Announcing Co.Here

Helping Irish Hosts
Sep 29
2 min read

Co.Here: A Fresh Take on Refugee Integration, Rooted in Community

We’re delighted to begin a brand new chapter for HIH with the launch of Co.Here - a bold, Irish-led project that believes integration doesn’t start with systems, it starts with people.

Launched on Oct 02, in Maynooth, Co.Here is funded by the EU’s Social Innovation+ Initiative, and it’s the only Irish project selected under this Europe-wide programme. It’s led by University College Dublin (UCD), envisioned and delivered by Helping Irish Hosts, and supported by ethical matching technology from our international partner Pairity.

Over the next year, Co.Here will work with displaced people across three age groups (16–24, 25–60, 60+) living in Celbridge, Kilcock, Leixlip, Maynooth, and Straffan. Together with local residents, employers, host families, and community groups, we’ll explore how meaningful, two-way integration happens - by building on the strengths that already exist in our communities.

Rather than a top-down model, Co.Here takes a whole-person, whole-community approach. That means matching people with real opportunities - in education, work, language, health, and social life - based on their skills, hopes, and interests, and the community’s capacity to welcome.

“Communities already have what they need to support newcomers – this project is about connecting those dots,” – Jill Robinson, Co-Founder, Helping Irish Hosts

“Integration is more than access to services. It’s about connection, belonging, and agency,” – Dr. Graham Finlay, UCD Research Lead

With local support from two community-based liaisons (Maryna and Jennifer) and the ethical tech of Pairity’s platform, Co.Here aims to create lasting, human-first integration experiences that can serve as a model for the rest of Ireland - and beyond.