Following my retirement from a long career in education, I work as a volunteer with the charity Darlington Assistance for Refugees (DAR), supporting Syrian refugee families and asylum seekers who are building new lives in the UK.

This was the starting point for my Fellowship which allowed me to visit Stockholm and Berlin to research how voluntary organisations there are supporting Syrian refugee families and promoting their integration and wellbeing.

As a result of my Fellowship, I have spoken about my research at a number of regional events and been able to influence policy and practice. I have been able to contribute a number of ideas for developing the range of support provided by DAR.

Most recently, inspired by orientation programmes for adults in Sweden, I am currently developing an orientation programme for new learners – refugee and asylum-seeker children – in Darlington schools. The aim of the programme is to make it easier for children of all ages to manage the transition into school in the UK by introducing them to how things work on a practical level, looking at expectations and supporting school-related language acquisition.