“My befriendees and I have a great time together and it is a superb feeling to help some one make a new life in our city.”

“I really enjoy supporting and helping my befriendee. It has been an enrichment to my life and am so pleased that we have such a positive relationship.”

“The staff are absolutely great and give me the confidence and resources I need.”

“Meeting the people involved and knowing I am able to help guests as they cope with the system. I know it has made a difference to their lives.”

“Very supportive organisation. Excellent online resources. Good to feel you’re doing something of value.”

“Meet interesting people from different countries and with different experiences to us enjoy welcoming people into our house and making use of the available space we have to share.”

“Feeling useful; helping people in need; supporting a really important frontline area of work; meeting amazing people.”

“I only want to say how grateful I am to be able to visit Suhad from Iraq, to listen to her, bring her flowers and to be called sister by her.”

“Meeting people from different parts of the world and cultures is always interesting and rewarding, so we get back far more than we give.”

“I feel LASSN is doing immensely valuable work and I want to be able to contribute to that work.”

“Since first contacting LASSN with a view to volunteering I have been struck by the helpful and supportive approach of all the people who work there and how quickly you are made to feel a part of the organisation.”

“EAH is very well organised. The training is regular and of a high standard. I feel well supported. The resources are regularly added to.”

“Meeting new families from different parts of the world and feeling that I might help to make them establish their lives in the UK.”

“Helping others learn English and making good connections with people from other nations.”

“Helping someone to learn English has the potential to make a difference to an asylum seeker or refugee’s life. Thinking of ways to do this is creative and challenging, which (selfishly) as a retired person, I need!”

“I have found Befriending (to be) an incredibly rewarding experience as it gave me the opportunity to build a relationship with someone who comes from a completely different background from my own and share our experiences with one another.”

“Making a difference to an individual’s life, caring and helpful staff.”

“The chance to meet people from different backgrounds and the opportunity to expand my teaching skills.”

“I was a teacher and very much enjoy teaching still. I have liked working for LASSN for 17 years.”

“The opportunity to build a relationship with and support my befriendee has been invaluable for me. I have learnt so much and grown as a person as a result. Everyone at LASSN is so supportive too.”

“LASSN provides an extremely important service to some of the most vulnerable people in Leeds.”

“I feel like I’m making a real difference to people, and all of the work is so well informed and ethical.”

“Really great volunteer support and coordination.”

“I also enjoy meeting other members and the social events.I am also very pleased to have such wonderful support from Tina and the LASSN team.”

“I also like feeling confident that LASSN is genuinely driven by its values and that decisions are taken on this basis.”

“Being able to support, offer something valuable to my Befriendee… Time, knowledge and friendship.”

“The strong feeling of support and excellent quality of training received from LASSN to enable me to carry out my volunteer role.”

“The support given. The thorough workshops and tutorials offered. I like a lot of things!”

“Making friends with people from countries like Iraq and Somalia, listening to them, their way of seeing the world, their accent, holding one of their children on my knees while chatting to the mother.”

“I feel honored to be part of such a fabulous charity.”

“I have been working with LAASN for15 or 16 years and find it very interesting and rewarding.”

“I find befriending really enjoyable, sometimes a bit challenging and I learn a great deal.”

“We have learned more about people of other countries and their plight which has underlined just how fortunate we are.”

“I’ve loved getting to know the person I’m befriending and her family. I feel like we’ve become genuine friends which has been really nice.”

“The opportunity to provide practical and immediate help to destitute asylum seekers who are being unjustly victimised by Government policies that I believe to be heinous.”

“I feel that there is an organisation behind me that knows what it is doing.”

“I have learned a lot from my guests and been inspired by them.”

“I have been very impressed with LASSN as a company, and my english at home partner, who is fantastic.”

“The opportunity of meeting people from different backgrounds and helping them in whatever capacity you can guided by LASSN.”