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LASSN is now a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)

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2024-09-16T15:26:24+01:0016th September, 2024|

We're delighted to announce that LASSN has successfully converted to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Association style), or CIO for short Our Members voted for this change at our AGM in January 24 and (after a few hiccups with the paperwork that required another vote at an EGM in August 24) the Charity Commission have finally approved our application. What does this mean for LASSN?  On a day-to-day level, very little changes. Our Mission and purpose remain exactly the same. We retain our charitable status and we even keep the same Charity Number. Our banking details remain the same, and all the Gift Aid declarations made by our donors and supporters still apply. The main differences are we are no longer registered with Companies House, which means we are now regulated exclusively by the Charity Commission. This means we only have to file one set of accounts, and update one lot of records when things change (eg when Trustees resign). our Constitution is completely up-to-date, and our governance procedures are clearer and less open to interpretation. Consequently, our original 15 page Constitution has now become a 25 page document. If you'd like to read more about the implications of this change, here's a paper we presented to Trustees as they were deciding if they should recommend the change to Members. Get involved  LASSN needs Trustees from a wide range of backgrounds, to make sure we have the right balance of decision makers. We particularly want to recruit Trustees from ethnically diverse communities. Although most of the folks we work alongside are from racialised communities, most of our Trustees are not. We want more Trustees to be drawn from the diverse communities we serve, or to have direct experience of migration to the UK. Younger Trustees. The average age of Trustees is currently 57, and we'd love to get some younger folks involved in how we run things. If you'd like to find out more about what being a Trustee at LASSN involves, and the support and training we can provide, please look at our Trustee Information pack, or contact our Director, Jon Beech [email protected] for an informal chat.

New to Leeds has been revised and updated

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2024-06-21T12:43:16+01:0021st June, 2024|

New to Leeds is the definitive guide to life in Leeds for New Migrants. We’ve updated and expanded it with a whole section for newly granted refugees - spelling out exactly what folks need to do to make a successful transition from seeking asylum to becoming a refugee. Like the previous 2 versions, it’s been designed for use on a smartphone, and can be translated into 20 languages at the touch of a button. All 1500+ links have all been checked, as has the advice and guidance, so you can be sure that the information here is correct. Each entry is also dated, so you can see how long it has been since the page was checked. Massive thanks to everyone involved in this (and previous) updates. You can read more about how this site was put together here: About this Website - New to Leeds

“What can I do to help refugees from Afghanistan?”

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2021-09-03T08:56:19+01:002nd September, 2021|

A lot of people have been in touch over the last week, with unbelievably generous offers of help, housing, volunteering - all asking to know ways they can help refugees from Afghanistan. We are unbelievably grateful, and slightly embarrassed that we've yet to hear of any Afghans who've arrived in Leeds on the various resettlement schemes. So we've helped to draft this joint reponse from Leeds Migration Partnership https://migrationpartnership.org.uk/afghanistan so the refugee charities of Leeds give out clear and consistent messages. We are told that when people arrive, they will be provided with wrap-around care, and that the UK Government have this in hand. That said - despite "Operation Warm Welcome" - the UK Government plans to make the welcome for refugees who arrive without invitation less than warm. Including Afghan refugees who are not eligible for this wrap-around care. You might agree. You might disagree. But we'd like you to know more about it - and how it connects to the situation of folks who aren't lucky enough to be airlifted out of dangerous situations. You can find more info on this after this briefing sheet. Most of the organisations working with refugees in Leeds are working with people who have come to the UK without an invitation. Some of those people are from Afghanistan, but most refugees in Leeds are not eligible for the help offered to people who’ve been hand-picked by the Home Office. And although the Home Office have asked that all offers of help for Afghan people go through them – it’s actually much better to contact the Council (if you have an empty property that could be used to house people) or Migration Yorkshire – who are coordinating things on a regional level. They have produced an excellent in depth explanation of how people can offer help. Collecting, storing, cleaning and organising goods is an expensive and time consuming task. Charity shops like St Vincent’s do this brilliantly well, as well as offering support to people seeking asylum as well as refugees. It’s generally cheaper to buy new from Asda/Primark. Plus, from a human perspective – there’s enormous dignity in not being forced to wear second hand undies. If UK people want to show support for refugees more generally – there’s an opportunity for them to speak out against the UK Government’s New Plan for Immigration. This New Plan intends to create a two tier system for refugees. One group will arrive at the invitation of the UK Government, selected from particular refugee camps. These are called resettlement schemes. If the New Plan passes into law, the other group – the people who have not arrived on UK Government chartered planes or at UK invitation – will be said to have arrived here illegally. So even if people seeking refuge persuade the Home Office that their lives are in danger, and they cannot return home (for example that they are from Afghanistan and are wanted by the Taliban) they will be treated [...]

LASSN Festival of Connecting and Reconnecting, March 15th – 19th, 2021 

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2021-03-04T16:51:36+00:003rd March, 2021|

This year we cannot bring everyone together face-to-face as we usually would, so instead we invite you to take part in a week of fun activities that will hopefully help us to all feel more connected during these strange times. You can sign up to as many sessions with ‘unlimited’ spaces as you like, and you can choose one session that has ‘limited’ spaces. Some of the activities require ingredients or materials or the costs of putting the cooker on, so please tell us so we can help pay for them. We never ever want money to be a barrier to people coming together and having a good time - so please don't be embarrassed. Please tell us if some money towards the cost of ingredients or materials or cooking costs or phone credit would be helpful. We really really want to see you!  Monday 15th March, 12 – 12.45pm Have Fun through Dance with Nikki   If you miss dancing with friends to some happy music and having a little bit of exercise then this session is for you.  You don't need any skills, just need a little bit of space to move around and some comfortable clothing, anyone that enjoys dancing is very welcome. Nikki is a qualified dance fitness instructor and a former Zumba® instructor. She will demonstrate the dance move for each song so that everyone can follow along.   Places available: unlimited Tuesday 16th March, 11am - 12pm Cooking with Hala    Hala will be cooking the Palestinian dish Mujadara which is made up of lentils, rice (and/or bulgur) and caramelized onions.  You can get the ingredients in advance to cook along with her or just join the session and watch! We will send out a list of ingredients a week before the session, and a supermarket voucher to buy ingredients, or volunteers can claim back through their expenses. Places available: unlimited Tuesday 16th March, 6 – 7.30pm  Wellbeing Workshop for Adults (by Impact North)  Jane Kenington is an Art Psychotherapist working with families in schools and the community. She will be running a creative workshop for adults focusing on wellbeing. She will be using breathing and mindfulness techniques combined with creativity and movement that you can go on to incorporate into your daily lives.  You will need paper and pens /pencils /crayons plus any other creative materials you wish to use – scissors, glue, collage, sequins, glitter etc. If you are buying stuff for you, or someone who is coming to the session, please claim up to £5 for each of you, by contacting the Volunteers Manager Places available: limited Wednesday 17th March, 2 - 3pm  Baking with Naglaa Jjoin this session to watch how Nagla bakes baklava and learn some tips to try it at home yourself! We will send out a list of ingredients a week before the session, and a supermarket voucher to buy ingredients, or volunteers can claim back through their expenses. Places available: unlimited  Thursday 18th March, 11am – 12pm [...]

Guidance for LASSN Volunteers during Tier 5 aka Lockdown 3, from 6th January 2021

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2021-01-06T17:38:20+00:006th January, 2021|

Although we’re all still getting used to what Tier 5 means – it’s clear that we’ll be in it for at least a couple of months, so it feels right to communicate our thinking on things (so far) with a smile and a sigh and to hopefully provide some useful resources to help you in your volunteering. We’re really grateful to everyone who continues to give their time and support to the asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants we know. Your kindness, compassion and willingness to bend and flex are massively appreciated. Thank you on behalf of everyone that LASSN supports, the staff team, Trustees and everyone else who donates their time, money and goodwill. Jon Beech, Director What are the new Tier 5 Rules?  Here are the Government’s “Stay at Home” rules What does this mean for volunteering at LASSN? The Government summarise their current restrictions as message as “Stay Home”. We want our advice to be equally clear and consistent. So we are advising everyone - volunteers and the people they support - to be extremely cautious and to act as if they have the virus, and to avoid meeting up for the duration of the Tier 5 restrictions. The Government rules say I can leave the house for volunteering – so why can’t I meet up? Yes, it’s possible to argue this – but the situation is complicated: different volunteers and clients have different clinical vulnerabilities. (People from migrant backgrounds remain over-represented in the number of people contracting and dying of COVID). The rules for meeting up – even socially distanced and outside – are also not simple. For example, you can walk together, but you can’t sit down on a bench together. The person you wish to meet may not be able to bring children/dependents with them. There are also risks associated with travelling to and from an outdoors meeting place. If you believe someone really needs contact in person, please discuss this with your Volunteers Manager and we will work out how they can get the support they need. This is so upsetting and frustrating. Yes. It is. We are trying to do everything we can to help to support people as best we can, but the new strain of COVID makes it even more difficult than it was in March 2020. We also have a duty of care towards our volunteers and staff – so we cannot and will not ask you to put you (or the people you live with) at extra risk. So – what can we do? Staying in touch by phone is really really important. Texts and messaging are really good ways of staying in touch, and are sometimes easier than awkward conversations. Over Christmas we doubled the amount of support with phone costs from £10 per month to £20 per month. (there are PAYGO SIMs with unlimited calls/data/texts for £20 per month). We will continue to provide all LASSN volunteers and clients with up to £20 a month towards [...]

Guidance for LASSN volunteers, at the end of Lockdown 2.0: 30th November 2020

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2021-01-06T17:16:13+00:0030th November, 2020|

When Leeds exits Lockdown 2.0 later this week, we will enter Tier Three or Very High Alert. Leeds City Council have published a detailed description of the restrictions in place, based on the National Guidance. They have also circulated a summary note here  for third sector organisations. In most respects, the local restrictions will go back to the way things were at the end of September 2020 - LASSN’s guidance to volunteers remains unchanged to the guidance we issued then. LASSN’s advice is Please do not meet up with the person you are matched with until the restrictions are lifted. Please maintain contact with the person you support by phone or by computer Please make sure they are getting the money available from LASSN to help with communications costs If you have worries or concerns about the person you are matched with, or think there is a need to see them face to face, please discuss this with your Volunteers Manager or the Director ASAP. All our numbers and emails are on lassn.org.uk/contact Some Leeds organisations like PAFRAS, Meeting Point and RETAS are partially open for face to face contact. We support them in opening to deliver their critical services. We remain acutely aware of the risks our volunteers and clients may pose to one another, as well as the difficulty and sadness brought about by sustained isolation and loneliness.  As a staff team we are also very frustrated by the inability to see or meet people. We are trying to strike a difficult balance, which does not amplify the risks faced by anyone connected with LASSN. LASSN will be providing all clients (and volunteers) with double phone credit for December 2020 (£20 instead of £10) to reflect the need to stay in touch with others over this difficult period. This is sufficient for unlimited PAYGO phonecalls, texts and data. I am sorry that the end of lockdown will not result in a change to our guidance, or allow for greater opportunities to meet face to face. I know a lot of you will feel frustrated and let down by this. But I feel sure that when Leeds enters Tier two (and eventually Tier one and No Tier whatsoever) that we be in a position to start facilitating face to face meetings once again – and will issue new guidance as quickly as we can. Thanks once again for your continued support and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, queries or comments. We hope you and those close to you remain safe and well Yours, Jon, Director 07845 298047 [email protected] (and Anna, Andrew, David, Emily, Hala, Jo, Rawand, and Tina too.)  

LASSN’s Annual General Meeting and Celebration: Wednesday 11th November 2020, 19:00 – 20:00

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2020-10-16T12:32:16+01:0016th October, 2020|

Although the Pandemic restrictions mean we can't meet up in person, we'd still love to meet with you, to share even more about what we've been up to over the last year. As usual, we hope it will be fun, entertaining, informative, and a chance for us to share some of the challenges and triumphs of the last 12 months. As well as meeting other our supporters, volunteers and well-wishers from across the city, we hope you will find out more about the last year at LASSN, and the progress we have made towards securing our aims, hear about our plans and priorities for 2020/2021 ask questions vote for Trustees to join our Board cast your eyes over our finances and hear about how we've secured and spent money appoint our Accountants for the coming year Sadly due to the logistics of delivering food to everyone at home, it will be self- catering this year.  How to join us Please click on the Meeting link:http://bit.ly/lassnagm20 If you are prompted, the Meeting ID is 816 6912 7820 and the Meeting code is: 12345 If you have not used Zoom before, or a bit uncertain about how things will work, we will be having a practice run at 18:00 that evening, to make sure your camera and microphones are working ok. We'd love to see you, so if you can, please come and join us.

A new Guide to teaching English at Home

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2020-10-14T21:46:02+01:0014th October, 2020|

Since the Pandemic  - and the importance of keeping socially distant - we've been trying to get as many of our resources as we can online. You may have seen the huge library of ESOL resources English at Home have produced for teachers and learners of English (we can never thank our volunteers Julie and Clive enough for this.) We've also been busy trying to support our (learners) and volunteer tutors to get online, embrace Zoom, and learn how to unmute and share screens. It's not been easy. A lot of trial and error, and a lot of frustration - but we're getting there, we think. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we now have a small stack of laptops and smartphones we can loan or give away to folks who need them., and we can provide a modest amount of wireless broadband each month to people without. We've tried to capture some of our learning in this new resource - designed for new English at Home Volunteers - but we think - useful to anyone trying to teach English online right now. Have a look and see what you make of it. If you think it's any good, please use it, or forward it on to someone you know. As ever, we're proud to share what we have with anyone who might find it useful. David is responsible for this excellent piece of work btw (although he's far too modest to say so himself.)

Revised guidance for LASSN volunteers, following the additonal social contact restrictions 25th September 2020

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2020-09-30T14:57:26+01:0030th September, 2020|

As you will be aware, Leeds City council announced new restrictions on Friday 25th September, in an attempt to slow the further spread of Covid-19 They said “In order to help prevent the spread of coronavirus you must not: host people you do not live with in your home or garden, unless they’re in your support bubble meet people you do not live with in their home or garden, whether inside or outside of the affected areas unless they’re in your support bubble” LASSN's advice is Please do not meet up with the person you are matched with until the restrictions are lifted. Please maintain contact with the person you support by phone or by computer Please make sure they are getting the £10 a month towards their communications costs from LASSN If you have worries or concerns about the person you are matched with, or think there is a need to see them face to face, please discuss this with your Volunteers Manager or the Director ASAP. All our numbers and emails are on org.uk/contact We remain massively grateful for your support and your patience through this difficult and confusing time. It is hugely frustrating not being able to see folks we care about: but we owe it to them, and to you, and to everyone in Leeds to play our part in halting the spread of the virus. We will be in touch as soon as the restrictions are lifted about the possible ways of seeing people again in person. Thanks once again and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, queries or comments. Yours, Jon, Director 07845 298047 [email protected] (and Andrew, David, Emily, Jo, Rawand, Riley, and Tina too.)

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