Refugees Welcome North Somerset

What Refugees Welcome North Somerset does

Refugees Welcome North Somerset (RWNS) is a community-led registered charity (Charity Commission no. 1198327) established in 2016 in Weston-super-Mare, England, serving refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced people across North Somerset. The organization was founded as a grassroots group collecting aid for displaced people in camps in Northern Europe, transitioned to formal charity status in 2022, and acquired its first dedicated premises at 12 Waterloo Street in March 2023 to support a growing operational footprint. Services are delivered free to beneficiaries through four Welcome Centres (Weston-super-Mare, Worle/Banwell, Nailsea, and an Initial Accommodation site), with additional outreach across Clevedon and Winford, and a recorded footprint of supporting over 40 new arrivals at the weekly Welcome Cafe since March 2022 and 38 individuals plus two families through homeless prevention advice since October 2023.

RWNS's core offerings include Welcome Centres with twice-weekly community meals, a Move On Guidance Service for individuals transitioning from asylum accommodation to refugee status, befriending, ESOL and skills support, a Bike Scheme, a Welcome Homes furniture service, a Homework Club, and a library of multilingual process guides (eVisas, travel documents, family reunion, driving licenses, dental access, TV licensing). The technology stack is minimal: a WordPress website, email, Facebook groups, and the Crowdfunder platform support fundraising and volunteer coordination. The Move On Options Manager (Finn McKendrick) and bilingual support managers (Anna and Bushra) are the primary case-handling roles, with a small CEO-led team of five staff supplemented by a volunteer base.

RWNS's revenue model is multi-channel and grant-dependent. It blends restricted grants from the UK Government (UK Shared Prosperity Fund), North Somerset Council (premises and resettlement support), and the British Red Cross (Ukraine Support Fund via Quartet Foundation) with unrestricted income from individual donations, community fundraising events (festive jumper campaigns, Syrian feast dinners), the North Somerset Community Lottery (50% proceeds to RWNS), and crowdfunding. The charity's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: referrals come through support managers, statutory partners (North Somerset Council Housing and Homelessness Prevention teams), and word-of-mouth through a local volunteer network. There is no commercial pricing, and primary customer segments are refugees and asylum seekers in North Somerset, with a secondary cohort of volunteers and local donors.

Name

Refugees Welcome North Somerset

Legal name

Refugees Welcome North Somerset

Website

https://rwns.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Refugees Welcome North Somerset is a community-led registered charity in North Somerset, UK, providing free Welcome Centres, housing transition support, befriending, ESOL, and practical integration services to refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced people across the region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee and Asylum Support Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee Reception & Registration (BPADAHAA), Immigrant & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH), Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH), Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

Keywords

• Refugee resettlement services
• Asylum support services
• Community integration support
• Housing and tenancy support
• Charity welfare services

Headquarters

HQ city

Weston-super-Mare

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: Receives funding from UK Government through UK Shared Prosperity Fund, British Red Cross Ukraine Support Fund via Quartet Foundation, and North Somerset Council support for premises and initiatives.
2. Community Fundraising Events: Organizes fundraising events such as festive jumper campaigns (£10 donations), Syrian feast events (£25 minimum donation), and seasonal appeals.
3. Community Lottery: North Somerset Community Lottery where 50% of proceeds go to RWNS and 10% to other local causes.
4. Donations and Crowdfunding: Direct donations through Crowdfunder campaigns for emergency accommodation and general operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Refugees Welcome North Somerset (RWNS) is a community-led charity providing direct, free support services to refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced people across North Somerset. Its core offering centres on Welcome Centres delivering Welcome Meals and employability sessions, complemented by Move On Guidance for individuals transitioning from asylum accommodation upon receiving refugee status. Additional services include befriending, tenancy and integration support, a Welcome Homes furniture programme, a bike scheme, homework club, and yoga classes.

Product overview

Refugees Welcome North Somerset (RWNS) is a community-led charity offering a comprehensive suite of support services for refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced people in North Somerset. The core offering centers on Welcome Centres providing Welcome Meals and employability sessions, complemented by a Move On Guidance Service that supports individuals transitioning from asylum accommodation upon receiving refugee status. The organization provides extensive multilingual resources including 'Let's Get Ready' guides and process guides covering eVisas, travel documents, legal representation, and more. Additional services include befriending, settling and integration support, a Welcome Homes furniture service, bike scheme, homework club, and yoga classes. The organization operates across multiple locations (Weston Super Mare, Worle, Nailsea) with services funded through government schemes, community fundraising, and lottery partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Welcome Centres Regular weekly sessions held across four locations in North Somerset (Weston-super-Mare, Worle/Banwell, Nailsea, and Initial Accommodation) providing Welcome Meals, employability sessions, and support for resettled refugees and newly arrived individuals.
• Welcome Meals Twice-weekly meal program funded by UK Government through UK Shared Prosperity Fund, providing nutritious meals inspired by volunteers' home countries alongside ESOL support.
• Move On Guidance Service Comprehensive support service helping individuals transitioning from asylum accommodation upon receipt of refugee status, including housing applications, bank account setup, Universal Credit registration, and job applications.
• Befriending Service Companionship service where volunteers are matched with refugee families to provide friendship, support with local culture and community integration, and accompaniment to appointments.
• Settling and Integration Support Tenancy management support including Universal Credit housing benefit applications, utility account setup, council tax support, and property item sourcing for newly recognised refugees.
• Welcome Homes Service Small project sourcing beds and sofas for newly recognised refugee households to support their transition into permanent accommodation.
• Emergency Homelessness Support Move On Advice and Guidance service designed to capture individuals leaving asylum accommodation upon refugee status, with multilingual checklists available and direct referrals to North Somerset Council Homeless Prevention Team.
• Asylum Appeals Process Support Guidance and support for asylum seekers navigating the appeals process, including MyHMCTS account creation, appeal submission, and contact information for legal support organisations.
• Bike Scheme Programme collecting, refurbishing and distributing bikes to recently resettled refugees in North Somerset, including cycling lessons to build confidence and support mobility.
• Homework Club Weekly session supporting integration and learning of asylum seeking, refugee and migrant children, empowering parents to understand the UK education system.
• Free Yoga Classes for Women Weekly yoga classes for women at the Welcome Centre, running for 12 weeks, to support wellbeing and community building.
• Let's Get Ready Guide Multilingual guide (available in Arabic, Farsi, Tigrinya, Pashto, and Spanish) helping newly recognised refugees navigate the transition from asylum accommodation, including housing checklist and essential information.
• Process Guides Collection Collection of step-by-step guides helping refugees navigate UK bureaucratic processes including eVisa accounts, travel documents, family reunion, legal representation, driving licenses, dental care, and TV licensing.
• Community Lottery Partnership North Somerset Community Lottery partnership where 50% of ticket proceeds go to RWNS, supporting weekly Welcome Cafe activities; participants can win prizes up to £25,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported over 40 new arrivals at weekly Welcome Cafe since March 2022
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North Somerset CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Close partnership with North Somerset Council for housing support and resettlement schemes. Council provides support for premises and collaborates on housing solutions for newly recognised refugees.
• North Somerset Council Housing TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with Housing Team at North Somerset Council to make immediate referrals for individuals to the Council Homeless Prevention team.
• Employers' Best Practice in Employment (EBE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined EBE to support inclusive hiring practices and ensure best employment practices as a trauma-informed organisation.
• North Somerset TrainingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGenerous donation from North Somerset Training at jubilee celebration event to fund activities for members over summer.
• Race Equality North SomersetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-contributor to donation from jubilee celebration event supporting RWNS activities.
• Good Chance TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced Fly With Me event - epic festival of Afghan kite flying, storytelling, music, poetry and dance. Same theatre that created The Walk with Little Amal puppet.
• Refugees at HomeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for providing temporary accommodation. RWNS refers to Refugees at Home for spare room hosting, though they currently have no hosts in North Somerset.
• Bristol Immigration Advice ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst referral point for active asylum cases needing legal representation.
• South West Immigration Alliance / Bristol Law CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of South West Immigration Alliance for legal support referrals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• City of Sanctuary UK: National umbrella movement supporting local 'Cities of Sanctuary' and refugee-welcoming communities; comparable mission and grassroots community-led model, but operating at network rather than direct-service level.
• Refugee Council: National charity providing advice, advocacy and integration support for refugees and asylum seekers across the UK — operates at far greater scale but covers overlapping service areas (asylum support, resettlement, integration).
• British Red Cross: Large national humanitarian organisation running refugee support, family reunion and emergency housing programmes — both a peer in service delivery and a current funder of RWNS's Homework Club.

Direct peers

• Refugees at Home: UK-wide charity hosting refugees and asylum seekers in spare rooms; RWNS refers cases to Refugees at Home as part of its accommodation pathway, making them a directly linked delivery partner.
• Julian House: Bath-based charity supporting refugees, asylum seekers and people experiencing homelessness across the South West; directly comparable on housing pathways, Move On support and resettlement services.
• Bristol Refugee Rights: Bristol-based refugee and asylum-seeker support charity providing drop-in services, advice and integration support — the closest geographic and service-model peer to RWNS in the South West.
• Bristol Hospitality Network: Community-led Bristol charity offering accommodation and integration support to asylum seekers, refugees and migrants; near-identical operating model and beneficiary cohort to RWNS.
• South West Immigration Alliance: Regional network of legal and support organisations for migrants in the South West; RWNS is a member, and SWIA provides the legal-aid referral layer that complements RWNS's frontline services.
• Settled: UK charity helping refugees and people with limited leave to remain navigate immigration, housing and welfare systems — closely comparable to RWNS's Move On Guidance and process-guide offering.

Emerging players

• Bristol Law Centre: South West legal-aid provider on immigration and asylum matters; a referral partner for RWNS's asylum appeals pathway and a regional peer in the wider refugee-support ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RefugeesWelcomeInNorthSomerset
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refugees-welcome-north-somerset

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Refugees Welcome North Somerset