To mark World Refugee Day (20 June), IKEA and The Refugee Council have unveiled a newly refurbished youth hub within the charity’s new location on London’s Old Street.
The newly designed space, spread across two floors, will act as a hub for young people to come together in a safe and welcoming environment tailored to meet the unique needs of young refugees – many of whom have experienced displacement, war and trauma, and who need a safe space to aid recovery.
The youth hub was co-designed by young people, supported by the charity and brought to life in just one day, with IKEA contributing its expertise, flat-pack furniture and a team of 20 passionate volunteers – including shop managers, interior designers and sustainability specialists from the IKEA Greenwich and IKEA Hammersmith stores.
The multi-purpose space includes study areas for learning, therapy-friendly seats, creative areas and a room for socialising and support services.
Hiliary Jenkins, IKEA Sustainability Business Partner, said: “As a values-led, humanistic business, we are proud to have played a part in creating a space where young refugees can feel safe, supported and at home. This space will afford hundreds of young people the opportunity to learn new skills, grow in confidence and build a brighter future.”
Joe Jakes, Refugee Council Youth Development Programme Manager, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to IKEA for their generous support, time and expertise on this exciting project. Their contribution has helped us create a space that reflects the needs and aspirations of the young people we work with. This hub will serve as a vital base from which we can continue helping young refugees feel welcome, supported, and ready to begin new chapters of their lives. It is going to be a magical place of healing and of recovery.”
The design process began with collaborative brainstorming sessions, where young people shared their ideas for how the space should look, feel and function.
Working together using IKEA’s online 3D planning tool, they created a digital model of the space. This model was then refined in partnership with the IKEA team to develop a final design that was both practical and reflective of the young people’s vision.
Keng, a Refugee Council service user and youth leader from Central Africa, said: “The whole process for me was an amazing experience. I was able to work with other users and IKEA to see different possibilities of how the office could be more welcoming to young people and how it could make someone feel at home.”
The flat-pack transformation goes beyond furniture, it is about rebuilding lives, restoring dignity and celebrating the strength and potential of young refugees.
Keng continued: “It is a place of safety and hope, not just for me but for a lot of the young people out there.”
This project reflects IKEA’s commitment to making neighbourhoods feel like home, and forms part of its wider effort to support communities across the UK through long-term partnerships, volunteering and meaningful social initiatives.
IKEA UK & Ireland work in partnership with The Refugee Council in England, Scottish Refugee Council, Welsh Refugee Council, Breaking Barriers and Tent UK – charities supporting refugees – to give people who came to the UK having fled war, terror, violence and persecution the chance to learn the vital new skills needed to enter the UK labour market and ultimately find long-term employment. IKEA’s UPPNÅ (meaning ‘to achieve’ in Swedish) programme has supported over 450 refugees to date through job readiness workshops and provided 253 paid placements across the UK and Ireland – helping unlock long-term career opportunities.
