Stories tagged Community

“I'm so proud of the communities across Devon that have come together to welcome refugees”

So far 8 families have been welcomed to Devon since Community Sponsorship began in the UK. Here the Resettlement Coordinator at Devon County Council, Stephen Matthewman, shares their experiences of working with Community Sponsorship groups reflects on the benefits that welcoming refugees has had on Devon communities.

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- Rural
- Community
- Impact
“Well, now you have sons”

Community Sponsorship volunteer Svenja Powell is one of the founding members of Canterbury Welcomes Refugees. The group first welcomed a Syrian refugee family in 2019: a mother and father, their two grown-up sons and their two primary-age children. Here Svenja tells us about lifting language barriers, a cautious introduction to Father Christmas and doorstep story-telling during lockdown.

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“I really believe that Community Sponsorship has changed the course of my life.”

Sam, a refugee from Syria, arrived in the UK in 2017 through the Community Sponsorship scheme. In this blog he shares his Community Sponsorship story – from being welcomed to the UK to preparing to welcome a new family as a volunteer himself.

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- Refugee
- London
- Community
“I think there’s a lot of good in people and Community Sponsorship is a real opportunity to bring it out.”

Former head teacher Ellie Stacey is one of our pioneering Community Sponsors, having played a key role in building groups in Bude and Falmouth. Here Ellie tells us how volunteering helped her embrace retirement - and how inspired she feels by the power and potential of Community Sponsorship.

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“It’s really special knowing that hundreds of people in Ripon have donated so that a refugee family can find safety here.”

Community Sponsorship groups are required to raise £9000 to resettle a refugee family. Ruth Foulds leads the Ripon City of Sanctuary Community Sponsorship group. They’ve raised more than £6000 so far. Here she tells us how they’ve approached fundraising.

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“Our duty to our neighbours beyond the UK will still exist when we emerge from this pandemic.”

Jackie McLoughlin, founder of the Sutton Deanery Community Sponsorship Group, was awarded Maundy Money in an 800-year-old tradition which sees people doing outstanding work in their communities recognised by the reigning monarch on Maundy Thursday. Jackie tells us what Community Sponsorship means to her and why she believes that more people should be sponsoring refugees.

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My experience with “super volunteers”

Marisol Reyes Soto is a researcher at University of Birmingham’s Institute for Research into Superdiversity (IRiS). She led the research on an evaluation of the Community Sponsorship scheme in its pilot phase. Here she reflects on the impact meeting volunteers had on her.

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Films

“It has brought us closer together.”

Iman Khan from Kettering Refugee Assistance tells us about why he got involved in Community Sponsorship and the impact that it's had on his community.
“They push me so I can stand without help”

In 2017, Syrian refugees Hani, Amneh and their two children were welcomed to a new life in Ottery St Mary, Devon, thanks to Abide, a Community Sponsor group in Devon.
Coming Home to Wales

In 2018, Mohanad and his family arrived in Wales, after fleeing the war in Syria and living in harsh conditions in Lebanon. Croesco Teifi, a community sponsor group in Wales, made this possible. This year the group welcomed a second Syrian family, Ahmed and his family, into the community.
- Refugee
- Community
- Wales