‘Circle of friends - Warwick’
Refugee Support
Refugee Support
We have all seen the tragic images on television of refugees fleeing across the Mediterranean, or of Syrian refugees leaving their destroyed homes and cities. We have seen film of overcrowded refugee camps, and of distraught families grieving the loss of loved ones. We may have donated money to refugee charities. It is easy to feel helpless in the face of such overwhelming suffering. Now there’s an opportunity for you to give direct help through the Circle of friends- Warwick.
‘Circle of friends- Warwick’ is a Community sponsorship project, set up by parishioners from St Mary Immaculate (Warwick) and St Charles Borromeo (Hampton on the Hill) and we have committed to welcoming a refugee family to Warwick, helping them settle and start to make a new life here.
The Community Sponsorship scheme is a relatively new way to welcome and resettle refugees, set up by the UK government. We are grateful to have been offered the support of Father Hudson’s Care, the principal social care agency of our Archdiocese, who will give professional guidance and liaise with the government on our behalf. The goal is for a local community to accompany a family from the time they land in the country, through to them being completely resettled, integrated and happy.
How does the scheme work?
The families who come through the Community Sponsorship scheme have all applied and been accepted by the UK government. After security screening, medical checks and initial preparation about life in the UK, sponsored families arrive here with full refugee status and the right to work, school places, free healthcare, English tuition (ESOL) and State benefits.
What makes this scheme so effective?
Housing – to find and prepare a suitable, affordable family home where they can live for two years – after that they can apply for public housing. They will be able to claim Housing benefit to pay for this.
Funding – to raise a support fund of at least £10,000 to cover additional needs. For instance, we may need to pay for furnishings, interpreters, or for extra language lessons.
Support – to plan and deliver a programme of resettlement support. This can involve everything from helping the family register with the GP and schools, to helping them join in Warwick community life, find work and friends.
Would you be able to help?
We are keen to hear from anyone who would like to be involved, but in particular we need:
Please contact:
Julia FitzSimons (Project leader) 01926 735275
Secretary email: cof.warwick@rcaob.org.uk
For general information on how Community Sponsorship works:
https://resetuk.org/about/what-is-community-sponsorship
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/community-sponsorship-how-you-can-make-it-happen
‘Circle of friends- Warwick’ is a Community sponsorship project, set up by parishioners from St Mary Immaculate (Warwick) and St Charles Borromeo (Hampton on the Hill) and we have committed to welcoming a refugee family to Warwick, helping them settle and start to make a new life here.
The Community Sponsorship scheme is a relatively new way to welcome and resettle refugees, set up by the UK government. We are grateful to have been offered the support of Father Hudson’s Care, the principal social care agency of our Archdiocese, who will give professional guidance and liaise with the government on our behalf. The goal is for a local community to accompany a family from the time they land in the country, through to them being completely resettled, integrated and happy.
How does the scheme work?
The families who come through the Community Sponsorship scheme have all applied and been accepted by the UK government. After security screening, medical checks and initial preparation about life in the UK, sponsored families arrive here with full refugee status and the right to work, school places, free healthcare, English tuition (ESOL) and State benefits.
What makes this scheme so effective?
- Frequent and intensive support by a committed group of volunteers
- Families benefit from the rich social capital of a whole community
- Strong bonds of friendship, mutual understanding and empathy
- Shared motivation and commitment to successful resettlement
Housing – to find and prepare a suitable, affordable family home where they can live for two years – after that they can apply for public housing. They will be able to claim Housing benefit to pay for this.
Funding – to raise a support fund of at least £10,000 to cover additional needs. For instance, we may need to pay for furnishings, interpreters, or for extra language lessons.
Support – to plan and deliver a programme of resettlement support. This can involve everything from helping the family register with the GP and schools, to helping them join in Warwick community life, find work and friends.
Would you be able to help?
We are keen to hear from anyone who would like to be involved, but in particular we need:
- Housing – do you know of anyone who may be able to rent us a house in Warwick (3 or more bedrooms) for two years. This would be from the beginning of 2022.
- Language support - It is likely that the refugee family will speak Arabic so we would love to hear from anyone who speaks Arabic, and from anyone who is experienced at teaching English to speakers of other languages (ESOL).
- Fundraising - It costs money to support a family and we need to raise £10,000. Could you organise a fundraising event? Donations, large or small, will be greatly appreciated – these can be made via the link on the parish websites, or cheques can be made out to either Parish (please mark your envelope ‘Circle of friends’ to ensure that the money comes to this project) In the unlikely event that this project is not able to go ahead for any reason, we will ensure that every penny donated to us will be passed on to local charities providing support for refugees.
Please contact:
Julia FitzSimons (Project leader) 01926 735275
Secretary email: cof.warwick@rcaob.org.uk
For general information on how Community Sponsorship works:
https://resetuk.org/about/what-is-community-sponsorship
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/community-sponsorship-how-you-can-make-it-happen