Community Sponsorship Fund
Support the Community Sponsorship Fund
“Sometimes when I’m asleep I think I’m in Syria. Then when I wake, I see my house here in Ottery St Mary and I say, ‘Thank God, I’m free’. I have new hope for the future. The people of Ottery St Mary are part of my family now.” - Hani Arnaout. See his story here.
In 2017, Hani, Amneh and their children were sponsored to resettle to the UK by a group of committed volunteers in rural Devon. They are one of a growing number of Community Sponsorship Groups established across the UK. These groups know they cannot solve the global refugee crisis, but they can change the life of one refugee family.
By giving to our Community Sponsorship Fund, you will be directly helping a community to resettle a refugee family to the UK.
And they in turn will be providing warm and intense support, so the family can rebuild their lives.
How Does Your Donation Help?
Community Sponsorship groups need to raise thousands of pounds before they can resettle a family. The minimum amount is £9,000, but in high cost areas groups often need much more.
They are raising money from their own networks and in their own community. But they could do with a little help from you too.
Your donation will provide direct help to a refugee family. This includes:
- Building, training and supporting a team of volunteers to resettle a family
- Refurbishing, furnishing and equipping a home
- Stocking the home with food and other essentials on their arrival
- School uniforms, books, stationary and extra-curricular activities for children
- Interpreters and English language lessons
- Support to improve their skills and get into employment (for example, the tools, training & qualifications to start a gardening business)
Even more impact with Gift Aid!
If you are a UK taxpayer, please select to add gift aid. This allows us to claim an extra 25% at no extra cost to you! Gift Aid will go to Sponsor Refugees' work to build new Community Sponsorship groups across the UK.
HOW TO DONATE
Use the form below to donate online. Click here if you would prefer to donate by cheque or bank transfer. Thank you.
The Home Office requires that groups raise a minimum amount of £9,000 to sponsor a family. This money goes towards direct resettlement costs.
Groups can apply for up to £4,500 match funding from the Fund towards this amount.
In our experience, fundraising is a vital part of the Community Sponsorship process - it strengthens the group, raises awareness, and increases buy in from the whole community. For this reason, we do not offer the full cost of a sponsorship, and instead offer to match their fundraising total, up to £4,500.
Gift Aid from donations goes to Sponsor Refugees project. This money will help us to manage the fund, and help us to build more Community Sponsorship groups across the country. (If you are a UK tax payer, you can "gift aid" your donation, which adds 25p for every £1 you donate - at no cost to you!)
Groups apply to the fund here. Sponsor Refugees holds and distributes donations periodically. We prioritise funding for groups who would otherwise struggle to raise the necessary funds.
£2,550 - To welcome a refugee to the UK. To remove them from danger. To rebuild their life.
It costs an average of £12,750 to support a refugee family of five (£2,550 per person) to come to the UK through Community Sponsorship. It breaks down as follows:
£9,000: direct costs to a family's resettlement. This money is fundraised by the community. Costs could include:
- Refurbishing, furnishing and equipping a home for the family. This could also include deposits, insurance and top-up rent.
- Interpreters and English language lessons
- Stocking the home with food and other essentials on their arrival
- School uniforms, books and stationary
- Extra-curricular activities such as tuition, sports clubs, language classes, and day trips
- Driving Lessons - particularly in rural areas - so that they can access work and be independent
- Support to improve their skills and get into employment. For example, the tools, training & qualifications to start a gardening business.
£3,750: the current cost for Sponsor Refugees to build and prepare a team of volunteers to welcome. We are not funded by the government, and rely on grants, donations and dues from our groups. This cost will reduce as we build more groups.
Your donation to the Community Sponsorship Fund will help raise these necessary funds to sponsor a family - and transform their lives forever.
Yes - the fund will be open to all Community Sponsorship Groups for whom Sponsor Refugees is your Lead Sponsor.
You can send an application here. Funds are allocated periodically. We expect the first round of funding to take place in early 2022.