Upbeat Communities is a UK-based charity that supports refugees and asylum seekers, helping them to settle and rebuild their lives primarily in Derbyshire and Lincolnshire
The charity’s work focuses on helping “strangers become neighbours” by providing practical help, advice, and a social network to overcome the challenges of displacement and integration.

Upbeat Communities offers a variety of services, which can be found on their website
Welcome Support: Volunteers deliver “Welcome Boxes” of essential items and offer befriending services to newly arrived individuals and families, helping them register with doctors, find their way around, and build initial friendships.
English Classes: Free English language education is a core part of their work, with various levels offered to break down language barriers. HERE is the timetable.
Community Integration: The charity runs an Integration Hub that hosts a range of activities, including community meals, support groups, arts and well-being sessions, and children’s play sessions, to foster connections between refugees and the local community.
Employment & Enterprise Training: They offer mentoring and training to help refugees find work and develop social enterprises. This includes “Upbeat Clean” (a commercial cleaning service) and “Derby Language School,” both of which provide employment opportunities and use profits to fund the charity’s work.
Accommodation: They run “Host Derby” and “Host Nottingham,” which are schemes providing temporary, emergency accommodation for destitute asylum seekers and support for those hosting Ukrainian arrivals.
Targeted Support: This includes specific “Upbeat Women” sessions that offer a safe space for women to learn English, engage in creative art therapy, and share cultural experiences.