Funding for a new Host Coordinator, for Refugees at Home, a three year programme of support
The Marks Family Charitable Trust and Refugees at Home
The Marks Family Charitable Trust has committed to a three year partnership with Refugees at Home by contributing half the salary of a full time Host Coordinator. The new role has been created with an aim to recruit more London-based hosts and to increase the level of support provided to existing hosts.
The Trust’s commitment to part-fund the post of host co-ordinator for three years will also help Refugees at Home conduct qualitative research into what drives people to become hosts in the first place and what makes them become repeat hosts. In 2021 this research and the new host co-ordinator’s efforts should translate into retaining and recruiting more hosts, and thus increase the number of guest placements.
An Introduction to Refugees at Home
Refugees At Home is a charity that arranges altruistic hosting for destitute asylum-seekers and refugees, usually for a limited time while they either get into Home Office accommodation, attain refugee status or sort out their lives after achieving that status. It is a low cost model which relies on recruiting willing hosts in key locations and then filtering suitable guests through a network of partner organisations. Since being founded five years ago Refugees at Home has made about 2,400 placements, equivalent to hosting more than 176,000 individual person nights.
A few responses from hosts and guest on the work of Refugees at Home:
“You guys are doing a great job, changing people’s lives and helping those in need and vulnerable. So thank you God” H - guest
“Thanks so much for creating this opportunity – I have been wondering how to help, and how to honour my grandparents who got taken in by strangers when they first came to London. People speak really highly of the way that Refugees At Home is run, and I’m really glad to be a part of it.” S – host
“H has gone from being a very anxious and unhappy young man to a one bursting with life. We are really grateful for your significant part in this. Even if things don’t go well for him in terms of immigration, his life here has been made meaningful.” V – referrer
“I can never forget your hospitality, love and company that you and your lovely respectful children gave to me" R – hosted by Gary Lineker October 2020
Above Right: montage of guests and former guests, who worked for the NHS during the first UK lockdown in 2020
Image © Refugees at Home
Above Left: montage of hosts and guests in 2019-2020, part of the Lockdown Hosting series
