DEVON & CORNWALL REFUGEE SUPPORT

A Private Company Limited by Guarantee

NEWSLETTER
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2011
Registered Company No. 06271122 Registered Charity No. 1130360 OISC Exemption No. N200100427 7 Whimple Street, Plymouth PL1 2DH Tel: 01752 265952 Fax: 0870 762 6228 Email: dcrsc@btopenworld.com

Providing Practical Support To Refugees

Website: http://dcrsc1.cfsites.org

FOREWORD BY THE NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Written by Geoffrey N. READ

EDITORIAL COMMENT
Written by Geoffrey N. READ DCRS Newsletter Editor

Dear Friends & Supporters, The Chair of our Board of Trustees, Lorna SEWELL is indisposed right now so it has fallen upon me to write a few words for this Foreword. It never ceases to amaze me just how much work is achieved by the DCRS Trustees, Staff and Volunteers during the course of one short month. And all this work is carried out quietly, methodically, with not so much as a song and a dance, but always with the utmost diligence. I am constantly in awe of what they manage to achieve. Despite all their pressures of work the Staff managed to take an Away Day in July 2011 where they studied their work practices with a view to reviewing them and improving them. The Staff still manage to achieve their aims whilst fighting a constant uphill battle! We learned in July 2011 that the Immigration Advisory Service has had to close. This will affect a few of our Service Users and has placed an increased workload on our Staff. I have placed an article regarding this closure further in this issue. How many of you have read our Annual Review for 2010? A copy is available on our website for viewing and downloading. If you have difficulty with that then there are a few hard copies available at the Masiandae Centre or do please contact me direct. The Review contains an awful lot of useful information about DCRS and a lot of work and effort was put into it. Yours sincerely , Geoffrey N. READ DCRS Newsletter Editor

NTERNET LINKS. If youre reading this on-line and come across words with blue lettering that are underlined, then you can click on these links and be taken directly to another site for more information on that particular topic. Put your cursor over the link, hold down the Control (Ctrl) Key and click! Ed.

DCRS BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Written by Geoffrey N. READ DCRS Newsletter Editor

OARD OF TRUSTEES Meetings. A meeting of the DCRS th Board of Trustees was held on Wednesday, 27 July 2011. There will be no meeting in August 2011. The next th meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 28 September 2011 at 7 p.m. Should anyone wish to have a particular matter discussed at this meeting then please contact any DCRS Trustee.

Our Funders:

2011 is the 60 Anniversary of the UN Refugee Convention

th

http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49da0e466.html
To contact Geoff READ, the Newsletter Editor, please call 07745819828 (text only) or (01752) 563800. Alternatively email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk. For the contact details of DCRS, please see the top of Page 1.

DCRS CLOTHING STORE

Written by Trish BAXTER DCRS Lead Project Support Worker

DCRS HARVEST FESTIVAL APPEAL

Written by Christine REID DCRS Trustee & Food Programme Coordinator

ABY CLOTHES & BEDDING. DCRS is currently accepting donations of all types of baby clothes and bedding.

M T C

ENS SWIMMING SHORTS and Trunks. As you will see from a later article, the Plymouth Tinside Pool is now available for use and is free to our Service Users. However, they often dont have the necessary swimming costumes, shorts or trunks to be able to attend. All donations would therefore be very welcome! OWELS. Towels of all sizes and types would be welcomed... especially if our Service Users could use them to go swimming! OLLECTION OR DELIVERY? If anyone has things to donate then do please bring them to the Masiandae Centre in Whimple Street. Alternatively, contact Geoff details at the foot of the page and he will arrange collection.

HAT TIME OF THE YEAR is fast approaching when DCRS likes to remind faith groups, schools and similar organisations that it will soon be time for Harvest Festival. As in previous years, donations of all types of food would be very much appreciated. The DCRS Food Programme does have a budget which provides for the very basic needs but we do look upon donations to provide a little bit of luxury and change in the diet of our Service Users (SU). Last year we issued about 1,700 food parcels to Service Users who would have otherwise gone hungry. We also provide toiletry packs for some of our SU and male toiletries are especially welcome. You can deliver your donations to the Masiandae Centre at 7 Whimple Street. Alternatively, if you would like us to collect them from you please call Geoff on (01752) 563800 or text him on 07745819828. You can also email him on saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk. Thank you!

DCRS ON FACEBOOK
Written by Kanda DCRS Webmaster

DCRS HOLIDAY CLOSURE

Written by Geoffrey N. READ DCRS Trustee & Newsletter Editor

CRS ON FACEBOOK. We opened up a DCRS page at Facebook a few months ago. Please also visit this Facebook page and click Like! Thank you!

P T

LEASE NOTE THAT the Masiandae Centre will be closed all day on th Monday, 29 August 2011 for the Summer Bank Holiday.

DCRS FOOD PROGRAMME

An update by Christine REID DCRS Trustee & Food Programme Coordinator

DCRS VOLUNTEERS MEETING

Written by Geoffrey N. READ DCRS Trustee & Newsletter Editor

HE FOOD PROGRAMME continues to issue the same levels of food to our destitute Service Users (SU). The number of SU using the Food Programme has been very high recently and this has a resulted in us running out of Tea Bags. One of the things we pride ourselves on at the Masiandae Centre is that it is a social centre for our SU past and present, to meet and greet in a safe haven. We should therefore be most grateful for donations of the following: Tea Bags Mens Shower Gels and Body Sprays

HE JULY 2011 Meeting took place on Thursday, 28 July 2011 and the Minutes are available for collection from the Masiandae Centre. There will be no meeting in August 2011. The August 2011 Meeting is expected to be scheduled for 2 p.m. on th Thursday, 29 September 2011 at the Masiandae Centre. All volunteers are cordially invited to attend.

th

2011 is the 60th Anniversary of the UN Refugee Convention

OLLECTION OR DELIVERY? If anyone has things to donate then do please bring them to the Masiandae Centre in Whimple Street. Alternatively, contact Geoff details at the foot of the page and he will arrange collection.

http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49da0e466.html

To contact Geoff READ, the Newsletter Editor, please call 07745819828 (text only) or (01752) 563800. Alternatively email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk. For the contact details of DCRS, please see the top of Page 1.

SUMMER IS HERE BUT WINTER IS APPROACHING!

An article by Trish BAXTER DCRS Lead Project Support Worker

We would like to thank all those who have attended the Cultural Kitchen over the past year. Regards Janet, Isaac & Susie START Management Team Students & Refugees Together
Unit 4 HQ Building Tel: (01752) 255 200 237 Union Street Fax: (01752) 668 826 Plymouth, PL1 3HQ Email: isaac@studentsandrefugeestogether.com Website: www.studentsandrefugeestogether.com

TAFF ARE CONSTANTLY challenged by those Service Users who have been evicted from supported housing after receiving a decision on their legal claim to protection in the UK. For all refugees, the housing shortage means that they may have no ready provision for some weeks or months but are not entitled to continue in the residence after 28 days of that decision. Becoming homeless and without financial support is a common experience that plunges a person into difficult and challenging times. For a number, the experience is devastating and can cause a renewed sense of trauma, we would seek to alleviate, with your help. There are a number of local individuals and groups who have shown an equal concern for these destitute people and as we plan for the coming weeks and months it is urgent that we discuss the possible solutions that may be a remedy to this problem. If you are interested in coming to discuss these matters with others at the beginning of September, please get in touch. We will announce a venue and date when we can confirm this in our next newsletter.

CFA on FACEBOOK. AS A RESULT of the information learned at the On-line Marketing Training Day mentioned on the previous page, it became apparent that DCFA should be promoting itself on Facebook, Twitter and other internet sites. DCFA now has its very own Facebook Page. Please click on that link and when you get there do please click on LIKE! You will find the LIKE link in the column to the right of the page. This will help us on our way! We also have a Friends of DCFA group at Facebook and we cordially welcome you to join us there. Please find the link to the group on the DCFA Facebook page. Thanks!

DOES YOUR ORGANISATION PROVIDE FREE MEALS OR FOOD PARCELS?

If your organisation would benefit from receiving free food produce then please go on-line to DCFA at

THANK YOU!
Written by Liz HARDINGE DCRS Trustee & Personnel Coordinator (Staff & Volunteers)

http://dcfa.webs.com ,
download the Application Form & Wish List, complete the details and submit it to Geoff (details at the foot of the page).

BIG THANK you to Eustache HABURUREMYI who left our volunteer team at the end of June 2011 when he returned to Belgium. Eustache was here to improve his English and was a regular volunteer during the few months he was in Plymouth. We really enjoyed having him with us and appreciated his willingness to do whatever was needed. We will miss his smiley face and wish him well in his future career in law.

AILED STATES INDEX 2011. This index was published by st the FP (the Foreign Policy magazine) on Friday, 1 July 2011:

OTHER NEWS & EVENTS

Compiled by Geoffrey N. Read DCRS Newsletter Editor DISCLAIMER Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this section are not necessarily those held by the DCRS Board of Trustees nor anyone connected to DCRS.

HE CULTURAL KITCHEN is having a break for August 2011 and Ramadan, and will start again in September. The dates of future Cultural Kitchens for your diary are: th rd Friday, 9 and 23 September th st Friday, 7 and 21 October th th Friday, 4 and 18 November nd th Friday, 2 and 16 December th th Friday, 13 and 27 January 2012 th th Friday, 10 and 24 February 2012

Failed State: A state having little or no governance, endemic corruption, profiteering by ruling elites, very poor Human Rights, the government cannot / will not protect the population from others or itself, massive internal conflict, forced internal / external displacement, institutionalised political exclusion of significant numbers of the population, progressive deterioration of welfare infrastructure (hospitals, clinics, doctors, nurses) not adequate to meet health, needs, progressive economic decline of the country as a whole as measured by per capita income, debt, severe child mortality rates, poverty levels.

To contact Geoff READ, the Newsletter Editor, please call 07745819828 (text only) or (01752) 563800. Alternatively email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk. For the contact details of DCRS, please see the top of Page 1.

Worst 20 Countries:
Somalia, Chad, Sudan, Democratic Republic Congo, Haiti, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Pakistan, Yemen, Nigeria, Nger, Kenya, Burundi, Burma, Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia.

Click here to read more.

MMIGRATION ADVISORY Service (IAS) goes into Administration. This information was broadcast by the th BBC on Monday, 11 July 2011:

The IAS, which employs 200 people, has closed its branches across the UK. One employee told the BBC that staff had been told to clear their desks and that administrators were already in the central headquarters in London. The free service is one of the leading charities giving legal advice and representation to immigrants and asylum seekers in the UK. BBC Home Affairs correspondent Danny SHAW says the reasons why the charity is in administration are unclear, but cuts to the legal aid budget and to fees for doing legally-funded work are thought to be contributory factors. Alternative Advice The Legal Services Commission (LSC), which runs the Legal Aid Scheme in England and Wales, said the IAS's decision to go into administration was "theirs alone". A spokesman said: "During recent stewardship activities LSC raised concerns around financial management and claims irregularities which prompted IAS trustees' to conclude that the organisation was no longer financially viable. "Our priority now is to work closely with IAS and the administrators to ensure clients of IAS continue to get the help they need, whilst safeguarding public money. "We are now identifying alternative advice provision in the areas affected and arrangements for case transfer will follow as soon as possible." Click HERE for further information and related stories. And please click on this link if you would like to see a BBC News Video regarding the Closure of the Bristol Offices.

The charity received 15million a year to pay for lawyers and legal advice for 27,000 migrants trying to stay in the country. The Immigration Advisory Service homepage on its website advises would-be users that it is in administration. But an internal audit revealed hundreds of cases where funding went to ineligible applicants. Auditors were shocked to discover that in other cases there was no paperwork to show money was properly spent. The charitys bosses also said some recipients had claimed money in error because of complex Government rules. One successful asylum claimant was granted funding to which he was not entitled to help bring his family into the country. However, there is no suggestion of any deliberate fraud. Critics said the revelations showed tighter checks were needed. Sir Andrew GREEN, Chairman of the think-tank Migrationwatch UK, said: This is a shocking abuse of taxpayers money. Huge sums of public money have been given to the asylum and immigration industry tens of millions every year. It is time that the controls on that expenditure were tightened up to prevent the taxpayer being taken to the cleaners again. Responsibility: Damian GREEN, Minister of State for Borders & Immigration. The IAS was the largest legal immigration charity in the UK and funded 13,000 asylum and 14,000 immigration cases last year. It had more than 300 staff in 14 offices across the country. It raised 500,000 annually from clients and donations, but most of its spending last year came in a 15million grant from the Legal Services Commission, a Ministry of Justice quango. IAS bosses pulled the plug last week after failing to agree how to repay the money. They said they had no alternative, blaming Ministry of Justice cuts to legal aid funding. To read more on this topic please go to this link.

LYMOUTH TINSIDE LIDO. The following information is especially brought to the attention of our Service Users because the use of this facility is free! Opening dates and times for 2011: th Open until Sunday, to 18 September: Mondays to Fridays: 12 noon to 6 p.m. (until th Saturday, 4 September the pool opens at 10 a.m.). Weekends: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Late swimming on Tuesdays and Thursdays until st 7 p.m. until Thursday, 1 September:

ILLIONS IN LEGAL Aid for Asylum Seekers was Misspent by Collapsed Immigration Charity. This article was published in the Daily Mail by Jack Doyle on th Tuesday, 12 July 2011. Millions of pounds in legal aid for immigrants and asylum seekers was misspent by a Government-backed charity, it emerged last night. The Immigration Advisory Service has collapsed into administration after auditors uncovered the financial irregularities.

Please note: Opening of the pool is weather-dependant.

To contact Geoff READ, the Newsletter Editor, please call 07745819828 (text only) or (01752) 563800. Alternatively email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk. For the contact details of DCRS, please see the top of Page 1.

Admission prices: Admission to Tinside Lido is free. During busy periods, sessions will be introduced. How long can I stay? During busy times a session system will be in use which may limit the swim to two hours. Can unaccompanied children visit the lido? All children under eight years old must be supervised in the water by a responsible adult (aged 16 years or over). No more than two children per adult or one child under five per adult are allowed. Is there access for people with a disability? A new lift to enable disabled people to access the lido is now available. A hoist into the pool is also available. Can I hire a sun lounger? There are a limited number of sun loungers and deckchairs to use on a first-come-first-served basis free-of-charge. Are there lifeguards? The Council employs a team qualified lifeguards to help ensure you have a safe and enjoyable visit to the lido. Are picnics allowed? Food is allowed into the complex, but glass bottles and alcohol aren't allowed. There are vending machines with sweets and drinks and limited poolside catering. Are pets allowed? No pets are allowed with the exception of guide dogs. Where can I park? Parking is limited nearby. The nearest car parks are in Pier Street, Lambhay Hill and the city centre. There is some on road (meter) parking on the surrounding roads. What differences will I notice between when the lido closed in 1992 and now? While the Lido has been restored as closely as possible to its original form, the operation has changed slightly. You no longer need to wear swim hats! In line with modern practice, there is now one mixed changing room with cubicles so families can change together. The former male changing rooms on the first floor are to be converted into a restaurant. Are there any water features? The original water features have been restored with some modifications. The central fountain has a mushroom effect as well as a jet. The two edge fountains are smaller with water coming from a round grille. What can I buy at the lido? There are vending machines with sweets and drinks. How safe is it? There are qualified lifeguards on duty at all times who are also trained in first aid.

No alcohol is allowed and children must be supervised by adults at all times. There is very little shade on poolside so it is advisable to bring sunscreen and hats. For further information please click on this link.

EFUGEE WEEK 2011: Different pasts, shared future! This is a report from the national Refugee Week website:

Refugee Week is a unique opportunity to discover and celebrate the contributions refugees bring to the UK. Thank you everyone for making this year's Refugee Week a success. A lot of exciting events happened all across the country. We shall be posting some images on the site from different events. If you organised an event and would like to share some of your pictures with us please email them to us and we shall try to have them on the site at some point. You can also share photos with us via Facebook www.facebook.com/RefugeeWeek We're still collecting stories and case studies about the contributions that refugees have made to Britain over the last 60 years. If you have any interesting stories or photographs on this subject to share, we'd very much like to hear from you! Join us on Twitter and Facebook via the links below! http://twitter.com/RefugeeWeek www.facebook.com/RefugeeWeek

QUATTERS RIGHTS LAW That Grants Illegal Immigrants Right to Stay After 14 Years To Be Scrapped. This article was published in the Daily Mail by David Wilkes on th Monday, 18 July 2011. A rule which rewarded immigrants with the right to stay in the UK after living here illegally for 14 years is to be scrapped. The Squatters Rights law, passed by Labour in 2003, allowed thousands of migrants to live here permanently, work and claim benefits simply because they escaped detection for so long. Up to 2,000 visa over-stayers, failed asylum seekers and illegal entrants exploited the loophole every year and Determined: were granted permanent residency. Immigration Other beneficiaries were illegal workers minister Damian GREEN employed in the black economy who have never paid tax or national insurance. Critics branded the law a slow motion amnesty. Worryingly, the numbers taking advantage have increased by 120% since its first full year in operation. Now Home Office ministers are set to abolish the law... to ensure migrants who do not play by the rules are not given the privilege of settlement. Immigration Minister Damian GREEN said: I am determined to take steps to close the loopholes that have been exploited for too long.

To contact Geoff READ, the Newsletter Editor, please call 07745819828 (text only) or (01752) 563800. Alternatively email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk. For the contact details of DCRS, please see the top of Page 1.

The right to a family life is not absolute and the interests of the British public must be taken into consideration when deciding who can enter and remain in the UK. Those who enter the country illegally or overstay their visa should not be automatically rewarded with the privilege of settlement just because they have avoided detection for years. There are fears the numbers taking advantage of the law could spiral in coming years as thousands of illegal migrants who arrived in the last decade apply for permanent residency. In 2003 the law was changed to allow anyone living here illegally for 14 years or more to apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Left: Fears: The numbers taking advantage of the law could spiral in coming years as thousands of illegal migrants who arrived in the last decade apply for permanent residency.

The IRR's firs investigation, part of an ongoing examination of the changing characteristics of racial violence throughout the UK, is based on detailed research into the history and political economy of Plymouth. It draws on interviews with key individuals working on issues relating to racism and racial equality in the city and is supplemented by statistical data and information. According to the report's author, Dr. Jon BURNETT , 'This research emphasises the ways in which specific patterns of racism are becoming entrenched in smaller cities within the UK. It shows how forms of racism fostered by national policies and practices are re-interpreted and manifested through the prism of specific local contexts. As these new geographies of racism emerge, there needs to be an emergence of new anti-racist strategies which both understand and adapt to these local realities.' The research highlights how, within Plymouth: Historically, there has been a comparatively small Black Minority Ethnic (BME) population. However, the demography of the city has changed significantly over the last decade. Certain communities have been left isolated and vulnerable to racist attacks. There have been vicious attacks against asylum seekers, students from BME communities, Gypsies and Travellers and workers within particular sectors such as catering and mini-cabbing. The decline of the dockyards has devastated the local economy and underpinned persistent inequalities within the city. Particular wards are classed as some of the poorest areas in the country and the current economic climate, as well as the political responses to this, has the potential to entrench these inequalities further. There is an intrinsic, historical, naval infrastructure and despite the decline of the dockyards the city still has active naval and military barracks. Farright groups have attempted to mobilise locally by capitalising on the issues raised by the war-footing which the UK has been on over recent years.
2

Since then a total of 8,948 illegal migrants have taken advantage of the failures of the immigration system to remove them to stay. The year after the law was introduced just 781 illegal migrants used it but by 2009 the number increased to 2,061. Last year the total was 1,774. Once their application has been approved, the immigrant will be able to claim the same benefits as Britons... and is eligible to apply for citizenship and a UK passport. Each application is decided on the basis of the applicants good character and knowledge of the UK. Official estimates put the number of illegal immigrants in the country at up to 570,000. However unofficial calculations put the total as high as 870,000. In opposition, the Tories branded the rule disturbing, and criticised it for rewarding illegal behaviour. In its document on proposed changes to family immigration published last week the Home Office said: Those who wish to settle in the UK on the grounds of private or family life should be up-front about their intentions and make an appropriate application to the UK Border Agency. Settlement in the UK is a privilege. It should not be achieved simply by evading our detection for a number of years. For more information please click on this link.

HE NEW GEOGRAPHIES 0f Racism: Plymouth. The following Press Release was issued by the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) on Thursday, 30th June 2011: Research published today by the IRR investigates how geographies of racism throughout the UK are changing in a wider climate of economic austerity, shifting patterns of migration and settlement and against the backdrop of new forms of racism exacerbated by national policies.

This briefing on Plymouth is the first of three investigations into areas which have experienced increased levels of racist attacks over recent years. These investigations will explore new geographies of racism which are emerging within the UK and will culminate in a report, drawing together findings from each of the areas, in a report later this year. This project developed from a briefing paper published by the IRR in 2010 entitled Racial violence: the buried issue (download here). Read the IRR's research, The new geographies of racism: Plymouth here (PDF file, 198kb).
2

Dr. Jon BURNETT is a researcher at the IRR working on a threeyear-project on racial violence in the UK.

To contact Geoff READ, the Newsletter Editor, please call 07745819828 (text only) or (01752) 563800. Alternatively email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk. For the contact details of DCRS, please see the top of Page 1.

There has been a lack of local and national political will to address the causes and manifestations of racist attacks, with a commitment to projects aimed at fostering community cohesion diverting focus away from racial violence. At the same time, the current economic climate has forced certain key agencies providing support services to close. The official response to racism has historically been one of denial and the severity of racial violence has, in the past, consequently been downplayed.

Each host home will be asked to have two volunteers, one from Nepal and one from another part of the UK. As far as possible, live-in volunteers will be of the same gender and will therefore only need one bedroom as they'll be expected to share. Volunteers must not share a bed and we can provide an extra camp bed for the duration of the volunteer's stay. Ideally volunteers will live in the same host home for the duration of their three-month stay, but if you are only able to offer a home for a short time (minimum of two weeks) then we would still like to hear from you. The most important thing to us is that youre open to taking the volunteers in and sharing your life and community with them.

To see the full version of this report, please click on this link. For further information please call the IRR on 020 7837 0041 or 07753 741 129 or email: jon@irr.org.uk.

Host Homes: What you get in return

Previous host homes have said they have benefited from the experience of having guests from a different background and culture staying with them. It is a great opportunity to learn from the volunteers about their life in Nepal and other parts of the UK. The current allowance for host homes is 100 per pair week (50 per volunteer). The allowance aims to cover the extra food, water, electricity etc. the volunteers will use during their stay.

EBRA COLLECTIVE: Host Homes & Volunteer Work Placements Required. If you haven't already heard, Zebra Collective is now the official Plymouth partner of Global Xchange, and we are now embarking on our first international cultural exchange project. Global Xchange is a partnership between VSO UK, The British Council and other partner organisations around the world. Working directly with the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Global Xchange is part of the pilot year of International Citizen Service (ICS). In the Autumn we will begin our six-month programme between Plymouth and a cluster of villages near Surkhet, Nepal. Ten volunteers from the UK and ten from Nepal, all aged between 18 and 22, will spend three months in Surkhet then three months in Plymouth, living, working and learning in these communities. The volunteers will live with host families in Plymouth from January to April 2012 (13 weeks), and the Zebra Collective is now looking for expressions of interest from people willing to be hosts. We are also looking for Volunteer Work Placements throughout the city. In both cases a UK volunteer and a Nepalese volunteer will be placed together, to live and work as partners. There will be two Programme Supervisors living and working in your community who are responsible for members of the team throughout the exchange and are available to provide support to host homes and Volunteer Work Placements. They will visit host homes and volunteer placements regularly. The UK Programme Supervisor is Marc GARDINER of the Zebra Collective. Host Homes: What you need to know.
You will need to live in Plymouth or within the travel to work area. Its important that the volunteers can easily get to their work placements so there must be a regular bus route into the city. Eligible areas are Plymouth (including Plympton and Plymstock), Torpoint and Saltash.

Volunteer Work Placements:

Volunteer Work Placement must take place in community and voluntary organisations. Based in Plymouth (including Plympton and Plymstock). Volunteers work on placement 3 4 days a week. Each organisation will be asked to have two volunteers, one from Nepal and one from another part of the UK for three months. The volunteers will be working in the organisation around a theme which is likely to be Health & Well-being, for example: Sexual health promotion, Mental health awareness Campaigns, Befriending services, Alcohol abuse, Fitness projects... cycle to work schemes, community integration services etc. We are also looking for organisations who contribute to a wider variety of Plymouths development for one-off projects or events such as the volunteers Community Action Days (CAD).

Expressions of Interests for Host Homes & Volunteer Work Placements. If you are interested in being a host family or a volunteer placement for two volunteers please contact: Liza PACKER, Programme Organiser liza@zebra.coop Tel: (01752) 847442 or (01752) 395131 Once you confirm your interest a Programme Supervisor will arrange to meet you and you can talk through whats involved with them. Theres no obligation to commit!

To contact Geoff READ, the Newsletter Editor, please call 07745819828 (text only) or (01752) 563800. Alternatively email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk. For the contact details of DCRS, please see the top of Page 1.

DIARY DATES
Written by Geoffrey N. READ DCRS Newsletter Editor All the dates are shown using the Gregorian (Western) calendar. The calendar is accurate, but some dates may vary regionally because they are determined by the lunar calendar. Jewish festivals usually begin at sundown on the previous day. If you have access to the internet, just click on the faith links for further information.

Wednesday, 24 th August 2011 Khordad Sal (Shenshai) (Zoroastrian). The birthday of Zoroaster, celebrated on this date in the Shenshai calendar. Tuesday, 30th August 2011 Eid-Ul-Fitr (Muslim). The end of Ramadan when Muslims celebrate the end of fasting and thank Allah for His help with their month-long act of self-control.

Thursday, 8 th September 2011 Monday, 1 August 2011 Lughnasadh - Lammas (Pagan). A harvest festival and one of the Pagan festivals of Celtic origin which split the year into four. Ramadan (start) (Muslim) Ramadan is the Muslim month of fasting. Saturday, 6 th August 2011 Transfiguration (Christian). Orthodox Christian feast commemorating the sudden emanation of radiance from the person of Jesus that occurred on the mountain. Tuesday, 9 th August 2011 T isha B'Av (Jewish) A solemn day that commemorates a series of tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people over the years, many of which have coincidentally happened on this day. Saturday, 13 th August 2011 Raksha Bandhan (Hindu). Raksha Bandhan is the Hindu festival that celebrates brotherhood and love. Raksha Bandhan means a thread for protection. Monday, 15 th August 2011 Dormition of the Theotokos (Christian). An Orthodox festival that commemorates the death, resurrection, and glorification of Christ's mother. Dormition means falling asleep. Assumption of the Blessed V irgin Mary (Christian) A largely Roman Catholic festival celebrating their belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken body and soul into heaven. Wednesday, 17 th August 2011 Birthday of Marcus Garvey (Rastafari). Commemorates the birthday of Marcus Garvey, the Jamaican politician born in 1887 who predicted the crowning of a King in Africa, and instigated the Back to Africa movement. Friday, 19 th August 2011 Jamshedi Noruz (Shenshai) (Zoroastrian). Zoroastrian New Year's Day in the Shenshai calendar. Monday, 22 nd August 2011 Janmashtami - Krishna Jayanti (Hindu). The Janamashtami festival marks the birth of Krishna, the most highly venerated God in the Hindu pantheon.
st

Nativity of the Theotokos (Christian). Orthodox Christians celebrate the birth of the Virgin Mary. Birthday of the Blessed V irgin Mary (Christian). Roman Catholics celebrate the birth of the V irgin Mary. Feast of the Birth of Mary (Christian). Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches celebrate the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus. Sunday, 11 th September 2011 Ethiopian New Year (Rastafari). The start of the New Year in Ethiopia is recognised because Rastafarians believe Ethiopia to be their spiritual homeland, and a place to which they want to return. Friday, 23 rd September 2011 Autumn Equinox (Pagan) This day is celebrated when day and night are of equal duration. Wednesday, 28 th September 2011 Navaratri (start) (Hindu). Navaratri (nine nights) symbolises the triumph of good over evil and marks the start of autumn. Thursday, 29 th September 2011 Michaelmas / St. Michael, St. Gabriel & St. Raphael's Day (Christian). A feast day in honour of the archangel Michael. Michael is one of the angels named in the Bible (along with Gabriel and, in some traditions including Roman Catholic, Raphael. ) Rosh Hashanah (first day) (Jewish). Jewish New Year. A two-day festival during which work is not permitted.

THIS SPACE COULD HAVE BEEN USED TO PLACE YOUR NOTICE!

Why not contact the Editor?
8

To contact Geoff READ, the Newsletter Editor, please call 07745819828 (text only) or (01752) 563800. Alternatively email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk. For the contact details of DCRS, please see the top of Page 1.