STAR (Student Action for Refugees) is the national network of students building a more understanding and just society where refugees are welcomed and can thrive in the UK.
Our student groups based in colleges and universities and a central team of experts, work together at a number of levels to bring about lasting change. We:
- Volunteer locally working directly with refugees, building understanding and connections
- Campaign nationally for policy change and equal access to higher education for refugees
- Learn about refugee protection and the asylum journey in the UK with experts and peers
Our impact
In 2025-26:
The STAR student network
38 STAR groups – in 30 towns and cities run by 215 STAR leaders with 1564 STAR group members and a reach of 25693 on social media.
Training and empowering the network
10 training sessions delivered to 449 STAR student leaders and members.
50+ one to one support meetings with student leadersÂ
Volunteering
1000+ refugees supported by 456 student volunteers through 41 volunteering projects in partnership with local organisations – these included English conversation clubs, women’s groups, kids’ homework clubs, book clubs, bike projects, film nights, university open days and more. 22 of these projects were fully STAR student volunteer-led.
Campaigning
65+ campaign activities. Major focus was fighting the anti-refugee laws, campaigning against detention, and pushing for Equal Access to higher education.Â
Educating and changing minds
8,000+ attendees at 389 events organised by STAR groups.
Access to University
88 universities now have scholarships – we provided guidance to 18 institutions to help them improve existing scholarships or plan new ones and delivered 5 information and networking events for 243 university staff
Equal Access Activists (lived experience campaigners) – ran training for the STAR network on access to higher education, spoke at events and webinars such as UNHCR’s WAHED event, and worked with the Open University to begin building a campaign around home fees for displaced students.Â
1000+Â applicants and students from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds accessed STAR led information sessions on applying to university, applying for scholarships and utilised resources and signposting by the STAR team.
Our vision
Our vision is a society where refugees are welcomed and can thrive as equal members of the community.
Our history
In 1992, students at the University of Nottingham were inspired by the idea of a society that welcomed refugees – so they decided to create one. Andy Davies (then a politics student, now Channel 4 home affairs correspondent) approached the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, pitching the idea of a network of student societies aimed at supporting refugees.
Andy was asked to set up a pilot scheme, and in 1994, the first STAR group was set up, with support from UNHCR and the British Refugee Council. Then-social policy student Elly Hargreave became a co-founder of STAR, growing the movement with groups in London and Edinburgh established by 1996.Â
Elly went on to found STAR as a registered charity in 1999 to support a national network of students campaigning, volunteering, and learning together. In 2008, the launch of our Equal Access campaign marked the start of our work improving pathways into higher education for refugees. Today, our network of informed and committed students bring about lasting change by volunteering locally with refugees, campaigning nationally for policy change, and learning about refugee protection in the UK with experts and peers.
With thanks to our funders
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