jonbeech

About Jon Beech

I joined LASSN as the Director in December 2013. I've a particular interest in mental health, ethnicity, and helping people make sense of their world and their community.

Back to Resources Homepage

Friends of LASSN – Spring 2018

Resource Information







2024-01-16T11:34:14+00:0026th April, 2018|

We've just published our April edition of Friends of LASSN - it's packed with all sorts of stories about the difference we're making to the lives of refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants at risk, as well as practical steps you can take to show solidarity at home, at work, and whilst you're deciding who to vote for in the upcoming elections. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy compiling it. As usual it features the voices of asylum seekers, volunteers and staff at LASSN - and this one includes an invitation to the biggest and best party you'll attend all year... #musicwithoutborders on 11th May 2018. Please click on the link below to find out more

Grace Hosting in the News

Resource Information







2018-11-09T14:49:21+00:007th March, 2018|

In recent months, Grace Hosting has struggled to find sufficient Hosts to accommodate destitute asylum seekers. Although we provide about 30 nights of emergency accommodation each week, we struggle to find places for about 3 nights each week.   With this in mind, we thought we'd try and recruit some new Hosts by issuing a Press Release about our work, and letting people know how they might help.     Since then, we've made quite a splash. It started out with local MP Alex Sobel citing a story from our last Friends of LASSN on the floor of the House of Commons (he starts speaking at 16:07) and telling the world that he and his family used to be Grace Hosts (click on the photo to see him in action). This was quickly picked up by both the Wharfedale Observer and the Yorkshire Evening Post Later that week we had a lovely piece on ITV Calendar thanks to reporter Rachel Townsend, who is actually a Grace Host volunteer herself! This featured our volunteer host Theresa, and Joti who has been staying with her, and who were happy to be filmed. It gave a lovely insight in to what hosting is all about. The next week we found out we'd made it into North Leeds Life...  And finally Theresa (again) and Clare appeared on BBC Radio Leeds last Sunday with Richard Stead talking about their experience as Hosts, friendships and Afghan Sunday Lunches.   You can listen to their fantastic interview by clicking here and listening from about 2 hours and 7 minutes (after Rod Stewart). Thank you to the volunteers who agreed to be involved, the journalists who covered the story, and everyone working behind the scenes to make this happen ( and in particular Dee Marshall, one of our Trustees).  All this publicity has lead to a few people coming forward who are thinking about volunteering as a host with LASSN - although we still need more. . If you know anyone who may be interested – perhaps people you work with, groups you attend, family or friends please do give them Jo's email [email protected] and we can have a chat. We also have some postcards about volunteering with LASSN which we can send to you if you would like them to give out at places of work, events etc.  Your help in recruiting more host volunteers is much appreciated. And finally, thanks for letting us show off a bit. It's unusual for us to have gotten this amount of coverage, but we thought you'd like to know...

Friends of LASSN – Winter 2017

Resource Information







2024-01-16T11:34:52+00:0015th December, 2017|

The Winter Edition of Friends of LASSN is out - our quarterly newsletter telling you about the difference our volunteers and network members make to the lives of refugees and asylum seekers living in Leeds. There's lots in here that gives us hope as well as some other things that spur us on, and remind us there's still a lot more to do "it's great working with Latif and & Selina," wrote one of our volunteers in an email today "They're a lovely couple." "And my whole experience with LASSN has been amazing - the training was thorough, but not overwhelming, and David has been fantastic throughout the whole process. Thank you to you, and everyone at LASSN for all your hard work!" It's lovely to be appreciated. But in fact, we should be thanking you all for your kindness and your continued support for what LASSN stands for. So thank you. And Merry Christmas.

Mentoring and Befriending at LASSN

Resource Information







2018-09-14T15:52:03+01:0014th December, 2017|Tags: , |

We recently delivered a short presentation on how we do Mentoring and Befriending at LASSN, and to help our Connecting Opportunities partners think through how they might approach it. In particular we were keen to show how our way of doing Mentoring and Befriending mesh with our values. Have a look and see what you think.    

Fundraising for LASSN – some new resources

Resource Information







2024-08-20T14:20:06+01:005th December, 2017|

LASSN relies on donations and funds raised by supporters and well wishers - so we've tried to make the process a little easier, and to offer more support to people who want to help us to raise money. We've done this in several ways We now have a dedicated fundraising page on the LASSN website We're offering support to people organising fundraising events, including a fundraising pack with publicity materials We've set up a Virgin Giving Page - so that people can set up their own fundraising page for us and advertise it on Social Media Thank you to everyone who raises money to help asylum seekers and refugees in Leeds, and especially those who do this in the name of LASSN.  We think you're amazing.

Tina joins English at Home as Volunteers Manager

Resource Information







2018-11-09T13:51:12+00:008th November, 2017|

As many of you know, Riley - Volunteers Manager at English at Home - recently went on 12 months Adoption leave. In Riley's farewell email, they promised that LASSN would find a temporary replacement very soon. And we have. We are delighted to announce that Tina Brocklebank will be joining the team, as English at Home Volunteers Manager alongside David.  Some of you may know Tina from the press coverage of her work with Help Refugees in the Refugee Camp at Calais, or the Volunteer Open evenings she has been running with City of Sanctuary - helping people who want to work with asyum seekers and refugees to find the right volunteering opportunity. Tina was also elected to LASSN's board of Trustees at our last AGM. However, Tina is now standing down as a Trustee in order to join David as a Volunteers Manager with English at Home on 15th November 2017. 

Refugees perform random acts of kindness

Resource Information







2018-08-14T12:04:56+01:002nd October, 2017|Tags: |

Rosa and other Leeds refugees and asylum seekers making friendship flower pots Refugees and asylum seekers in Leeds have made flower pots to give to friends, neighbours and complete strangers as a “random act of kindness”. Each pot was hand decorated with a message of friendship, planted with spring bulbs, and then handed out across the city. The pots were made at the Leeds Asylum Seekers’ Support Network’s annual celebration which was held at All Hallow’s Church in Leeds. Over the last year, LASSN volunteers have supported asylum seekers and refugees in Leeds to learn English, find somewhere to stay, and make friends in the community. The annual general meeting celebrated the different ways of welcoming asylum seekers and refugees to the city. Jon Beech, the Director of LASSN said, “International events can be overwhelming but we’ve seen that simple acts of kindness can make the world of difference to someone who’s come here seeking safety”. Pete Tatham from the Leeds gardening charity Hyde Park Source, which helped refugees and volunteers with the project said, “It’s inspiring to see how ordinary people have changed the lives of asylum seekers and refugees for the better. When these ‘little pots of welcome’ flower in the spring, we’ll be reminded of the friendship and kindness we’ve seen here today”. Rosa, an asylum seeker from Albania said “The volunteer from LASSN helping me is very kind. I want to share the kindness and make other people happy too”. A young asylum seeker with her friendship flower pot  

LASSN Annual Review 2016/17

Resource Information







2017-09-29T15:37:56+01:0028th September, 2017|

We're proud to publish our most recent Annual Review, which describes our work for the last year, as well as outlining our plans for the future. As usual, it's packed with stories about the impact we have, and the difference we make to the lives of asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants at risk in Leeds.   Thank you to all our volunteers, friends, supporters, and allies, for the enormous contribution you make to LASSN and for being so generous with your time, friendship, kindness, and hope.  You can find a copy of our Annual Review here along with our most recent set of accounts, or by clicking on the picture below

Translate »
Go to Top