A Kingston-based group has received over £300,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund to host a series of community-led activities welcoming North Korean refugees to their new home.

Connect: North Korea supports over 170 refugees each year, helping them develop new skills and relationships to integrate into the wider community. The organisation is based in New Malden, known for having the highest concentration of Korean settlers in Europe, with over 20,000 Koreans living in the area. 

North Korean refugees face numerous challenges when resettling, including cultural adjustment, language barriers, and social isolation, which can lead to significant mental health issues.

Cultural differences, and the stigma associated with mental health care, can create a barrier to Korean refugees accessing traditional mental health services. To address these issues, Connect: North Korea runs a range of community activities to bring members together and improve their physical and mental wellbeing. 

One community activity the project hosts is a peer-led dance group, which was established through a member who was a state gymnast in North Korea for over a decade. 

"In North Korea, women don't have the opportunity to dance for themselves. We need to dance for our own health and enjoy life in the United Kingdom. That's why I really wanted to teach the dance class," the project lead said. 

Catherine Dawkins, Connect: North Korea Programme Manager, said: "Thanks to National Lottery players, we helped over 170 members of the North Korean community last year through our wide-ranging and accessible programmes. 

"Peer-led projects, like our community dance group, are an integral part of this work, acting as an entry point for clients who want to improve their wellbeing and ultimately, their lives."

Kingston & Surbiton MP, Liberal Democrat Ed Davey, visited Connect: North Korea in 2023. (Photo: The National Lottery Community Fund)

The project's impact hasn't gone unnoticed, and last year it received a visit by local MP and Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, who visited to see first-hand the strong connection the community is building.

Connect: North Korea is one of 600 charities and community groups in London to have been awarded over £28 million of National Lottery's £200 million total nationwide funding over the last four months.

Helen Bushell, Head of Regional Funding for London, the South East and East at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: "Thanks to National Lottery players, we're proud to support amazing projects like Connect: North Korea, which strengthen society and help the community in Kingston come together."

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