June Newsletter
Dear friends, volunteers, donors, and more,
As we are fast approaching summer, we are working hard to get all of the pieces ready for the family to arrive, so we wanted to give you an update about the timeline for welcoming the family, our fundraising efforts, and volunteer opportunities.
If you would like further detail about anything related to the project or are interested in getting involved, please do get in touch.
Happy reading!
The Friendly Welcome Team
An update about the family
Over the last month we’ve made more good progress along the path towards being matched with a family. Last week we had our ‘pre-approval’ meeting with the Home Office, Camden Council, and our Lead Sponsor (Sponsor Refugees); The feedback was very positive, and we were able to clarify all the steps to full approval.
We’ve also continued to work with Origin Housing, who are generously providing accommodation for the family, and we expect to start viewing properties later this month. As soon as we’ve identified the family’s new home and the local authority is happy that it’s suitable, we’ll put in our application for full approval.
All being well (and allowing for summer delays) we hope to be matched with a family in August, and be able to welcome them in the autumn.
Fundraising
We are thrilled to report that we have now raised an incredible £18,367 through JustGiving and direct donations!
In addition, we have been donated some lovely furniture which will help us furnish the accommodation, and have been promised a donation of a good-quality, reconditioned laptop for the family to use.
We are extremely grateful to all the people and organisations who are supporting us.
We will be looking to host some wonderful fundraising events in the future, so please keep an eye on future newsletters.
Volunteer Opportunities
A lot of people have been asking what kind of volunteer roles we’ll be looking for in the coming months. Broadly there are four different types of roles, though we expect some volunteers will combine two or more roles:
1. Property Preparation
As soon as we know who the family is, we’ll need volunteers to help prepare for their arrival. This will involve getting the property ready: decorating, sourcing furniture and furnishings, making sure it’s stocked with all necessary and culturally appropriate food and materials, and creating an Information Pack in the family’s own language, to help them become familiar with their new home and the local area.
2. Family Support
These volunteers will work directly with the family, helping them to navigate the services they need (e.g. registering for benefits, settling children at school, accessing health services, joining English language classes, etc). They will work in pairs when possible, with one speaking the family’s language, though we have also budgeted for paid interpreters. These roles will best suit volunteers who have experience working with vulnerable people.
3. Community Orientation
In addition, we’ll be looking for community orientation volunteers who can provide additional English conversation practice, and accompany family members to appointments, local shops and facilities, and on recreational outings.
4. Fundraising
We’d love to hear from anyone who’s willing to give time to raising funds for Friendly Welcome, whether by organising an event, or by doing a sponsored swim, run, dance or whatever you can think of! More on fundraising in our next newsletter.
To learn more about volunteering with Friendly Welcome, including more detail on the Volunteer Roles and to Register your interest, please check our website Volunteering page