Asylum Welcome

05/09/2026

We’re celebrating 30 years of welcome! 🧡

Throughout our birthday month of September, we’re opening a new door every day to share a short film from Asylum Welcome.

🚪 A new door opens on our website every day throughout September, and the first five are already waiting to be explored.

Take a look here 👀
https://www.asylum-welcome.org/

Please support our summer appeal Asylum Welcome offers information, advice and practical support to asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants living in Oxfordshire. We help adults, young people and families to feel safe, respected and understood as members of our diverse community.

04/09/2026

Our Oxford Half runners are training hard and every mile has a purpose. 💪

The money they raise will help Asylum Welcome provide trusted advice, practical support, advocacy and opportunities for connection to refugees and asylum seekers across Oxfordshire.

Whether you give £5, £10 or simply share the campaign, your support will help spur our runners towards the finish line.

Support the team here:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/awoxhalf2026

28/08/2026

🏃 We’re delighted to introduce our biggest Oxford Half team ever!

On Sunday 11 October, an incredible group of runners will take on 13.1 miles through Oxford to raise money for Asylum Welcome.

Every donation will support our work alongside refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants across Oxfordshire. Please help us get behind our brilliant runners:

Donate or choose a runner to support:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/awoxhalf2026

26/07/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported our Summer Appeal so far. Thanks to your generosity, we've already raised over £10,000.

Some of our services are funded through grants and contracts, but many of the most important parts of our work are only possible because of unrestricted donations from our supporters. These gifts give us the flexibility to respond where the need is greatest and cover costs that other funding won't.

In a fast-changing environment, that flexibility has never been more important.

If you've been meaning to support Asylum Welcome, we'd be so grateful if you felt able to make a donation. Every gift helps us continue welcoming and supporting refugees, people seeking asylum and vulnerable migrants across Oxfordshire.

Thank you for helping us build a more welcoming community. 🧡
https://tinyurl.com/Summer26appeal

13/07/2026

People seeking safety are future neighbours.

Following proposals to accommodate up to 1,200 asylum seekers on a former military site near Bicester, we've published a statement explaining why we believe community-based accommodation is a better approach than large, isolated sites.

We understand the need to reduce the use of hotels. But we don't believe large, isolated accommodation sites are the right approach. In our experience, they make it harder for people to rebuild their lives and can place unnecessary strain on community relationships.

It's also important to remember that people seeking asylum have no control over where they are accommodated. They don't choose the hotel, the military site or the town where they're asked to live. They should not become the focus of hostility because of decisions made on their behalf.

We understand that people hold different views about asylum and immigration policy. But whatever those views, there should be no place for racism or language that dehumanises others.

We hope this conversation can be approached with compassion for the human beings who have sought safety in our country and who need to live somewhere while their claims are considered.

Read our full statement on our website:

Asylum Welcome has expressed serious concerns about proposals to accommodate up to 1,200 asylum seekers on a former military site near Bicester, warning that large-scale institutional accommodation risks isolating people from the communities where they will ultimately rebuild their lives. For more t...

01/07/2026

Great to be part of celebration day - recognising all that's been achieved through the Community Outreach Active Travel Fund.

We're so grateful for Active Oxfordshire’s ongoing support towards our Sanctuary Wheels service - enabling us to provide refurbished bikes to asylum seekers and refugees in Oxford.

In the last three months alone, we've been able to provide 59 refurbished bikes, giving people greater freedom, independence, and a safe way to travel around the city.

Thank you Active Oxfordshire for continuing to support this work, and helping vulnerable people access sustainable, affordable transport.

30/06/2026

🌞 This summer, we're asking for your support so we can continue to stand alongside people seeking safety in Oxfordshire.

One of the young people we are currently supporting is Omid*, who turned 18 last year and is still seeking asylum.

While his classmates were focused on homework and planning for the future, Omid was navigating the asylum system while trying to build a future of his own, far from the people he loves.

What's remarkable is that, despite living with uncertainty himself, Omid has already begun supporting others. 🧡

Today, he volunteers with our Youth Service and attends our weekly youth club, where he has become a mentor to other teenagers arriving in Oxfordshire alone.

Your support this summer will help ensure that more young people like Omid receive the guidance, practical support and encouragement they need to rebuild their lives.

If you're able to help fund our work or share this appeal, we'd be incredibly grateful!

Please support our :
https://tinyurl.com/Summer26appeal

*Name changed to protect privacy.

Make a donation Thank you for helping refugees and asylum seekers in Oxfordshire feel welcome, safe and confident. Every day, people seeking safety arrive in Oxfordshire with hope, but also fear and uncertainty. Your monthly donation helps us provide vital support, connection, and dignity to asylum....

28/06/2026

🚴‍♀️ This time last week, our amazing team were out on the roads of Oxfordshire, together cycling more than 200 miles in the hot Oxfordshire sunshine! ☀️

An incredible achievement, and thanks to the generosity of over 150 supporters, they’ve raised an amazing £6,000 to support asylum seekers and refugees rebuilding their lives in Oxford.

There’s still time to give - if you'd like to celebrate the team's achievement with a donation, we'd be so grateful for your support.

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/awbikeoxford2026

25/06/2026

As part of , our Joint CEO, Hari Reid, joined members of our LGBTQIA+ Oxfordshire Community Support (LOCS) group at Oxfam's UK office to share more about our work supporting LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees in Oxford.

Our fortnightly LOCS group brings together more than 30 sanctuary-seeking LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees, providing a safe, welcoming space where they can connect with others who understand their experiences.

For many members, the group offers vital support in navigating the unique challenges they face because of their identity, while fostering community and belonging.

A huge thank you to Oxfam Great Britain for inviting us to speak and for helping amplify the voices of people seeking sanctuary.

If you'd like to find out more about our LOCS service and how you can support our work, please visit: www.asylum-welcome.org/services/lgbtqia/

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Please support our summer appeal Asylum Welcome offers information, advice and practical support to asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants living in Oxfordshire. We help adults, young people and families to feel safe, respected and understood as members of our diverse community.

22/06/2026

A huge thank you to our brilliant team of cyclists who took on Bike Oxford this weekend in support of Asylum Welcome.

Whether they cycled 25, 50, or 75 miles, every pedal stroke was for an important cause. The funds they have raised will make a real difference to our work supporting refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants in Oxfordshire.

Although the event has now passed, there is still time to support the fundraiser:

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/awbikeoxford2026