Welcome to the first Reset newsletter of 2024. The team is excited to tell you about the training, resources, and events Reset has lined up both to grow and to strengthen community-led welcome this year. 

Coming into 2024, I also wanted to take a moment to reflect on Reset's highlights from last year, which included welcoming the 1​​​​​​​000th refugee through Community Sponsorship, being invited to host workshops at the Global Sponsorship Gathering in Lisbon for our international partners, and ending the year having paired a total of nearly 1,300 sponsors with welcomed Ukrainians. It was also notable to see from the latest Home Office resettlement report that Community Sponsorship has driven 20% of overall resettlement in 2023, marking the contributions of communities across the UK.

Reset is proud of the work accomplished last year, but we know so much more needs to be done to provide community-led welcome pathways for vulnerable people seeking safety. Reset will be doing everything we can to make this happen, and look forward to continuing our work with communities and partners in 2024.

Dame Sandra Horley, Chief Executive

Upcoming training: supporting refugee students and working with interpreters

We have exciting new training sessions coming up in February for both Community Sponsorship groups and Homes for Ukraine hosts. The sessions will be delivered by Refugee Education UK, an organisation that equips young people to thrive in education and build a positive future, and will focus on supporting refugee students in schools. We also have brand new training for Community Sponsorship groups that explores how to effectively work with interpreters.

Online resources

We are always enhancing the online resources available to Community Sponsorship groups and Homes for Ukraine hosts. This month, we have added new resources covering Domestic Abuse – Supporting Survivors and the Inclusion of Refugees with Disabilities. Check these out, alongside many others on our training website.

Community sponsorship application form

We are pleased to let you know that the Home Office has condensed the Community Sponsorship Application Form and Community Sponsorship Agreement. These updated documents are now available on the Government website. The Home Office have also amended the application guidance document in line with these changes. We hope that the shortened application form will make the application process quicker and easier for Community Sponsorship groups.

New groups will be asked to use the updated documents. The Home Office will continue to accept the previous version for a while longer.

Changes to the Homes for Ukraine visa process

In December the Government announced that anyone applying to come to the UK through the Homes for Ukraine scheme will now need to book an appointment to have their photograph and fingerprints taken at a visa application centre (VAC) as part of their application. 

Successful applicants who were processed in Kyiv will need to travel to the VAC in Warsaw, Poland, to collect their visa to enter the UK and will not be able to collect their visa in Kyiv. We are aware of the inconvenience, and potential danger, this has caused for applicants in Ukraine and we have communicated our concerns to colleagues in Government. 

Please see the Government’s application guidance for more information. 

New year’s community sponsorship challenge!

January is a time to look forward. A time to renew and motivate. Why not join the Reset team in inspiring others to get involved in Community Sponsorship? This month, we encourage you to tell at least one person about your experience of welcoming a refugee family into your community, or share one of our inspirational videos!  

Experts by experience spotlight

Each month we spotlight one of our Experts by Experience resources to share the stories of those being welcomed by a Community Sponsorship group. This month we are sharing Abdullah’s driving tips, who passed his driving test after less than one year in the UK.

Refugee host support membership

We have teamed up with Refugee Host Support to provide memberships to refugee hosts, including anyone hosting in the Homes for Ukraine programme. The membership includes thousands of discount codes, podcasts, online networking with other hosts, legal advice and mental health support, including counselling and mediation. Even if you were matched by another organisation, you can still get in touch to sign up through Reset.