Friendly Welcome Camden
Friendly Welcome was formed in 2020 by a group of Londoners who wanted to respond to the hardships and losses suffered by refugees around the world.
For our first project, the government’s Community Sponsorship Scheme offered a supported way for us to make a difference to one family’s lives. After nearly two years of preparatory work, we were able to welcome a family to London in November 2022 and start helping them settle into their new home, begin their recovery from the trauma they had experienced, and build independent lives in peace and safety.
It was a long journey for the family. They had been forced to move from their home in Damascus in the early days of the Syrian conflict after their neighbourhood was heavily bombed. Their home, and everything around them, was destroyed. For the years that followed they lived as refugees before being identified as eligible for resettlement because of their vulnerability. They waited another two or three years before being told a new home awaited them in London under the community sponsorship programme.
Two years on, they are now happily settled and living independently as part of our community. It has been a privilege to share their journey over the last two years, and we hope that our friendship with them will carry on long into the future.
THANK YOU to everyone who has supported Friendly Welcome throughout this project. We were helped and supported by so many people. We benefited from some wonderful fundraising events held by friends and supporters, and were overwhelmed by the extraordinary generosity of so many volunteers, contributors, partners and supporters. A major donor gave us substantial help just when we needed it. Origin Housing offered a flat which has been a safe and lasting home for the family. We had essential support from the Home Office and local authority to meet all the necessary requirements, and our Arabic interpreter has been a steadfast friend to the family and Friendly Welcome throughout. After the family arrived, our volunteers went the extra mile to connect the family with health services, school and college, and English language support, as well as helping them understand a very different culture and how to navigate life in London – building lasting friendships along the way. Throughout our project we were supported by the charity Citizens UK and their team at Sponsor Refugees.
We offer heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been part of this journey, many of whom we will never know personally.
If you are interested in setting up your own community sponsorship group, you can find out more on the government’s website Apply for community sponsorship and from Reset, an organisation which provides support throughout the process.
You can find out more about our latest projects here.
