Volunteering

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How you can help

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2018-11-09T13:43:24+00:0020th August, 2015|Tags: |

There are many ways to help LASSN to deliver our aims of supporting, empowering and integrating asylum seekers and refugees in Leeds. You can volunteer to help someone learn English, emergency accommodation, make friends and to make stronger connections with their local area. These aren't the only volunteering opportunities at LASSN, but they are the main things we focus on. If you'd like to help us out, complete our online application form, tell us what you're good at, or what you have to offer, and we'll try and find a way of putting your talents to good use. If you can't offer time, you might donate some money, or organise a fundraiser for us. If none of these are possible, then there's still loads you can do to lend support to our cause. Read our website, and find out more about the reality of seeking refuge in Leeds. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook, and help us get our messages to a wider audience. Use the information you find to challenge some of the myths about migration. Be kind to strangers, and give people the time of day. We think all of this helps to make Leeds a kinder, safer, more welcoming place - and we're grateful for your offer of support. Thanks.  

Some notes from the volunteer social on Advocacy, Wednesday 12th Feb

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2024-09-26T07:50:04+01:0013th February, 2015|

Thanks to everyone who joined us at the Gala Screening of Pride at last night's themed social on Advocacy. Aside from the fabulous pizzas and excellent film, Derek from Advocacy Support led a short discussion on what advocacy, or "supporting someone to get stuff done" meant to some of the LASSN volunteers who came along. Along the way we discussed things like the importance of seeking guidance and reassurance with things you might not be familiar with the excellent resources to be found on the new website the Advocacy Charter - a set of principles used by professional advocacy organisations; the different cultural expectations people have when they ask for help - and that perhaps "Empowerment" was a curiously Western concept whether or not advocacy necessarily led to "dependency" and tactics we might use to avoid this What we might learn from models of collaboration in medical contexts We also discussed the forthcoming Q&A Board for LASSN Volunteers. We're still testing out the space at the moment but it should be going live in a couple of weeks. We hope the Q&A Board will be a place where volunteers can ask questions, and have them answered by other volunteers with experience of similar things. Thanks to everyone who came, andwe hope to see you at our next Themed Social in May - when Andrew from Solace will be helping us think about how we respond to mental health Emergencies

Chair’s report to the LASSN Annual General Meeting, January 2015

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2015-02-11T22:41:43+00:0012th February, 2015|Tags: , , |

On 9th January 2015, LASSN held its Annual General Meeting, and said goodbye to Christine Brett, who had been on the board of Trustees for 6 years, and 5 as Chair. Here is a copy of her notes, for those who were unable to attend in person - which we post with thanks, appreciation and best wishes for the future LASSN Annual General Meeting, 9th January 2015  Chair’s Report This will be the last time I stand here to present the Trustees report and accounts up to 31 March last year to our members and supporters and also when we talk about what has happened since our last AGM. All members should have received a copy of the Report and Accounts and all of you can I trust see a copy and take it away.  This is our public record and is sent to both Companies House and the Charity Commissioners. Kentigern, our treasurer will speak in more detail about the financial statements and answer questions! As Chair I will take any questions you may have on the report of the Trustees. In fact the Annual Review with the owl on the front gives the highlights of the crucial work that is done by LASSN and the achievements for the year. Inevitably the Annual Report is an historic document so the AGM is also an opportunity to include a review of the year so far. Leaving is an opportunity for reflection and I’ve looked back over my notes for previous AGMs.  There have been common threads. Our Mission to meet the needs of asylum seekers and refugees in Leeds and raise awareness of issues facing them is unchanged and has been the driving force for everything Trustees, staff and volunteers have done. So positive reflections: LASSN’s achievements and the difference made to the lives of those asylum seekers and refugees we have supported. This cannot be over-estimated and the sadness is that we have not been able to do more. The overwhelming enthusiasm of volunteers. Without them, LASSN would not exist. The dedication of Trustees and staff The resilience of LASSN in facing year in year out financial difficulties The courage and fortitude of asylum seekers and the determination of refugees Milestones including 10 years as a Charity and our 1,000th volunteer Sadly however an equally common thread of my 6 years as a Trustee has been that of challenges faced. A hostile environment in which we work A reduction in funding streams with more charities applying for shrinking pots A reliance on grant aid Shrinking reserves – built up largely through the generosity of individual donors and supporters. We were able to use them to maintain services and help ensure LASSN survived where many others had to close or reduce services) The necessity to issue notice of redundancy to staff with regularity that showed we were increasingly in an unsustainable position. Last year we were able, as in previous years, to rescind the notices of redundancy but Trustees and [...]

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