Accolade for Plymouth Law Clinic Director

Award recognises commitment to supporting refugees - and raising awareness of the difficulties they face - through teaching and partnership projects
From left: Student Ellie Sabet, law graduate David Feindouno (now Refugee Services Coordinator at the British Red Cross), Plymouth Law Clinic Director Rosie Brennan, and student Duha Almussadar
From left: Student Ellie Sabet, law graduate David Feindouno (now Refugee Services Coordinator at the British Red Cross), Plymouth Law Clinic Director Rosie Brennan, and student Duha Almussadar

The Director of Plymouth University’s Law Clinic has been presented with an award in recognition of her commitment to refugee work in the South West.

Rosie Brennan, a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University, received the Sam Kallon Award from the Plymouth Migrant Communities Forum (PMCF) at the conclusion of the recent Refugee Week.

The award – decided by a public vote during the week – recognises her work on a project, run in collaboration with the British Red Cross, which aims to reunite families separated by persecution and conflict.

Rosie is also instrumental in organising events across Plymouth as part of the annual Refugee Week, and runs a project which brings asylum seekers and refugees to her home village of Calstock, in Cornwall.

Within the University, she also teaches immigration, nationality and refugee law as part of the LLB (Hons) Law undergraduate course and – as Director of the Plymouth Law Clinic – enables students to gain experience of working with real clients.

Rosie said:

“It was a real honour to receive this award, as it carries the name of someone who was inspirational in promoting the plight of refugees in the Plymouth area. Working in partnership with students at the University, and organisations across the South West, there is some amazing work taking place here to raise awareness and break down stereotypes about refugees. It was also very appropriate that the award was presented at the finale of this year’s Refugee Week, which has once again gone a long way to achieving those goals.”

Sam Kallon and his wife Isatta founded what later became Devon and Cornwall Refugee Support in their Plymouth flat, the couple having initially met in Russia after fleeing the conflict in Sierra Leone.

After moving to Plymouth, they helped new arrivals to the UK by providing food and floor space in their home, and began to work with other organisations and individuals in the community, setting up DCRS in 1999.

Sam tragically died in 2002 aged just 39, but his wife continues to carry out community work with young people in Plymouth.

Life Buoy attached to a Wooden Paneled Wall