Engaging Rural Communities to Support People Seeking Sanctuary
Discover how rural and semi-rural hosts can provide essential support to Ukrainians and individuals seeking sanctuary by offering insight from refugees living in these settings, considerations for hosting, and ways to show support through sanctuary breaks and community engagement.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Rural Hosting & Engagement with People Seeking Sanctuary 5 May 2022 In this session we will cover: Wider context about asylum accommodation and why people get stuck in hotels. Lou Calvey Refugee Sector consultant Considerations for rural/semi-rural hosts & communities wishing to support Ukrainians/people seeking sanctuary. Cos UK staff team. Amanda Jones shares from Shropshire. Hearing from refugees living in rural/semi-rural settings what they experience & what they need to thrive. Maria from Ukraine & Lubna & Rukaya from Wales. Sanctuary breaks & other ways to show support for new arrivals. CoS UK staff team. Question & Answer opportunity
Understanding the Context Lou Calveyexplains how government policy has led to accommodation challenges, and reflections on what that may mean for rural areas.
Considerations for hosting in rural areas Consider carefully. Do you have the physical space? Financial position? Emotional capacity to support people who may be traumatised? Review local services & check your councils. Specifically, consider schools, health services, transport & access to jobs and other Ukrainians. Are there other hosts locally? Can you foster a community? Engage parish councils, churches, village halls, local civic groups to see if you can build a sustainable eco-system of support. Amanda from Shropshire shares from her experience.
Hearing first-hand from refugees in rural areas Maria from Ukraine Welcome in rural Nottingham and Wales as experienced by Syrian refugees Lubna& Rukaya
Helping refugees from a rural location Consider if you can support days out & sanctuary breaks to welcome refugees into your area. Find your nearest refugee supporting organisations, find out what they need. Organiseclothing/food/donations drives. Campaign for better treatment of people seeking sanctuary in the UK. Look at where you work or volunteer to see how those institutions like schools, health centres, libraries, art centres can get involved to support new arrivals. Consider Community Sponsorship.
People and the DALES Launched by Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust in 2009 to support people from marginalised groups in regional urban areas out in countryside. Over 10,000 people have participated in their days out. Range of outdoor activities are on offer including: Walks, stonewalling, visiting farmers, tree-planting & lambing, seeing landmarks. Create short weekend breaks/residential stays. Attendees report improved mental health, feeling a sense of connection and belonging, developing new friendships & excitement at learning new skills. Local communities became invested in refugee issues.
Questions & Comments If you ve found this presentation useful, please consider making a donation to CoS UK & our emergency fundraiser
