Fountainbridge and Beyond: Community Building Strategies
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Meet the Edinburgh Refugee Sponsorship Circle – a Community Sponsorship group based in the heart of Scotland’s capital.
Community is a superpower — and Community Sponsorship proves it
Actor Theo James shares how his grandfather found refuge in Syria during WWII — a powerful reminder that community is a superpower. This Refugee Week, discover how Community Sponsorship brings that spirit of welcome to life all year round.
What inspired me… Asia Hart-Eason
My name is Asia. I’m based in Glasgow,and I’m connected with the Refugee Sponsorship Ibrox, which has been around since 2021. I got involved just a few months after the group formed and joined at the fundraising stage.
“Helping this family has been a big turning point in my life.”
After a long career in early years education and family support, Carol was ready to make the most of her retirement. Then, very suddenly, her husband Mike became unwell. He was diagnosed with cancer and passed away just six months later. Here Carol shares her memories of that difficult time and describes how volunteering with her local Community Sponsorship group gave her life a new purpose.
“It feels like my life has started again”
Rana is a single mother to two girls. They fled Syria after her daughter’s school was bombed. Two years ago, she was resettled in Liverpool through Community Sponsorship. Here she tells us about the kindness of the people in Liverpool and her ambitions to become a nurse.
“I’ll never be able to put into words just how happy I was in that moment at the airport.”
Mamoun was resettled in Devon with his wife Amneh and their 5 children after fleeing Syria. He explains the impact that resettlement has had on his family and the joy of reuniting with his brother.
“By the time we got home, messages of support were waiting in our inboxes.”
Kirkby Stephen – or ‘Kirkby’ as it’s known by the locals – is a small, thriving market town on the edge of the Cumbrian Dales. Retired teacher Mike has lived and worked here for 36 years. An outdoors enthusiast who has white-water kayaked all over the world, Mike is currently taking on a new challenge: setting up a Community Sponsorship project. We spoke to Mike about how he and his team have got the whole town on board.