One of the UK’s most prominent physical theatre companies, ThickSkin is bringing its timely production How Not To Drown to the Theatre By The Lake in Keswick from 28 February-2 March 2023. Written by Nicola McCartney and Dritan Kastrati, this is a highly visual production telling the painful yet uplifting true story of an eleven-year-old unaccompanied asylum-seeker. In… Continue reading How Not to Drown – a Powerful Theatre Production
Category: PERN News
Business Administrator for PERN
Can you use your skills to advance justice and kindness? Penrith and Eden Refugee Network (PERN) are seeking an experienced Business Administrator for a few hours a week. £20 per hour freelance. Includes Finance monitoring of budgets and grants Activity and impact reporting Volunteer management Responding to enquiries Expressions of Interest to penrithandedenrefugeenetwork@gmail.com including a… Continue reading Business Administrator for PERN
PERN against the Rwanda Plan
It was great to see so many people at our autumn ‘Fill the Skies with Hope’ event in Penrith against the government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. We later hand-delivered the paper planes to Neil Hudson MP, with your messages of support for refugees and opposition to the Rwanda plan. If Neil Hudson… Continue reading PERN against the Rwanda Plan
Volunteer opportunities
Joyful, nerdy geeks wanted to support asylum seekers in navigating Home Office procedures Every asylum seeker must make a formal application to the Home Office for refugee status. Volunteers can give a helping hand to guide people through the process and help asylum seekers use the multi-language toolkit www.righttoremain.org.uk We don’t give legal advice, but understanding… Continue reading Volunteer opportunities
Community Outreach Officer
We are delighted to welcome Claudi Hayward to a new role at PERN – Community Outreach Officer. One of Claudi’s tasks will be to explore setting up a Women’s Group, and she will also research relevant learning/ training needs of people for whom English is an additional language, and find and connect with possible providers. Another important… Continue reading Community Outreach Officer
Asylum seekers and refugees in our community
Over the past few weeks, several hundred refugees and people seeking asylum have moved to Cumbria. PERN members and other people who already live in Cumbria are actively welcoming and supporting the newcomers. We welcome this demonstration of empathy and compassion – it is what we do and who we are. However, there is a… Continue reading Asylum seekers and refugees in our community
Penrith English Conversation Volunteer Role
We are looking for a friendly, nurturing, organised volunteer to relaunch and coordinate this group. The group meets weekly in Penrith library to support anyone wanting to improve their English, however shy or confident they feel. The group provides an informal environment for speaking English and making friendships. If you like to be empathetic and… Continue reading Penrith English Conversation Volunteer Role
One-woman Show and PERN Social -9 April
Rural Highlights brings Tickbox to Penrith at 7.30pm on Saturday 9 April. It’s a one-hour, semi-autobiographical, one-woman play in Scots-English and Urdu, which combines theatre, storytelling, and comedy to interweave the journeys of two Scottish Pakistani women. Please join us for a PERN social after the show, where there will be an informal chat with Lubna and… Continue reading One-woman Show and PERN Social -9 April
Film and social on Sunday 27 March
Please come along to the Alhambra cinema in Penrith at 17.45 to watch Flee, and join PERN members in the Fell bar afterwards at 52 King St, Penrith, CA11 7AY. Based on the true story of a child refugee’s journey from Afghanistan to Denmark, Flee is described as ‘a masterful blend of animation and documentary,… Continue reading Film and social on Sunday 27 March
Vigil for Peace – Saturday 19 March
We’re holding a Vigil for Peace on Saturday 19 March from 11am to noon. We will gather in Christ Church grounds (CA11 9EL) under the cherry tree. For part of the vigil we will hold silence, at other times we will offer music, readings and song. Vigil for Peace