Hosting asylum seekers and refugees
When a person receives their refugee status, they have 28 days to find their own accommodation. As we all know, housing is very difficult to find in our area, so this can cause huge hardship, especially if a case is resolved in the winter months.
Our friends at Sanctuary Hosting help people with warm hearts and a spare room to offer short-term hosting to refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants. They offer full support throughout the process. Many people have found hosting incredibly rewarding. To find out more, take a look at the Sanctuary Hosting website, or ring them on 07926 930848.
Supporting Ukrainians
Click here for our full guide to offering practical support to people coming to the UK from Ukraine.
CCOW runs a programme called ‘Make a House a Home’ which helps support people identified by one of the Oxfordshire district councils who are moving from hosted accomodation into their own independent accommodation and need assistance with furnishings. If you’d like to contribute to it, please email us.
Supporting Asylum Seekers in Hotels
On 31 January 2023, over 70 people from around and beyond the Thames Valley gathered together to reflect on how we could best serve asylum seekers and refugees in hotels. Talks included:
- The experience of local churches and groups
- Advice from local agencies
- An overview of legal questions
- Resources for churches
Click here to go to a page with recordings of the sessions and a list of resources.
Community Sponsorship
Read the Government’s description of the community sponsorship programme.
Visit the websites of RESET and Sponsor Refugees, organisations that help groups undertake community sponsorship. You can find out from them how the process works and what support they can offer your group … and be inspired by people’s stories.
A number of churches in Reading and Oxford have been part of community sponsorship programmes. These include Greyfriars in Reading, Wesley Memorial Methodist Church and Blackfriars in Oxford, and a community-based coalition, including St Michael’s, Summertown, also in Oxford.
If you’d like to be put in touch with someone local who has experience of being part of a community sponsorship team, email us.
