Who are we and how we started

The Rural Refugee Network (RRN) was set up in September 2015 by a group of volunteers in the Hampshire and West Sussex area with the express aim of taking practical action to help the current Syrian Refugee crisis.

Recognising that the Government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons initiative didn’t reach far enough, and was not accessing rural areas, RRN took the decision tocreate something to help address this. Our group is made up of individuals from a cross-section of life and includes senior-level leaders from health and social care, business, education, construction, media and planning.

Since 2015, RRN’s remit has expanded beyond the Syrian Refugee crisis. Following the deterioration of the situation in Afghanistan in 2021, and the subsequent evacuation of some Afghan nationals to the UK, RRN has been supporting several Afghan families resettled in the Hampshire area. Following the launch of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) in the UK in January 2022, RRN expects to continue working with resettled Afghan citizens for the foreseeable future.

Following Russia’s full-scale military assault and invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, RRN has been liaising with relevant stakeholders to determine how RRN may be able to assist Ukrainian refugees arriving in the UK. With the Government’s Homes for Ukraine Scheme in its early stages, the situation remains fluid. However, RRN remains committed to assisting Ukrainian refugees in any way that falls within the organisation’s remit. Please see our homepage for regular updates. 

Alongside assisting Syrian and Afghan refugees, RRN is also proud to support people widely affected by conflict, including several local asylum-seeking families in Hampshire.

As the world continues to be rocked by long-standing and emerging conflicts, the work of RRN remains as important as ever and is likely to grow