We warmly welcome all refugees, asylum seekers and migrants to Surrey. The following charities and organisations provide support and advice to you, whether you are just passing through or you are settling in the county permanently.
Page contents
Everyday living needs
Food banks
If you do not have enough money for food, a Food Bank can provide you with an emergency food parcel containing three days' of nutritionally balanced meals. Parcels may also include other essential items such as toiletries. However, to receive a food parcel, you will need to be referred to the Food Bank with a food voucher. Vouchers are available from organisations such as advice charities, such as Citizen's Advice and housing associations. If you don't know how to get a voucher, call your local food bank and they will tell you who to contact:
Help where you live in Surrey
- Dorking Refugee Support charity (covering all of Mole Valley) offers practical support to help refugees settle into the community.
- Elmbridge CAN charity welcomes refugees into the local community and provides local advice on money, housing, jobs and education, health and wellbeing, childcare, activities for children and English language courses.
- Epsom Refugee Network charity provides a wide range or practical and emotional support to all refugees in the area, including answering any questions, getting a job, finding fun activities and learning English.
- Guildford Refugee Aid charity on Facebook provides support to displaced people in the Guildford area and works to improve mental and physical health with classes and community activities.
- Woking Refugee Support charity on Facebook supporting refugees in Woking and nearby. Focused mainly on donations for refugee families in Woking, but also helps refugees find other support groups and organisations.
- Surrey Minority Ethic Forum (SMEF) supports and represents the needs and hopes of the ethnic minority population in Surrey. Contact SMEF by online form or email.
Health and wellbeing
- Register with a doctor as an NHS patient (NHS website) - everyone has a right to register for healthcare. If you are only staying in the area temporarily you can access NHS services as a temporary patient (NHS website)
- Find your nearest doctor (known as a GP) service (NHS website).
- Mental health crisis helpline (NHS Surrey and Borders Partnership): Call the Helpline 0800 915 4644, if you are in crisis or if you are worried about someone else.
- Healthy Surrey website helps you find self-care information, as well as connecting you with local health and wellbeing services.
- Children and family health Surrey - advice line - families with children from birth to 19 years old can call our Surrey-wide telephone advice line.
- Adult Social Care helps vulnerable people stay independent, safe and well so they can live the lives they want to. Contact us if you are concerned about an adult in Surrey.
- Alliance for Better Care - information for patients in Surrey and Sussex offering information about monitoring blood pressure at home, community services such as local health hubs and health checks and much more.
Interpreters
You can request an interpreter (GOV.UK) and it is the responsibility of the the health care provider you are seeing to arrange an interpreter on your behalf. When calling NHS 111 for health advice, you will be given the option to request an interpreter to help with your call.
Written translations of health documents and leaflets can be requested from your doctor or other health care provider.
Families and young people
- Surrey Home-Starts provides family support services. Families are generally referred to Home Starts by health visitors, doctors, or other agencies but they do accept self-referrals. See their Need support page to find out how they can help and how to contact them.
- Stripey Stork family support is a Surrey baby bank collecting donations of clothes, toys and essential items for babies and children and rehoming them with families experiencing hardship.
- Happy Baby Community is a community that supports women who have fled from violence or traffickers and are pregnant or with a young child and are seeking international protection in the UK.
- Family Information Service is our online directory to help you find registered childcare, family activities, holiday clubs and support groups near you. It also provides advice on all family matters including childcare, education and learning, benefits and other financial help for families.
- Big Leaf Foundation helps displaced young people aged 15 to 25 to belong and thrive in their new home in the Surrey area. Contact Big Leaf Foundation by online form or email.
Advice
- Guest application guide - Refugees at Home - If you are already in the UK, you may be able to apply directly to Refugees at Home to find you a host. We call this 'self-referring'.
- Migrant Help UK
helps asylum seekers with the asylum process in the UK, refugee resettlement schemes, the refugee employability programme and much more. They also have an asylum helpline, please visit the Migrant Help contact page for details.
- Citizens Advice in Surrey - if you need advice on any subject, visit your nearest advice centre or see our self-help advice guide.
- Immigration advice - Citizens Advice in North and West Kent (CANWK) (including Surrey) This charity helps with family migrants, long residents, EU nationals, victims of domestic violence and trafficking, refugees and asylum seekers and anyone who wants to settle and become a British citizen.
Your comments
If you would like to tell us how we could improve the information on this web page, please email us: MRA.contact@surreycc.gov.uk.