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Community is a superpower! This Refugee Week, we’re celebrating the power of community — not just as a theme, but as something that changes lives every single day. That’s what Community Sponsorship delivers. And to help more people discover how it works, we’re launching our brand new Introduction to Community Sponsorship e-learning course.
Community-led welcome, all year round
Community Sponsorship is a simple but powerful idea: local people come together to welcome a refugee family and support them as they rebuild their lives in the UK. From helping with housing and schools to offering friendship and a sense of belonging, this grassroots approach puts the power of welcome into the hands of ordinary people — and shows just how extraordinary that can be.
Refugee Week 2025: Community is a Superpower
This year’s theme couldn’t be more fitting. Communities across the UK are showing that welcome doesn’t have to come from institutions or officials — it can come from neighbours, sports clubs, faith groups, book clubs, and local volunteers. Community is what turns compassion into action.
As actor and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Theo James put it:
“That is why it is important for me to stand in solidarity with refugees who have fled conflicts today, and to help share their stories.”
For Theo, this solidarity is deeply personal. His grandfather, Nicholas Taptiklis, fled Athens during World War II, escaping Nazi occupation by boat and eventually finding refuge in Syria. Welcomed by local communities, he later worked in refugee camps in the region — treating typhoid and tuberculosis — long before UNHCR officially existed. That history of welcome and mutual support left a lasting mark on Theo, who reminds us that displacement isn’t distant: “anyone can become a refugee at any time.”
It’s the support of communities — like the one that helped his grandfather — that makes all the difference.
A new way to learn — on your terms
Our Introduction to Community Sponsorship e-learning is a free, flexible course designed to help you explore how the Community Sponsorship model works and whether it’s something you’d like to be part of. You’ll hear directly from people involved, follow the journey of a resettled family, and reflect on the role you and your community might play.
Not ready to join a group yet?
That’s okay. The course is here to inform and inspire — not to pressure. And if now’s not the right time, you can still stay in the loop by signing up to our newsletter, where we share real stories, reflections, and opportunities to get involved when you’re ready.
Find out more by checking out our newest session today — and discover what your community is capable of.
Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity, and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Since 1998, it has brought communities together every June to recognise the strength that comes from welcome and solidarity. This year’s theme — Community is a Superpower — perfectly captures how grassroots action transforms lives.
Refugee Week is supported by partners like Amnesty International, Oxfam, the British Red Cross, and UNHCR, and encourages local groups and communities to organise events that uplift and include refugees.
Community Sponsorship is at the heart of this spirit. It’s a powerful example of how ordinary people come together to welcome refugee families, offering support that goes beyond policies — from finding homes and schools to building lasting friendships.
Over recent years, Refugee Week has seen local groups host a wide variety of activities, including:
Picnics bringing together community members and asylum seekers
Public discussions and information stalls at local events
Vigils, library displays, community gardening, and craft sessions
Collaborations with groups like Stand Up To Racism to engage the wider public
Exploring volunteering opportunities for refugees
Promoting environmental and social justice campaigns like Friends of the Earth’s opposition to harsh Immigration Bill measures
These actions reflect the very best of what community superpower means — working together to create safer, more welcoming places where everyone can thrive. Community Sponsorship is one way that power is unlocked all year round, not just in June.
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See coverage of Reset UK in the press and media
Find out how Community Sponsorship helps refugee families in need build a new life in the UK with confidence and dignity.
How do I sponsor a refugee family? How does the process work? Reset is here to support you every step of the way.
We’ve designed toolkits to make it easy for you if you’re involved as a lead sponsor or a local authority.
Wherever you are on the fulfilling and thrilling journey through Community Sponsorship, we have training courses, videos, articles and more, all designed to help your group and the family you support.
From drop-in sessions to UK-wide networking events, we bring together people and professionals involved in all stages of the Community Sponsorship journey.
Make a direct difference in the world by getting involved with your nearest Community Sponsorship group – or starting one up yourself!
Make an extraordinary difference to the lives of people who have lost everything by signing up to our (free) Landlords for Refugees register.
Not everyone can donate their time, so if you are choosing to donate money today instead or as well as, thank you. Your generosity is vital to the work we do support community-led welcome of refugees.
Help others by sharing your account. Why were you attracted to community-led welcome? What worked, what did you learn, what has the experience been like for you?
Reset empowers volunteers to welcome refugees into communities across the UK. Find out about us and the kinds of programmes we’ve been involved with.
Research, monitoring and evaluation are essential for making evidence-based decisions that will support Community Sponsorship to grow and flourish.
Sponsoring a refugee family is a significant responsibility. We advocate for Community Sponsors to ensure that they are properly supported throughout their journey.
Our advocacy focuses on representing the views of Community Sponsors to the Home Office to support them in implementing the necessary operational changes.
We also represent the views of Community Sponsors to other key stakeholders, including Local Authorities, international organisations, the wider resettlement field, housing providers and financial institutions. We also use our voice to campaign on policies affecting refugees. We are members of the Together With Refugees coalition, campaigning for a more humane approach to people seeking protection in the UK.
