welcome to
Wishful Dreams
CIC
Helping displaced people find their feet / supporting refugees and asylum seekers
…because we’re all human
Welcome to Wishful Dreams CIC
Wishful Dreams, a London-based community interest company, transforms dreams into reality by providing essentials to UK arrivals, refugee women, and children.
About Us
Wishful Dreams, a London-based CIC, supports displaced people in rebuilding their lives. We provide essentials and culturally appropriate support for housing, health, education, and employment.
Our mission is both humanitarian and economic, helping refugees become contributors to society while respecting their desire to eventually return home. With global refugees exceeding 43 million and skilled refugees contributing over £1 million annually to the UK economy, empowering all refugees to participate can yield immense societal and economic benefits.
Beyond economics, we focus on treating every individual with dignity and respect, offering a supportive environment free from political agendas.
“Through learning and practical assistance, new experiences are made a reality.”
“Through wishful dreams, human experiences are made a reality.”
Our Philosophy
Vision
A world where refugees and asylum seekers are treated as humans.
Mission
Providing products and services that help refugees come to terms with their new lives and become valuable members of society able to contribute effectively.
Values
Supportive: helping get people back on their feet by encouraging them to help themselves
Pragmatic: working to find viable solutions in today’s world
Individual: treating people like people, not problems
Fair: treating everyone fairly
Who we service:
UK arrivals, refugee women, and children
Who We Serve
Our Community Interest Company (CIC) supports people who emigrate to the UK, focusing on women and young people (under 25 years). We assist people to integrate and thrive in their new communities.
What We Deliver
We offer both practical and emotional support to refugees and new immigrants to the UK, whether they are here for the short or the long term.
- Practical support on health and wellbeing
- Advice on how to access the information they need to stand on their own feet and contribute to their host nation’s economy
- Increased confidence
- Better physical and mental health
- Reduced costs to society as a whole
Better able to integrate into their new culture and society
How We Can Help
Essentials kit boxes
We create boxes of essential items to support refugees and ensure that they can maintain a basic standard of living.
Our Essential Kits include useful products such as personal hygiene products and basic daily items such as pens, pencils, notepads and some essentials such as socks, gloves etc
We create these through funding and volunteering. If you would like to create survival kit boxes yourself, just contact us here survivalkit@wishfuldreams.co.uk
Alternatively, simply donate to fund us in our work
Practical information
It is often hard for refugees to find the information they need concerning all the issues that are important to them such as how to access housing, employment, education and medical support:
- Where do you start?
- How do you find somewhere to live?
- How do you start trying to find work?
- How does the education system work?
Please contact us for any information.
Physical health and mental health wellbeing
Maintaining positive mental health is a significant challenge for many refugees, yet it is critical if they are to survive and thrive.
We offer culturally sensitive support groups for women and children providing emotional and mental health support. We provide counselling and peer group support through our Mental Health Counselling partners, where our fully trained volunteers are experienced at helping people even those in the most difficult of circumstances develop a more positive approach to mental health and cognitive development.
Play & Youth Work
- Playwork will focus on cognitive development in children.
- Youth work will empower young people in the following areas:
- Social relationships, fun, and safety
- Leadership and life skills
- Spiritual, personal, political, and social identity
- Physical and mental health, environmental awareness, careers, and money management
- Providing uniforms and suitable work clothing where possible
Problems that refugees face
Refugees often, through no fault of their own, struggle to build any kind of life. Imagine being torn from your home through war or famine and landing up in a new country with no visible means of support, no way to make a fresh start, where you don’t speak the language and often face a hostile reception. It’s tough. We are all human beings, just some of us need a little extra support.
Some of the issues facing refugees and asylum seekers:
1. Being financially viable
Some 75% of refugees are estimated to live in poverty and only half of those
And only 50% of those allowed to work manage to find employment.
It is hard to make a living when you have no legal status, no home, and language issues.
2. Finding suitable housing
Finding safe and affordable housing can be a challenge with high rental fees and anti-refugee sentiment exacerbating the problem.
3. Language and cultural barriers
Refugees will suddenly find themselves in an alien culture where they don’t speak the language which can be very isolating.
4. Getting food on the table
-
“Refugees receive assistance to meet their most basic food and non-food needs, often in the hope and expectation that they will be able to return to their areas of origin before long.”
If you can’t get a job and you are struggling to pay rent, it is extremely difficult to manage to feed your family.
5. Mental health
-
Post-traumatic stress — and ongoing trauma …
Good mental health is a major issue for refugees. Many will be traumatised by what they have seen and faced in their home countries and on their journeys to their new host countries. Many will face post-traumatic stress, exacerbated by the knowledge that they have left family and friends at home, often in danger.
6. Staying healthy
Sanitation and hygiene are an issue. With little money and nowhere suitable to live many refugees struggle to afford necessities of life to ensure that they safe fit and healthy.
7. Recognition of their qualifications
Often qualifications from their home country are simply not recognised in their host country, making it hard to continue working in a given profession.
8. Education
Most children and young people will have had their education put on hold and when they do join the education system in their new country they will encounter a very different syllabus, style of teaching as well as language barriers.
9. Making a life
Most refugees leave their homes because it’s a matter of life and death. But how can you hope to do more than simply survive when you are facing so many deep-seated challenges?
We believe that humanity is about more than simply surviving. We aim to help people thrive, so that they can live a full and useful life whether that is back in their home country or in a new one.
Dream Outcome Quality
At Wishful Dreams, we enhance the quality of life for our beneficiaries. We bring joy to children facing critical challenges by fulfilling their heartfelt wishes. We create nurturing environments for long-term caregivers, fostering well-being and happiness. For UK arrivals fleeing humanitarian crises and war, domestic abuse victims, disabled veterans, and their families, we provide essential support through referrals.
Community Connections
Our commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and collaboration is central to Wishful Dreams. We partner with charities, community interest companies, and both private and public sector organisations across the UK. By collaborating with funeral professionals and cultural advisors, we ensure our services are respectful and culturally sensitive.
Dream Outcomes
- Beneficiary Feedback: Collect testimonials and feedback.
- Success Stories: Document and share transformations.
- Surveys: Gather data on satisfaction and well-being.
- Partnership Evaluations: Assess effectiveness with partners.
- Outcome Tracking: Monitor specific achievements.
- Community Impact Reports: Publish annual impact summaries.
These methods ensure we meet our goals and make a meaningful difference.
Get Involved and Contact Us
Volunteer: Contribute to our mission. We are always looking for suitable people to run our playgroups and mental health support groups. We can offer training and mentoring so that you gain the necessary life-skills and leadership skills.
If this sounds like you email us at: Hello@wishfuldreams.org
Fundraise:
-
- If you want to support our charity get fundraising.
- Whether you want to host a tea party, organise a sponsored walk, run or swim get in touch and we can help you.
- Schools and youth groups – why not create your own boxes of essentials. We regularly supply refugee families with one of our ‘Essential Kit Boxes’. These include items such as soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, sanpro items, socks, gloves, hats, pens, paper – everyday items that we all take for granted but can be beyond the reach of many refugees. You can simply use an old shoe box. If you want to put together these kits get in touch to find out more.
Donate:
Support our programs with one-off or recurring donations.
Wishful Dreams Partnership Programme:
We are always looking for community organisations, corporations, and entities aligned with our mission to collaborate on projects for maximum impact.