We provide frontline support for people seeking safety, offering space to move, play, and connect, as well as care that helps ease the stress and trauma of displacement.
A Guiding Light for PEOPLE Forced to Flee
Welcome to Lighthouse Relief…
Building Resilience Through Sport, Play and Belonging
For families living in refugee camps north of Athens, daily life is filled with uncertainty, isolation, and stress. Lighthouse Relief creates safe, welcoming spaces where women, children, and young people can simply be themselves; to play, laugh, and feel a sense of normality beyond the camp fences. Through sport, games, and creative activities, our programmes help ease the psychological toll of displacement, build confidence and resilience, as well as creating bonds between diverse communities. These moments of joy and connection aren’t just meaningful, they’re essential for healing.
“We want to make even a small difference to those whose lives have been traumatised, and play a part in helping them to lead fulfilling lives and contribute to society. “
AREAS OF SUPPORT
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SPORT4development
Much of Lighthouse Relief’s work uses sport and activities as a tool to improve mental and physical health. Our varied programmes have impact…for example, amongst adults participating in our 2024 sports sessions, 89% of participants experienced improved physical health, over half of participants reported improved mental well-being, and 44% felt more confident after participating. For children, 87% of participants reported increased confidence after participating, over half made new friends during the sessions, and over two-thirds of these friendships were with peers from different communities.
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ACTIVITIES FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN
For years, Lighthouse Relief ran safe spaces for women, children, and youth in camps across Greece, with a long-term focus on Ritsona. After access was restricted by the Greek Ministry of Migration in 2023, we adapted quickly. Today, we continue our work at the Sama Community Centre outside Malakasa camp, offering movement workshops, yoga, and outdoor activities that support well-being and connection.
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EMERGENCY RESPONSE
For five years, between 2015 and 2020, Lighthouse Relief ran a shore-line Emergency Response operation on Lesvos. But as the needs of those seeking refuge evolved, we developed and adapted our programming, starting a street-work initiative in 2021 which involved monthly food and hygiene distributions to hundreds of families, emergency housing for single mothers and their children, and multilingual helplines for new arrivals and families living precariously.
Women, children, and young people in Greece’s refugee camps face isolation and trauma every day. Your donation helps create safe spaces where they can move, connect, and begin to heal…
Where We're Needed Most
Lighthouse Relief fills critical gaps in humanitarian support for people seeking refuge in Greece, where over 230,000 refugees and asylum seekers are navigating life in an overwhelmed system. In 2024, arrivals reached their highest level in five years, further straining already limited resources.
Living conditions in camps are harsh and isolating, with long waits for asylum decisions, limited access to healthcare, and a growing mental health crisis marked by trauma, boredom, and hopelessness.
With few NGOs present, especially in remote camps like Ritsona and Malakasa, Lighthouse Relief creates safe, supportive spaces for women, children and young people through sport and structured activities, offering vital moments of relief, connection, and dignity where it’s needed most.
What we envision
A society that ensures safe passage, upholds human rights, and makes it possible for anyone to thrive.
Our ethos of flexibility, accountability, and inclusivity, means that we adapt quickly to evolving needs on the ground and draw on the experiences of team members and partners who have lived as refugees to shape our response.
Women, children, and young people in Greece’s refugee camps face isolation and trauma every day. Your donation helps create safe spaces where they can move, connect, and begin to heal…
Together,
we can provide safe harbor.
