“I was completely shocked as it was raining in the summer.”
Khalid had been offered the opportunity to resettle in America and in Canada but he had declined both, so keen was he to be able to return home to Syria. His children had been so disappointed that when he received a third phone call he didn’t even wait for the caller to finish their sentence before saying ‘yes we will travel’. Here he talks to us about his fears before travel, the warm welcome and how Cardiff now feels like home.
“They gave me hope.”
Zahar and Lena arrived in a small market town in Lincolnshire just as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold. At first they wanted to leave as quickly as possible and move to a bigger, more diverse city. But now they say they wouldn’t want to live anywhere else and are volunteering with their Community Sponsorship group to welcome another family to the area.
“I felt like I had someone from my family with me that day.”
Rashed, Amira and their three daughters arrived in Northern Ireland in September 2019. The warm welcome they received from the Small World Community Sponsorship Group and their neighbours has developed into real friendships that have supported them through the pandemic and the arrival of a fourth daughter.
“I think there’s a lot of good in people and Community Sponsorship is a real opportunity to bring it out.”
Former head teacher Ellie Stacey is one of our pioneering Community Sponsors, having played a key role in building groups in Bude and Falmouth. Here Ellie tells us how volunteering helped her embrace retirement – and how inspired she feels by the power and potential of Community Sponsorship.
“Although being thanked was never our main motivation on some level we did expect gratitude”
“My advice to Community Sponsorship groups is that you need to be prepared to really listen to the family and work in partnership with them: you’re not offering a helping hand to helpless people. You also need to be prepared to change and grow yourself. Getting involved in Community Sponsorship forced me to learn and develop.” A volunteer acknowledges that she expected gratitude from the refugee family that her group supports. She explains how she came to understand her role better once she confronted these expectations.
“It’s important for me to tell them that people will accept them and they will have freedom here.”
Khadeja and her family were the first family to be welcomed to North Devon by the Pickwell Foundation, almost five years ago. Khadeja now works for the Pickwell Foundation, helping to support other refugee families arriving in the UK through Community Sponsorship. Here she tells us why this job is so important to her.
“As a Ukrainian living in the UK this is how I look after my own mental health”
Yuliia Matalinets is from Ukraine. She was matched with hosts in Bristol by Reset. Here she reflects on what helps her manage her mental health after she was forcibly displaced.
60 seconds with… Della
Della worked with a small team of volunteers to welcome three refugee nurses to Great Yarmouth. Find out why she got involved in Neighbours for Newcomers and what advice she has for other volunteers.
“I really believe that Community Sponsorship has changed the course of my life.”
Sam, a refugee from Syria, arrived in the UK in 2017 through the Community Sponsorship scheme. In this blog he shares his Community Sponsorship story – from being welcomed to the UK to preparing to welcome a new family as a volunteer himself.