Refugees at Home
Many asylum-seekers don’t have Home Office accommodation. Even if they do, that accommodation and support for refugees ends 28 days after a decision to grant refugee status is made, after which a high proportion of recently-recognised refugees end up destitute. Refugees at Home intervenes at critical moments by connecting asylum seekers and refugees in need of accommodation with generous hosts who want to offer a spare room in their home. Started in 2015 by a group of volunteers, its growth has been exponential. Leading charities such as the Red Cross, the Refugee Council & CrisisUK are increasingly turning to Refugees at Home to find accommodation for the ever-increasing number of refugees asking for help. Their model is both life-changing and highly scalable.
Refugees at Home used The Fore’s funding to hire a Senior Manager, professionalising the organisation’s operations, improving efficiency and boosting capacity. The Fore also introduced Refugees at Home to Andrea Blackman, Managing Director at Moody’s, who hosted a refugee in her home. Moody’s also provided office space for the weekly team’s face-to-face days for several months.
As a result of improved operations and better processes, the organisation has generated over £60,000 in additional funding and feels financially secure enough to instigate a reserves policy.