Review of 2025
In 2025, CLEAR continued to walk alongside people seeking sanctuary in Southampton as they worked to build new lives in the UK. Through our trauma-informed approach, we provided advice, education, practical support and volunteering opportunities for refugees, people seeking asylum and EU migrants.
It was a difficult year in many ways. Rising anti-migration rhetoric, protests outside local asylum accommodation, insecure immigration status, homelessness and the cost-of-living crisis all had a real impact on the people we support. In response, we remained committed to offering safe, compassionate and flexible support to those facing uncertainty and hardship.
Across the year, we supported more than 1,119 clients from 88 different countries, with 10,300 client interactions. Our advice work helped people with immigration, housing, benefits, finances, health and social care, and secured over £552,939 in financial gains for clients. Our in-house Destitution Fund also provided emergency help to people facing homelessness, travel costs or extreme hardship.
Our learning programme continued to make a real difference. In the 2024/25 academic year, we enrolled more than 160 learners on our courses, with excellent results across our ESOL classes. We also delivered digital skills support, customer service training and our ESOL for Volunteering & Community Action course, helping learners move into further study, volunteering and employment.
Volunteers remained a vital part of CLEAR’s work. In 2025, 56 volunteers gave 3,317 hours of their time, bringing enormous value, care and experience to our community. We were also proud to strengthen opportunities for client and volunteer voice through our Advisory Board and other co-production work.
Alongside this, we secured important funding for the future, including National Lottery Community Fund support towards our core costs until 2031, and continued to grow our partnerships across Southampton and beyond.
As I look back on 2025, I am deeply grateful to everyone who made this work possible — our clients, learners, volunteers, staff, partners, funders and supporters. Together, we are helping to build a more welcoming, inclusive and hopeful city.
Pete White | CLEAR Project Manager
