Your local area is a subject in which you and your Group members are likely experts already! As enthusiastic as you may be to show your local area to the resettled family, remember that a key part of this project is empowerment with the goal of helping the family to gain access to the area independently.
Think about those little things that can catch you out: is there a day of the week on which buses don’t run? Or on which they run according to an altered timetable? Which places are closed on Sundays? What time of day do most shops close?
Something Groups have found to be useful is to explain the cost of taxis in the UK as the family may be used to relying on affordable taxis in the Middle East for transportation. Research whether there are discounts on public transport in your area for those who are on benefits and think through how you will explain how to use the transport systems.
A great model is to use active learning – on the first trip, a Group member accompanies a family on the bus, explaining what they are doing with paying fares, using tickets/pre-pay cards, knowing where to get off and where to sit/stand.
The next journey, family members can pay for their journeys with a volunteer on hand to assist, and the journey after that, the family members could lead the whole process.
Think about how the UK’s shopping customs may differ from where the family come from:
You can create a timetable of activities for the first few days and weeks to visit points of interest with the family. Some key places to consider visiting with the family are food shops, banks, cash points, post offices, pharmacies, the GP surgery, places of worship and recreational spaces.
You may want to include some of this information in your Welcome Pack. You won’t need to show this timetable to the Home Office in your application, but is a helpful tool for you to have.
The following weeks could involve accompanying the family to other areas or activities depending on their interests.
Read all news and insight from our initiatives
See coverage of Reset UK in the press and media
Find out how Community Sponsorship helps refugee families in need build a new life in the UK with confidence and dignity.
How do I sponsor a refugee family? How does the process work? Reset is here to support you every step of the way.
We’ve designed toolkits to make it easy for you if you’re involved as a lead sponsor or a local authority.
Wherever you are on the fulfilling and thrilling journey through Community Sponsorship, we have training courses, videos, articles and more, all designed to help your group and the family you support.
From drop-in sessions to UK-wide networking events, we bring together people and professionals involved in all stages of the Community Sponsorship journey.
Make a direct difference in the world by getting involved with your nearest Community Sponsorship group – or starting one up yourself!
Make an extraordinary difference to the lives of people who have lost everything by signing up to our (free) Landlords for Refugees register.
Not everyone can donate their time, so if you are choosing to donate money today instead or as well as, thank you. Your generosity is vital to the work we do support community-led welcome of refugees.
Help others by sharing your account. Why were you attracted to community-led welcome? What worked, what did you learn, what has the experience been like for you?
Reset empowers volunteers to welcome refugees into communities across the UK. Find out about us and the kinds of programmes we’ve been involved with.
Research, monitoring and evaluation are essential for making evidence-based decisions that will support Community Sponsorship to grow and flourish.
Sponsoring a refugee family is a significant responsibility. We advocate for Community Sponsors to ensure that they are properly supported throughout their journey.
Our advocacy focuses on representing the views of Community Sponsors to the Home Office to support them in implementing the necessary operational changes.
We also represent the views of Community Sponsors to other key stakeholders, including Local Authorities, international organisations, the wider resettlement field, housing providers and financial institutions. We also use our voice to campaign on policies affecting refugees. We are members of the Together With Refugees coalition, campaigning for a more humane approach to people seeking protection in the UK.
