About Us

Working with communities to create a culture of welcome, so that one day projects like this won’t be needed

Why we started this project

We opened our doors in 2017 as a community group to provide welcome for people who had recently arrived in Hastings seeking refuge and safety. Now, we are a registered charity supporting over 40 families through buddying, advocacy and financial and emotional support for the most vulnerable in our community. Since 2017, we’ve expanded our support to Rother and Wealden as well as Hastings; increased support for people in the asylum system; opened a community cafe and gallery (currently closed due to covid); gained Charity status; and won three year funding to secure the long-term future of the Project.

Rossana Leal came to the UK in the 1970s with her family escaping the Pinochet regime in Chile. They were taken in by the mining community in Scotland, and received a welcome which stayed with her for the rest of her life. In 2017 Rossana was compelled to recreate that welcome in Hastings, and so she set up The Refugee Buddy Project.

Read Rossana's Story Here

Our Values

Generosity

Sharing our time, resources and learning with one another as we support each other. It means being open and honest with one another, especially when we hit challenges, and thinking creatively about how we positively build from there.

Respect

The bottom line for all relationships at The Refugee Buddy Project. It means being respectful of different backgrounds and life experiences and giving space for all voices to be heard. This often means listening more than we talk and being open to changing ourselves as a result of what we hear.

Solidarity

Having empathy and understanding of the position of people seeking refuge in the UK. And standing in Solidarity with people seeking refuge as well as the broader migrant rights movement in the UK.