Refugees Welcome in Richmond

13/10/2026

💛 **Sometimes, a friendly face can make all the difference.**

Imagine arriving in a new country, far from everything familiar — your home, friends, family and community.

Even the simplest everyday tasks can feel overwhelming. But having someone to talk to, ask questions or share a cup of tea with can make a world of difference.

**That's what befriending is all about.** ❤️

At **Refugees Welcome in Richmond (RWinR)**, our volunteer befrienders offer friendship, encouragement and practical support to refugees and people seeking sanctuary as they settle into their new lives.

It can be as simple as:
☕ Meeting for a coffee and a chat
🗣️ Helping someone practise their English
🌳 Exploring the local area together
🤝 Offering a listening ear and a little encouragement

These small acts of kindness help build confidence, reduce isolation and create something we all need — **a sense of belonging.**

Because welcoming someone isn't just about offering a safe place to live. It's about helping them feel part of a community.

💛 **Could you make a difference in someone's life?**

Find out more about befriending and volunteering with RWinR:

👉 https://refugeeswelcomeinrichmond.org/befriending/

09/10/2026

**We’re delighted to welcome Lord Alf Dubs as our first Patron!**

https://refugeeswelcomeinrichmond.org/2026/10/09/lord-alf-dubs-becomes-the-first-patron-of-refugees-welcome-in-richmond/

We’re proud to announce that **Lord Alf Dubs, a long-standing champion of refugee rights, has become the first Patron of Refugees Welcome in Richmond (RWinR).**

Lord Dubs knows first-hand what it means to seek safety in another country. In 1939, aged just six, he arrived in Britain on the Kindertransport, fleeing Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. Since then, he has dedicated much of his public life to advocating for refugees, particularly vulnerable children.

On accepting our invitation, Lord Dubs said:

*“I am delighted to accept the invitation to become a patron for this charity. I endorse their work and will be pleased to support it in any way I can.”*

At RWinR, we work with local partners and volunteers to help refugees and people seeking sanctuary rebuild their lives and feel welcome in our community.

**We’re honoured to have Lord Dubs’ support as we continue this important work.**

The trustees of a local charity helping people seeking sanctuary are proud to announce that Alf Dubs, Baron Dubs, has become the first patron of Refugees Welcome in Richmond (RWinR).  Lord Dubs said: “I am delighted to accept the invitation to become a patron for this charity. I endorse their wor...

06/10/2026

🏡 **Stable homes for settled lives**

We’re delighted to see Refugees Welcome in Richmond featured by KewTW9 as we mark 10 years of supporting refugees in our local community**.

What began in Kew in 2015 as a small group of residents wanting to help people displaced by the Syrian crisis has grown into a local charity supporting refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Ukraine and elsewhere.

The article also highlights one of our biggest challenges today – **finding stable, affordable homes for refugees who are rebuilding their lives in Richmond.**

We are currently looking for:
🏠 Self-contained properties that could be rented to refugee families
🛏️ Rooms in local homes for one or two people

A stable home can make an enormous difference – giving people the security they need to work, study, raise their families and become part of the local community.

Thank you to **KewTW9** for sharing our story and helping us spread the word.

👉 Read the full article:
https://kewtw9.org/stable-homes-for-settled-lives/

If you have a property or room that might be suitable, or would simply like to find out more, please get in touch with us.

📧 [email protected]
📱 07850 090917

**Please share – you never know who in your network might be able to help.**

It is a decade since a group of Kew residents stepped in to provide sanctuary to refugees displaced in the Syrian crisis. Their efforts led to the founding of a charity which has now launched a new initiative to find affordable accommodation in the borough.

05/10/2026

📢 **Important Update – Hub Schedule Change**

Please note a small change to our weekly Hub schedule.

**From October, there will be no Hub session on the THIRD Tuesday of each month, instead of the FIRST Tuesday.**

All other Tuesdays remain unchanged.

📍 **Vineyard Community Centre, Richmond**
🕒 **12:30–2:30 pm**

For more information, please visit:
https://refugeeswelcomeinrichmond.org/hub/

Please help us spread the word!

Refugees Welcome in Richmond (RWinR) and the Vineyard Community Centre are hosting a weekly social hub in the Vineyard Café at 2a The Vineyard, Richmond TW10 6AQ. From October 2023 onwards, the hub will run every Tuesday, 12.30-2.30pm, except for the third Tuesday of the month. We provide specific ...

02/10/2026

What a harvest! 🌻🥕🍅

We celebrated the end of our first RWinR Community Garden season at the Harvest Festival — and what a harvest!

A special mention goes to our Ukrainian gardener Halina, whose hard work, knowledge and sometimes very different approach to growing certainly impressed our fellow gardeners and volunteers. The results speak for themselves! 💚

And, as this was our first pilot year, we’ve learned a few things along the way:
💧 Water, water... and more water. Not just our bed, but occasionally everyone else’s too!
💪 Carrying watering cans counts as strength training. Who needs a gym when you have an allotment?
🌱 Plan ahead and keep planting. There’s always another gap to fill and another crop to try.
🌸 Be patient. Some plants take their time. We almost gave up on the nasturtiums — and then, eventually, they came to life.

Next year, we’ll be back with more planning, more drought-resistant plants, smarter use of water and plenty of ideas from everything we’ve learned this season. Most importantly, we want the garden to keep being a place to grow, share skills and bring people together.

A huge thank you to Habitats & Heritage for a fantastic first year of collaboration. 🌱

How did your growing season go? Did you have any surprising successes — or manage to grow something unusual? Tell us in the comments! 👇

💚 Want to help our garden grow? You can support the RWinR Community Garden by donating through our website: https://refugeeswelcomeinrichmond.org/donations/
Every contribution will help us prepare for next season.

29/09/2026

👋 Hello again from Refugees Welcome in Richmond!

It’s been a little while since you’ve heard from us here, so we thought it was a good time to say hello again and reintroduce RWinR.

We’re a local, volunteer-led charity supporting refugees and people seeking sanctuary in Richmond upon Thames — through practical support, connection, community and advocacy.

Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing more about our work, the people behind RWinR, our projects and partnerships, and ways you can get involved.

Whether you’ve followed us for years or have only just discovered us — welcome to RWinR. 💚

Follow us to see what’s happening at RWinR and discover ways to get involved. 💚
https://refugeeswelcomeinrichmond.org

21/04/2024

Our wonderful friends at Refugees at Home connect people with a spare room, to refugees and asylum seekers in need of somewhere to stay. Each placement is different, and the length of hosting varies depending on the need.

Visit refugeesathome.org to learn more.

17/02/2024

To mark the second anniversary of full-scale war, join the Ukrainian community to show solidarity with those in urgent need.

The programme will include soloists of the Royal Opera House, Songs for Ukraine and chamber choir DZVIN.CO, and the Stefania dance ensemble.

Learn more & get your tickets here: https://bit.ly/3uzcszb

07/01/2024

Sharing's caring, especially when there are so many people in need. Help us help those we can in our beautiful borough of Richmond-upon-Thames. Visit our website to learn more and to get in touch.

15/12/2023

More lovely words from someone in the community we were so pleased to help. If you know someone in need of a helping hand, please put them in touch and help us spread the word. 🙏