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The Anna Freud Refugee Support Group

Do you know a landlord who would be willing to work with us to provide a home for a refugee family?

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Our purpose

Our project has a straightforward ambition: to support one family in relocating from a refugee camp in Syria or Afghanistan in a planned and safe manner, thereby avoiding the perilous, exploitative, and potentially lethal boat journeys. The family will be carefully selected and vetted by appropriate government agencies to ensure their safety and suitability for relocation. As part of the Community Sponsorship scheme, the family will receive support from a local community group for two years while they settle into their new life here.

Community sponsorship

The Community Sponsorship scheme is a government initiative that registers and approves sponsorship groups. Its purpose is to prevent families from being exploited during their journey to this country. The scheme requires that the group has sufficient funds to support a family’s settlement. In line with this, we have raised approximately £14,000. We are registered with Islington Council and collaborate closely with local authority staff responsible for supporting refugee families. We are also grateful for the support from Citizens UK, a national organisation advocating for the needs of refugee families. We believe that Islington has the capacity, resources, and warm-heartedness to make a balanced and proportionate contribution to this global issue.

We are a group of about ten staff members at Anna Freud, a mental health charity, which is the formal sponsor and supporter of our project. This support is greatly appreciated, and all work is done on a voluntary basis.

We need your help!

If you are interested, you can help in many ways. You can show your support for our cause, help us raise the necessary funds, or offer to support the family upon their arrival.

Right now, we need help with:

  • Understanding the housing market and finding suitable accommodation for a family.

  • Raising funds to help the family meet the high housing costs in Islington.

Contact us

If you would like to learn more about our project, please contact us. Together, we can take a small step towards addressing the needs of families facing unimaginable circumstances.