My name is Alison. I have been involved with what was first known as the Refugee Support group and was set up by students in response to the Refugee Crisis four years ago. Since then the group has grown and developed in fantastic ways and I am so proud of what we have achieved.  I suppose personally seeing and hearing about the terrible experiences of Refugees making their way to Europe, I felt the need to do something to help however small.  I love being part of Friends not Foes not just because of the help we give to Refugees but because every year a group of wonderful, committed and creative young people emerge, eager to do great things in response to the suffering in the world.  For this reason, Friends not Foes continues to be among one of my best experiences as a teacher.

Hello. My name is Kerstin, and I teach English at college. I have been involved with Friends Not Foes for two years.  Before I became actively involved in the group, I  participated in their events such as Stand Up for the 387 which helped me to understand the refugee crisis much better. I came to my first meeting with a student from one of my classes who was a refuge. She had spent time in the Calais Jungle, and was living independently and struggling to make friends. The group were so friendly and made her very welcome. She went on to help out at several events while she was at college, and I continued to attend meetings to this day.