Just a short newsletter today, we wouldnt want to distract you from Tramlines, or anything else youre planning this weekend (forecast looks good).

• Congolese Summer Festival – Sun 25th July 12-6pm
• Spare Pram needed

CONGOLESE SUMMER FESTIVAL – SUN 25th JULY 12PM-6PM

A Congolese Summer Festival, to celebrate 50 yrs of Congolese Independence.

The Festival is taking place on Sunday 25th July, between 12pm and 6pm at Petre St Green Space in Burngreave (S4 8LJ).

The event will include Music, Drama, Food and Drink, Soccer, and Children’s activities. All are welcome.

It has been organised by the Congolese Community Association, with support from South Yorkshire Community Foundation and Sheffield Summer of Sanctuary. For more information email cca-sheffield@hotmail.co.uk or ring 07930830629.

SPARE PRAM NEEDED
Does anyone have a spare pram? One is needed for a baby to be born end of July. If anyone has one to donate please contact mwd2020@talktalk.net

A quick correction to the earlier email – the demo at Vulcan House will actually start at 3pm.

CDAS (Committee for the Defence of Asylum Seekers) have asked us to pass on a message about a demo being held tomorrow (Tuesday) to protest against the proposed deportation of Lem Lem, a 60 yr old Eritrean women and popular member of Conversation Club and other activities in Sheffield. She is due to be deported to Ethiopa on Wednesday.

The demo will take place at 4pm at Vulcan House, 6 Millsands, Sheffield S3 8NU

More information on her case can be found at http://www.sheffieldcdas.org.uk/campaigns/petitions/lemlem-hussein-abdu/

A common dilemma for our Sheffield Newsletter is how to fit everything in. Often there's so much news, events and links, we could send you a whole newspapers worth. To avoid this, we have to select only the most pressing and topical items. Today's issue is a case in point, so make sure you read every item, and see what you can do:

* Karen Community Association need a Meeting Room
* Thankyou Sheffield! - Sat 17th July
* CDAS Campaigns and Petitions
* Communicatease - Sun 18th July
* Volunteer IT Support available
* Keltones in aid of ASSIST - Mon 19th July
* Could you be the next City of Sanctuary National Co-ordinator?

KAREN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION NEED A MEETING ROOM

The Karen Community Association in Sheffield are looking for a meeting room in the city centre during the summer holidays, for one day a week from 10am-2pm. They have little funding so are unable to afford normal charges, and are hoping an organisation may be able to offer them the use of one for free. If you can help out, please contact Htoo Ku on htooku@yahoo.co.uk

THANKYOU SHEFFIELD! - Sat 17th July 10am-3pm

This Saturday 17th July CDAS (Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers) are going to be holding a big event (with a marquee!) at Barker's Pool (outside City Hall) as part of Summer of Sanctuary. It will be a fun, educational, information event to celebrate the contribution of asylum seekers and refugees to Sheffield and to thank all of the volunteers who offer hope, solidarity, friendship etc. We would like to target a new audience and educate them about refugee issues. There will be lots happening including exhibitions, films, refreshments, a talent contest, chess and face painting! A lot has been going on in Sheffield to help those seeking sanctuary and we will be saying THANK YOU SHEFFIELD!

A quick extra addition to the last newsletter – some events and news that didn’t make it into the first edition:

• International Women’s Cooking Event – Sat 3rd July
• Seven Years with Hard Labour – Ice&fire theatre – Tues 6th July
• Spaces on NRC Working with Women open day – Fri 9th July
• Volunteer Centre ‘My Guide’ Course

International Women’s Cooking Event

Saturday 3rd July, 10am-2pm
Highfield Trinity Church, London Road.

Come, have some fun and dine with us – and learn about how we cook food in different parts of the world! Enjoy eating and tasting, sharing your own, and learning to enjoy new cultures and cuisines.

Women only event – any women from all communities are welcome to attend this event!

Please contact Helen Barker 07776203421 for more information.

Seven Years with Hard Labour – ice&fire theatre

Tuesday 6th July, 7pm

Library Theatre, Central Library, Surrey St, Sheffield, S1 1 XZ

We hope you can join us for this exciting event: the Sheffield Premiere of Seven Years With Hard Labour – the stories of former Burmese political prisoners now living in the UK. There are currently over 2100 political prisoners incarcerated in Burma. This play weaves together four accounts from former Burmese political prisoners now living in the UK. Through their engaging, divergent and often humorous stories, a damning picture of a ruthless military regime is painted.

This performance is a feature of the Sheffield Summer of Sanctuary and as part of this event we will also be performing our flagship production, Asylum Monologues, the following week: Tues 13th July @ 7:00pm, Library Theatre, Sheffield. Details at www.iceandfire.co.uk.

Spaces on Working with Women Open Day at NRC – Fri 9th July

Northern Refugee Centre still has some spaces left on its ‘Work with Women Open Day,’ on Friday 9th of July. Please contact Rachel Cooling at: rachel.cooling@nrcentre.org.uk.

Volunteer Centre Sheffield – My Guide course

Refugee Week is over, but the Summer of Sanctuary has only just begun in Sheffield. lets hope the great weather of the last few days is replicated throughout July and August.

In this edition of the newsletter, we have a variety of news and events, plus
two vacancies in our own organisation:

Region of Sanctuary video

Video of the recent Region of Sanctuary conference can now be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQyZj800hoc. Give it a watch now and help it follow in the footsteps of City of Sanctuary the Film, which now has almost 3000 unique views.

Vacancies at City of Sanctuary

Craig Barnett, one of the founders of the City of Sanctuary movement, and the current National Coordinator, is moving to Zimbabwe in the Autumn to start an exciting new project. We all wish Craig the best in his new ventures. This leaves the position of National Coordinator open for applications – details of the job and an application pack can be found at www.cityofsanctuary.org/jobs

At the same time we’re also recruiting for the part time position of Communications and Administration Worker at City of Sanctuary, to take over the role of maintaining relationships with our network of supporters, and managing our record-keeping and administration.

These is an opportunity for a highly organised and self-motivated person
to play a key role in this grassroots movement to build a culture of
hospitality for people seeking sanctuary (as well as writing this Newsletter).
Details and an application pack can again be found at www.cityofsanctuary.org/jobs

Unite Against Fascism Summer Social – Thursday 1st July 7:30pm

Sheffield Unite Against Fascism would like to invite you to a summer social on Thursday July 1st from 7.30 at St Cuthbert’s Church in Fir Vale: food and refreshments will be provided.

Please see a message below about the campaign to save Refugee and Migrant Justice

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24 hours to save Refugee and Migrant Justice

A consortium of charitable trusts and city law firms, supported by Simon Hughes MP, are putting together a proposal to Government to save Refugee and Migrant Justice (RMJ). The proposal asks the Government to at least pay the money that it would have to pay anyway on insolvency on the understanding that this will be matched with up to £1,000,000 by way of grants, secured loans and donations to meet cash needs to finance work in progress.
We need concrete commitments for these funds today or as early as possible tomorrow – actual cash can come a bit later. So far today, we have been pledged £134,000. Significantly more could follow from charitable trusts and others we are already talking with. But at this point it is clear that this is going to be a very considerable challenge without some additional help.

The aim of the plan is to enable, with full transparency and without prejudicing the position of creditors, a 3 month period in which the Government can consider whether it might change the payment system, there might be time to look at some innovative solutions with the Office of Civil Society and banks and RMJ would demonstrate that it had a viable forward business model. If all that fails, at least it would provide time for an orderly transfer of our clients’ cases. We have 10,000 clients, including 900 unaccompanied children who may otherwise be left in limbo.

We are appealing for donations, however small, to help save RMJ and secure its services over the next three months. If funds from both Government and other funders can be agreed, RMJ’s administrators would, in principle, support the proposal to take RMJ out of administration.

A quick sequel to our refugee week bulletin, with an event today (hope you get this in time), and a final reminder about the World Over Concert, which brings Refugee Week to a close on Saturday night. See you there.

REFUTEA PARTY – Friday 12:30-2:30pm

You are invited to join the Refugee Council for a RefuTEA party on Friday 18th June from 12.30- 2.30pm. Come and join us for a cup of tea and piece of cake to celebrate Refugee Week at Room 12a, SYAC, 120 Wicker, Sheffield, S3 8JD.
Find out more about the issues refugees and asylum seekers face and get to know the Refugee Council Resettlement Team. Donations for our women’s group are welcome.

WORLD OVER CONCERT 2010 – Saturday 7pm

A spectacular concert to bring Refugee Week to a close, with music, dance, drama, storytelling and more from across the world.

In addition to the acts announced last week, we’re delighted to announce we’ll also have Slovakian dancers from Unity Through Dance, and Storytelling from the Legends refugee group.

Doors are at 7pm, with the concert taking place at the Montgomery Hall, located right next to the Big Wheel in the City Centre. Tickets are a bargain £5, with Children Free.

All proceeds go to ASSIST, the Sheffield Charity supporting destitute Asylum Seekers.

Refugee Week 2010 is here, and with it the first Summer of Sanctuary, which was launched yesterday with a bang on Devonshire Green. Despite bad weather, those in attendance saw dancers, bands and the Lord Mayor mark the start of 3 months of celebrations. You'll be kept up to date with everything that's happening through these newsletters, starting with this weeks events:

* Communicatease - Weds 16th June 7.30pm
* Celebration of Arts and Food (women only)- Thurs 17th June 12:30pm
* Legends Storytelling Workshop - Fri 18th June 10am-5pm
* Celebration of Culture - Fri 18th June 10:30am-4pm
* World Over Concert - Saturday 19th June 7pm

COMMUNICATEASE - Weds 16th June 7.30pm

Stories and drama by Side by Side intercultural theatre group. The performance will be followed by a fashion show by Sheffield Swahili Group.

At the Library Theatre, Sheffield
Admission free – donations welcome!

CELEBRATION OF ARTS AND FOOD (women only)- Thurs 17th June 12:30-2:30pm

St Matthew’s Rooms, Carver St, S1 – Celebration of Arts and Food with Women’s Conversation Club (City Centre). Come and celebrate songs, animations and a recipe booklet created by women asylum seekers and refugees. Free, includes lunch. Women only. With thanks to the funders – Arts Council and Sheffield PCT Contact River Wolton info@riverwolton.co.uk or Radmila Fortune-West .

LEGENDS STORYTELLING WORKSHOP - Fri 18th June 10am-5pm

Legends is a one day storytelling workshop on 18th June at Sharrow Community Hall, John Street, off Bramall Lane. Participants from refugee and asylum seeker communities will be taught how to tell stories by a professional. The stories that people learn to tell will be chosen by themselves and can be from any cultural background. After the days workshop people will be given the opportunity to perform their stories at a number of events.

CELEBRATION OF CULTURE - Fri 18th June 10:30am-4pm

final reminder…City of Sanctuary “How Can I Help?” drop-in today, Wednesday, 11.30-2.30 at the Quaker Meeting House.

Help us draw up an alphabet of welcome by suggesting an example of Sheffield welcome for each letter of the alphabet.

From ASSIST to Zeela – come and help us fill the gaps and we’ll provide you with juice and a sandwich.

A full events newsletter will follow later today