A ST HELENS social enterprise supporting asylum seekers and refugees has secured almost £191,000 in National Lottery funding to establish a permanent community hub and create three new jobs.
The Laziz Project has been awarded £190,866 over three years through The National Lottery Community Fund's Reaching Communities programme, alongside match funding from Merseyside Community Foundation and Kindred LCR.
The funding will allow the organisation, which uses food to bring people from different backgrounds together, to expand its services from two to five days a week.
It will also help establish a permanent home at St Helens Minster Hall, where community lunches, cooking classes and cultural events will take place.
Founded in 2019, The Laziz Project supports asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants living in St Helens, helping them overcome isolation, develop skills and move towards employment and independence.
Emma Bamber, CEO of The Laziz Project, said: “Over the past year, we’ve seen a huge rise in public hostility towards sanctuary seekers in St Helens, alongside increasing destitution and homelessness.
“Against that backdrop, we’re absolutely over the moon to have secured this funding.
“It will make such a significant difference, not only to the people we exist to support, but to the wider community within St Helens.”
The expanded service is expected to reach up to 50 people seeking sanctuary and 50 local residents each week.
As well as creating three paid positions, the funding will support free English language classes, training opportunities, volunteering placements and community activities.
The organisation aims to provide 150 volunteer placements each year, alongside Level 2 Food Hygiene and Customer Service qualifications for 30 people annually.
Plans also include more than 12 community events a year, a weekly women's talking group, monthly creative sessions and community walks.
Emma added: “Food has always been at the heart of what we do. It brings people together, breaks down barriers and creates opportunities for people who might otherwise never meet to get to know one another.
“Our lunches are the front door and so much more.
“It’s a place where people can practise their English, learn new skills, make friends and begin to feel part of the community.
“This funding means we can open that door to more people, more often.”
Over the three-year funding period, The Laziz Project hopes to directly support 750 people seeking sanctuary and engage a further 2,500 members of the wider community.
The organisation says it has provided 1,072 free meals so far in 2026 and currently has 60 active volunteers from 21 countries.
It also reports that 22.5 per cent of those it has supported have progressed into employment or education.
Income generated through community lunches, events and venue hire is reinvested into the project's support services.
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Emma said: “While at times recently, the world has felt at odds with our cause, the people of St Helens have shown us time and again that there is so much more love and acceptance than hostility.
“From our volunteers to the local residents who support us, people continue to show up for those seeking sanctuary, for those who are underrepresented and for those who are vulnerable.
“This funding gives us the opportunity to build on everything we've achieved so far, create a permanent home for The Laziz Project and bring even more people together around the table.”
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