The Bude Refugee Support Group consists of members of the community, who share an aim to help those escaping from the current conflict in Syria, and is currently working towards welcoming two families to the safety and tranquility of Bude.
The two families will have travelled from Syria, to escape the ongoing conflict and seek refuge. With help from services such as the International Organisation of Migration, the two families will be able to enter the UK.
With help from the Bude Refugee Support Group, they will receive the right support and guidance they need to become citizens of Bude.
Syria was once a well developed country with a strong education and health system in place, as well as a high employment rate. As reported in worldwide news over the last few years, 6.5 million people have been displaced, and 1.2 million houses have been damaged since the conflict in Syria began, leaving many families with no choice but to seek safety and refuge in other countries.
The Bude Refugee Support Group’s main priority over the last few months has been launching their Full Community Sponsorship Scheme, asking residents in Bude and all around to pledge £5 a month for 20 months, resulting in a total of £100 from each donator, of which would go towards supporting the two refugee families.
Chairman of the Bude Refugee Support Group, Mary Whibley, told the Post: “We knew our target was to get 300 sponsors to donate £5 a month for 20 months, and in a town of 10,000 people, we thought this would be quite easy.”
The group was positive about how their sponsorship scheme was progressing. However, the Home Office has recently made changes to scheme, meaning the money would have to be paid upfront instead of being raised gradually.
This is mainly due to the idea that some people would not commit to their monthly donation, meaning a potential inconsistency with the fundraising.
The group’s initial plan of asking 300 people to donate per month would no longer work.
To be able to fully support the families, Bude Refugee Support Group will need to raise £12,600 for each family, which will be used to top up housing rent, pay for interpreters and other necessities in order for them to settle into Bude for the first two years.
Now, the Bude Refugee Support Group are encouraging people, local or not, to come forward with donations to help speed up the process and provide the right support for the two families.
Mary said: “I do see the Home Office’s point of view. They’re worried that people will start paying, and then will slowly stop doing it, so they need to be able to see a back up really, and we’ve got to show them that we’ve got the money.
“We sort of went into panic mode, but, just by looking at our Facebook page, we have already managed to raise £9,000 for the first family. We just need to get more donations coming in so that we can make sure we have enough money for the two families. It would be a shame just to have one family in isolation, whilst the other is getting settled into Bude.”
Mary added that the donations don’t have to come from Bude people alone, and that encouraging family, friends and anyone from all over the county could really help the cause.
She said: “I’m very lucky to have such a big family. I’ve been talking to them and encouraging them to donate; my brother in law has recently just sent a £100 donation all the way from France, so it shows that it doesn’t have to be just Bude, although it is important that local people get involved and pledge their support if possible.”
Although the group do not know anything about the two families at present, nor when they will arrive, they are still looking at preparations for the future, adding that they will have ten to 12 weeks’ notice to get things ready, if approved by the Home Office.
“We’ll be given about 12 weeks’ notice once we get the ‘yes’ from the Home Office,” Mary said. “From then, we’ll have to start looking for a house for them, and a few other things to get sorted before they arrive.
“I expect we’ll hear from the Home Office at the beginning of January, and then we’ll have to start finding interpreters to teach English with a foreign language. The Home Office require them to learn so many hours of English a week, so we’ll have to be able to make sure we meet their regulations.
“We’ll also have to provide some phones for them, so they can contact their families, whether they are in a different part of the UK, in France, Syria or a refugee camp. We’ll also have to provide school uniforms and get them registered with the job centre.
“We will have to write up a booklet for them so they know where everything is in Bude, and how to do certain things, such as where the shops are, how to register at a GP surgery — all the things they need to know so that they know what they’re doing.”
Mary added that it is all about spreading the word. She said: “People need to be aware that we are the first in Cornwall doing this, with a population of 10,000 people, so we need just 300 willing people to donate £100.”
The families are expected to stay for a period of five years, and the target of £12,600 will be able to support the first family for two years.
To pledge support to the cause, visit the group’s Facebook page, Bude Welcomes Refugees, where a link to donate will be available.
People in Bude will also be able to hear the Bude Refugee Support Group sing a delightful collection of Christmas carols in the lead up to Christmas.
Join them on December 15 (today) from 6pm to 8pm at the Co-op car park; on Saturday, December 17 from 2pm until 4pm in the Triangle; on Monday, December 19 from 6pm until 8pm at Splash car park; and on Tuesday, December 20 from 6pm until 8pm at the car park in Stratton.
For more information on how to pledge support and for further details about the group’s aim, call Mary on 07570 400135.
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