Stronger Together: Welcoming Refugees in Communities
Refugees and asylum seekers arrive in the UK with hopes of building safe, fulfilling lives, but often face complex and difficult experiences before, during, and after their displacement.
These include separation from family, past trauma, uncertain immigration status, unstable accommodation, unemployment, social isolation, and experiences of discrimination. Unsurprisingly, these pressures can result in poorer mental health compared to the general population.
Despite these challenges, we know that refugee and asylum-seeking communities are actively seeking opportunities to improve their wellbeing and build a sense of belonging. With these challenges and aspirations in mind, Norfolk Community Foundation has worked in partnership with Norfolk County Council’s Public Health team over the past three years to deliver three targeted funding programmes. Most recently, in March 2024, local organisations received support to deliver projects that promote mental health and emotional wellbeing, helping individuals to feel safer, more connected, and better supported as they rebuild their lives.
Here are just some of the ways local community organisations are supporting children, adults and families to boost their mental wellbeing as they seek opportunities to work, pursue education, and embrace their new communities.
Norwich City Community Sports Foundation
A grant helped to support their ‘Fresh Start’ programme, which offers free weekly sports sessions for refugees and asylum seekers, providing a safe and friendly environment to improve mental wellbeing. Participants build community and make connections with their peers and coaches, who provide signposting to local services for additional support.
They’ve also started working more closely with the Norwich International Youth Project, and as a result, they have welcomed 30 new young people. They’ve also gifted several Norwich City home game tickets to participants, which has helped to create a sense of belonging for these young people who are newly settling into the area. Building on this success, they are now forming relationships with other local charities.
Case study:
A young man, originally from Yemen, was nervous and apprehensive when he started attending Fresh Start. He soon settled in however, and now some of his friends come along too. He has also made new friends at the sessions, but his favourite part of the programme is football – the coaches note how much his footballing ability has improved over the months, as well as his English.
St Mathew’s Church
St Matthew’s Church have transformed their kitchen into a community space, where women have been able to request ingredients, cook meals for their families, and share food with others living in the same situation. What began with just three women has grown into a cooking community of over a dozen.
Living in temporary accommodation with no access to kitchen facilities, they’d been unable to prepare proper meals for their children or share the familiar flavours of home. Relying on convenience foods, they found foods unfamiliar and poor in nutrition, leading to health issues, anxiety, and children refusing to eat or even go to school. All this has changed. Their children ask, “Is it Friday yet?”, as they know they’ll be getting a good home-cooked meal.
Case Study:
The Church told us about one mother who arrived in Norwich in January. She had fled her home after her husband was killed. Initially unable to trust anyone, she has grown considerably. She has started smiling, preparing her sons’ favourite meals, and grown in confidence.
The Horticulture Industry Scheme
The social enterprise was awarded funds to create an international allotment project over six months for refugees and asylum seekers who have recently resettled in the Thetford area.
Their efforts helped transform an overgrown area of the Riversdale Centre garden into a vibrant allotment. A part-time worker with experience supporting refugees led the project, and helped build momentum by working with library staff and the People from Abroad Team to engage their community, including holding English classes in the garden. A group of women who attended on multiple occasions and brought their children to take part in planting, connecting them with nature and boosting wellbeing.
Top Banana
A grant for their ‘Time to Shine’ project significantly enhanced the wellbeing and integration of 40 unaccompanied young refugees and asylum seekers in the Great Yarmouth area. Through bike maintenance workshops and activity days, participants gained practical skills, confidence, and independence, particularly those who now use the bikes they built for transport. The project fostered social inclusion and cultural understanding by connecting young people with peers and the wider community, helping them feel more at home in their new environment. It enabled young people to take greater control over their mobility and future, while also supporting their emotional wellbeing through meaningful community engagement.
With the right support, individuals and families are not only improving their mental and emotional wellbeing, but also beginning to rebuild their lives with hope and dignity.
Thanks to the commitment of local organisations and the generosity of those who fund and support them, safe and welcoming spaces are being created where people can heal, grow, and thrive. Whether it’s through sport, shared meals, growing food, or learning new skills, these projects are empowering people to forge new friendships, regain a sense of control, and feel part of a community once more.
[Published 21.07.2025]
