I am pleased to share that Bath STAR has been awarded the STAR Campaigning Award 2022-2023!
Bath Student Action for Refugees (STAR) is an SU Group that aims to support all refugees and asylum seekers in our local community and nationally through volunteering, fundraising, and campaigning on surrounding issues.
This award was in recognition of our focused campaigns -“Equal Access to Higher Education” and “Lift the Ban” campaign.
The Equal Access Campaign is an offshoot of the UCAS Mentoring Program. In collaboration with Somerset Ukraine, the Frome Town Council and the University of Bath it aimed at helping refugee students prepare for university, identify the right course, assistance in documenting their Statement of Purpose and application process.
The Lift the Ban Campaign partnered with nine local businesses and created awareness on ban in place with respect to the rights of asylum seekers to work. We spoke to business owners about the rights of refugees, the need to lift the ban on their working rights and ways to improve their living conditions.
This award, a recognition of our successful work at BATH STAR, is the combined efforts, passion, hard work, and dedicated time spent by my fellow committee members Poetica Wang, Dhruv Mondkar, Lisenka Dsouza, and Sanay Parikh to whom I am ever grateful.
I take this opportunity to thank Stephanie Gan, Katherine Davis, Hilary Brummitt, Lucy Wilcock, and Imroze Sahota for their support and assistance to organise our first open day for asylum seekers accessing higher education at the university. As a part of this Open Day, we hosted Ukrainian refugees aspiring to apply to university and seeking information on what the University of Bath has to offer.
Lastly, I would like to thank Beckie Upton, the SU, and the University of Bath for their unwavering support through the year for our activities and campaigns that culminated in us being awarded the STAR Campaigning Award.
I look forward to my continued role as the Chair for Bath STAR in the current year and contribute to building an inclusive and accessible environment for asylum seekers!
Article Written by Shreeja Srikanth, Chair for Bath STAR 22-24 & student trustee for National STAR 23-24
If you are interested in getting involved in Stars Activities for this year please join here