Shared Community: The Shared Reading Group making a difference for asylum seekers in the North West 

How one Shared Reading group is making a difference for asylum seekers in the North West 

‘For displaced people, so much of their interaction with their new country is filling in forms. I want to communicate with them as humans – soul to soul’  

One Shared Reading group founded by a retired Lancashire teacher five years ago in Skelmersdale has made an enormous impact on the lives of asylum seekers in the North West.  

Tariq came to the UK from Palestine two years ago.  

He had been living in Gaza with his family where he was studying law but eventually, was forced to flee with his brother to escape the continued conflict that has become part of everyday life in the region.   

While Tariq was seeking asylum in the UK he attended one of The Reader’s first ground-breaking ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Shared Reading groups for 18 months.  

He said: “Through the group I’ve made new friends and my English has improved a lot. I’ve discovered many new words through poetry and it’s helped me to develop my knowledge of everyday English.” 

The ESOL Shared Reading group takes place in a community centre, tucked away in the streets of Skelmersdale in the North West of England. It was set up five years ago by volunteer, Jane, a retired teacher from Lancashire. Here people connect and share experiences using stories and poems. There is no pressure to talk or read aloud. 

Jane said: “After I’d trained to become a volunteer for The Reader I heard about the community of refugees and asylum seekers in Skelmersdale. My daughter works for The British Red Cross so I was aware of the plight of refugees, and I wanted to do something to help.   

“I approached a local library, which offered services and support to people seeking asylum, and asked if I could set up a Shared Reading group. They put me in touch with the community centre and we’ve been here ever since – which is more than five years now.   

“Group members often pass through quickly as their status changes and they move on, but over the years we’ve read with people from Iran, Palestine, Syria, Eritrea and Ethiopia. Recently we’ve had more people joining from Eastern Europe and Ukraine, sometimes we have mums coming along and bringing their children which is lovely.” 

Co-Reader Leader, Mel, had brought along Walt Whitman’s poem Miracles. Looking around the table at the group of people gathered together from countries including Iran, Albania, Ukraine, Palestine, Turkey and Darfur in an unassuming room in a community centre in a small Northern town, it felt, without exaggeration, like some sort of miracle in itself.   

The universal theme of the poem transcended language barriers and, thanks to Mel’s kind and gentle guidance, the discussion was rich, both in laughter and quiet reflection. It was particularly moving to hear one of the group members recount an experience from his journey when he witnessed a fellow refugee being rescued from the sea.  

‘To me the sea is a continual miracle,  

The fishes that swim – the rocks – the motion of the waves – the  

Ships with men in them,  

What stranger miracles are there?’    

The session ended with a reading of the poem aloud, in unison. Hearing these words that were first published in 1856, read live and aloud in a range of voices from around the world was an uplifting reminder that, whatever our own personal story, ‘we are far more united than the things that divide us’.   

This last point about Shared Reading as a tool for language-learning has deep significance for Reader Leader, Jane. 

She said: “For displaced people, so much of their interaction with their new country is transactional – filling in forms and so on. I wanted to communicate with them as humans – soul to soul.   

“Shared reading really is a way to meet people as equals, where we are all learning from each other. The literature is a catalyst for connection which is so needed by transient and marginalised communities. For that hour when we’re stuck into a great poem or story they feel seen and heard.”    

To find your nearest Shared Reading group visit here. 

As a charity, we rely on the generous support of individuals and organisations to help us change lives through Shared Reading. A donation allows us to train volunteers, provide resources for groups and help reach more people. We want to make sure everyone can attend a Shared Reading group, no matter their background, income or situation, and we'll be so grateful for your help. 

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