Folio Theatre

Folio Theatre works across Wiltshire with a range of communities and groups.  It aims to increase access to and engagement with, high quality theatre and creative activities. The charity runs specific projects including engagement programmes with rurally isolated older people, and provides mentoring and support to young carers who wish to develop careers in the arts.

The request to the Allen Lane Foundation was for funding towards a partnership project that Folio Theatre runs with The Harbour Project, a refugee and asylum seeker charity in Swindon. Specifically, it works with the women’s group at the charity.  The project offers creative and engaging arts activities for the group to enjoy as a shared experience.  Over the coming year, more than 60 refugee and asylum seeking women are expected to benefit from sessions.  The development of the project is co-designed with a core group, and as sessions evolve, the women will create material that lead onto performances and productions.  A grant of £8,162 was made in October 2025 towards a shortfall in the project budget. Anticipated outcomes of the work are that the women taking part will have increased confidence, wellbeing and skills; they will feel more empowered; and that the project brings people together and helps change attitudes to people seeking sanctuary.

www.foliotheatre.co.uk

 

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Ark of Hope Foundation for All Nations

Ark of Hope Foundation for All Nations is based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. It works to create long-term change for women who are disadvantaged, in crisis, experiencing homelessness, domestic abuse, poverty or exclusion. A key focus of the charity’s work is supporting women from refugee, asylum seeking and migrant backgrounds, including women with no recourse to public funds.

The charity has established a community hub, the Ark of Hope Centre, where a range of services are delivered. These include culturally appropriate food support, a warm and safe environment, one-to-one guidance and signposting, emotional support, life skills training, and practical support with issues such as housing, welfare, immigration-related barriers, wellbeing and independence.

In October 2025, the Foundation awarded funding of £5,000. This will support salary costs for the charity’s work with refugee and asylum-seeking women over the coming year. The funding will contribute to the salary of the charity’s support worker, who helps manage and deliver frontline support and acts as a bridge to other agencies, services and community networks. Intended outcomes from the funding are that women will receive specialised one-to-one support, report improved wellbeing and confidence, and, for women with no recourse to public funds, have strengthened pathways to housing, legal advice and longer-term stability.

www.arkofhopefoundation.com

 

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Women’s Integration Network

The Women’s Integration Network operates as a supportive network of refugee, migrant and sanctuary seeking women helping and empowering one another.  It is based in Glasgow and holds weekly meetings, plus staff and volunteers are also available to members for assistance where necessary during the week.  Invited speakers visit the meetings giving information on different services, such as representatives from housing providers, the NHS, employment advisors, lawyers, MPs, or from the police for instance.  WIN offers encouragement for the women to participate in further education, and to learn about how the Scottish and UK political systems work, supporting women to speak up about their issues and challenge injustice.

At the Foundation’s June 2025 meeting, a grant of £4,000 was agreed. This funding is a contribution towards the salary of the only staff member – the part-time administrator/project manager.  The overall aim is to empower asylum seeking and refugee women and increase their confidence and abilities to become independent.

www.womensintegrationnetwork.co.uk

 

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Darlington Assistance for Refugees

Darlington Assistance for Refugees has been running for over ten years, supporting refugees to settle in the area, as well as people coming to the UK through the asylum system. Trained volunteer mentors help new arrivals to the town to settle in, access services, and engage in therapeutic activities.  English language support is offered for beginners and intermediate, in small conversation groups, and there two weekly drop-ins for guidance and advice.

In June 2025, the Foundation agreed a grant of £5,000.  This is towards the charity’s work with female asylum seekers and refugees.  It will contribute towards the costs of a women’s learning group which will run for two hours each week in term-time.  The aim of the group is to teach English to women, including with singing songs and learning to read simple children’s books as well as interacting with their children as they play.  Expected outcomes of the group are that women will have a measured improvement in English, more confidence to interact with others, reduced isolation through meeting and becoming friends with others in similar situations, and will become ready to study at college when nursery places become available.

www.darlingtonrefugees.org

 

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After 18

After 18 is a charitable organisation working in central Leicester. It provides a range of support services and specialist information for young refugees and asylum seekers, aiming to provide educational and wellbeing support.  Regular work includes English and maths tuition, weekly drop-in sessions, and access to opportunities for career and academic progression.

At the Trustees meeting in February 2025, the Foundation agreed funding of £7,500. The grant is to fund the continuation of the charity’s weekly wellbeing group for young asylum seeking or refugee women. The group supports around 30 women aged 18-25, the majority of whom arrived in the UK without their families and are now living in Leicester or the surrounding area. Two-hour sessions run each Friday, where the women collectively chose an activity such as cooking, yoga or bracelet-making for example.  Staff and volunteers provide practical and emotional support and mentoring outside the sessions too.  Outcomes for the women include reduced feelings of isolation and loneliness, increased confidence, and better opportunities in life moving forward.

www.after18.org.uk

 

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Torture ID

Torture ID is a medical human rights charity that provides free specialist health assessments to newly arrive people seeking asylum who have experienced human rights abuses.  It was set up in response to the systemic failure to offer specialist assessments to identify survivors at the earliest opportunity after arrival, and ensure they are offered treatment for health problems. It is the only organisation of its kind in the UK and works across the Yorkshire and Humber area from a base in Leeds.

The Allen Lane Foundation agreed funding of £10,000, split over two years from the October 2024 Trustee meeting.  The grant is for running costs including staffing – as a contribution specifically for the charity’s work with asylum seeking women. It is estimated that 20 women will benefit per annum.  Outcomes of the charity’s work are that individuals will have the chance to disclose their experiences leading to stronger evidence in their asylum claims; and that they will be more likely to access appropriate health and social care support. Asylum decision-makers will also have access to quality clinical evidence of abuses, and can make better informed decisions.

www.tortureid.org

 

 

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Conversation over Borders

This organisation runs various services, offering English learning opportunities, digital inclusion, befriending, and wellbeing support to refugees and asylum seekers. Conversation Over Borders is based mainly in Brighton and Manchester where it offers some face-to-face services, but also works on a national basis via online classes and virtual support.

At the October 2024 meeting, the Allen Lane Foundation offered funding of £7,940. The grant is a contribution towards costs of the Women Together: Support and Inclusion Project.  The Project is offering a three-year intervention to support existing female clients and reach more vulnerable and isolated women. It is anticipated that approximately 300 refugee and asylum seeking women will benefit from a mix of one-to-one ESOL support; a new women-only group English class; tech and tech support; online peer support; as well as in-person wellbeing and befriending groups.  The Project will also connect women to, and facilitate visits with other women-only spaces.  Overall the work will help to improve women’s confidence in English, increase social connectedness, and improve understanding and awareness of navigating the online world.

www.conversationsoverborders.org

 

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Stockport Refugee Group

This organisation is a constituted group that provides assistance to refugees and asylum seekers in the Stockport area.  Run by local residents and former refugees, it organises a drop-in centre each Saturday, providing a warm safe place for people to meet and access services. It offers English conversation classes, children’s play, a hot meal, and free food bags where required.  Volunteers are able to offer advice on issues such as housing, health and finding other support.  Around 30-35 women attend each week, with a natural flow of new visitors as people arrive into the area and others move on.

The Allen Lane Foundation awarded a grant of £3,726 in June 2024.  This will cover the group’s insurance, volunteer expenses including DBS checks, and pay half the annual rent costs of the drop-in.  Overall outcomes of the work are that attendees of the drop-in will have improved confidence from learning to understand and speak English in an informal setting; better understanding and integration into the local community and culture; and improved chances of employment by gaining new skills.

 

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Doulas Without Borders 

Doulas Without Borders (DWB) began as a grassroots response to the difficulties experienced by vulnerable groups within maternity care.  Its aim is to address disparities in maternal health outcomes and to ensure that women have equitable access to care, in marginalised communities.  The vast majority of women it supports are refugees or seeking asylum, most of whom are isolated and living in poverty.  The organisation works on a national basis, working with women who are referred by midwives, refugee outreach projects and other health and social care professionals. It provides emotional, practical and educational support, alongside its in-house voluntary teams of therapists, feeding specialists and language supporters.

In June 2024, the Allen Lane Foundation awarded a grant totalling £8,000 to Doulas Without Borders.  The funding will contribute towards running costs including salaries and volunteer training. The organisation aims to expand services by training additional volunteers across areas of the UK where there are high referral rates, and provide ongoing education and support to those involved. Outcomes are that women will be better supported throughout pregnancy, birth and receive good aftercare; and that more women will be able to receive support through increased volunteer recruitment and training.

www.doulaswithoutborders.com

 

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Toxteth Women’s Centre

Toxteth Women’s Centre was established to promote the wellbeing of women from ethnic minorities, particularly those whose first language is not English.  It has been running ESOL classes for the last 14 years in the Toxteth area of Liverpool, and has also broadened its services in that time.  Staff and volunteers provide both practical and emotional support for the women attending, including one-to-one crisis and specialist support where required. The Centre also operates a donations/collections scheme including clothing, baby items, books etc, and there is a community garden and regular social events and activities.  The majority of women attending are from asylum seeking and refugee communities.

In February 2024, Trustees awarded a grant to Toxteth Women’s Centre of £7,000.  Funding will contribute toward the charity’s general running costs.  Intended outcomes for the year include that: ESOL classes will improve the English language skills of around 200 learners; donated items will be provided to at least 100 families; and specialist one-to-one support will be given to around 15 women in complex circumstances.

www.toxtethwomenscentre.co.uk

 

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