Testimonials

“In my room there is a drawer and a study chair and also a shelf of really beautiful books, amazing and very ornate. From day one we dined together and they are great at cooking! Everything they cooked was very tasty. In the morning Sarah goes for a walk and Roy and I look forward to the flowery back garden. Also, the morning English breakfast.  The thing I loved the most was the advice and the kind treatment from Roy and Sarah and the motivation that they are my family and I am still in contact with them.”

Guest, Jan 2022

“Hi it’s my pleasure for me to share with you and tell you my experience.  It really was a wonderful experience. The family that hosted me was so wonderful, from the first day they gave me a very warm welcome, saying in my mother tongue; “Welcome to our home it’s your home” with a wide smile, giving me a tour around the wonderful house and flowered garden.”

Guest, 2021

“This has been a brilliant springboard for R to take the next steps forward with his life, and in the continuation of good news, we discovered last week that he has also been status! So multiple reasons for celebrations! We absolutely love all the work you do and as ever are beyond grateful for helping us plug gaps in service provision that enable us to be able to keep working on people’s cases.”

Referrer, June 2021

“I have seven-year-old daughter so asked Refugees at Home to be mindful of this. They introduced me to the perfect guy, who stayed with me and my daughter for an extended period of time. Refugees at Home handled the situation perfectly and it worked out great. Maz was a great influence on my daughter and became a friend of mine. It was good to help and make a difference. Keep up the good work.” Host, May 2021

Host, May 2021

“He has gone from being a very anxious and unhappy young man to a one bursting with life. We are really grateful for your significant part in this. Even if things don’t go well for him in terms of immigration, his life here has been made meaningful.”

Referrer, October 2018

“Huge thanks to you all and the hosts for all the fantastic support provided to her through hosting. Having stable, safe accommodation for the first time in her journey in the UK has been huge, she has grown in confidence and we can’t thank you all enough.”

Referrer, January 2021

“You see life from their perspective, and you see, at times the powerlessness, but also the resourcefulness. And I think it’s that interplay, isn’t it that? It’s a mutuality. Everybody’s got something to contribute. And it’s lovely to make space for that because you’re not a patron. You’re just a host of a guest and it changes you both. It changes how your household works for a little bit, you need to be flexible a bit, adapting to the personality, but also having a few ground rules.” 

Marijke, Host, 2023

“Currently hosting in South Wales and it’s wonderful. If you are hesitating, don’t. Jump in. I think we are getting more out of it than our guests! We don’t want them to leave!”

Host, October 2018

“Once again, all of us are incredibly grateful for the brilliance that is Refugees at Home, your unflagging patience and refusal to accept that there can never be a solution. It is always a pleasure working with you and without this support I don’t know how we would have been able to help F.”

Referrer, October 2018

“Thanks so much for creating this opportunity – I have been wondering how to help, and how to honor my grandparents who got taken in by strangers when they first came to London. People speak really highly of the way that Refugees at Home is run, and I’m really glad to be a part of it.”

Host, March 2019

“I really appreciate all the support I had. Thank you so much and all the thanks goes to Refugee at Home, you are doing a great job.”

Guest, May 2019

“Although it has been months and years since our previous encounter, I would like to let you all know that I include you all in my prayers every day. Sometimes I think back to the times when I was homeless, penniless and vulnerable. You all played a massive role in getting me on my feet.”

Guest, May 2019

“Both my nine-year-old and my guest are singing Oh Holy Night with their respective choirs and I found them practicing, singing in harmony together by the fire. They should bottle that when people ask what it’s like hosting a refugee at home.“

Host, December 2019

“You guys are doing a great job, changing people’s lives and helping those in need and vulnerable. So thank you God.”

Guest, November 2019

“He was a lovely guest – I hope everything will soon work out for him. I cannot think of anything Refugees t Home could have done differently. I am always impressed by how efficient and thorough you are – I’m sure it cannot be easy with plans (guests and hosts) changing all the time. Keep up the good work.”

Host, February 2020

“Despite a certain level of trepidation to start with, hosting our Ukrainian couple has been a great experience. We hope we have done a small thing to help out in a desperate situation. Refugees at Home have been a great source of information. We haven’t needed direct support and hopefully won’t need it, but we feel you would be there for all of us if required.”

Host, March 2023

“I cannot praise Refugees at Home highly enough. The home visitor was very thorough and helpful and her recommendation was clearly spot on because the family we hosted were a very good match. We and our guests all received attentive support and advice throughout the process. And this is despite massive demands on everyone’s time.”

Host, March 2023

“The in-depth assessment interview was very helpful to us as we gained valuable advice on how refugees might feel and the range of behaviours we might expect. We have been very lucky with the person placed with us as she seems an excellent match for our family.”

Host, March 2023

“We have been fortunate to be hosts to a Ukrainian family and have enjoyed every minute of the journey during which we have assisted them with settling into our community and with navigating the necessary requirements, paperwork and provision of advice so that they can make their own way and their own choices / decisions.”

Host, March 2023

“We are really pleased to have made this offer of hosting and I are delighted with our guest. They are kind and thoughtful and it is a pleasure to share our home with them. It is only the empathy and angst that we feel for them as we help them to try and find to work, that causes us some emotional angst too. We hadn’t anticipated the strong degree of our emotional investment, but we recognise it as we went through it with our own daughter; and we’re pleased to invest it anyway.”

Host, March 2023

“Thinking back, I would like to thank Refugees at Home for helping me to get safe accommodation with a lovely family in 2016. Imagine if I had said I am homeless and cold when my mum called back then. Instead, I was safe and warm and surrounded with love and laughter with my hosts.”

Guest, 2021

“The presence in the house of someone who had made a 2000-mile journey to safety was humbling, and a constant reminder of how lucky we are.”

Host, 2022

“All I can say is it’s been a great honor to know them, live with them, making memories and it is gonna be a pleasure to have them for the rest of my life. They are my pattern and best definition of kindness, self-sacrifice, and a grateful family. They empirically showed me that still there are nice and kind people in the world. Thanks for them for becoming my family when my life was through hardness.”

Guest, 2022

“The whole process has been very easy so far and I believe it’s been really important for all of us, particularly the children. It’s been very sweet to see them interacting with our Ukrainian guests and really important for them to know how lucky we are to be in this country and this situation. If strangers started bombing London, we’d want someone to do the same thing and give us refuge.”

Host, December 2022

“I just wanted to say thank you for always having my back. It’s a rare thing to find someone as generous and kind as you. You are a ray of sunshine to me and everyone else around. Thank you for brightening my way!“

Guest, 2023 Iranian Arsalan as he moves into his own place after two months hosted by Meg and Jacob

“Living in a state of uncertainty and facing numerous challenges, I could not have imagined the immense impact that my stay would have on my overall well-being. Not only have I had the chance to find a warm and welcoming home, but I have also been able to recover financially, thanks to your invaluable help.”

Guest, May 2023

“Your organisation’s dedication to helping individuals like myself navigate through difficult circumstances is truly commendable. Please know that your efforts have made a lasting impact, and I will forever be grateful for the stability and comfort you have helped me attain. As I continue to rebuild my life, I look forward to the day when I can pay it forward by hosting, helping, and supporting vulnerable individuals in their time of need.”

Guest, May 2023

“People are so generous, and I think the subject of refugees’ plight chimes with the inherent kindness of many… and your innovative approach to supporting them is quite easy for people to understand and naturally support.”

Andy, London Marathon Runner and R@H supporter, 2024

“It’s humbling. It’s opening your eyes to how other people live. It’s making you really appreciate what you have got. It’s an absolute pleasure.” 

Host, May 2024