Penrith And Eden Refugee Network

Penrith and Eden Refugee Network

OISC2 Regulated!

PERN is proud to announce that we are now an OISC2 regulated body for asylum and protection. It’s a big step on a long journey to ensure that all people seeking asylum living in Cumbria get the legal support they need and are entitled to in order to make their best asylum case possible. Congratulations… Continue reading OISC2 Regulated!

Art and Well-being

In 2023 PERN was awarded some funding from the Eden Arts and Culture Development Fund to deliver an exciting programme of art activities alongside BlueJam Arts. This is a Penrith Welcomes Diversity project. Our first two sessions explored capturing landscapes using watercolours. The group was led by Alex Jakob-Whitworth, and was hosted at BlueJam Arts Space… Continue reading Art and Well-being

Refugee Week Launch

We held our local launch of Refugee Week on Saturday 17 June in Penrith town centre to show the community’s welcome for refugees and asylum seekers. Many thanks to all the PERN members and supporters who came along, and special thanks to the refugees and asylum seekers who attended and spoke at the event.    … Continue reading Refugee Week Launch

PERN makes commitment to Anti-Racism

Our March learning event highlighted the importance we place on anti-racism in our work. We were very pleased that tickets sold out for the evening event in Penrith, which was facilitated by Anti Racist Cumbria, with delicious Syrian food. PERN is committed to an anti-racist learning journey and we will be thinking about how this… Continue reading PERN makes commitment to Anti-Racism

Vigil for Turkiye and Syria – Sunday 26 February at 5pm

Sunday 26th February 5pm St Andrew’s Church Yard, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 7YE A time for silence, grief and solidarity. All welcome. For questions and offerings of music, song, poetry or art please contact penrithandedenrefugeenetwork@gmail.com

Vigil for Ukraine – Saturday 25 February at 12.00

Please read this message from a Ukrainian living in Penrith, and come along and show your support. Dear local friends. It’s nearly a year since the beginning of full-scale war in Ukraine. The war that shattered lives of millions. The war that we did not believe could happen. This past 12 months is the darkest… Continue reading Vigil for Ukraine – Saturday 25 February at 12.00

Winterization Campaign

As we usually do at this time of the year, we’re encouraging our members to donate to Mobile Refugee Support (MRS). They do incredible work, as one of the only organisations in Dunkirk regularly distributing essential items to ensure that people are not forced to sleep rough in the woods or under bridges. They also… Continue reading Winterization Campaign

Hostile – Documentary Film Screening

Please join us at the Alhambra cinema in Penrith on Sunday 25 September at 5.45pm to watch the powerful new documentary film, Hostile, followed by a discussion and social in the Fell Bar.     Told through the eyes of four participants from Black and Asian backgrounds, the film focuses on the impact of evolving immigration policies that… Continue reading Hostile – Documentary Film Screening

Alston Evening – Support Care for Calais

Care for Calais are a brilliant volunteer-run refugee charity working with refugees in the UK, France and Belgium. There will be a social and fundraising evening on 26 August at Alston Town Hall, with speakers who have recently returned from Calais who can tell you more about their work.   All welcome – please come… Continue reading Alston Evening – Support Care for Calais

Learning English

One of PERN’s activities is English language support, and here are three ways in which learning takes place.   St John’s CarlisleSince April this year people seeking asylum have been placed by the Home Office in a hotel in Carlisle. People who arrive in the UK from Ukraine, or from Syria or Afghanistan on the resettlement programme, are… Continue reading Learning English