Short-term Volunteer Host in Hackney
Refugees at Home
Do you have a spare room in your home? Become a Volunteer Host in Hackney! We are looking for people with a spare room, or even a sofa bed, in Hackney who are willing to offer a temporary home and a helping hand to a refugee or person seeking asylum as they plan their next steps in the UK. You decide how long you are willing to host for - it can vary from a few nights to several months and anything in between.
"Once we took the step to open our home, it became the most natural thing in the world.” - Rachel, Refugees at Home host. Refugees at Home is the UK’s largest independent hosting charity, connecting people with a spare room in their home to refugees and people seeking asylum in need of somewhere to stay. We don’t think people who come to the UK for sanctuary should end up on the streets. Our vision is for every refugee and every person seeking asylum to have a safe place to stay. Many of our guests come to us on the verge of homelessness – some have already spent time sleeping on the streets. To date, we have supported over 7,000 guests into hosting, but the need is not going away. We are always looking for more people in London with a spare room, or even a sofa bed, to sign up to host. Hosts ideally need to have good public transport links; this enables our guests to travel to college, school, support groups or jobs, and retain their independence. We carefully assess each guest and host, match according to preferences, advise on hosting arrangements and preparations, and provide ongoing support whilst you have a guest staying with you. Hosting is only ever temporary; it can vary from a few nights to several months and anything in between. “It’s mostly just being a tiny part of that longer story.” - Andrew, a Refugees at Home host
General and Helping
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Anyone with a spare room can sign up to host! All hosts will need to provide two references and have a home visit. We do not pay our hosts for hosting; it is entirely voluntary, provided by our volunteer hosts. All guests, hosts and households are different and there is no magic ingredient to a successful placement. Some hosts share meals and do activities with guests; others just give guests a key and get on with their busy lives. Our team are available to support you through every stage of the placement.
"There are so few times you can do something practical to help. Hosting refugees felt like a practical thing to do." - A Refugees at Home host. Opening our homes to refugees sends a powerful message of welcome; that the UK is in fact kind and compassionate to those who are trying to rebuild their lives here. "Thinking back, I would like to thank Refugees at Home for helping me to get safe accommodation with a lovely family... I was warm and surrounded with love and laughter with my hosts." - A former Refugees at Home guest
You decide how long you would like to host for; we are flexible around your preferences and availability. Each placement is different, and the length of hosting can vary from a few nights to several months and anything in between.
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Your home.
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