On 15 September, Esther headed to Bradford to deliver an Introduction to the Toolkit workshop, in collaboration with The Anchor Project. It was Right to Remain’s  first in-person workshop with this material, and with around 10 local Bradford based organisations and groups joining us, it gave us plenty to think about.

What the workshop covered

Our Intro to the Toolkit sessions are practical, entry-level workshops designed to give groups the confidence to use and share the Toolkit in an empowering way. We have been running these workshops monthly since April 2026, and offer open workshops, where anyone can book in and attend, and tailored sessions for groups/places where organisations can come together. Our Bradford workshop was the latter, and with help from the Anchor Project and Race Equality Network, we had a wide range of volunteers, practitioners and people working locally attend. 

Using the Asylum Navigation Board as a way in

Something we are always thinking about is how to get the Toolkit to more people who need it, in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming. The Anchor Project shared how they show groups the Asylum Navigation Board as a way to introduce people to the information in the Toolkit; the visualisation of the board is recognisable, and the information is presented in a much more simplified way. The Asylum Navigation Board is an older resource, that lives on a separate website to the Toolkit. Historically, we printed the board (it was called a very serious board game!) and gave it out to organisations to use with their community. It was nice to hear that the resource is still being used and shared, and has made us consider the value of presenting the complex info as simply as possible. 

Why place matters

Practical protection from immigration enforcement and racist violence relies on people who share the same place. As our director Eiri explains in a recent Right to Remain blog, a place becomes one of solidarity because of the people in it, what they know and what they do. At Right to Remain, we are working at building places of solidarity in areas that we know; the Bradford workshop was an excellent opportunity to strengthen our existing ties in the city, and reach new people. 

What we learned

The main feedback gained was that we need to do more than just saying “here’s the Toolkit” – telling people about it and hoping for the best isn’t enough. We hope to develop further resources over the coming months which help to make sharing the Toolkit in a meaningful way easier – make sure you are signed up to our newsletter, as we release all our key information this way. 

We also realised the need for more time during in-person sessions; one of the important elements of the day was being physically in the same space, building strategic relationships. Next time, we’d like to have more time together to ask questions, share feedback and make stronger connections. 

We’ll be taking these ideas forward as we plan the next workshops. If you would like to share your thoughts and ideas, we’d love to hear from you. Our next open Intro to the Toolkit workshop is on Thursday 22 October, and coincides with the National Week of Solidarity to End Immigration Detention 2026. Follow the link below for more information!