HostNation: welcoming refugees through friendship

We are a small charity with one simple mission: to find friends for refugees and asylum seekers.

What we do

We connect socially isolated asylum seekers and refugees with volunteer befrienders. We operate in London, Greater Manchester and Tyneside.

Through careful matching with friendly residents, we aim to give refugees a positive experience of our cities, a pathway into our culture and an informal space for practising English.

We believe this is helping to create happier and more integrated communities in the UK. Our regular social events bring our friendships together to share experiences and relax in a safe and welcoming environment. Our communications aim to amplify refugee voices and counteract misinformation about refugee issues.

Back in 2017, our founder Anneke Elwes felt sure there were many altruistic people willing to reach out to local refugees, if only they knew how. She was right. HostNation has fast become a family of flourishing social connections. As a testimony to this, 83% of refugees tell us they feel better for having a friend, while 94% of our befrienders find it a rewarding experience. We're so proud.