What about the migrants? An exploration of organisational change in an asylum seeker and refugee voluntary sector organisation

Given the increased financial and social threats to the voluntary sector in the United Kingdom since the 2008 recession, a historical approach is vital to understanding organisational longevity and adaptability. This article uses a medium-sized asylum seeker and refugee organisation as a case study to illustrate how policy shifts regarding migration and the voluntary sector presented key survival challenges and opportunities. The study challenges the notion that expanding activities inevitably causes mission drift, as the organisation’s core social justice ethos provided continuity in its response to external threats. It also emphasises the importance of a strongly embedded organisational culture in the work of staff and leadership, enabling adaptability to the evolving needs of marginalised groups and the broader external environment.