Conversation Over Borders

Conversation Over Borders Overcoming borders through conversation classes. ๐ŸŒ
Supporting people fleeing war and persecution. ๐Ÿ‘ฃ
Platforming voices and stories. ๐Ÿงก

We believe in bridging borders through conversation. Conversation Over Borders started in Brighton during the COVID-19 lockdown, to bring people together in a time of isolation. We connect asylum seekers & refugees with volunteer tutors for free one-to-one English conversation classes online. This facilitates human connection, reduces social isolation and helps to build confidence in spoken Englis

h, to allow people to integrate into society. Since May 2020 we have facilitated thousands of conversation classes between participants across the UK and in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Italy, Germany and France.
โ€‹
We also platform people's voices through storytelling and visual media. We believe that a world where cross-cultural exchange is encouraged is a more accepting world. If you are interested in collaborating with us, volunteering, sharing a story or accessing English classes, please get in touch via our website:

https://www.conversationoverborders.org

Last weekend, 30 people in LGBTQ+ community came together to march in Brighton Pride - celebrating who we are, the peopl...
10/08/2026

Last weekend, 30 people in LGBTQ+ community came together to march in Brighton Pride - celebrating who we are, the people who have stood beside us, and the freedom we have to be ourselves.

For some of our members, being able to live openly and proudly is something they had to fight hard for. After fleeing homes and communities where their identities put them at risk, there is something incredibly powerful about seeing them dancing, laughing, waving banners and being cheered on by thousands of people.

Pride is about community and about q***r joy - but it is, and has always been, a protest. Seeing our group in the Parade was an important reminder of how far we've come in pushing for LGBTQ+ rights, and how far we have yet to go.

Nonetheless, we can do fight the good fight with the right community around us. Our group designed their t-shirts for Pride - and on the back, they wrote 'Conversation Over Borders - a chosen family for q***r refugees'. That says it all.

Happy Pride, today and every day, from all of us at COB. ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€โšง๏ธ ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ โœŠ๏ธ

Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. That must include people seeking asylum.Andy Burnham has made ending homele...
04/08/2026

Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. That must include people seeking asylum.

Andy Burnham has made ending homelessness a priority for his Government.
Weโ€™re asking him to make sure people seeking asylum are not left behind.

For too long, asylum accommodation has been treated as a question of buildings and beds, rather than people and communities. Where someone lives affects whether they can access healthcare, learn English, make friends, feel safe and begin rebuilding their life.

People with lived experience of the asylum system have developed our Safe Accommodation Checklist, setting out four simple principles for asylum accommodation:

๐Ÿ  Safe and dignified
๐Ÿค Connected to local communities
๐Ÿ’š Designed around wellbeing, autonomy and connection
๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ Shaped by the people who live there

Weโ€™re asking the Prime Minister to adopt these principles as a minimum standard for asylum accommodation.

This is not a new idea. Our Safe Accommodation Checklist has already been supported by thousands of people, shared with MPs across the UK and taken to Parliament through an Early Day Motion.

Now we need you to help get the PM on board.

Add your name to our letter to Andy Burnham and help us make sure that ending homelessness means ending homelessness for everyone.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Sign here: https://buff.ly/5VBaKLM

Do you love bringing people together?Volunteer on the BRIDGE Project as a Community Connector! ๐Ÿงก What you'll do:- Welcom...
27/07/2026

Do you love bringing people together?

Volunteer on the BRIDGE Project as a Community Connector! ๐Ÿงก

What you'll do:
- Welcome and onboard new volunteers & learners
- Match people for 1-to-1 English conversations
- Help set up sessions & provide friendly support
- Check in with the community & gather feedback

Commitment: 4โ€“8 hrs/week for 6+ months (split however suits you), plus fortnightly team meetings.

You'll get full training, ongoing support, and real transferable experience in project coordination.

๐Ÿ“ฉ Ready to apply? Email [email protected] with your experience and a few lines on why you'd like to join.

Our LGBTQ+ group are busy preparing for their place in the Pride Parade ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€โšง๏ธ We are SO excited BrightonPrideOfficia...
23/07/2026

Our LGBTQ+ group are busy preparing for their place in the Pride Parade ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€โšง๏ธ We are SO excited BrightonPrideOfficial

What does it really mean to say "welcome"?This beautiful message of welcome reminds us that community isn't just found i...
01/07/2026

What does it really mean to say "welcome"?

This beautiful message of welcome reminds us that community isn't just found in one place. It's found in parks and schools, in markets and theatres, in neighbourhoods and places of worship. It can be found in all the everyday spaces that make somewhere feel like home.

For people seeking safety, arriving in a new country often means navigating unfamiliar places while carrying uncertainty about the future. A simple message of welcome can't change the asylum system but it can remind someone that there's a community with their arms wide open to be found just around the corner.

Every message we receive is a small act of solidarity. Write yours now through the link below and we'll send it to someone who has just arrived in the UK to find safety here.

https://buff.ly/b54RynG

Earlier this month at the Ben & Jerry's Festival, hundreds of people stepped inside our No Escape Room, an immersive exp...
24/06/2026

Earlier this month at the Ben & Jerry's Festival, hundreds of people stepped inside our No Escape Room, an immersive experience sharing the realities of life in asylum accommodation through the voices of people who have lived it.

Created by Conversation Over Borders' Action Group made up of people with experience of living in these spaces, the installation brought real stories from asylum hotels into the festival space and sparked some really powerful conversations.

People were then invited to write a Message of Welcome to someone who has just arrived in the UK to seek safety, rounding the experience off with small but powerful acts of hope and solidarity. We're teaming up with West London Welcome to get these lovely messages out to people locally ๐Ÿ’Œ

The biggest thank you to Ben & Jerry's for having us there and helping create space for conversations like these. It was a day full of sunshine, ice cream, meaningful conversations and new connections ๐Ÿฆ๐Ÿงก

In our Messages of Welcome workshops, young people of all ages can learn about life as someone seeking asylum, and how w...
22/06/2026

In our Messages of Welcome workshops, young people of all ages can learn about life as someone seeking asylum, and how we can help people to feel welcome when they arrive here.

Last week, 100% of the students we visited said they learned more about what it's like for people seeking safety in the UK and 96% said the workshop helped them understand why welcome matters.

One student shared: "My favourite part of the workshop was making the card because I really thought about how it might feel for them."

The children's messages are all so thoughtful and encouraging. We hope they put a smile on your faces as they did ours! โœจ๏ธ

Want us to come to you?

๐Ÿงก Register for a workshop through the link below
๐Ÿงก Get in touch with your old school and tell them about our workshops using our email template
๐Ÿ“จ Or email [email protected] directly

https://buff.ly/NarMTpF

When we look at the England squad, we see players with heritage from Jamaica, Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, Democratic Republi...
18/06/2026

When we look at the England squad, we see players with heritage from Jamaica, Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, the Dominican Republic, Kenya, Ireland, Scotland and the West Indies.

We see England. ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ

Football just makes visible what has always been true: migration is an integral part of England's story, and something we should all be proud of. COME ON ENGLAND!

Thank you for your lovely message Norah (age 4)! ๐Ÿ’Œ We love receiving messages (and drawings!) of welcome from people of ...
18/06/2026

Thank you for your lovely message Norah (age 4)! ๐Ÿ’Œ

We love receiving messages (and drawings!) of welcome from people of every age.
Write yours now through the link below, and we'll give it to someone who has just arrived in the UK to find safety here.

It's an important reminder that even in the face of anti-migration and far right protests, we can build communities that share different values - of care, solidarity and compassion.

https://buff.ly/NarMTpF

On Saturday, Brighton showed what community looks like.Around 300 people attended an anti-migration march - and more tha...
15/06/2026

On Saturday, Brighton showed what community looks like.

Around 300 people attended an anti-migration march - and more than 4,000 people came together to show them that refugees are welcome here, and hate is not.

At Conversation Over Borders, we see every day what happens when people choose connection over fear. Refugees, people seeking asylum, volunteers and neighbours build meaningful relationships that make our communities stronger.

Safety and solidarity are not abstract ideas - they are built by people showing up and imagining something better together.

To our home town of Brighton, thank you for showing that in the face of hate, hope and joy remain possible ๐Ÿ’™

Address

Brighton And Hove

Telephone

+447871387035

Website

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