BECOME A FULL COMMUNITY SPONSOR
The new Full Community Sponsorship Scheme enables local community groups and charities to directly support the resettlement of a refugee family into the UK.
It's really shown us that people want to help
|
Raynes Park Community Church (part of the Salvation Army) is one of the first groups in the UK to participate in the scheme. Elmbridge CAN volunteer, Sabah, talks to Major Nick Coke, about the Community Sponsorship programme and what inspired his group to get involved.
|
Watch the video of Raynes Park Community Church volunteers preparing to welcome the family earlier this year
|
How did you become involved in the Community Sponsorship programme?
In 2015, when Theresa May was Home Secretary, we heard… a community sponsorship programme for refugees was going to be introduced. We met with the Government early in their planning and, along with others, helped to shape the Full Community Sponsorship scheme. When it… officially launched in June 2016, we decided… to put ourselves forward as one of the first sponsorship groups.
It’s a big commitment… what inspired you to put yourselves forward?
We’re a diverse group… of about 100 people (connected to the Salvation Army) and we’re committed to putting our faith into action and helping others. Like everyone else, we saw the distressing images of people fleeing their countries and the thousands of people attempting to cross the Mediterranean.
We wanted to help. But beyond sending money we felt a little hopeless.
We went to Calais… and sent clothes to Greece. But we wanted to do something more personal. We felt that the UK also needed to do more.
Community sponsorship offers groups the opportunity to resettle a family and give them a new start. We knew that we had plenty to offer. Community sponsorship opened the door for us… to mobilise people and actually do something.
You’re the first borough in London to agree to resettle a family – how did you go about it?
It all started with a discussion with our church leadership team. We felt like the scheme... had such potential.
We essentially built a team and then started the application process. Then we found a property and met with Merton Council, who were supportive from the off. We were very lucky. The whole thing took about a year though – from our very first conversations to the family arriving.
What can you tell us about the family?
We have a family of 5 – parents and 3 children. Originally from Syria, they had been living in Lebanon for 4 years. One of the children has a medical condition, which meant they were eligible for resettlement (you have to be assessed as vulnerable by the UN in order to qualify).
The two older children are now in school and the father is working… they’re slowly adjusting to things. There are good days when you see really positive progress. But there are also difficult days… Sometimes the family gets bad new from back home and this is obviously upsetting.
But they’ve been here for 6 months and already we can see how much they have developed and changed. It’s incredible to be on this journey alongside them… and it’s not just about what we’ve put in… it’s a two-way process – we’ve gained so much from this very inspirational family.
What sort of thing have you done to help the family settle?
On a practical level, we've helped with finding and furnishing a property, getting the children into schools, completing forms and navigating the benefits system, opening bank accounts, enrolling onto English courses and helping them access medical support. But our relationship has changed over time… Now it’s much more about checking in to make sure they’re ok and offering them friendship.
How did the local community respond?
The response has been phenomenal. Interpreters have come forward to help and the Middle Eastern community has offered a lot of cultural support. We’ve discovered Arabic speakers… at the local bank, job centre and chemist – it’s these little things that make such a big difference to the family.
The taxi driver who picked us up from the airport… overheard our broken conversation and understood what we were doing. When he dropped us off, he gave us 50% off the fare… to show his support.
It’s really shown us that people do want to help and do their bit.
What’s been the biggest challenge in resettling the family?
Negotiating the benefits system – and particularly the implications of the benefits cap in this part of the country. It’s a real challenge.
But the other thing we’ve found hard is supporting the family through the difficult days. Understandably their emotions are up and down – they’re going through something extraordinary after all. So it’s important that we’re clued up about how be supportive. In some ways, the year we had to prepare felt long. But it helped us to think everything through and that made all the difference.
…and the most rewarding thing?
The whole process has been amazing. But one stand out moment was 8 days after the family arrived, when the kids started their new school. Apparently they were up at 4.30am sitting in their uniforms ready to go because they were so excited. Two months later, one of them sang with the school choir on stage at the Royal Albert Hall and we got to go along and watch.
I also went with the dad for his first job interview and they offered him the job on the spot. It was… great to see how being offered that opportunity gave him purpose and drive and validation that they could move here and be successful.
It’s incredible to see how well they’ve settled into the rhythm of life here and are just getting on with it.
Would you consider sponsoring another family?
Absolutely. We’re committed to supporting this family for 2 years, so it’s still some time away and finding a suitable property is a real challenge. But now that we know what it takes, I think doing it again would be easier.
Right now we’re focusing on championing the Community Sponsorship programme and encouraging groups to have a go. We want to share our learning and our experiences and ultimately, help more people be resettled through this scheme.
What would you say to other groups considering becoming community sponsors?
You don’t have to be an expert to do this – you just need to be committed to the cause, willing to put in the work and able to mobilise the good will in your community.
In 2015, when Theresa May was Home Secretary, we heard… a community sponsorship programme for refugees was going to be introduced. We met with the Government early in their planning and, along with others, helped to shape the Full Community Sponsorship scheme. When it… officially launched in June 2016, we decided… to put ourselves forward as one of the first sponsorship groups.
It’s a big commitment… what inspired you to put yourselves forward?
We’re a diverse group… of about 100 people (connected to the Salvation Army) and we’re committed to putting our faith into action and helping others. Like everyone else, we saw the distressing images of people fleeing their countries and the thousands of people attempting to cross the Mediterranean.
We wanted to help. But beyond sending money we felt a little hopeless.
We went to Calais… and sent clothes to Greece. But we wanted to do something more personal. We felt that the UK also needed to do more.
Community sponsorship offers groups the opportunity to resettle a family and give them a new start. We knew that we had plenty to offer. Community sponsorship opened the door for us… to mobilise people and actually do something.
You’re the first borough in London to agree to resettle a family – how did you go about it?
It all started with a discussion with our church leadership team. We felt like the scheme... had such potential.
We essentially built a team and then started the application process. Then we found a property and met with Merton Council, who were supportive from the off. We were very lucky. The whole thing took about a year though – from our very first conversations to the family arriving.
What can you tell us about the family?
We have a family of 5 – parents and 3 children. Originally from Syria, they had been living in Lebanon for 4 years. One of the children has a medical condition, which meant they were eligible for resettlement (you have to be assessed as vulnerable by the UN in order to qualify).
The two older children are now in school and the father is working… they’re slowly adjusting to things. There are good days when you see really positive progress. But there are also difficult days… Sometimes the family gets bad new from back home and this is obviously upsetting.
But they’ve been here for 6 months and already we can see how much they have developed and changed. It’s incredible to be on this journey alongside them… and it’s not just about what we’ve put in… it’s a two-way process – we’ve gained so much from this very inspirational family.
What sort of thing have you done to help the family settle?
On a practical level, we've helped with finding and furnishing a property, getting the children into schools, completing forms and navigating the benefits system, opening bank accounts, enrolling onto English courses and helping them access medical support. But our relationship has changed over time… Now it’s much more about checking in to make sure they’re ok and offering them friendship.
How did the local community respond?
The response has been phenomenal. Interpreters have come forward to help and the Middle Eastern community has offered a lot of cultural support. We’ve discovered Arabic speakers… at the local bank, job centre and chemist – it’s these little things that make such a big difference to the family.
The taxi driver who picked us up from the airport… overheard our broken conversation and understood what we were doing. When he dropped us off, he gave us 50% off the fare… to show his support.
It’s really shown us that people do want to help and do their bit.
What’s been the biggest challenge in resettling the family?
Negotiating the benefits system – and particularly the implications of the benefits cap in this part of the country. It’s a real challenge.
But the other thing we’ve found hard is supporting the family through the difficult days. Understandably their emotions are up and down – they’re going through something extraordinary after all. So it’s important that we’re clued up about how be supportive. In some ways, the year we had to prepare felt long. But it helped us to think everything through and that made all the difference.
…and the most rewarding thing?
The whole process has been amazing. But one stand out moment was 8 days after the family arrived, when the kids started their new school. Apparently they were up at 4.30am sitting in their uniforms ready to go because they were so excited. Two months later, one of them sang with the school choir on stage at the Royal Albert Hall and we got to go along and watch.
I also went with the dad for his first job interview and they offered him the job on the spot. It was… great to see how being offered that opportunity gave him purpose and drive and validation that they could move here and be successful.
It’s incredible to see how well they’ve settled into the rhythm of life here and are just getting on with it.
Would you consider sponsoring another family?
Absolutely. We’re committed to supporting this family for 2 years, so it’s still some time away and finding a suitable property is a real challenge. But now that we know what it takes, I think doing it again would be easier.
Right now we’re focusing on championing the Community Sponsorship programme and encouraging groups to have a go. We want to share our learning and our experiences and ultimately, help more people be resettled through this scheme.
What would you say to other groups considering becoming community sponsors?
You don’t have to be an expert to do this – you just need to be committed to the cause, willing to put in the work and able to mobilise the good will in your community.
If you’d like to get in touch with the Merton group to hear more about their experience, please email Nick Coke, Refugee Response Coordinator for the Salvation Army.
Elmbridge CAN is keen to support local groups and organisations to become Community Sponsors. If you’re considering it and would like to talk to someone in our group about how we might be able to help, please get in touch. Email [email protected]
Together we can transform the lives of refugees.
Elmbridge CAN is keen to support local groups and organisations to become Community Sponsors. If you’re considering it and would like to talk to someone in our group about how we might be able to help, please get in touch. Email [email protected]
Together we can transform the lives of refugees.
|
|