Stories tagged Impact
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“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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“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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“Helping this family has been a big turning point in my life.”
After a long career in early years education and family support, Carol was ready to make the most of her retirement. Then, very suddenly, her husband Mike became unwell. He was diagnosed with cancer and passed away just six months later. Here Carol shares her memories of that difficult time and describes how volunteering with her local Community Sponsorship group gave her life a new purpose.
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“I’ll never be able to put into words just how happy I was in that moment at the airport.”
Mamoun was resettled in Devon with his wife Amneh and their 5 children after fleeing Syria. He explains the impact that resettlement has had on his family and the joy of reuniting with his brother.
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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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“You can’t impose empowerment”
Community Sponsorship naturally attracts people who want to help others. You get involved because you want to help refugees in a practical way. But sometimes helping people can disempower them. So how do you empower newly arrived refugees rather than simply help them? Eveline, a Community Sponsor in Bristol, gives us her reflections on this question.
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Am I having an impact?
With so many different ways to support refugees, it can be difficult to know how you can make the best use of your time. We asked a Community Sponsorship Group member in London what made him choose to give his time and energy to Community Sponsorship.
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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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What is the difference between refugee sponsorship in Canada and the UK?
Professor Michaela Hynie from York University in Toronto has been studying refugee resettlement in Canada for over a decade. Canadians have privately sponsored more than 300,000 refugees. Here Professor Hynie reflects on her observations of the UK’s Community Sponsorship scheme and explains why the UK’s focus on community resettlement over family reunion can represent both a challenge and a strength of the UK model.
Films
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“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.
In the media
More media coverage-
June 15th, 2021
The Cambridgeshire town that bought a Syrian refugee family a home
We met with one incredible town to learn why they bought a Syrian family their own home.
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October 25th, 2020
“Scotland is our second home”
Basma Hamadeh and her family were welcome to Edinburgh by Scotland’s first Community Sponsorship group.
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May 21st, 2020
“Their support was life changing for me and my family”
Abdullah Alkhalaf explains how Community Sponsorship impacted him and calls for more people to sponsor refugees.
