What is Community Sponsorship?
Community sponsorship is a Home Office scheme that enables community groups, such as ours, to become directly involved in supporting the resettlement of families fleeing
In the last decade, conflicts in many parts of the world have left millions of people in need of protection. Here in the UK local authorities, community groups and individuals are all helping refugees to feel welcome and able to adjust to a new life. Community Sponsorship, however, is a new way for local communities to be directly involved in helping refugees settle in the UK. Because being a sponsor can also serve to benefit the local community, through enabling the generosity of local people, and creating new bonds within the community.
“..it is not righteousness to turn our faces towards the east or west, but to help relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveller and those who ask for assistance..”
Qur'an Surah Al Baqara Verse 177
Liverpool Muslim Outreach Society are a volunteer group engaged in local community projects such as homeless feeds, asylum outreach, foodbank donations, litter picks and interfaith work. LMOS seeks to build on this by joining the Community Sponsorship scheme. This is a significant commitment and illustrates how the Muslim community is not simply concerned with mosques and faith schools, but is actively working to improve the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves.
LMOS CSI Chair
The resettled family be entitled to receive state benefits (they will be able to take up work if able), but we as a group needs to have sufficient financial resources to help our family integrate. So the funds may cover items such as interpreting services, public transport, furnishings, £200 for each family member on arrival, interim funding while benefits claims are processed and any additional money that may required to meet expenditure not covered by the benefits our family receive. As part of the application process we will need to submit a budget, outlining all costs.
We have estimated that we need to secure £15,000 to cover the costs which the group will be liable for. Please keep in touch with the community sponsorship blog posts to keep up to date on how we are progressing.
Sort Code
Account Number
Account Name
Reference
Registered Charity Number
23-05-80
38947788
Liverpool Muslim Outreach Society
Community Sponsorship
1190370
Community sponsorship is a Home Office scheme that enables community groups, such as ours, to become directly involved in supporting the resettlement of families fleeing
As the threat of Covid-19 increased around the world and lockdowns became law, I observed many whatsapp stories with words to the effect of “now they will know how the refugees feel.” I found this incredibly disturbing. Why?
As a newly formed community sponsorship group, we decided that we needed to be represented by our own logo. So, we ran a local competition,
Chair Zia Chaudhry MBE, Deputy Lieutenant talked about the project and outlined the road ahead