OPEN DOOR (NORTH EAST)

What OPEN DOOR (NORTH EAST) does

Open Door North East (ODNE) is a UK-registered charity (Charity Number 1099865) founded in 2003 by Jubilee Church Teesside to support asylum seekers, refugees, and other migrants dispersed across the Tees Valley, particularly in Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees. The organisation operates from Melbourne House, Newport Road, Middlesbrough, and delivers human-services rather than technology products: it provides fully furnished accommodation for single refugees and families, wraparound casework, asylum support guidance, benefits and welfare advice (notably during the 28-day Home Office grace period), free English-language classes (English Cafe, General English Beginner/Intermediate, Driving Theory), integration planning, and volunteer-led community activities.

ODNE's core products are its services rather than a software platform. Operational technology is limited to standard third-party tools — Mailchimp for newsletters, People's Fundraising for online donations and gift aid processing, and basic cloud-based client record management — with no proprietary platform, AI/ML capabilities, or patents. The organisation relies on an established referral network (online form and phone intake) and is a core member of the Ariadne Partnership alongside Justice First, Refugee Futures, MAP (Middlesbrough Asylum Project), and the British Red Cross, coordinating legal, orientation, and emergency support across the region.

Revenue is generated entirely through charitable means. The primary streams are individual donations (one-off and recurring, including gift-aided giving processed through People's Fundraising) and grants from charitable foundations — Lloyds Bank Foundation, Lottery Community Fund, and The Mercer's Company — supplemented by social investment from Big Society Capital. The organisation is led by CEO Anna Lewis with a board of trustees chaired by Simon Rogalski, supported by 19 employees and 40 volunteers serving more than 1,000 individuals annually.

Name

OPEN DOOR (NORTH EAST)

Legal name

Open Door North East

Website

https://opendoornortheast.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Open Door North East is a UK charity founded in 2003 that provides accommodation, asylum support, benefits advice, integration services, and English classes to asylum seekers and refugees across the Tees Valley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Middlesbrough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Open Door North East relies on charitable donations from individuals including one-off gifts and regular monthly giving, as well as community fundraising events such as marathons, coffee mornings, and church events. Donations are processed through People's Fundraising platform or directly via bank transfer.
2. Social Investment and Grants: The organization receives funding from social investment (Big Society Capital) and grants from charitable foundations including Lloyds Bank Foundation, Lottery Community Fund, and The Mercer's Company to support operational programs and accommodation services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Open Door North East is a charity providing accommodation and wraparound support services for asylum seekers, refugees, and other migrants in the Tees Valley. Its core offerings include fully furnished residential accommodation with casework support, integration planning, asylum and benefits advice, and free English language classes, all delivered free of charge through paid staff, volunteers, and partner organizations.

Product overview

Open Door North East is a charity (not a technology company) offering a unified set of refugee support services. The organization provides accommodation (for single refugees, families, and those in crisis), integration support, asylum support casework, benefits advice, free English classes, referral services, and volunteer opportunities. The services are delivered directly by staff and volunteers, with no software product in the traditional sense. Fundraising and communications are supported by third-party platforms (People's Fundraising for donations, Mailchimp for newsletters).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accommodation Services Fully furnished accommodation for newly recognised refugees, refugee families, and those in crisis across the Tees Valley, with shared houses and wraparound casework support to help residents transition to independent living. Intended for destitute asylum seekers and refugees who cannot access other forms of financial support.
• Integration Support Integration planning and activities for refugees addressing language acquisition, community building, employment, and housing needs, designed to help refugees achieve their full potential in the UK. Intended for refugees served by Open Door North East in the Tees Valley.
• Asylum Support Specialised advice and assistance with Home Office asylum support applications, tribunal appeals, and accessing emergency basic needs through food and cash donations. Intended for asylum seekers served by Open Door North East.
• Benefits Advice Specialised welfare and benefits advice for newly recognised refugees, particularly during the critical 28-day grace period before asylum support ends, including help with bank accounts, housing, and labour market access. Intended for refugees served by Open Door North East in the Tees Valley.
• Free English Classes Weekly English language sessions including English Cafe (conversation with games), General English (Beginner and Intermediate), and Driving Theory classes for asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants in the Tees Valley.
• Referral Services Online referral system for agencies and self-referring individuals to refer refugees and asylum seekers in need of accommodation and support services. Intended for partner agencies (e.g., British Red Cross, Justice First) and individual asylum seekers across the Tees Valley.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supporting 1000+ individuals annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ariadne PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinated partnership between Open Door North East, Middlesbrough Asylum Project, Justice First, Refugee Futures, British Red Cross, and MAP providing welcome and orientation services, wellbeing support, practical support, casework, legal support, English language support, and volunteering opportunities across the Tees Valley. Since inception in 2014.
• Justice FirstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides OISC-regulated free immigration advice and casework to asylum seekers and refugees as part of the Ariadne Partnership.
• Refugee FuturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeads on the management and delivery of the Ariadne Project in Stockton through coordinating partnerships across the town.
• MAP (Middlesbrough Asylum Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFocuses on the orientation of new asylum seekers and wellbeing activities for the asylum-seeking community across Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland.
• British Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides practical emergency support for asylum seekers and refugees experiencing destitution as part of Ariadne, with shared casework responsibilities with other charities.
• Jubilee Church TeessidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded the work of ODNE by responding to the needs of those seeking asylum, bringing practical support. Continues to support the organisation.
• NaccomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organisation supporting destitute asylum seekers and refugees.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• NACCOM: UK-wide network of accommodation and support organisations for destitute asylum seekers, of which ODNE is itself a member. Functions as a peer network/ecosystem coordinator rather than a direct service provider, but is materially comparable on housing-for-destitute-refugees focus.

Emerging players

• Asylum Aid: Specialist UK charity providing legal representation and advocacy for asylum seekers, particularly women and children. Comparable in mission focus and beneficiary group, but narrower in scope — focused on legal aid rather than the broader wraparound model ODNE delivers.

Broad incumbents

• British Red Cross: Major UK humanitarian organisation providing practical emergency support to asylum seekers and refugees, including refugee casework and family reunion services. Already an Ariadne partner, but operates across multiple humanitarian domains at national scale, making it a broad incumbent rather than a niche specialist.
• City of Sanctuary: UK-wide movement supporting people seeking sanctuary through a network of local groups, similar to the regional ecosystem ODNE operates within. Comparable mission around refugee welcome and integration, with a broader advocacy and network-building remit rather than direct service delivery.

Direct peers

• Migrant Help: National provider of advice and support to asylum seekers across the UK, contracted by the Home Office. Directly comparable to ODNE on asylum support casework, though operating at significantly larger national scale.
• Refugee Council: The UK's largest refugee support charity, providing advice, advocacy, and integration support to asylum seekers and refugees. Directly comparable to ODNE in target beneficiaries and core service categories (advice, integration, advocacy), though operating at national scale rather than regional.
• Refugee Action: UK charity delivering advice, advocacy, and integration support for refugees and asylum seekers, with a similar mix of one-to-one casework, orientation, and policy advocacy. Closely comparable in service model and beneficiary focus to ODNE.
• Justice First: OISC-regulated immigration advice provider for asylum seekers and refugees, and a co-partner within the Ariadne Partnership alongside ODNE. Comparable in client base and casework intensity, though narrower in service scope (legal advice only).

Regional players

• Welsh Refugee Council: Wales's national refugee support body, offering advice, advocacy, and integration support. Closely analogous to ODNE's service mix but focused exclusively on Wales, making it a regional peer rather than a direct competitor.
• Scottish Refugee Council: National refugee support organisation for Scotland, providing advice, integration, and policy advocacy. Highly comparable service portfolio to ODNE but operating in a different UK jurisdiction (Scotland) and not directly competing for the same beneficiary population.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/open-door-north-east-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 OPEN DOOR (NORTH EAST)