Refugee Resource

Refugee Resource provides a unique counselling and therapeutic service for refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants in Oxfordshire. The people we are currently working with come from countries such as Afghanistan, Kosovo, Syria, Pakistan, Eritrea and Sudan often arriving in Oxford knowing no-one, with no money and little or no English. Some are deeply traumatised by their experiences and others require support to help them navigate their new environment. Refugee Resource is a place of safety where clients are treated with respect and given the support that they need to then move on with their lives. Some people require specialist counselling to help them heal after being traumatised by torture, violent social unrest, persecution or war, and others participate in our range of therapeutic services which are aimed at helping people to move from a position of alienation to increased understanding and inclusion within the wider community. They may join our women’s group or participate in our mentoring scheme, each of which is a means by which they can re-build their self-esteem and learn to navigate their new environment. Some may need help with a job application, or advice on a letter to a lawyer. They may not understand their rights in the UK, or be scared to make a complaint about the unreasonable behaviour of an employer; we provide advice and an interpreter if needed. Refugee Resource was formed in 1999, with the creation of a therapeutic garden in East Oxford which was based on the work of the then British Medical Foundation for Victims of Torture (now Freedom From Torture), and in response to a perceived gap in Oxford’s therapeutic services which cater to people from other cultures who have fled their countries of origin in search of a safe place to live.