At Reset we’re putting the pieces in place to hold and administer the Community Sponsorship Backstop Fund. We need to work through the full sign-off process with our Board of Trustees, but everyone at Reset, both staff and trustees, is really excited about this approach to unlocking the potential of sponsorship. We’re proud to have the opportunity to play a central role in the delivery of this approach and we’re grateful to Ed Shapiro’s generosity and sustained interest in Community Sponsorship in the UK.
The fund will help Community Sponsorship in the UK to scale because it will allow Lead Sponsors (who are legally and financially liable for local Community Sponsorship Groups) to take responsibility for a further 200 Community Sponsorship applications. Lead Sponsors have a strong track record to date on fulfilling their obligations, and it is hoped this fund will enable them to support more groups, safe in the knowledge that there is financial support available should a serious problem arise. This generous initiative could enable approximately 1,000 additional refugees to be resettled in the UK!