Empowering refugees and migrants

Our History

Back in the 1980s, Lewisham College and Community Education Lewisham were running English language classes for the increasing number of refugees and asylum seekers settling in Lewisham. Struggling to respond to the rise in need, a group of students, teachers and members of the Blackheath United Nations Association got together to form an advice service.

In 1992, with the financial help from Lewisham Council, the advice service opened their first office and by 1996, we became a registered charity, opening our doors to all migrants in need of our help.

Today, we are a leading migrants’ rights charity in south London – advocating and supporting those most vulnerable. We advise on critical immigration cases, prevent homelessness, improve wellbeing, meet basic needs and campaign for change.

Our vision

People from all backgrounds belong and thrive and are treated with respect and dignity in a just and welcoming society.

Our mission

To enable refugees, asylum seekers and migrants to know and exercise their rights, thrive, integrate and engage in activities to bring about change for a better future.

Our values

Collaborative – We know we are stronger together. We will involve the people we serve, our team and our partners in designing and delivering our work.

Refugee and Migrant Justice – rights and justice primarily for refugees and migrants are at the heart of everything we do.

Integrity – We will be honest and do the right thing

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion – We are committed to building a community that removes barriers, embraces people from all backgrounds and provides opportunities for them to rebuild their lives.

Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

LRMN aims to empower refugees, asylum seekers and migrants to know and exercise their rights, thrive, make a positive contribution, integrate and take control of their lives.

We are committed to building an equitable and inclusive organisation where diversity is valued in every aspect of our work and where everyone – our clients, staff and volunteers – can be their authentic self and fulfil their potential. We seek to live our values in the way we work with clients and how we operate as a charity – keeping diversity and inclusion front and centre.

We aim to challenge ourselves, recognise good practice but commit to continuous improvement through:

• Reflection and openness embedded in all our activities
• Regular training and education with, and for staff and volunteers
• Routinely reviewing our policies and practices to ensure they reflect up to date best practice
• Including equity, diversity and inclusion in our annual planning processes and monitoring progress regularly
• Evaluating our services and monitoring data.

We believe this is just the beginning of our journey to embedding equity, diversity and inclusion in every aspect of our work, and we are committed to every step along the way.