Asha is grateful to the Rector of Newcastle’s Civic Church for inviting Asha to introduce a new dimension to their monthly family service which starred our drummers. Interspersed with hymns and Bible reading, the congregation heard the story of two asylum seekers, one of whom achieved refugee status and is completing his third year at

The Staffordshire University Sports Hall is big enough for large party games with the bar area for parents although this was a tight squeeze. Sporting Communities had lunch bags for the children and Asha’s volunteers cooked for the parents, guests and volunteers. The food this year included delicious samosas cooked by two Pakistani members of

Eighty-seven children were signed up for the Christmas party and a team of volunteers gathered to wrap the toys from the Tesco Toy Appeal and another tranche collected by Keele students.  The operation commanded by Ryn, was efficiency itself. It needs to be because or tempers can fray queuing for Father Christmas if presents aren’t

Accompanied by Ryn’s husband Paul with his big car, Angela represented at a Toy Collection gathering in the Delilah Suite at Stoke City FC Stadium. There was a large gathering of local charities, several of whom entertained before a buffet. The toys were all in large Santa sacks and a big box. After a speech

Champions of the South West peak who are also volunteers at Asha took our football players to Roaches as part of their first trip to the Peak District, funded by the South West Peak.  Fifteen players with five supporting champions, Tasha and other mentors made the trip. A tea break was organised at Marsh Farm

It is a bit late in the day to plant bulbs, but one user enjoyed the experience and we hope more will do so in the spring.  Looking ahead Claire, the Hanley Park Liaison Officer, attended Asha this Friday morning to describe the various free activities in the Park available to anyone who wishes to

Our Muslim neighbours at Stepping Stones invited Asha and others in the neighbourhood of Shelton to meet, eat and network to breakdown stereotypes of who we are and what we represent and to strengthen a sense of a shared community. Angela, a new volunteer and four Asha users including a Mum with two children took

Why Cheadle?  Because Asha receives regular support from the Methodist Church and as Heather Bates said, “They do this as a way of saying thank to the people who support them.” The group of four staff and 12 asylum seekers were greeted by the Revd. Julie Hassall, a minister and superintendent of the Staffordshire Moorlands

Tamba and Misbah represented Asha at a national forum in London funded by Refugee Action. The forum aims to discover and implement services that help people in the asylum system before they reach crisis point. The forum is a vehicle to give of asylum seekers a campaigning voice on issues like the (broken) dispersal system