Dear sanctuary supporters,

I hope this finds you well. The City of Sanctuary Leeds steering group have had our first meeting of the year and have had a great time reflecting on how the movement progressed last year and setting our focus for this year.

Thank you especially to those of you who sent feedback on the questions we sent out along with the winter newsletter, on what you think we should be prioritising.We particularly hope that, together with you, we can become more of a catalyst across the city for welcoming and embracing those who have had to flee their home countries.

We will continue to work with community groups and others to run awareness raising and celebration events, which many fed back as some of the highlights of the last year. We will also work to give practical support, ideas and resources for you, to help you/your community/group/organisation/estate to be a place of sanctuary and welcome.

If you would like to do something in your local area, please feel free to contact us on leeds@cityofsanctuary.org. Below are some snippets of info on some new opportunities to get involved with sanctuary initiatives across the city.

Warm regards,
Abbe Smith
Co-ordinator, Leeds City of Sanctuary

I became homeless, my mental health suffered not only because of the things I suffered in Iran but also because of the way I was being treated in this country, I became a bad person and tried to kill myself.

Hungry and homeless, living in limbo, banned from working yet unable to access benefits. Many asylum seekers do not know where they will be sleeping from one night to the next: in parks and bus stations, public toilets and phone boxes, abandoned buildings, or the floors of friends. For survival, they rely on food parcels and the charity of others.

Charities in Leeds want to support people in this desperate situation. Each winter we provide hundreds of small subsistence donations of around £25 to destitute asylum seekers. This can mean the difference between a hot meal and nothing to eat.

If you are interested in helping please see http://www.lassn.org.uk/hardship_fund.htm. You can download a donation form, make a donation online, or organise a fund raising event.

You can also find out more or make a donation through any of the charities listed below.

Many thanks, for any help you can give,

Peter Richardson, LASSN (Leeds Asylum Seekers’ Support Network)
Rehan Majid, York Street Health Practice
Rachel Pilling, Leeds Refugee Forum
Christine Majid, PAFRAS (Positive Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers)
Aidan Hallett, Refugee Action
Aimeclaude Ndongozi, Refugee Council
Duncan Wells, RETAS (Refugee Education Training Advice Service)
Andrew Hawkins, Solace

Inter Faith Week 2011

Leeds Concord Interfaith Fellowship
in partnership with
Leeds City Museum, Millennium Square, LS2 8BH
and
Leeds Faiths Forum

Thursday November 24th
from
10am till 4pm

Displays by different faiths on
Worship and Service

- Music – Clothes – Try Indian Temple Dancing with South Asian Arts – Song

Contact Cynthia on 01924 863956
or e-mail secretary@concord-leeds.org.uk

Admission Free
Everyone Welcome

PROGRAMME
ARENA OF LEEDS CITY MUSEUM

Worship and Service
Open to the public – visit the displays by:
Baha’i – Brahma Kumaris – Buddhist – Christian – Hindu – Jewish – Muslim –
Pagan – Sikh
as well as City of Sanctuary and others

Official Opening
Welcome from Chair of Leeds Concord Interfaith Fellowship
Community History Co-ordinator of Leeds Museum
and
Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Rev’d Alan Taylor

Indian Temple Dancing

Dance demonstration with explanation of movements and gestures
followed by two participatory sessions with South Asian Arts
Please contact secretary@concord-leeds.org.uk
or phone 01924 863956 to book in advance for –

11.25 to 11.40am
11.45 to 12noon

Talking; trying clothes; turban-tying; henna painting;
Tibetan singing bowl; interfaith game; treasure hunt.
Meditation 12.20 – 12.35

Ways of Worship

contributions from different faiths – watch, listen, join in.

Talking; trying clothes; turban-tying; henna painting;
Tibetan singing bowl; interfaith game; treasure hunt.

Meditation 3pm – 3.15pm

Faiths and the City of Sanctuary

Monday 21st November
7.00pm—9.00pm
Leeds Church Institute (20 New Market Street, Leeds, LS1 6DG)

An evening exploring different faith perspectives and approaches to the development of a City of Sanctuary.

Focused around the presentation of a new publication commissioned by the LCI and written (and presented) by Rev. Dr. Inderjit Bhogal, this evening will give those from faith communities in Leeds the opportunity to reflect on how their communities contribute towards a welcoming city. Including food, drink, discussion and input from different faith communities in Leeds, this is an evening that is open to all.

For more information contact Wendy or Moira on 0113 245 4700 or general@leedschurchinstitute.org.

The event is organised by Leeds Church Institute in conjunction with Leeds City of Sanctuary.

Leeds City of Sanctuary are pleased to present (in partnership with 10 other local organisations) the Leeds Summat Gathering, on Saturday 26th November. Please read on for full info…

We’re living through extraordinary times, with seismic upheavals and change: economic, political, cultural, social, media, environmental, and more. Against this backdrop though, we have huge opportunities to re-think and re-order the world, locally and globally…

The Leeds Summat Gathering 2011 (www.summat.org) is for anyone who dreams of a different future, anyone itching for change. It’s a free, all-day, all-age event for people from all walks of life across Leeds and the North – on Saturday 26th November 2011, from 9am until late, at Leeds University Union and Notre Dame College LS2. Drop in or come all day.

Building on the success of the first Summat in 2009, it will feature special guest speakers and performers, 40+ workshops, food, music, arts, film, conversation, and much much more. An opportunity to connect with new people, share learning, eat together, have a laugh, debate the big issues… and work out how we can change our communities, our city, and our world for a better future. (For all those to came to ‘One Love One Leeds’ in May, this will be similar… only much bigger!)

Special guests include: Lord Maurice Glasman (outspoken political guru and advisor to Ed Miliband); activist leaders from the uprisings in Egypt, Syria and Greece; Peter Tatchell (human rights campaigner); BBC Ethical Man Justin Rowlatt; creative campaigners UK Uncut; People’s Supermarket (as seen on TV); Harry Gration from BBC Look North; and more.

In the mix with everything else, there will be a range of refugee/asylum-related activities – including workshops, and a Fresh Asylum Claim clinic hosted by the Manuel Bravo Project. Click here (www.summat.org/event-programme) for full programme info.

Dear All,

The Leeds Press Gang is a group of volunteers working together to promote positive messages about refugees and asylum seekers. We have teamed up with the Leeds International Film Festival this year in organising 2 events during the festival, which we would like to invite you all to come along to.

The first is on Sunday November 6th at 6.45 in the Leeds Town Hall, Albert Room. This event is a feature documentary called ‘Sierra Leonne’s Refugee Allstars’, following the story of a band formed by some refugees from Sierra Leonne, living in Guinea. Entrance is £4/£5.

The second event is an evening of short films and discussion entitled ‘Do we do Enough?’, on Wednesday 9th November at 6.45 in the Leeds Town Hall, Albert Room where we will be debating our roles in supporting asylum seekers in Leeds. The two short films showing will be ‘Sanctuary’ and ’1000 voices’ and the discussion will be kick-started by two refugees recounting there own stories about their experiences of seeking asylum in the UK. Entrance is FREE!

We look forward to seeing some of you there!

Press Gang

Leeds City of Sanctuary are pleased to invite you to:

AN INTERFAITH GATHERING

TO SHARE THE CELEBRATION OF EID-UL-ADHA (‘IBRAHIM’S SACRIFICE’)

Saturday 12th November 2011
4.30pm til 6.30pm
at:
Abu Huraira Masjid & KMWA Community Centre,
Hardy St, Beeston, Leeds LS11 6BJ

Free and open to all.

Featuring: short speeches from the local Imam & diverse community representatives; an opportunity to tour the Mosque; networking; and loads of good food.

If possible, please bring non-meat (vegetarian) food to share. Halal meat food will be provided by the local Muslim community.

As the Mosque is a place of worship, please dress conservatively: legs, arms and midriffs should be covered. Thank you.

For further details contact: Mahboob (Mosque) 07833 995518, or Rev Bob Shaw (Church) on 0113 2772464.

Hosted by: Leeds Faiths Forum, the Kashmir Muslim Welfare Association, Leeds City of Sanctuary, the Jamia Masjid Abu Huraira, the Leeds Summat Gathering, and Holy Spirit Church Beeston Hill.

Dear Supporters,

November’s going to be a busy month for City of Sanctuary in Leeds – a year after our Launch, we’re buzzing with things to do!

Saturday 12th November – An Interfaith Gathering to Share the Celebration of Eid-Ul-Adha, 4.30pm til 6.30pm, at Abu Huraira Masjid & KMWA Community Centre (Hardy St, Beeston, Leeds LS11 6BJ)

Monday 21st November – Faiths and the City of Sanctuary, 7.00pm—9.00pm, at
Leeds Church Institute (20 New Market Street, Leeds, LS1 6DG)

Thursday 24th November – Exhibitions and Displays on Worship and Service by nine faiths in the arena of Leeds, 10am to 4pm, at Leeds City Museum

Saturday 26th November – Leeds Summat Gathering, a free, all-day, all-age event for people from all walks of life across Leeds and the North, 9am til late, Leeds University Union, off Woodhouse Lane, LS2

More details about these events will follow – in the meantime, please add them to your diaries, and look out for City of Sanctuary at a range of other events as well. (Remember, if you’re getting this email, you’re part of City of Sanctuary, and you’re taking it to every event you attend. No leaflets required!)

Happy First Anniversary, Leeds City of Sanctuary! :-)

Rhiannon.

Hi everyone,

Get Smart is the title for the open day RETAS are running in conjunction with Carphone Warehouse. Around 9 Carphone Warehouse employees will be descending upon RETAS on Tuesday 8th Nov, 10am-3pm to provide:

· Free Laptop and Mobile Phone Repair/Troubleshoot with the ‘Geek Squad’

· Chance to try out brand new technology such as Tablet PC’s and Smart phones.

· Go-On – a short course on how to use the internet, with tips on how to internet security, emailing, surfing the net and much more. Everyone who completes the course will receive a £10 Morrisons voucher, and RETAS receives a £35 donation.

We do hope you’ll be able to join us, please pass this onto anyone who may be interested.

Thank you!

Chris

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver will highlight a business started by refugee couple in his new programme ‘Jamie’s Great Britain’ this November. Look out for the programme on Channel 4 at 9pm on Tuesday 1st November.

People who have sampled the food and decor at Darvish Restaurant in Leeds agree that chef Morteza has created something very special. It is great to see this added to the long list of successul businesses that generations of refugees have brought to Yorkshire.

For details of the programme, see below or http://www.channel4.com/programmes/jamies-great-britain/episode-guide/se...

Jamie travels to Yorkshire to sample Yorkshire puddings and ale, Jewish chicken soup, Persian delicacies, Chinese cuisine, and Eccles cakes.
Jamie uncovers how the Industrial Revolution, and the need for immigrant workers, changed everything from the people on our streets to the food on our plates.

He starts his trip at the Kings Arms pub in the village of Heath where huge Yorkshire puddings are washed down with pints of ale.
In Leeds, home to the third-largest Jewish community in Britain, Jamie samples smoked fish and meets a group of young brewers who are making incredible pub recipes with their beers.

He visits Iranian chef Morteza Keshtkar-Bagheri and joins Chiu Lueng at the Chinese Community centre as he helps dish up lunch to 40 guests.
Jamie cooks Persian-inspired lamb shanks with British ale, and celeriac and potato mash, Pimm’s stewed rhubarb and rice pudding, baby Yorkshire puddings with Jewish smoked trout and horseradish pate, and weekend Eccles cakes.