Community Sponsorship Group Member - Communities for Afghans

Find out how you can support an Afghan family!

We are looking for volunteers who are interested in forming a local sponsorship group to welcome a displaced Afghan family to Leeds.

Communities for Afghans is a community sponsorship project in which ordinary people come together to welcome Afghan refugee families to their local area. Some sponsorship groups might consist of volunteers from community or faith organisations, while others are made up of friends, neighbours, and teammates who want to directly help families displaced by the conflict in Afghanistan.

Once set up, sponsorship groups support families with the essential, everyday tasks associated with settling into a new country and city: volunteers could be assisting a family to find suitable housing, supporting them to arrange appointments or register for services, welcoming them on arrival to the area, or helping them to build connections and a sense of belonging here in Leeds.

Volunteers must be over 18, UK citizens (or have settled status) and be ready to meet the challenges of helping a displaced family settle into unfamiliar surroundings. A minimum of six volunteers is needed to create a group which will then receive support, guidance and training from the Refugee Council throughout the project. There is no requirement for sponsorship groups to fundraise to resettle families; costs are covered by the project.

The Communities for Afghans project enables ordinary people to respond in an extraordinary way to a direct humanitarian need. Don't hesitate to get in touch if you want to be a part of the grassroots movement driving the UK's refugee response.

To find out more, take a look at our Communities for Afghans page and sign up to our next info session! https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/work-with-us/communities-for-afghans-community-sponsorship/

Skills

Helping the family register for services, enrol children in school and access healthcare

Welcoming the family on arrival to the UK and helping them integrate into their new environment

Assisting the family with essential needs such as sourcing furniture, household items and clothing

Supporting an Afghan family to find suitable, sustainable accommodation in your local area