We know that many members of our community have family and friends in the country and we are working with our students and City partners to be ready to welcome Afghan refugees to the region.

We have already contacted any Newcastle student where our records show they may be affected by this ongoing situation to offer our support.

Beyond this, through our Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Julie Sanders, we are working with the sector and Universities UK International to ensure the support is in place for any current or prospective student from Afghanistan wanting to study in the UK.  Through CARA (the Council for At Risk Academics) we are also looking at the situation for academics who may be displaced by these events.

Locally, as part of our work as a University of Sanctuary, we are also providing additional resources to support our student run volunteer group North East Solidarity and Teaching (N.E.S.T).

The group has been providing services to hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees in the region over the past four years and is now part of the City’s wider response to support those arriving in Newcastle from Afghanistan.

This includes providing, packing and distributing approximately 350 care packs to refugees and asylum seekers, including Afghan refugees, who are expected to arrive in Newcastle before the end of August.  Among those seeking sanctuary in Newcastle are families with young children, and both students and colleague volunteers will be helping with this effort.

Support for students and colleagues:

We know that many in our university community have been affected by the recent developments in Afghanistan.

If you are concerned about your region and loved ones who may be there, or if you have been affected in any way by what is happening in Afghanistan, then there is emotional support for you within the University.

• The Chaplaincy and Pastoral Support Team can offer support to any staff or student- just email  pastoral.support@newcastle.ac.uk

• Postgraduate students can also access support from the Postgraduate Assistance Programme via the free 24 Hour confidential helpline: 0800 030 5182.  Username: Newcastle; Password: University

• The University also has a free multi-language service app called TalkCampus which allows you to talk with other students from around the world. TalkCampus is anonymous and is based around peer support, you can use it if you need some help yourself or you can go on there and listen and support others.   Your student email address will give you free access, just download TalkCampus from the app stores.   You can read more about TalkCampus, with links to download at  https://www.talkcampus.io/newcastle-university.

• The University’s Counselling team are also available and can offer support.  Please contact the team on sws.therapyappointments@ncl.ac.uk or 0191 208 3333 if you need support or if you wish for us to reach out to other students in need. Further information about help available, including 24/7 sources of support, can be found on the website.
• Colleagues can access a range of support via our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).