Maintaining a high public profile is essential for an organisation like UNHCR, which relies on the generosity of others for funding our work to protect refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people, stateless people and returnees. It is a cornerstone of UNHCR's overall approach to combine activities around broad themes of public engagement, media outreach, fundraising and educational support.

Our public engagement activities attempt to build awareness in the UK of national and global issues affecting all those people who come under UNHCR's mandate. This covers a vast array of different activities including social networking, public events, World Refugee Day commemorations, Parliamentary outreach, the Nansen Refugee Award, exhibitions and much more.

UNHCR's media outreach work covers not only matters asylum seekers and refugees in the UK, but also international issues and work done by UNHCR in more than 120 countries worldwide. We supply the press with accurate and reliable information coupled with our unique insight based on our refugee protection mandate and role as one of the world's leading humanitarian agencies.

As UNHCR is almost entirely funded by voluntary contributions, resource mobilisation is a key facet of our work. Many of our fund raising efforts run in conjunction with our public engagement activities, allowing us to raise vital funds while also building awareness among donors and non-donors alike.

We also supply a wide range of educational resources for all ages. These are available on request but include posters, lesson plans, videos and DVDs, key facts booklets and magazines for young people all aimed at providing information on the reality of life as a refugee, asylum seeker, internally displaced person or stateless person.

Media contact lists

www.unhcr.org.uk/news-and-views/contact-us.html

For press enquiries in the UK, please contact Andrej Mahecic on 020 7759 8091/ 07880 230985 or Laura Padoan on 020 7759 8092/0777 5566127

List of educational resources

www.unhcr.org.uk/resources/educational-resources.html 

Against All Odds computer game

www.playagainstallodds.com/