ASSIST Winter Solidarity Appeal

November3, 2025

Why Solidarity is Our Way Forward

This winter, the people we support are facing immense hardship. This is the context in which we must act:

Rising hostility: People seeking asylum navigate daily life under the weight of hateful rhetoric, creating an increasingly isolating and dehumanising environment.
The cost-of-living crisis: Higher living and food costs have put a huge strain on already precarious client finances, resulting in urgent and unpredictable welfare demands and higher organisation running costs.
The funding gap: Small charities like ASSIST have lost a massive £4.6 billion in funding over the last decade. We want to do more to meet the rising need, but we need the resources to secure our services.

ASSIST is an essential safety net. We provide accommodation, financial payments, and crucial casework support. Your solidarity is vital to keeping that safety net strong.

Your Support in Numbers

Your solidarity doesn't just fund services; it delivers a lifeline to destitute people seeking asylum in Sheffield who have absolutely no other income. Between April 2024 and March 2025, ASSIST provided immediate support to 112 clients from 33 countries. With your help, this included 750 welfare payments and 85 emergency payments, distributing a total of £116,109 to ensure our clients could access food and other vital living necessities.

The Value of Regular Donations

Regular monthly donations help ASSIST plan for the future and ensure the sustainability of our support for people with no other form of income. ASSIST has over 200 regular donors whose vital ongoing support raised for us an incredible £80,000 in 2024-25. However, ASSIST expects to need up to £125,000 this year for its welfare payments and bus pass support, and the best way you can help us to achieve this is by joining our monthly givers. However, if you cannot commit to giving to us on a monthly basis, every donation and act of solidarity helps!

I want to thank everyone within ASSIST for your overwhelming support in time of trouble. Your kindness and love for destitute people is a good example in our society. You have done to me what no one has ever done here in the UK. - Client

How to Stand in Solidarity: Choose Your Action

Solidarity is an action. So we ask you to choose the approach that best suits you: Donate, Act, or Share

1: Donate To Us (Financial Solidarity)

Secure the welfare fund and guarantee sustained support for our clients.

Action	Amount	Impact
Become a Regular Donor	£10 per month	Provides the reliable, year-round security our clients desperately need. One year of a monthly donation of £10 ensures one person seeking asylum receives a full month of vital welfare support.
Make a One-Off Gift	£50 donation	An immediate injection of funds to address urgent need. Your £50 gift covers one week of a client's essential welfare payments and bus passes, guaranteeing access to food and critical appointments.
Buy Christmas Cards (released later this week)	From £10	Need Christmas cards? Look no further! Our exclusive cards, designed by ASSIST clients and volunteers, offer a unique way to send your festive greetings. Every single purchase directly funds our essential welfare services.
Leave a Gift in Your Will	Any amount	To guarantee that the ASSIST safety net remains secure for people seeking asylum in Sheffield long into the future, we rely on the foresight of our community. A Gift in Your Will is an enduring act of solidarity that provides the foundational security needed to guarantee our mission for generations to come.

2: Act With Us (Solidarity of Action)

Contribute your time, skills, and experience to ASSIST’s mission.

Volunteer: Our volunteers are the heart of ASSIST. We rely on dedicated help for our accommodation team, casework support, and administrative tasks. Click here to lend your time and skills.
Fundraise: Ready for a challenge? Whether you're planning to race (like the Sheffield Half Marathon in March), marking a birthday, or hitting a milestone, make ASSIST your chosen cause. Click here to start your fundraising journey.
Partner with us: Help build a coalition of solidarity in Sheffield. Invite us to speak at your community group, event, faith organisation, or University society. Email us today: communityandevents@assistsheffield.org.uk

3: Share Their Story (Solidarity of Voice)

Counter rising hostility and raise awareness of the issues and our work.

Amplify our message: Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky. Your simple act of sharing helps us cut through the hostile and dehumanising noise to reach new supporters.
Join our newsletter: Stay informed about our vital work, advocacy efforts, and opportunities to help. Click the link here or scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

Future Solidarity: Commit to Action in 2026

Can't contribute financially today but want to commit to future action? Become an ASSIST 2026 Fundraiser!

Commit to running a challenge (10k, marathon, etc.) for ASSIST in 2026.
Pledge to dedicate your next birthday or milestone celebration to support our work.

Every action you take, donating, sharing, or volunteering, is an active stance against hostility and injustice. Thank you for standing and acting in solidarity with us this winter.