West End Refugee Service (WERS)

What West End Refugee Service (WERS) does

West End Refugee Service (WERS) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), registered charity number 1192667 in England and Wales, founded in 1999 in Newcastle upon Tyne to support refugees and people seeking asylum. It delivers services across the North East of England through a hybrid of fixed community locations, mobile outreach, and digital channels, employing approximately 20 staff and over 90 volunteers. Its core programmes include Immigration Advice and Advocacy (IAA/OISC accredited), the SkillsMatch employability programme matching refugees with volunteering and work experience, the Seven Bridges Café social enterprise with Dance City, the WERS Podcast and Digital for All digital inclusion programme, and a portfolio of community activities (Weekly Welcome, yoga, football, cooking, art, gardening, Walk and Talk).

WERS makes all of its services free at the point of use to beneficiaries and operates a non-profit funding model with no government funding. Revenue is sourced from individual donations, charitable grants (National Lottery Community Fund, Virgin Money Foundation, Aviva Community Fund), and corporate partnerships including pro-bono technical support from Accenture Tech4Good. The organisation reports a cost ratio of 77 pence of every pound spent on programmes (19% management, 4% fundraising). Its underlying technology is a Squarespace-hosted multilingual website supporting Kurdish Sorani, Farsi, Pashto and Arabic, rebuilt in 2025 with Accenture to improve accessibility for asylum seekers.

The organisation is currently undergoing a structural transition: Andy Durma was confirmed as permanent CEO in 2024, Alice Mason was appointed Chair in April 2024, the legal structure was converted to a CIO on 1 April 2025, and WERS is scheduled to relocate from its 25-year base at the former Vicarage in Newcastle's West End to a flexible regional delivery model in 2026. WERS also runs awareness-raising and policy campaigns including Lift the Ban on the right to work.

Name

West End Refugee Service (WERS)

Legal name

West End Refugee Service

Website

https://wers.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WERS is a Newcastle-based charity, founded in 1999, providing free immigration advice, advocacy, employability support, and community programmes to refugees and people seeking asylum across the North East of England through ~20 staff and 90+ volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee and Asylum Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support (BPAGABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAG), Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE)

Keywords

• Refugee support services
• Asylum advocacy programmes
• Community integration support
• Immigration advice services
• Charitable social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: WERS relies on donations from individuals, communities and supporters who believe in hope, opportunity and dignity for refugees and people seeking asylum. For every £1 WERS spends, more than 77 pence goes to programmes and services.
2. Charitable Grants and Foundation Funding: WERS receives funding from charitable foundations including Aviva Community Fund, National Lottery Community Fund, and Virgin Money Foundation. Funding supports specific programmes like Skillsmatch and activities.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partners like Accenture provide pro-bono technical assistance. Companies can also sponsor events and campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WERS provides free information, advice, advocacy and support services to refugees and people seeking asylum in North East England. Core offerings include IAA-accredited immigration advice and advocacy, the SkillsMatch employability programme with volunteering and work placements, the Seven Bridges Café social enterprise with Dance City, the Digital for All programme including the WERS Podcast, Weekly Welcome community sessions, and a range of cultural, social and wellbeing activities (yoga, football, cooking, gardening, pottery, art, walk and talk). The organisation also campaigns for systemic change including the Lift the Ban campaign on the right to work.

Product overview

West End Refugee Service (WERS) is a charitable organisation providing support services to refugees and people seeking asylum in the North East of England. WERS operates as a single integrated service organisation offering multiple interconnected programmes rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core services include Information, Advice, Advocacy & Support; Development and Progression; and Impact through Collaboration. Key named programmes include SkillsMatch (employability support with volunteering placements), the Seven Bridges Café (hospitality training social enterprise in partnership with Dance City), the WERS Podcast (digital storytelling platform part of Digital for All), and community activities including yoga, football, cooking, and art sessions. Additional services include financial support, awareness-raising initiatives, and the Weekly Welcome sessions. The organisation transitioned to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) structure in April 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Seven Bridges Café: A collaborative project between WERS and Dance City where WERS clients receive training and opportunities while sharing their cultures through food and conversation. Located inside Dance City in Newcastle.

Products and services

• SkillsMatch (Employability Programmes) An employability programme that matches refugees and people seeking asylum with volunteering opportunities, training, and work experience placements to help them develop skills, build confidence, and gain UK work experience.
• Seven Bridges Café A collaborative social enterprise between WERS and Dance City where WERS clients receive training and opportunities in hospitality while sharing their cultures through cooking and food. Provides barista training, menu planning, front of house experience, and food ordering skills.
• WERS Podcast A digital platform where people seeking asylum and refugees share their stories in their own words, part of the Digital for All programme supported by Virgin Money Foundation.
• Digital for All A digital inclusion programme supporting refugees and people seeking asylum to access technology, developed with support from Virgin Money Foundation.
• Weekly Welcome Sessions Weekly sessions held at Westgate Baptist Church welcoming 30-40 individuals seeking refuge for friendly chats, meals, games, workshops and community activities including cooking groups.
• Activities and Connections Programme Cultural, social and wellbeing activities including yoga, football, cooking club, gardening, badminton, pottery sessions, walk and talk groups, and art club to promote community connections and mental health.
• Explore Your Universe: Valuing Inclusion STEM workshops and stargazing sessions partnership with Kielder Observatory enabling refugees and people seeking asylum to explore science while building confidence and connections.
• Immigration Advice and Advocacy Information, advice, advocacy and support services including immigration advice accredited by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA/OISC).
• Awareness Raising Sessions Sessions offered to local organisations, businesses and schools to tell the story of refugees, challenge harmful stereotypes, and encourage critical thinking about misinformation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 individuals supported in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kielder ObservatorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2025Partnership through the Explore Your Universe: Valuing Inclusion programme, where refugees and people seeking asylum participate in STEM workshops and stargazing sessions, discovering the wonders of the night sky while building confidence and connections.
• Accenture Tech4GoodcoreTechnology or Integration · 28 January 2025Accenture's Tech4Good team transformed WERS' website to better serve the community, improving navigation, adding multilingual support, and enhancing colour contrast for readability. Work was facilitated through the Community Foundation's Corporate Volunteering initiative.
• Dance CitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2024Seven Bridges Café is a collaborative project between WERS and Dance City, where WERS clients can receive training and opportunities whilst sharing their cultures through discussion and food. The café provides a space for refugees to pay homage to their culture through cooking and for people of all backgrounds to be part of a community.
• Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnected WERS with Accenture's Tech4Good team through their Corporate Volunteering initiative, facilitating the website redesign project.
• Newcastle LibrariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through The Europe Challenge programme to launch The Culture Library, providing English practice sessions, cultural activities, and inclusive book collections in multiple languages for refugees and asylum seekers.
• Haref (Connected Voice)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWERS and Haref delivered a joint presentation at Newcastle City Council Health & Social Care Scrutiny Committee, sharing insights on services provided and how demand has changed over time.
• Scotswood GardenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for gardening activities and environmental programmes including the Walk on the Wildside project involving immersive soundscape composition created by WERS members.
• Skimstone ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for Refugee Week events, delivering workshops and performances at Dance City.
• Gosforth Civic TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for WERS fundraising events including a music night that raised £4,823 for supporting refugees and people seeking asylum.
• Durham Wildlife TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organisation where WERS SkillsMatch participant Dr. Mebrat Teklemariam volunteers, contributing her ecology expertise while gaining UK experience.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• City of Sanctuary: UK-wide movement of cities, towns and villages committed to welcoming people seeking sanctuary. WERS explicitly references 'City of Sanctuary Ambassadors' — strong programmatic and philosophical alignment on community-led sanctuary work.
• Refugee Action: UK-wide charity providing practical support and advocacy for refugees and asylum seekers. Closest direct peer to WERS — both run information/advice services and campaigns like 'Lift the Ban'; Refugee Action's national scale is the larger analogue of WERS' North East work.
• Migrant Help: Charity delivering advice, casework and accommodation support across the UK asylum system. Directly comparable to WERS' IAA-accredited immigration advice and community-facing refugee services, with overlapping beneficiary cohorts.
• Asylum Matters: Charity coalition campaigning for a fairer UK asylum system. Directly aligned with WERS' policy advocacy work (Lift the Ban) and awareness-raising activity in schools and community organisations.

Broad incumbents

• British Red Cross (Refugee Services): Major humanitarian organisation running refugee support and family reunion programmes across the UK. Overlaps with WERS on asylum support delivery but operates at far greater scale and with broader humanitarian remits.
• Refugee Council: Largest UK refugee-support umbrella charity providing advice, casework, policy and programmes. Overlaps with WERS on information/advice delivery and advocacy at greater national scale.

Regional players

• Haref (Connected Voice): Newcastle-based minority-ethnic health and social support network. WERS and Haref already deliver joint presentations to Newcastle City Council — direct local peer with overlapping migrant-community engagement.
• Scottish Refugee Council: Scotland's national refugee NGO delivering advice, advocacy, and integration programmes. Comparable mission, programmes and beneficiary profile to WERS but operating in Scotland rather than North East England.
• North of England Refugee Service (NERS): Regional refugee support charity operating across North East and Yorkshire. Closest geographic peer to WERS, providing overlapping information, advice and community services for asylum seekers in the same region.

Others

• Musicians Without Borders: International NGO using community music for refugee integration. Relevant adjacent peer to WERS' Seven Bridges Café / Dance City cultural-inclusion model, illustrating how arts-based delivery is operationalised in the refugee sector.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/7bbridgescafe
• Instagraminstagram.com/thesevenbridgescafe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/west-end-refugee-service-wers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about West End Refugee Service (WERS)