Chetwynde School's year 8 students marked Refugee Week by walking a mile in the shoes of an asylum seeker at the Escape to Safety exhibition.

Furness Multi-Cultural Community Forum & Youth Club hosted the exhibition at Cooke’s Studios in Barrow.

The experience was crafted to mirror the journey of refugees, starting from their homelands and ending up in the UK.

Both students and staff participated, using headsets and travel documents to immerse themselves in the refugees' journey and understand what seeking safety from war and persecution entails.


Sian Huck, head of humanities at Chetwynde School, part of the South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, said: "It was a very thought-provoking interactive experience and included a citizenship test.

"It was an excellent opportunity for students to develop a deeper understanding of asylum seekers, to challenge misconceptions and misinformation and to help our communities build connections and welcome for the newly arrived.

“It was followed a workshop which gave students the opportunity to talk to people with real life experience of such events who live in our community.

“The thoughtful questions students asked during the activities show how this visit has enabled them to reflect upon their own feelings about refugees and the impact of war.”