Refugee Support Devon

What Refugee Support Devon does

Refugee Support Devon, formally Refugee Support (Devon) Ltd, is a charitable company limited by guarantee founded in 2001 and headquartered in Exeter, United Kingdom. The charity provides immigration advice, destitution relief, advocacy, and welfare support to refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants across Devon, with a particular focus on navigating the UK immigration and asylum system and preventing homelessness among refused asylum seekers.

Core delivery is built around a weekly drop-in clinic that serves more than 200 beneficiaries per year, supported by approximately 80 trained volunteers and nine staff (eight of whom are part-time), under governance from 12 trustees. Programmatic work includes the RAMP project for refugee medical professionals, the Nature, Connection and Wellbeing Programme, and a Lived Experience (LEX) Panel that embeds former service users into service design. The Devon Visor tool functions as a digital case-management aid rather than a customer-facing product. There is no proprietary AI or platform technology in scope.

Revenue is generated entirely through charitable income streams: individual donations, community fundraising events, retail partnerships, legacies, and grant funding. Disclosed institutional funders include the Justice Together Initiative, the Bristol Law Centre, and the South West Immigration Alliance multi-year programme, with the JTI funding committed through 2029. There are no service fees, no commercial contracts, no employer-of-record relationships with beneficiaries, and no current job openings, indicating a stable but small operating footprint.

Name

Refugee Support Devon

Legal name

Refugee Support (Devon) Ltd

Website

https://refugeesupportdevon.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Refugee Support Devon is a small Exeter-based charity, founded in 2001, that provides immigration advice, destitution relief, and advocacy for refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants across Devon through a volunteer-led weekly drop-in clinic.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee and Asylum Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Community Housing Services (62422), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee Reception & Registration (BPADAHAA), Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE), Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAG), Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support (BPAGABAH)

Keywords

• Refugee support services
• Asylum seeker assistance
• Immigration legal advice
• Community integration programs
• ESOL language training

Headquarters

HQ city

Exeter

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. Individual Donations: One-off and monthly donations via PayPal, standing orders via direct bank transfer (Cooperative Bank), and cheques. Monthly giving campaign targeting £5/month supporters.
2. Fundraising Events: Third-party fundraising through TotalGiving platform. Corporate fundraising partnerships and sponsored events.
3. Retail Partnerships: Easyfundraising (shopping rewards) and eBay charity listings generate small-scale donations from retail transactions.
4. Legacies: Legacy gifts through wills and testaments from supporters.
5. Grants and Trusts: Funding from grant-making organizations including the Justice Together Initiative for the South West Immigration Alliance project.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Refugee Support Devon is a Devon-based charity that delivers free, in-person support services to refugees, asylum seekers, vulnerable migrants and their families. Core offerings include weekly drop-in clinics for practical advice, an emergency destitution fund, specialist immigration legal advice, ESOL classes, employability support (including the RAMP requalification project for refugee doctors and vets), and community wellbeing programs such as a nature-connection program, multicultural choir, and community allotment.

Product overview

Refugee Support Devon is a charitable organization providing a comprehensive suite of support services for refugees, asylum seekers, vulnerable migrants, and their families in Devon. Rather than a unified software product, they offer multiple interconnected programs: core services include drop-in clinics providing practical advice on asylum support, housing, and immigration; an emergency destitution fund for those in critical situations; specialist immigration legal advice; ESOL classes; and employability projects. These are complemented by wellbeing initiatives such as the Nature Connection Programme and multicultural music sessions. The organization also runs community programs including a community allotment and choir, plus transport assistance via a community minibus. The RAMP project specifically supports qualified refugee professionals in requalifying for UK careers. Annual highlights include the Refugee Week campaign. Services are delivered by a small staff team supported by approximately 80 volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drop-in Clinic Weekly in-person drop-in sessions providing practical support for refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants on asylum support, housing, immigration matters, health service referrals and navigating life in the UK. Supported over 200 people per year.
• Emergency Destitution Fund Financial assistance for individuals and families facing destitution with no other forms of support, partially funded through private donations and the annual Refugee Week appeal.
• Immigration Advice Specialist legal support on immigration matters, providing referrals from drop-in sessions to the in-house Immigration Advice team for more complex legal cases, including through the South West Immigration Alliance partnership.
• ESOL Classes English language learning sessions supporting refugees and asylum seekers in developing language skills for daily life and integration into the community.
• Employability Projects Support programs helping clients develop skills and resources for employment, including CV mentoring, signposting, and the RAMP requalification project for refugee medical professionals.
• RAMP (Refugee Alliance Medical Professions) Project Specialized project supporting refugee doctors and veterinarians to requalify and work in the UK, enabling qualified medical professionals from abroad to restart their careers.
• Nature, Connection and Wellbeing Programme Nature-based group therapy initiative led by an Occupational Therapist and Eco-Sensory Therapy Practitioner, supporting people seeking sanctuary in building connections with themselves, their communities, and the natural world.
• Community Allotment Community garden space in Exeter maintained by volunteers and clients, producing fresh fruit and vegetables while providing a peaceful environment for connection with nature.
• Multicultural Choir and Music Sessions Weekly music-making space where clients share songs from their own traditions, including sessions with experienced music therapists, gentle yoga and opportunities for Eritrean women to perform traditional songs and drumming.
• Community Minibus Service Transport service helping asylum seekers and refugees access community events, workshops, and projects, addressing isolation for clients who often find themselves without means of transportation.
• Refugee Week Programme Annual Refugee Week programme (15-21 June) of events including film screenings, open days, radio takeovers, and performances to raise awareness, fundraise, and bring together clients, volunteers and the wider community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 people supported annually through drop-in clinic
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South West Immigration Alliance (SWIA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024A collaborative partnership with legal advice providers and asylum & refugee support organisations across the South West region. Funded by Justice Together Initiative (JTI) to increase access to specialist immigration advice in the Southwest - described as a 'legal advice desert'. Project funded through to 2029.
• Exeter PhoenixminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts venue collaborating on Refugee Week events including film screenings and Q&A panels.
• Exeter NorthcottminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheatre venue hosting Reclaim Festival events including Reclaim the Stage performance by refugee women.
• Phonic FMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity radio station where LEX Panel members take over programming for Refugee Week and share music and stories.
• Royal Devon & Exeter HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS hospital where staff member Susanna Revolti appeared on Hospital Radio Exeter Lunchtime Live show to discuss refugee experiences.
• Hospital Radio ExeterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospital radio station providing platform for interviews about refugee experiences during Refugee Week.
• Stand Up To Racism ExeterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity group organizing weekly Saturday gatherings outside hotels housing asylum seekers, providing welcome and solidarity against far-right hostility.
• Exeter University Immigration ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity-affiliated legal clinic where Samantha Knights KC served on steering committee, providing immigration advice.
• Bristol Law CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead organization of the South West Immigration Alliance partnership.
• PraxisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImmigration advice charity collaborated with on Mass Lobby for Migrants' Rights and concerns about Earned Settlement policies.
• Citizens UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization collaborated with on Mass Lobby for Migrants' Rights campaign.
• NRPF PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNo Recourse to Public Funds partnership collaborated with on policy concerns.
• RAFT (Refugee Aid from Taunton)minorOthersReferral partner for donations of clothing, furniture, household goods - RSD cannot accept these directly due to limited storage space.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bristol Refugee Rights: Independent refugee support charity based in Bristol delivering drop-in advice, destitution support, ESOL and community programs across the Southwest. Closest geographic and operational analogue to RSD within the Southwest region.
• City of Sanctuary: UK-wide movement supporting refugees through local 'sanctuary' groups and community-led welcome initiatives. Directly comparable mission and volunteer-driven community model, although organised as a movement rather than a single service-delivery charity.
• Refugee Action: National UK charity delivering refugee and asylum-seeker support, advocacy and integration services. Directly comparable as a mission-aligned refugee support organization, though larger in scale and operating nationally rather than Devon-specific.

Peers

• Praxis:

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/refsupdevon
• Facebookfacebook.com/RefugeeSupportGroupDevon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refugee-support-devon-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Refugee Support Devon