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 English courses for Ukraine scheme refugeesRichmond and Hillcroft Adult Community College (RHACC) has just announced additional free language courses for those on the Homes for Ukraine and Family Visa schemes. Five 6-week courses at different levels will start from the week commencing 6th June. They aim to get people started or improve their English skills. Depending on demand, one… Continue reading Free English courses for Ukraine scheme refugees
- Eid-al Fitr Mubarak!Millions of people will be celebrating Eid-al Fitr to mark the end of Ramadan on Tuesday, including many of our refugee families and friends. As usual, we have organised gifts for all the children aged under 12, vouchers for the teenagers, and a voucher or cash for each family. We wish all our friends… Continue reading Eid-al Fitr Mubarak!
- 29 May: Samira Kitman art exhibition supporting Afghan refugeesIf you attended our Spring Party last month, you might have had the pleasure of meeting Samira Kitman, an award-winning artist and entrepreneur from Afghanistan. An alumna of the Turquoise Mountain Foundation, Samira Kitman will be exhibiting some of her work on Sunday 29 May at the same location that hosted our party, Ham… Continue reading 29 May: Samira Kitman art exhibition supporting Afghan refugees