HostNation believes every refugee deserves a friend.
We connect those offering friendship with those needing it.
Now matching friends across Greater London and Teesside.
We are a city & town-based introductory service connecting residents to refugees through small acts of kindness, inclusion and friendship. As a result of Covid we now offer ‘smart’ befriending, with first steps taking place online. Regular video-calls are followed by one-to-one meet-ups when covid restrictions allow. We ask for a minimum commitment of three months but many matches become firm friends.
If you are an asylum seeker or refugee and would like a befriender please click here for more information.
If you like what we do but are not able to befriend,
please consider a donation.
please consider a donation.
To get a feel for befriending watch our short films starring Suzy, Hakim, Sue and Julie produced by Toby Elwes:
Film 1: “Befriending is an amazing thing to do.”
Film 2: “It really makes me happy.”
Watch Hanifah telling her befriender, Helen, what a difference befriending has made:
And here’s HostNation’s founder, Anneke, discussing the value of befriending with one of our Trustees, Dina, who fled Iran as a child.
For more information on HostNation:
The Befrienders’ Guide
To learn more about befriending the HostNation way and seeking asylum in the UK, read our guide.
Refugee Support Organisations
For a list of London organisations that provide refugee support - advice, casework, housing, legal, social, drop-in centres - please use our links and help befriendees find the support in the capital that they need.
HostNation is a charity. Registered charity number 1180004