Breaking Barriers and English UK

We work with Breaking Barriers, a charity supporting refugees to access meaningful employment and build a new life. This is a continuation of our partnership with RefuAid, which moved its language and reaccreditation progammes to Breaking Barriers at the end of 2024.

The charity partners with accredited UK English language centres to give their clients access to the language teaching they need to pass IELTS or OET exams, allowing them to continue their careers or education in the UK.  The charity also supports clients to get UK accreditation and training they need to return to work.

RefuAid now focuses on its loan programme to help refugees back into work.

Since 2015, more than 150 English UK member centres and many individual teachers have supported over 800 clients in getting the IELTS or OET qualifications they needed. In 2023-24, 287 people graduated from the programme with the qualifications they needed to continue their studies or careers. This was the highest number since the programme launched almost a decade ago and a 49% increase on the previous year when 192 graduated.

How to support Breaking Barriers' language programme

British Council-accredited language centres across the UK can support the project  by offering face-to-face or online teaching. There is particular demand for pre-sessional, IELTS, OET or other exam preparation courses.  

Each partner teaching centre offers up to four student places on a rolling basis, and Breaking Barriers provides a caseworker and financial support with travel expenses, course materials and exam fees. 

Breaking Barriers is also keen to enlist teachers who could provide online or face-to-face support for students without a nearby English UK centre. Some centres offer teachers during their contracted hours as part of corporate social responsibility programmes.

Find out more