our
story
Kent Refugee Action Network (KRAN) was established in 2003 to support young unaccompanied refugees and asylum seekers (UASCs). Over the years, it has grown to develop several projects in response to the needs of UASCs.
One of our first projects, which continues today, was the mentoring partnership project matching local volunteers with young people.
Teaching and independent living skills have been delivered for the past 10 years through our Learning for Life project in Canterbury and Folkestone to support young people transitioning to college and other vocational pathways.
We have established an advocacy and support project to ensure that young people receive the best support and services as they transition to life in the UK.
We continue to raise awareness about the challenges our young people face, develop opportunities to engage with the local community and ensure that their voices are heard.
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OUR VISION
For young people seeking asylum in the UK as refugees to be safe, belong and build hope for a better future
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OUR MISSION
To help the young refugees and asylum seekers we work with live fulfilled, independent lives and to actively contribute to our communities
our objectives
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1.
To be resilient, reflective, responsive, visible and recognized as experts in our field
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2.
Build sustainable community relationships and cohesive networks so that RAS Young People can be effectively supported and accepted
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3.
Create life choices for RAS Young People so they can fulfil their potential through developing positive pathways towards their aspirations
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4.
Provide RAS Young People with wellbeing, safety net and crisis management services to ensure mental wealth at all times
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5.
Develop RAS Young People capability to be heard and clearly understood, amplifying their voices so they can champion their agenda, establishing listening channels with service providers to inform and influence policy and practice
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6.
Define and implement the outcomes and measurements that demonstrate and reinforce KRAN’s good practice model and leadership approach for outreach, collaboration, sharing, and partnership working to support RAS Young People in Kent
our services
At KRAN, we are always open to new ideas and suggestions on getting involved and supporting our work. Please don’t hesitate to contact our CEO and let her know of ways that you might be interested in helping our young people, either individually or through your organization. For example, by offering a placement opportunity or apprentice to one of our young people, or offering in-kind support in something you have skills and expertise in as a one-off masterclass etc.
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Learning for life
An education programme for young asylum seekers. It is the only programme of its kind in the UK. We have a proven track record of providing our young people with the necessary skills to gain college entry.
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ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT
We are helping young refugees in their transition to life in the UK. Our young people can often be isolated, have mental health issues or need a helping hand and someone to talk to.
our Future plans
Thriving Futures, our new Strategic Plan (2025-2028), was launched in February 2025. Underpinning this plan are our five core values:
Collaboration – both in KRAN and with our external partners
Solidarity – we seek to create a fair supportive environment for staff and Young People (YP)
Striving for Excellence – using a trauma-informed approach, we always look to provide the best possible services for our YP
Reflective – we use evidence to monitor what we do well and to identify where we need to improve
Person Centred – we see YP as individuals and try to ensure they feel empowered and have agency in their lives.
This four-point plan will guide our future activities:
We will foster an enabling environment by developing new relationships and partnerships with other agencies and organisations and transforming our external communications
We will adapt the services we offer so that we are more agile and more responsive to the needs of our YP and the ever-changing external environment
Because it is so important to be able to demonstrate the effectiveness of what we do, we will have a renewed emphasis on collecting good-quality evidence so we can assess the impact of our services
We will diversify our funding streams so we are not as reliant on just a few donors and grant agencies. Having a secure financial base is crucial to KRAN’s long-term future.
