Host Nottingham is Open | Emergency Accommodation for Homeless Refugees

Upbeat Communities is now overseeing Host Nottingham, which has existed for the past 14 years to serve asylum seekers and refugees needing housing support across Nottingham. We’re pleased to say that applications are now open for those with a spare room in Nottingham to apply to become a Host.

We recognise the amazing work that has been done before us by the Nottingham Arimathea Trust, who previously carried out the work of Host Nottingham. The organisation sadly closed down last year, but we are honoured to be able to continue this project, alongside other hosting initiatives we run—Host Derby and Homes for Ukraine.

Upbeat’s Hosting Manager Megan Boyce shared, “I get the privilege of working with some amazing individuals who open up their homes to people seeking sanctuary on a regular basis. It’s incredibly sacrificial and inspiring.

The difference I see in refugees who have been hosted is hugely significant. Not only do these projects offer a lifeline to somebody who has been sleeping on the street, they enable people to meet and build relationships with British people, helping their integration to life in the UK as well as their confidence.”

Many of those hosted are people like Umar (name changed). Umar fled Afghanistan after the Taliban came to power in 2021. He narrowly escaped being captured, then made the difficult and traumatic journey across Europe in search of safety.

He shared, “When I left Afghanistan, life was extremely stressful. I thought, What will be my future? What will my future life be like? When I came to the UK, life became very good.

Then, I received the decision that I had leave to remain in the UK, and I was very happy. But when I received the news that I had to leave my asylum accommodation, and that the benefits from the government (for asylum seekers) were finished, I felt uncomfortable and very stressed. My language was not good, and I looked for a job, but here the jobs and experience you need is different to what I did in my home country, where I was a teacher. That was very stressful for me.”

Megan explained, “Life for refugees is full of difficulty. Not only have they experienced intense persecution back home, or been caught up in wars without any hope of resolution, but they have also experienced trauma, uncertainty, even injury on their journeys here.

Most asylum seekers who arrive in the UK are eventually granted leave to remain, as the UK government recognises that they cannot safely return to their country. But, after being granted asylum, life doesn’t become any easier for refugees. Often, this is where they struggle to find accommodation because there is simply not enough social housing available, and private housing is very hard to access.”

Host Derby began in 2017 in response to asylum seekers who had fallen through gaps in an inefficient asylum system. Whilst we still support individuals in this situation, our hosts now support those further along in their journey: refugees like Umar, who need a place to stay while they work out their next steps.

For Umar, staying with his host family not only meant he had a safe place to sleep, but also helped him get to know British people and learn about life in the UK.

“I enjoyed living with my hosts, their home was really good, really nice to live in. When I lived with them, I felt like again I am living with my own family.

My favourite part of living with them was in the morning, when we sat together and shared breakfast. We share stories with one another. That was an important thing for me. I learned a lot from them.

I learned what they normally made or ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I learned about British culture, what people normally do, what they normally cook or eat, when they would go on holiday, where they would stay. They told me all this information. My host home was where I learned most of the things I know about British culture.

Now, I feel comfortable and I feel well. I have hope for my future again. I think I will have a bright future here.”

Upbeat Communities is proud to continue to work with volunteers to provide a way forward for refugees and asylum seekers experiencing homelessness. We have seen the huge impact of hosting through Host Derby and Homes for Ukraine—providing 13,015 nights of accommodation for 91 individuals last year.

We look forward to equipping more hosts to welcome more refugees as our work extends to include those in Nottingham. Apply today, or find out more at upbeatcommunities.org/hosting.