We are delighted to bring you the very first edition of our LASSN Members' Newsletter.

As a member of LASSN, you signed up to find out more about our work, and we thought this would be a good way to share ideas and information that will help you feel more connected to our mission and empower you to take action on things that matter.

We're thinking of sending these updates a couple of times a year— in addition to our Friends of LASSN Newsletter. Our initial aim is to share content with you that isn't included in the Friends of LASSN newsletter—more detailed information on how LASSN is run, appeals for help, campaigns you can join, and different ways to support our ongoing work.

So please let us know what you enjoy, what you’d like more of, and anything you don't like. We promise to listen. You can email us your feedback here: admin@lassn.org.uk

The Team at LASSN

There are some exciting LASSN-related events coming up over the next few weeks and months, including:

• Asylum Matters: Briefing on recent changes to Asylum Law - Monday, 10th March, at the LASSN offices (6-7:30 PM) - please email.

• Hope not Hate are arranging a webinar presenting their newest research and analysis of far-right activity in the UK over Zoom on the 19th March from 12:00-13:30. Register using this link 

• HEART on Board x LASSN Collaborative Board Games Night starts Saturday, 26th April, 6 PM–10 PM at Headingley Heart Cafe, and will continue every last Saturday of the month. Bring and play board games in a safe, inclusive space (and learn why board games are so useful and important to our work). No booking required.

• We're still working on our plans for Refugee Week 2025, 16–22 June 2025, but expect more information closer to the time.

Making Volunteering Easier and More Flexible

Although volunteering is central to the support LASSN offers, we’re seeing fewer people signing up to volunteer with us. We think this is for all sorts of reasons: the cost of living crisis, long work hours, and the way we do volunteering at LASSN all make it trickier for new people to get involved—but we want this to change.

So, we’re working on a new volunteering strategy to make volunteering with us easier and more accessible by:

• Offering more flexible roles that fit different schedules and levels of commitment.
• Revisiting our training requirements—especially for smaller, less intensive roles—so people can get involved without a big upfront commitment.
• Getting better at sharing stories about the real impact of volunteering at LASSN, so people can see how much of a difference they can make.

We’ll have more details soon, but maybe you have some feedback to share about how we can make volunteering at LASSN more attractive? Do let us know your thoughts by emailing admin@lassn.org.uk

Get Involved – Campaigns That Matter

At LASSN, we don’t just offer support—we stand up for fair treatment and dignity for asylum seekers and refugees. We’ve seen how tough things can be, and we believe in pushing for real change.

If you want to help us push for that change, here are two campaigns that we think you should know about, and where we believe you can make a difference.

1. Lift the Ban

Right now, people seeking asylum in the UK can’t work while they wait—sometimes for years. Lift the Ban wants to change that, so people can support themselves, use their skills, and be part of the community. The campaign has recently relaunched in Leeds, and we’re working to get local MPs on board. Public support is massive, and your voice can help tip the balance.

2. Fight for Asylum Rights

The UK's anti-refugee laws undermine the right to seek asylum, criminalize refugees, and promote offshore processing and unsafe camps. From the 2022 Nationality & Borders Act to the 2025 Border Security Bill, successive laws strip internationally recognized rights, endanger refugees, and damage the UK's reputation. The Labour Government's proposals don't offer much hope to those of us hoping to establish safe and legal routes to asylum, better Home Office decision-making, or a joined up approach to refugee integration.

Tell the Government what you would like to see, and join the fight against these harmful policies by signing the Fight the Anti-Refugee Laws pledge.

Speak Up!

If these campaigns matter to you, tell your MP. Politicians need to hear from real people who care about these issues.

Find your MP’s contact info using the Find Your MP tool, and when you write:

• Make it personal – Why does this issue matter to you?

• Keep it short – Clear and to the point works best.

• Use real stories – Facts are great, but personal experiences hit home.

• Ask for action – Request a reply or a meeting.

The Impact of Legacies on LASSN’s Work

If you support LASSN and are thinking about writing or updating your will, please consider leaving a gift to LASSN. It’s a powerful way to make a lasting difference in the lives of people seeking refuge. Is there a particular part of our work that’s close to your heart? We’d love to chat with you about how your legacy can have the impact you intend.

Here are just a few examples of how the generosity of three incredible people has shaped LASSN over the past five years:

• Thanks to Eva Pinthus’ legacy, we were able to open our second house, providing safe and stable accommodation for four destitute asylum seekers. Her kindness also kept the Welcome and Connect project running for two years while we worked to secure long-term funding.
• An anonymous supporter’s legacy allowed us to purchase and refurbish Kay House, giving more people a secure place to stay. This generous gift also helped cover staffing costs, ensuring our services continued without disruption.
• We’re currently deciding how best to use a legacy left by Judith W., a supporter who wanted her gift to make the biggest difference possible. Her donation will help bridge any funding gaps in the coming year, keeping essential projects running smoothly.

We’re incredibly grateful to those who have chosen to support LASSN in this way. If you’d like to learn more about how a gift in your will could help, just get in touch—we’d love to hear from you.

We want to use these Members newsletters to keep you in the loop with what’s happening at LASSN, and that includes sharing key decisions from our Board of Trustees meetings. 

Making Our Board More Representative

We believe LASSN's leadership should reflect the communities we serve, so we’re working to include a more diverse group of voices on our Board—particularly by increasing the number of people who have direct experience of seeking refuge in the UK.

For us, this means:

• Actively encouraging applications from people who have sought asylum.
• Strengthening our connections with refugee-led organisations.
• Reviewing and improving our recruitment and selection process for Trustees to make it easier and simpler to understand what we’re looking for and how to apply.

At our last AGM, we recruited five fantastic new Trustees, meaning 45% of our Board members have personal experience of seeking refuge. If you or someone you know is interested in helping LASSN make decisions about our future, please let us know.

Changes to Help LASSN Grow and Sustain Our Work

In recent years, there have been many changes to the UK asylum system, and more are on the way. We want to ensure we can continue to respond to the changing needs of refugees and secure the funding we need to do this. To help with these goals, we’re making some changes to our management structure starting on April 1st. We hope these changes will:

• Strengthen our team with clearer roles and responsibilities.
• Improve our ability to secure funding and build new partnerships.
• Provide better support for staff and volunteers, as well as the people they work alongside.

Unfortunately, these changes also mean we’ve had to scale back the Welcome and Connect project from five days a week to two, due to funding limitations. However, we’re creating a temporary Housing Support Worker role to help manage our Hosting and Housing projects, alongside our Hosting and Housing Manager.

While some of these changes have not been easy, we hope these steps will allow us to continue delivering the best support possible and make a lasting impact in the years ahead.

...finding some trusted tradespeople and caterers who pay fair wages, treat their staff well, and offer decent value? 

LASSN runs on the kindness and effort of our amazing volunteers, but sometimes we need to buy things in, or get professional help. 

Right now, we especially need electricians, plumbers, painters and decorators and  waste recycling specialists who can help with urgent repairs, maintenance, and making our three houses comfy, safe and sustainable.  

We’re also on the lookout for reliable caterers who can deliver vegan and vegetarian lunches for 10 to 30 people on weekdays. It’s important that what we get is clearly labelled for dietary needs, and we’d really love to find some community caterers who don't rely on underpaid delivery riders. 

Do you know someone? Maybe you've used a tradesperson who really impressed you recently, or there's takeaway you really rate? Please let us know. We want to support good businesses while making sure we get the best help possible.

Who can you trust in a world of fake news?

Keeping on top of the news is increasingly difficult - so we want to share some reliable trustworthy sources of information with you. Each edition of LASSN's Members Update will feature a different source of information, and why we think it's worth you reading them. 

First up is Asylum Matters who publish fortnightly briefings that we cross-post on Leeds Migration Partnership.

As their name suggests, Asylum Matters focus on around asylum issues. Their updates combine legal and policy news with campaigning and advocacy resources, research, and job opportunities.

All their articles link to further reading, and they're excellent at picking out interesting news stories and comments from a really wide range of sources (i.e. not just the Guardian). 

They're one of LASSN's trusted sources and we cannot recommend them highly enough.

To find more, either bookmark Asylum Matters News or keep an eye on the Leeds Migration Partnership Blog [search "Asylum  Matters"]

If you’ve enjoyed what you read and want to help us in our mission to improve things for asylum seekers and refugees in Leeds, please consider making a donation, large or small. Your donations truly make a significant impact.

In recent years, the number of people donating regularly to LASSN has dropped significantly, as this graph shows.

However, regular giving has significantly decreased, which has led us to restrict or reduce some aspects of what we do.

The drop in unrestricted giving is roughly equivalent to the salary costs of three days of the Welcome and Connect project, which has recently been cut.

If you already donate to LASSN, thank you. If you have a little more that you can spare, thank you again.

You can do this quickly and safely by scanning the QR code with your phone, or just clicking on it, and it will open our donations page.