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HostNation befriending project

HostNation is a London-wide introductory service connecting socially isolated or lonely refugees and asylum-seekers with local people who help them engage with the wider community - whether it be through practising their English and learning about British culture, taking walks in the local park and exploring their neighbourhood, or visiting the sights. We ask our befrienders to commit to an initial 3 month period of regular weekly contact. 

On our homepage - www.hostnation.org.uk - we have three 1 min. films with refugees talking about the positive difference the befriending has made to them - from helping them navigate the city, to feeling relevant. There are also good case studies on www.hostnation.org.uk/stories

Refugees need to be referred to us via the short online form - www.hostnation.org.uk/refer

Who to contact

Contact Name
Rossana
Contact Position
Director
Telephone
E-mail
rossana@hostnation.org.uk
Website
HostNation's website

Where to go

Name
No specific venue. See below
Notes

Refugees are introduced to their befriender online - via Zoom or WhatsApp - by a member of the HostNation team. The pair then agree on where they will meet in person for the first time. After that it is up to the two to plan their future meet-ups. We check in with the befriender at the 1-month point, and with both people at the end of the 3 month period for their feedback. 

Other Details

Availability

Referral required
Yes
Referral Details

via www.hostnation.org.uk/refer

Referrals need to be in a relatively stable position: we are unable to take people with 'high mental health needs', whose housing situation is very precarious (at risk of detention/deportation etc.), or who are in crisis. We do not exclude people suffering from depression or anxiety - which is common in refugees and asylum-seekers - but we rely on the referrer's judgement that the person they are referring is likely to respond positively to a volunteer offering friendship, not specialist support.They also need to be able to speak enough English to be able to communicate without needing an interpreter. It works best for people who are feel isolated from the wider community but are curious and would like to connect with London and Londoners more.

 

Other notes

Our September 2021 evaluation of matches showed that:

79% of refugees felt more included and knew more about British culture since having a befriender

72% said they felt less lonely

86% felt better as a result of the befriending

and 93% of befrienders had found it a rewarding experience