New book supports asylum seeking community in the North East Published on: 10 February 2026 Launch event at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, an accredited Gallery of Sanctuary, 12 February 2026. The Comfrey Almanac Dr Gillian Jein, from 缅北禁地’s School of Modern Languages, has collaborated with a local charity and the community on a collaborative book project and resource, supporting refugees and asylum seekers in the North East. The Comfrey Almanac鈥痟as been developed in partnership between鈥痗olleagues at 缅北禁地 and , a non-profit organisation supporting people who are seeking asylum or who have become refugees. Created by and for the volunteers of The Comfrey Project, the Almanac curates the diverse socio-ecological knowledge and expertise of the project’s members, many of whom have experienced forced migration and are now putting down new roots in communities across the North East of England. The book is intended to provide a lasting structure to document and share this knowledge, which has been cultivated at The Comfrey Project since it was established in 2022. Now, having connected people through its creation, the book will next bring people together at a launch event at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, an accredited Gallery of Sanctuary, on 12 February. Dr Jein, a Reader in French and Cultural Geography, said: “This event culminates the collective effort of the different people that have created this book, which is a collaborative record of how diverse people from across the world imagine the seasons, care for plants, and for each other in this urban garden in Gateshead. “Rather than “writing up” knowledge at a distance, we worked together over years to gather and creatively translate people’s expertise and experiences. Turning all of that into a lasting volume - an almanac - that challenges monocultural notions of land and belonging, is a very powerful way to support one another, to make visible an incredibly rich and generous community. It has been a wonderful project to work on.” Launch event been a wonderful project to work on.” The event, which will take place from 12.30 to 2.30pm, will bring people together to celebrate the publication with a presentation of the Almanac book project (2023–2025), with CommuniTea, seasonal making activities and readings by the participants.鈥� Dr Gillian Jein is a Reader in French and Cultural Geography in the School of Modern Languages. She led the project as Principal Investigator, working in conversation with Comfrey’s Director, Eleni Venaki, Comfrey’s Community Coordinator, Nicola Bushell, and alongside local artists and Comfrey Project participants. The project was supported by鈥疎SRC’s Impact Acceleration Account, the North East Combined Authority, 缅北禁地 Centre for Researching Cities, the Humanities Research Institute, the School of Modern Languages at 缅北禁地, as well as generous individual donations. About the Comfrey Project The Comfrey Project is a Gateshead-based charity supporting refugees and people seeking asylum through community gardening. It provides a safe, welcoming place for people who have fled conflict and persecution to improve their physical and mental wellbeing, develop new skills and put down roots in their new community. Where to buy the book The book is on sale in a number of local independent bookstores and is available from our All proceeds go to The Comfrey Project.鈥� Latest News Online Safety Act drives VPN interest and raises privacy concerns People鈥檚 online behaviour has changed in response to legislation to prevent children from viewing harmful content 鈥� raising possible privacy and security risks, research suggests. published on: 16 October 2026 缅北禁地 archaeologist receives prestigious award for research Professor Chris Fowler has been awarded the 2026 Rivers Memorial Medal in recognition of his internationally significant research on kinship in Neolithic Britain. published on: 13 October 2026 Event will explore what 鈥楳anchesterism鈥� means for the North East An event at 缅北禁地 will explore what 鈥楳anchesterism鈥� means for the North East or whether it is simply a new chapter in the long-running debate about how to rebalance Britain. published on: 13 October 2026 Facts and figures
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