Stories tagged South East
-
“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.
-
“Community Sponsorship wasn’t just pie in the sky - this was something very real on the ground that very real people were doing.”
Svenja Powell co-founded Canterbury Welcomes Refugees in 2018. We chatted to Svenja about who’s who in her group, support from local students and how to organise a fabulous fundraiser.
-
2 minutes with… Svenja, Community Sponsor, Canterbury
Svenja co-founded Canterbury Welcomes Refugees in 2018. Here she tells us how her own country’s history motivated her to get involved in Community Sponsorship – and how Canterbury’s response has delighted her.
In the media
More media coverage-
October 3rd, 2022
'I'm hosting a Ukrainian refugee family in my East Sussex home and it's been a wonderful experience'
Horrified by the war in Ukraine, Rosalind Wilkinson felt the urge to help those who found refuge in the UK as millions were forced to flee their home country following the invasion of Russia. The 56-year-old applied for The Homes for Ukraine scheme shortly after it was launched by the government in March to host a family.
-
September 24th, 2022
Reset issues urgent plea for more Winchester hosts under Homes for Ukraine scheme
Reset Communities, an organisation which has been leading the community welcome of refugees across the UK, has issued the appeal amid a continued surge of families looking to escape the conflict.
-
October 11th, 2020
Still waiting — Wendover, the tiny town that united to welcome refugees
Wendover was due to welcome a refugee family in March 2020 when the UK's resettlement programmes were suspended due to Covid-19.