Bristol Refugee Rights

What Bristol Refugee Rights does

Bristol Refugee Rights is a registered charity (no. 1126646) and company limited by guarantee (no. 5669208) founded in 2006, headquartered at Wellspring Settlement, 43 Ducie Road, Bristol, UK. It provides direct, free services to asylum seekers and refugees in the Bristol area (BS postcode), including specialist asylum and immigration advice (IAA-regulated, Ref N201600021), a Thursday Welcome Centre drop-in offering hot meals, social activities and referrals, English (ESOL) classes, a Young People service for unaccompanied minors, Pride Without Borders (LGBTQ+ specialist support), Project CLEAR (long-term complex housing casework), a Food Justice programme, and paid training for external organisations.

The organisation operates as a membership-based charity with member-led governance (Member Voice Group) and is governed by a Board of Trustees. It employs 31 staff (mostly part-time) and a large volunteer base. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; income is generated through a diversified mix of individual donations (JustGiving, monthly giving, legacy gifts), institutional grants (Bristol Impact Fund, Justice Together Initiative, Early Action Charter), and community fundraising events. Headcount and operational scale place it firmly in the small-charity tier.

Strategically, Bristol Refugee Rights is embedded in a dense ecosystem of local, regional and national partnerships. It is a core member of the 16-organisation BRASP (Bristol Refugee and Asylum Seeker Partnership), co-leads the Southwest Immigration Alliance with Bristol Law Centre (JTI-funded), and participates in the Refugee Action-led Early Action Charter and Explore, Adapt, Renew partnerships. Its 2022-27 Strategic Plan centres on empowerment, lived-experience leadership, advocacy, and anti-racism, with a Challenge20 campaign marking its 20th anniversary in 2026.

Name

Bristol Refugee Rights

Legal name

Bristol Refugee Rights

Website

https://bristolrefugeerights.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bristol Refugee Rights is a Bristol-based UK charity providing free specialist asylum advice, drop-in community services, ESOL classes, and housing support to asylum seekers, refugees, and unaccompanied young people in the BS postcode area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee and Asylum Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Assistance (624), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE), Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding) (BPADAHAF), Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI), Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAG)

Keywords

• Refugee support services
• Asylum advice
• Community integration
• Food justice programs
• ESOL english classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Lawrence Hill, England

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations through JustGiving platform, regular monthly donations, one-time donations, challenge events (Challenge20 for 20th anniversary), fundraising events, and legacy gifts in Wills.
2. Grant Funding: Funding from institutional funders including Bristol Impact Fund, Justice Together Initiative (JTI), and other charitable foundations. Part of Early Action Charter partnership with Refugee Action.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bristol Refugee Rights provides free, direct support services to asylum seekers and refugees in the Bristol area, including IAA-regulated specialist asylum advice and casework, a weekly Welcome Centre drop-in offering hot meals and social connection, ESOL English classes, specialist support for LGBTQ+ refugees via Pride Without Borders, support for unaccompanied young people, food justice programming, and Project CLEAR casework for clients facing homelessness. Services are delivered through drop-ins, outreach, and a coordinated referral network in partnership with BRASP member organisations.

Product overview

Bristol Refugee Rights operates as a single unified charity offering an integrated portfolio of services for asylum seekers and refugees in the Bristol area. The core services include an Advice Service providing specialist immigration and asylum support casework, a Welcome Centre offering community meals and social activities, English language education classes (ESOL), a Pride Without Borders LGBTQ+ support group, and Young People services for children and unaccompanied minors. Additional offerings include a Food Justice program addressing food insecurity, Project CLEAR for complex housing cases, and Training Services for external organizations. These services work collaboratively through a referral and partnership network (BRASP) to provide holistic support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pride Without Borders: Support group for Bristol-based LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees.
• Project CLEAR

Products and services

• Advice Service Provides IAA-regulated specialist advice and casework support for asylum seekers and refused asylum seekers to access money and housing from the Home Office (asylum support) and navigate the asylum and immigration systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of service users feel less isolated
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• BRASP (Bristol Refugee and Asylum Seeker Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership of 16 organisations supporting refugees and asylum seekers in Bristol. Works to coordinate services, collaborate on new projects, improve support, and encourage lived experience leadership. Provides collective voice to influence local services.
• Southwest Immigration AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Project funded by Justice Together Initiative (JTI) to increase access to specialist immigration advice in the Southwest region. Led by Bristol Refugee Rights and Bristol Law Centre. Focuses on improving referral pathways and building sustainable legal advice ecosystem.
• Explore, Adapt, Renew PartnershipmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2019 with organisations around the country led by Refugee Action. Four key work areas: Local Ecosystems development, Shifting Power to asylum seekers and refugees, Early Action to prevent crises, and Adapting Services to new challenges.
• Early Action ChartercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year partnership between eight frontline organisations including Bristol Refugee Rights, aiming to help people seeking asylum better understand the system and prevent crisis situations.
• Bristol Hospitality NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership. Bristol Hospitality Network provides drop-in, ESOL classes, food and advice service for destitute people. Evolved out of BRR.
• Refugee Women of BristolmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership. Organisation provides drop-in, ESOL classes, creche, and women-only services. Evolved out of BRR.
• Bristol Law CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Southwest Immigration Alliance. Bristol Law Centre provides complex casework capacity and improved referral pathways in Bristol, Gloucester, and Swindon.
• Project MamamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organisation providing mother companions for pregnant women. Part of Bristol Impact Fund partnership.
• BorderlandsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing drop-in, food, ESOL classes, sleep sessions, and mentoring. Part of Bristol Impact Fund partnership.
• Refugee ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner. Refugee Action leads the Early Action Charter partnership. BRR works with Refugee Action and other organisations including Action Foundation, Brushstrokes, Nottingham Refugee Forum, Pafras, Refugee Women Connect, Southward Day Centre for Asylum Seekers.
• The HavenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist health service for people seeking asylum and refugees. BRR makes referrals for health assessment and antenatal care.
• Bristol Signing SupportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerService that evolved out of BRR. BRR maintains close relationship with this organisation.
• Aid Box CommunitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing clothes, supplies, support and friendship. BRR refers members for household items and other essential supplies.
• Red Cross Refugee ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing destitution support, move-on support for people with status and family reunion services. Listed as Bristol asylum support service partner.
• Experts by Experience Employment NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork aiming to create a charitable sector led by people with lived experience of the asylum and immigration system. BRR is a member and participates in challenging one-size-fits-all employment practices.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Nottingham Refugee Forum: Nottingham-based refugee organisation offering drop-in, advice, and integration support; co-partner in the Early Action Charter with overlapping service mix and beneficiary focus.
• Refugee Women Connect: Liverpool-based charity supporting women refugees and asylum seekers with advice, advocacy, and wellbeing services — comparable specialist casework model and Early Action Charter partner.
• Southward Day Centre for Asylum Seekers: London-based Early Action Charter partner providing drop-in, advice, and destitution services to asylum seekers — comparable grassroots charity model addressing the same population with similar interventions.
• PAFRAS: Positive Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Leeds — Early Action Charter partner providing destitution, accommodation, and advice support to asylum seekers refused support, directly comparable frontline refugee charity.
• Refugee Action: National refugee charity leading the Early Action Charter partnership in which BRR participates. Directly comparable as a frontline refugee advice, advocacy, and resettlement support provider serving asylum seekers across the UK.
• Refugee Women of Bristol: Drop-in, ESOL, cr\u00e8che, and women-only services for asylum seekers and refugees in Bristol — explicitly evolved out of BRR and partners under the Bristol Impact Fund collaboration.
• Bristol Hospitality Network: Drop-in, ESOL, food, and advice service for destitute people in Bristol that explicitly evolved out of Bristol Refugee Rights. Operates the same beneficiary cohort with overlapping services in the same city.
• Action Foundation: Newcastle-based refugee charity providing advice, destitution support, and ESOL; co-partner in the Early Action Charter alongside BRR, serving the same asylum-seeker cohort with comparable service mix.
• Brushstrokes: Sandwell-based refugee and asylum charity providing drop-in, advice, and community support; co-partner in the Early Action Charter, operating a comparable grassroots frontline model.

Broad incumbents

• British Red Cross Refugee Services: Large national humanitarian organisation providing refugee support including destitution, family reunion, and move-on services — overlapping capability but as part of a much broader portfolio; named BRR partner in Bristol.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bristolrefugeerights
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bristol-refugee-rights
• Instagraminstagram.com/bristolrefugeerights

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bristol Refugee Rights