Volunteers are raising funds to settle a Syrian refugee family into Newington Green with housing, support and education.
Anastasia Chisholm, a volunteer on the project, said: “From grassroots efforts, we work towards being able to host and welcome a family into our local area, with permission from the Home Office.”
The Newington Green Sponsors Refugees fundraising page, aims to raise £12,000 to support a family and commit to providing support for a minimum of one year.
Volunteers are spreading word of their fundraising through social media and plan to host digital events in the coming months. They are encouraging people to join the Refugees Still Welcome Assembly on Sunday 6 December to celebrate refugee community sponsorship projects.
Chisholm said that the community sponsorship model “empowers local communities to make a difference on the ground” allowing everyone to work together.
Money raised will go toward accommodation, English lessons and skills workshops. They aim to involve as many members of the community as possible, drawing on a network of skills and experiences.
The sponsorship model matches a family based on the housing arrangement secured, and after approval from the Home Office. Families are chosen based on need through the vulnerable person scheme, identified by the UNHCR as particularly vulnerable. Volunteers will then be able to help the family to access healthcare, education, the benefits system, and suitable employment.
Chisholm explained: “What we want to do is empower the family that we’re matched with, to live in dignity [and] in independence. This isn’t kind of like propping up a family and making them reliant on you. This is giving them the skills to settle into the community on their own volition.”
