Come to an evening of song and dance

in aid of

the British Red Cross

Fri 15th May 7.30pm

Ukrainian Social Club

Corner of Fosse Road South and Hinckley Road
Leicester

Hosted by
Red Leicester Choir

Dancing to the

Greenshoots Ceilidh Orchestra

Licensed bar Tickets £6/£4 tel 0116 270 3143 to reserve

British Red Cross Society, incorporated by Royal Charter 1908, is a charity registered in England and Wales (220949) and Scotland (SC037738).

Our next Open Meeting will take place on Wednesday
13th May at the Secular Hall, Humberstone Gate, Leicester. Refreshments will be
available from 2.30pm and the meeting starts at 3.00pm, finishing at
5.00pm.

Come and hear from our guest speaker, Jonathan Cox,
from the Citizens for Sanctuary Campaign in London. All are welcome, especially
refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

This campaign aims to implement the recommendations
of the Independent Asylum Commission (IAC). Leicester City of Sanctuary
supporters heard about the IAC recommendations last October from Canon Nick
Sagovsky and were urged then to lobby MPs and decision makers to adopt the
recommendations.

This will be an interactive session, please come
and participate.

May Bank Holiday (Monday 4th of May 2009)

Assemble 11:30 am
Tothill Street
SW1H
London
Nearest Tube St James

March to Trafalgar Square for

'Strangers into Citizens Rally'

Strangers into Citizens is a national campaign compiling the country's largest alliance of civic institutions calling for a one-off regularisation of long-term irregular migrants in the UK. There are an estimated 500,000 irregular migrants in the UK. They face exploitation and uncertainty. They want to work, integrate and be able to contribute to life in the UK as full members of our society.

We are calling for:

* A pathway to citizenship for migrants who have put down roots in the UK

* A recognition that migrants remain vital to the UK economy and society

* An end to limbo for people fleeing persecution who have waited on a decision for many years

We argue for an earned amnesty on economic, security, humanitarian and practical grounds.

"Where people have been here a long time and have no prospect of being able to be sent back then an amnesty could be considered so that they can pay taxes and legally contribute to the British economy" Boris Johnson, Mayor of London

Lambeth Council and the Greater London Assembly have both voted to support the campaign

Live acts include:

- Asian Dub Foundation
- ThePetebox

- Ukrainian folksinger Ludwig, and many others

Enquiries/further information:
Policy Director
Austen Ivereigh
020 7043 9874

Leicester, City of Sanctuary present our:

Golden Giver Challenge!
- will you meet the challenge and receive a Golden Giver certificate?

There are many asylum seekers in Leicester who, having fled persecution in their home countries, are denied the permission to work, are not entitled to any benefits, housing or even a bed in a homeless hostel, and who rely on organisations like the
British Red Cross for food parcels and other essential supplies - can you help?

There are local people, shocked at the inhumanity of Government policy which
forces asylum seekers into destitution, who regularly drop off bags and boxes of
food, toiletries and other essentials to the British Red Cross, and we invite you to
join them and the Golden Giver Challenge!

Can you, perhaps with family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, classmates, or any other group of people you know, over the period of a year get together and donate 50 bags or small boxes of food and other supplies and meet the
Golden Giver Challenge?

Contact us for a registration pack, once registered every time you make a donation to the British Red Cross your Challenge card will be updated - each month our website will be updated so you can check your progress and see how close you are getting!

12 months after your registration date you will receive a certificate, as a record of
how well you did, and as a thank-you from all those you helped support over the year
- those passing the Golden Giver Challenge! will be invited to a special event to receive their certificate, and so we can personally thank all those involved!

For more information contact Gill at: Leicester, City of Sanctuary,
c/o Refugee Action, Chancery House, 7 Millstone Lane, Leicester LE1 5JN, or on: leicester@cityofsanctuary.com or 07716 073403.

Leicester, City of Sanctuary

Golden Giver Challenge -
questions and answers

- an information sheet to try and answer any questions you may have. If your question isn't covered please get in touch!

What counts as a ‘bag or small box'? - a full / almost full carrier bag, re-usable bag or small box, or a ‘bulk' pack e.g. a pack of 10 nappies, a sack of rice, a pack of 12 toilet rolls, or a case of sweetcorn.

What if I disagree with the ‘number donated today' which is added to our registration card? - try to come to an agreement with the person accepting the donation, who will be comparing it with other similar donations, but the final decision will be made by the British Red Cross representative receiving the donation.

Can I drop off my donation anywhere else apart from the British Red Cross? - currently the British Red Cross is the only drop-off point where you will be able to get your donation recorded and Challenge card updated.

I want to make a donation but cannot get to the British Red Cross, what can I do? - donations equivalent to 5+ ‘bags or small boxes' can be collected by a representative of the British Red Cross or Leicester, City of Sanctuary by arrangement, contact Gill at Leicester, City of Sanctuary to arrange a collection.

What if I want to make a donation but do not have the Challenge card with me? - donation records will also be kept at the British Red Cross so state your team name and request a receipt so your Challenge card can be updated at your next visit.

Leicester, City of Sanctuary

Golden Giver Challenge -
registration form

Please complete your details below for our records.

The name you choose for your Golden Giver Challenge team will be used on our website, where once a month recent donations will be added to your running total so all those involved will be able to check progress towards meeting the Challenge.

Golden Giver Challenge team name:

Main contact person:
Name -
Organisation (if applicable) -
Contact number/s -
Email -
Address -

Alternative contact person:
Name -
Organisation (if applicable) -
Contact number/s -
Email -
Address -

Once we have received your registration form you will receive a pack containing:
- record card - your groups personalised card to record and monitor your donations.
- background information - an information sheet to share with the members of your group explaining why so many asylum seekers are forced into destitution.
- suggestions - an information sheet giving details of the items which form the basis of food parcels, and other essential items which are urgently needed.
- questions and answers - an information sheet to try and answer any questions you may have. If your question isn't covered please get in touch!

Please return this completed form electronically or by post to:

leicester@cityofsanctuary.com or

Gill Buttery
Leicester, City of Sanctuary
c/o Refugee Action
Chancery House
7 Millstone Lane
Leicester LE1 5JN

City of Sanctuary is a movement to build a culture of hospitality for asylum seekers and refugees www.cityofsanctuary.com

How to help

You (and your workplace, community group or business) can help to make people who have sought sanctuary here feel accepted and respected. You can help people who are not allowed to work and who receive little or no benefits meet their basic needs. You can challenge negative stereotypes and encourage organisations to which you belong to be accessible and welcoming for refugees and asylum seekers

I / we would like more information about:
□ Telling others about Leicester City of Sanctuary. Please send more information that I can pass on to family, friends, colleagues or contacts.
□ Organising a collection of essential food and basic supplies for destitute people who have come to this area, seeking sanctuary.
□ Advertising voluntary or paid work opportunities (people whose application for refugee status has not been decided are generally not allowed to do paid work).
□ Giving time (as a volunteer) or donating to Leicester City of Sanctuary
□ Inviting a speaker from Leicester City of Sanctuary (please tell us about the group that you would like to invite a speaker for)

Your name (and organisation name, if you are contacting us on behalf of an organisation):

......................................................................................................................................................................

Your address: ...........................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................

Your telephone number and email address: ......................................................................................

Public meeting held in the Secular Hall, Leicester on Friday 17 October 2008

The Rev. Dr Nick Sagovsky, Canon Theologian at Westminster Abbey was an inspiring keynote speaker at last month's open public meeting attended by over 50 people.

Nick Sagovsky spoke about the three reports of the Independent Asylum Commission, their conclusions and recommendations.

Copies of the reports were available for the audience. The first, entitled Saving Sanctuary, is already a rare item, all 1,000 copies printed have been distributed. For those who have not been able to get a hard copy, it is available online, along with Safe Return and Deserving Dignity, from the IAC website at www.independentasylumcommission.org.uk

We heard an account of the 7 public hearings held around Britain, of the overview document Fit for Purpose Yet? followed by a dialogue with the UK Border Agency whose officials provided full and considered responses to concerns and criticisms.

Key points from the 3 reports:
Saving Sanctuary - How we restore public support for sanctuary and improve the way we decide who needs sanctuary.
The system depends on good decision-making, well-argued and well-resourced decisions which stand up to scrutiny; good interpreters; a process which is not too fast: fast-track may be in many cases too fast; and not too slow: individual case-owners now aim to complete a case within 6 months.

Safe Return - How to improve what happens when we refuse people sanctuary.
The detention centres: UKBA works hard to keep them full; Campsfield near Oxford is a volatile prison/removal centre, the Commissioners saw very worrying conditions for vulnerable people. Six months is a reasonable time to wait for a decision on an asylum claim: six years is inhumane, and to deport families with roots in local communities like Glasgow is inhumane.

Fun for all was on offer on Saturday 14th June, in Leicester's Town Hall Square, when the Red Cross and partner refugee support organisations provided activities and entertainment to launch Refugee Week 2008.

The Red Leicester Choir sang, and there was dancing and drumming from Afro-Innovation and other performers; local writer Siobhan told stories, and Kerri read poetry by local refugees.

Stalls and displays provided information to passers-by, facepainting and balloons for children. A programme of events for the week includes a digital art exhibition by Iraqi artist Anwar Badrie in the Central Lending Library.

You can read the recent Leicester Mercury article on City of Sanctuary and leave your comments here.

Tuesday 4th March 2008, from 9.30am - 1pm
including lunch and time to chat
at Active Community Centre, 9 Newarke Street, Leicester LE1 5SN

A report of the initial meeting of Leicester City of Sanctuary

The meeting was attended by over sixty people including: many individuals including some with personal experience of the asylum system; members of voluntary organisations, refugee community organisations, and faith groups from Leicester and beyond; and staff from various organisations from across the Midlands, the police, various departments of the local authority, and the office of a local MP. In addition, messages of interest and support had been received from many others who were unable to attend including: various City Councillors, and the three local MP’s – Keith Vaz, Patricia Hewitt and Peter Soulsby.