Refugees Welcome in Richmond
We’re a group of local people volunteering in support of refugees in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

Welcoming refugees
Our volunteers provide befriending and language support to help people to settle into the community and access the services they need. We’re always looking for more supporters to join us.
We work alongside the Council’s Resettlement Team to supplement the support offered by the families’ caseworker.
We’re also finding homes in the Borough for people fleeing crises, conflicts, or persecution around the world. We urgently need more rental properties.
In collaboration with the Council, we’ve developed a package of commercial benefits for landlords.
As the crisis in Ukraine continues, we have a dedicated subgroup to support refugees from there and the local residents hosting them in Richmond Upon Thames.
“I am really grateful to a [group] in my constituency called Refugees Welcome in Richmond, who came to see me on Friday. They are very concerned that the renewed focus on Ukrainian refugees will obscure the effort that is still going on to rehome our Afghan refugees. So many of them are still in hotels… Continue reading Sarah Olney, MP for Richmond Park
“I very much support the invaluable contribution of Refugees Welcome in Richmond to the resettlement of refugees fleeing conflict in Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine, through finding homes, befriending, and events promoting integration.”
Latest news
- Free weekly English language support at Duke Street ChurchEach week on Tuesdays from 1pm to 2pm, Duke Street Church runs ‘Café International‘. This is an informal group for foreign nationals to help them improve their English through a mixture of structured teaching and informal conversation. For more information contact Christine Sherwood.
- Ukrainian refugees need replacement hostsA small number of displaced Ukrainians already here in Richmond now need to move on due to illness or an unforeseen change in circumstances in their host’s household. Under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, hosts will receive a monthly payment of £350 for the remainder of their guests’ first year in the UK. If… Continue reading Ukrainian refugees need replacement hosts
- Weekly Ukrainian social hub at The VineyardRefugees Welcome in Richmond and the Vineyard Community Centre are hosting a weekly social hub for Ukrainian guests and hosts at the Vineyard Café at 2a The Vineyard, Richmond TW10 6AQ. From October the hub will run every Tuesday 1-3pm. Connect with other hosts and guests, practise your English, Ukrainian, Russian and other languages!… Continue reading Weekly Ukrainian social hub at The Vineyard