RRN helps bring refugees to safety in the UK and provides support to help families and young people placed across Hampshire to thrive, integrate and build their lives here .
We are urgently seeking landlords with apartments or houses available in Hampshire so we can help the government fulfil its commitment to bring the most vulnerable refugees to safety in the UK.
Do please get in touch with us at hello@ruralrefugeenetwork.org
Who we are and how we started.
Taking practical action to help the refugee crisis
The Rural Refugee Network (RRN) was formed in 2016, to take practical action in response to the Syrian Refugee crisis. RRN’s remit has since expanded to support people widely affected by conflict, such as asylum seekers, refugees resettled here through the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and, since 2022, Ukrainian refugees.
We are a small charity with three part-time members of staff, a dedicated group of 31 volunteers and eight members of the Board of Trustees. We help refugees and asylum seekers build a new life in the UK by providing housing and community support, education, training and small grants for essentials such as clothing, IT equipment or furniture.
Our discreet projects respond to identified local needs, such as ESOL classes for Ukranian refugees and our Youth Discovery NEST which supports local unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people.
So far we have successfully settled 20 refugee families in Hampshire.
Since 2022, we have delivered six bespoke English courses for groups of Ukrainian refugees in the Petersfield and Havant communities.
30 + grants made to help refugees with training, education and business start ups.
Our incredible volunteers and supporters help raise funds, organise, inform and resettle families, and support local asylum-seeking individuals and families.
PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS
Latest News
We are absolutely delighted that our Youth Discovery Nest project is now successfully supporting young people in Portsmouth thanks to its dedicate team and 3-year funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. Find out all about it here.
Future Events
The Rural Refugee Network depends upon a series of fundraising events each year to be able to offer the support that our refugee families need when they arrive here.
The Big June Cake Sale – this is a repeat of our successful Cake Sale at the Lordington House Open Gardens weekend. We need volunteers to bake and donate the cakes or join us on the day, to sell, talk about us or buy a cake or two. It’s a lovely community event in a stunningly beautiful rural setting. Please contact Kay via fundraising@ruralrefugeenetwork.org if you can help.
We are looking for volunteers to lead on fundraising events and also welcome the following:
You Decide – we welcome volunteers with great fundraising ideas. Are you celebrating a big life event? Are you a musician, athlete or artist who can use an opportunity to raise awareness and funds to help refugees thrive in your community?
December – to organise a Christmas Collection in Petersfield or Alton. We will need permission from a venue, collection tins, a RRN display and people to collect the donations. Please contact Andy on housing@ruralrefugeenetwork.org if this could be you.
We are looking for corporate sponsors for our events. If you own, work for, or know someone who owns a business that could put its name to our work we would be pleased to meet up and discuss how this could work. Or could you nominate the Rural Refugee Network for a workplace collection?
Please contact hello@ruralrefugeenetwork.org
Please consider donating to help more refugees thrive in safety here:
