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) focus at Widnes Library;
• an open community Shared Reading group to bridge connections between Halton residents and asylum seekers and refugees at Halton Lea Library

We've established 15 Shared Reading groups with an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) focus across the UK. Three groups in the North West offer support for refugees and people seeking asylum including one at Toxteth Library, one in partnership with Liverpool City Council’s project Our Liverpool our home at The Mansion House, Calderstones Park and one in Skelmersdale.

At Shared Reading groups people talk, connect and share experiences using stories. A trained Reader Leader reads from a novel, short story, play or poem aloud. Group members are encouraged by the Reader Leader to respond personally, sharing feelings, thoughts and memories provoked by the reading.

There is no pressure for group members to read aloud or speak – it is fine just to listen. Groups are free and run on a drop-in basis. The idea is to create a space where people feel at ease.

A launch event is due to take place on Wednesday 21 August at Widnes Library. Dates and times for both groups will be confirmed shortly. Please get in touch with abiblackburn@thereader.org.uk for more information.

A one-hour Shared Reading taster session is planned to take place at Halton Lea Library, Second Avenue, Palacefields, WA7 2PF, on Wednesday 24 July from 3.15pm - 4.15pm.

Abi Blackburn, Liverpool City Regional Partnerships Lead, at The Reader, will be giving a presentation on the project to Halton's Multi-agency Forum for Asylum Seekers and Refugees on 10 July.

She said: “We are excited to announce the launch of two new Shared Reading groups in Halton, made possible by the Our Halton Community Grant.

“These groups aim to foster empathy and understanding of different cultures by exploring stories that relate to personal experiences.

“By offering regular Shared Reading sessions across Halton, specific to people experiencing asylum, aims to provide some form of consistency and stability in often unsettling periods of time.

“This initiative is also a fantastic opportunity to build friendships and support community wellbeing across Halton, while fostering connections to explore and understand the experiences of those seeking asylum, ultimately building a more inclusive and compassionate community.”

We're looking for candidates with ANY of the following experience to train as Reader Leaders:

• working with Asylum Seekers or refugees
• facilitating community group services
• working with vulnerable adults

High-quality Read to Lead training, provided by The Reader, includes modules on how best to deliver and facilitate Shared Reading groups including tips on choosing the literature, Reading Aloud and Shared Reading impact. There are additional support workshops focusing on this area of practice.

According to our two referral partners, many refugees and asylum seekers with whom they work in Halton are fleeing persecution or war-torn countries such as Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan and Eritrea.

Trinity Safe Space, an inclusive inter-faith network, operates two drop-ins and basic English lessons at Trinity Methodist Church, Halton, and Widnes Trinity Methodist Church for asylum seekers. It aims to make people feel welcome, learn English and to learn more about British culture.

Pauline Ruth, Chair of Trustee, Trinity Safe Space Charity, said:

"Shared Reading can offer opportunities for our beneficiaries to practise their reading in English, improve their listening skills and feel more confident to join in discussions about the content of the pieces and how it makes them feel."

A Better Tomorrow, Halton CIC aims to support families new to the UK, some of whom they say feel “disenfranchised and isolated on arrival” and other residents who are receiving support while integrating into the UK

Support ranges from signposting to providing basic English to running football, social gatherings, interpretation and an Arabic school, to greeting new arrivals into the Resettlement Programme and two Trinity Safe Space drop-ins for asylum seekers. An emphasis is placed on community cohesion.

Based on latest government Immigration system statistics in March 2024 there were a total of 18,309 Asylum Seekers in the North West – 4,880 in the Liverpool City region, as reported by North West Regional Strategic Migration Partnership.

• It states: “Liverpool and Manchester were two local authorities with the highest number of people seeking asylum in receipt of all types of support. Halton and Liverpool had the highest number of people seeking asylum per 100,000 population.”
• Top 10 nationalities claiming asylum were Albania, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Eritrea, Sudan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

(Reference: https://northwestrsmp.org.uk/statistics/)

If you are passionate about making a difference and have the relevant experience, The Reader would love to hear from you. For more information and to apply to be a volunteer Reader Leader for these groups email abiblackburn@thereader.org.uk by 31 July.

For further information about this new project launch visit here.