What's Community Sponsorship?

What is Community Sponsorship?

Community Sponsorship is a UK government scheme which allows local communities to sponsor a refugee family to live in their local area and take an active role in supporting the family during their first year of resettlement in the UK.

The scheme is a great opportunity to help a family fleeing conflict. But it is a significant undertaking. To be approved, community sponsors must demonstrate they:

have sufficient resources for housing, financial and personnel;

have a well informed and credible resettlement plan;

and pose no threat to the family.

If approved, community sponsors are allocated a family who are identified by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees as vulnerable – including those requiring urgent medical treatment, survivors of violence and torture, and women and children at risk. This is done through the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) and Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS).

You can find out more information about Community Sponsorship and VPRS/VCRS here.

What are we doing?

As part of our commitment to the Community Sponsorship, groups have to raise a minimum of £9000 to support one family which will go towards:

Finding affordable, safe and dignified housing for our family

Arranging English classes/ESOL tuition

Helping the family to know about their rights in Scotland

Devising a resettlement plan in partnership with the families can for example involve:

Helping the families find employment;

Helping to navigate the school system, benefits system and health service;

Helping to arrange driving lessons/test/licence;

and helping the families connect with other groups such as faith, interest and hobby groups.