Notre Dame Refugee Centre

What Notre Dame Refugee Centre does

Notre Dame Refugee Centre is a UK-registered charitable not-for-profit organisation (Charity No. 1177990) founded in 1996 by Notre Dame de France and based in central London. It provides free immigration advice and casework, English language (ESOL) classes, housing and welfare support, eVisa application assistance, and general integration services to refugees, asylum seekers, and people with insecure immigration status. Services are delivered through twice-weekly drop-in sessions on Mondays and Thursdays (10am-2pm) at its Leicester Square centre and via a telephone Immigration Advice Line staffed by IAA-qualified advisers at Levels 1 to 3, with bilingual support available in English and French. The organisation's core delivery relies on 8 paid staff supported by 35 volunteers, with no proprietary technology platform; service quality is anchored in regulatory accreditation (OISC regulation, IAA registration) and the expertise of long-tenured advisers.

The organisation operates a diversified grant and donation funding model, receiving income from charitable trusts and foundations (Garfield Weston, Lloyds Bank Foundation, City Bridge Foundation, Trust for London, Porticus, AB Charitable Trust, London Catalyst, London Community Foundation, Society of the Holy Child Jesus, 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust), corporate supporters (Allen & Overy, Pret a Manger, W Hotel Leicester Square, Frontier Economics), and individual donors via the LocalGiving platform. All client services are provided free of charge with no commercial pricing structure. Distribution is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth referrals, partnerships with specialist organisations such as Women for Refugee Women, and a physical drop-in hub in central London.

In the most recent 12-month period, the centre supported 1,411 people, delivered 2,169 drop-in visits, completed 557 immigration adviser cases and 142 volunteer adviser cases, and achieved 61 Refugee Settlement outcomes and 71 Leave to Remain outcomes. The organisation is governed by a board of trustees and led by Director Georgina Perry (appointed October 2025), who oversees operations and fundraising. It celebrated its 30th anniversary in May 2026 with a '30 for 30' fundraising campaign targeting £30,000.

Name

Notre Dame Refugee Centre

Legal name

Notre Dame Refugee Centre

Website

https://notredamerc.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Notre Dame Refugee Centre is a London-based charitable organisation, founded in 1996, providing free immigration advice, casework, ESOL classes, and integration support to refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants with insecure immigration status, funded by charitable grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee and Immigration Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE), Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI), Immigrant & Refugee Workforce Integration Programs (EDAAAOAJ)

Keywords

• Immigration advice services
• Refugee support services
• Asylum casework
• ESOL English classes
• Charity support services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: The charity operates as a not-for-profit Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Charity No. 1177990) funded entirely through voluntary donations, grants from charitable trusts and foundations, and corporate support. All services are provided free of charge to clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Notre Dame Refugee Centre delivers free, accredited immigration advice and casework to refugees and asylum seekers in London, alongside free ESOL English classes, housing and welfare advice, eVisa support, and community drop-in services. The centre is regulated by OISC, with advisers registered at IAA Levels 1-3, and provides representation for settlement, leave to remain, family reunion, and tribunal matters. All services are provided free of charge and funded through charitable grants, foundation donations, and corporate partnerships.

Product overview

Notre Dame Refugee Centre operates as a charitable not-for-profit organisation (Charity No. 1177990, registered CIO) offering a coordinated suite of free services to refugees, asylum seekers, and people with insecure immigration status in London. The core offering is structured around three interconnected pillars: (1) Immigration Advice and Casework — delivered via a telephone Immigration Advice Line (staffed by IAA-qualified advisers at Levels 1–3) and in-person housing and welfare advice; (2) General Support Services — encompassing eVisa assistance, help with benefit applications, GP registration, and letter interpretation during drop-in sessions; and (3) Language and Integration — free ESOL classes (pre-beginner to intermediate) on Mondays and Thursdays. Drop-in sessions provide a physical hub where clients access refreshments, hot meals, donated clothing, and toiletries alongside peer support and community connection. The centre also operates clothing banking, fundraising campaigns, and corporate and individual volunteering programmes. All services are free to clients and funded through charitable grants, donations, and corporate partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Immigration Advice Line Free telephone immigration advice line staffed by IAA-qualified advisers, available Wednesdays and Fridays 10.30am-1.30pm on 0207 440 2669, providing guidance and casework on asylum, refugee settlement, family reunion, and other immigration matters for refugees and asylum seekers.
• Immigration Casework and Representation Accredited advisers provide representation for refugee and humanitarian protection settlement applications, private and family life applications under the Human Rights Act, and First-tier Tribunal appeals for refused human rights applications.
• Housing and Welfare Advice Housing and welfare advice service assisting refugees and asylum seekers with homelessness applications to local councils (priority need), hostel and shelter referrals, asylum support applications, and support options for those with no recourse to public funds.
• Family Reunion Support Assistance with family reunion applications for those granted Refugee Status or Humanitarian Protection, currently affected by a temporary government suspension since 4 September 2025.
• General Support Service Non-immigration advice and support during Monday and Thursday drop-in sessions, including help with letter interpretation, GP registration, Universal Credit applications, travel documents, council tax, welfare benefits, NHS applications, and eVisa support.
• eVisa Support Service Volunteer case-worker assistance at drop-in sessions to help clients access and manage their eVisa accounts, including support for those with limited English, physical or mental disabilities, or other vulnerabilities. Available in French and Mandarin.
• ESOL English Language Classes Free English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes run by qualified volunteer teachers, offered on Mondays and Thursdays from pre-beginner through intermediate levels alongside drop-in sessions, with ESOL assessments on Mondays from 10am-12pm.
• Drop-In Sessions Twice-weekly drop-in sessions (Monday and Thursday, 10am-2pm) offering refreshments, hot meals when a cook is available, a community space for social connection, and access to free donated clothing and toiletries.
• Clothing Bank Free clothing bank stocked entirely by donations, available to clients during drop-in sessions, with current priority needs for shoes, children's and men's clothing.
• Specialist Outreach for Women Specialist advice and support services for women refugees and asylum seekers, delivered in partnership with Women for Refugee Women. In 2023-24, 48 new cases were supported through this partnership.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, foundational and supportive.

• Women for Refugee WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist partnership to provide advice to women in their network. The centre supports vulnerable refugee and asylum-seeking women through specialist outreach, with 48 new cases supported in the past year and 139 women supported in 2022-23.
• Notre Dame de FrancefoundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding organisation that established the centre in 1996 to deliver social teachings of the Catholic Church through practical support. The centre was originally established by Notre Dame de France and maintains founding values and mission.
• Felix ProjectsupportiveOthersFood donation organisation that may provide surplus food for drop-in sessions.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Asylum Aid: London-based charity providing free legal representation to asylum seekers, including First-tier Tribunal work. Closely comparable on legal-aid-adjacent immigration casework, with overlapping service area and beneficiary profile.
• Migrant Help: UK charity delivering asylum support and immigration advice across the UK, including the national asylum helpline. Directly comparable delivery model (free immigration casework and advice) with a multi-channel, phone-and-digital reach that contrasts with NDRC's single-site model.
• Refugee Action: UK charity providing advice, advocacy, and project support for refugees and asylum seekers. Comparable free immigration and integration service offering with a national advocacy function NDRC lacks.
• Women for Refugee Women: Charity focused on refugee and asylum-seeking women in the UK, currently an active strategic partner of NDRC delivering the specialist women's outreach programme. Directly comparable on target beneficiary and London-centric operations.
• Helen Bamber Foundation: London-based charity supporting survivors of trafficking, torture, and serious human rights abuses through legal, housing, and mental-health support. Comparable London-centric refugee/humanitarian support model with similar small-staff footprint.
• Jesuit Refugee Service UK: UK arm of an international Catholic agency serving refugees through casework, accommodation, and advocacy. Closely comparable faith-rooted mission, immigration advice offering, and small London base.

Broad incumbents

• City of Sanctuary: UK-wide movement of cities and organisations welcoming refugees, including advocacy and integration programmes. Adjacent mission in welcoming and integrating refugees; overlaps with NDRC's ESOL and integration role but operates as a network rather than a direct service provider.
• Refugee Council: UK's largest refugee support charity, providing immigration advice, advocacy, and integration services. Most relevant incumbent peer: overlaps directly with NDRC's immigration casework and policy-facing mission, but operates nationally at much greater scale.
• British Red Cross (Refugee Support): Major UK humanitarian organisation running refugee support, family reunion, and resettlement programmes. Overlaps with NDRC's core services but at a vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Emerging players

• Rainbow Haven: Manchester-based charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers with ESOL, casework, and social integration. Comparable free ESOL and support model, but located in a different city; useful regional peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/notre-dame-refugee-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Notre Dame Refugee Centre