Charities — free help for refugees
Help refugees UK — charity organisations help everyone regardless of status. Food banks, legal help, ESOL, housing, advocacy. Enter a postcode — we'll show the closest.
Charities in a specific city
Pick a city — we'll show the closest refugee charities with contacts and opening hours.
What's useful to know about refugee charities
What is a Charity Commission number?
Charity Commission — government regulator of charities in England and Wales. Each registered charity has a unique 6–7-digit number. Check on register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk by name or number. Scotland has its own regulator OSCR, Northern Ireland — CCNI.
Who do refugee charities help — is status required?
Most charities help everyone regardless of status: asylum seekers, refused asylum seekers, refugees, undocumented migrants. Some specialise in particular groups: Refugee Women Connect (women), Praxis (families), Helen Bamber Foundation (survivors of torture). All services are free.
Where is the nearest food bank — Trussell Trust?
Trussell Trust — network of 1,400+ food banks across the UK. Search on trusselltrust.org/get-help. You need a voucher from GP, social worker, school, charity or MP. 3-day emergency food parcel. Independent food banks (IFAN) often accept without voucher. Regardless of status.
What Ukraine-specific charities are there?
Homes for Ukraine support — Opora, Barnardo's, Red Cross Ukraine helpline, Sanctuary Foundation, Reset UK. Visa extension programme — via UKVI. General refugee charities also work with Ukrainians. The 'Ukraine' filter in categories above shows specialised ones.