Gloucestershire Student Action for Refugees (STAR)
Winners of the Gnomie Award for Services to Fundraising and Charity 2022
Winners of the Gnomie Award for Services to Fundraising and Charity 2023
Hi there!
We're Gloucestershire STAR (previously the Refugee Support Society), thanks for stopping by!
What do we do?
Fundraising
We work hard each year to put on a variety of fundraisers – from bake sales to sponsored walks (travelling the distance from Syria to Cheltenham!). We raise money for our local partners at Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees and Gloucester Welcomes Refugees, as well as for UOG’s fantastic Sanctuary Scholarship scheme.
Last year we even raised enough money to send our members on an amazing volunteering experience to Calais with Refugee Community Kitchen. We spent 1 week cooking, cleaning and distributing thousands of meals to people in refugees in nearby areas.
Volunteering
We encourage our members to volunteer widely in the community and have excellent links with Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees. We have members volunteering at community cafés, women’s centres and children’s groups.
We also lend a hand at any refugee-centred events at the University. We organised a ‘Welcome Party’ for the Displaced Child, a sculpture commissioned as part of the Walk with Amal movement in 2022 and had a great time!
Awareness Raising
We often give talks to students as part of our work and are always keen for group members to share their knowledge, perspectives and understanding of displaced communities. As part of our plan for this year, we are working on a myth-busting series and a newsletter to showcase student action for refugees and asylum seekers in our local community. We are also looking forward to attending GARAS, a local refugee centre in Gloucestershire early in SM1.
Have Fun!
As well as our hard work, we also meet for relaxed social events. We try and find activities for everyone – in the past we’ve been out on nature walks, had dinner and drinks in Cheltenham and hit the bowling alley in town.
Where do we meet?
We mostly meet at FCH Campus on Monday evenings at 6pm. We’ll do our best to find a room that suits the needs of all members and the activity we have planned. Our most recent updates for upcoming activities will be on our Instagram page, or on our group WhatApp (to join, please email one of our committee members, who will gladly add you!)
How can I sign up?
Click the membership button on this page and join us!
Your membership goes towards activities, transportation and any extras for our meetings and events. It also means you are covered under the Students’ Union insurance. We do our best to keep the cost of membership as low as possible. However, if you need any financial assistance to take part in activities, please reach out to the Students' Union to talk about the Activities Access Fund.
Who can I talk to?
We have a lovely, friendly committee who would more than happy to chat with you! You can find their contact details below!
Eleanor (President) - s1909375@glos.ac.uk
Victoria (Vice-President) - s4106512@connect.glos.ac.uk
Holly (Welfare Officer) - s4101328@connect.glos.ac.uk
