When Samir and his family arrived in the quiet town of Ashbourne, Derbyshire, after fleeing Afghanistan, they faced a daunting challenge. “Initially, it was difficult for the family to get used to rural life,” Samir recalls. But with the support of a community sponsorship scheme, they have not only integrated into the local community, but have even adopted the Derbyshire accent, much to Samir’s amusement.
Community sponsorship programmes across the UK are playing a vital role in helping refugee families like Samir’s settle and thrive in their new homes. These schemes, overseen by the government, provide refugees with wraparound support from local resident groups, who fundraise, source affordable accommodation, and assist with the practical challenges of life in a new country, such as learning English, accessing work and healthcare.
“Now our community is turning into a diverse community,” says Samir, who was relocated to the UK after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. Sue Wall, part of the Ashbourne group supporting Samir’s family, sees herself as a “grandmotherly figure” to the newcomers. “That’s an identity that the families recognise,” she explains. “If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a town to raise a family.”
The government has expressed a desire to further develop these community sponsorship models, with Home Secretary Shabana Mamood stating last November that she hopes to make it “the norm” for refugee resettlement in Britain. Susannah Baker, chair of the Community Sponsorship Alliance, welcomes this, saying it “places control firmly in the hands of communities, allowing them to identify and welcome refugees they are ready to support.”
This sentiment is echoed by Maryam, a 17-year-old Syrian refugee who arrived in Bristol with her family in 2018. Supported by a group called Westbury Welcome, Maryam says the transition from bustling Jordan to the quiet streets of Bristol was initially “really scary.” But with the help of her sponsors, the family has become firmly integrated into the local community. “Not everyone understands why we came to the UK,” Maryam reflects. “We didn’t come for fun. Having Westbury Welcome help us with everything made things so much better for us.”
For Ori, a Syrian mother living in Devonshire, one of the joys of her new home is having a garden – a luxury she didn’t have back in her home country. Jane Kivlin, part of the group supporting Ori’s family, says they have shown “incredible resilience” in the face of the challenges they’ve encountered.
As Samir reflects, despite the initial difficulties, the community sponsorship model has allowed his family to thrive. “Although we come from a completely different country and culture, we have so much in common with the people of this country,” he says. “Community sponsorship is a brilliant way to support people in crisis, and to build trust between people from different backgrounds.”