LAUNCESTON could welcome a refugee family to live in the community later this year.

The Launceston Refugee Support Group held its latest meeting on January 25, and one of the group’s ambitions is to re-settle a refugee family in the town.

The group heard from Serena Collins, commissioning officer from children and family services at Cornwall Council, and it is hoped the group can work with the local authority to make the process of resettling a refugee family in the town easier.

Frances Tippett, chair of the refugee support group, said: “Cornwall Council are really keen to support what we are trying to do and having a broadening out of the kind of way they support services so it’s less focused on just Truro and the middle.”

She added Cornwall Council is ‘keen to explore’ a scheme with the group to bring a refugee family to Launceston that would be part local authority, with extra support from LRSG as a local community, rather than LRSG ‘going it alone and doing the community support scheme’.

She added: “So the hill to climb in terms of fundraising isn’t as steep. I’m really impressed with how open the council are being and acknowledging they perhaps haven’t been before. They are wanting to be much more flexible about working to consider other things. It gives me real heart.

“We are going to start an application and see what skills we have in the community. See exactly what’s the gap and do a targeted crowdfunding campaign.”

She explained that, for example, the group is fortunate to have someone with a teaching English as a foreign language qualification, which would help with integrating the family in the town, and is keen to find out how other people in the community could help.

She added: “There’s now a Cornwall sort of network for families that are already settled. There’s so many cultural differences we don’t think of. Being able to learn from people with that experience is really important.”

The group wants to talk to the community much more, and is available to talk to other local groups and organisations. “Now it’s starting to become more real, there’s more curiosity,” Frances said. “We would be only too delighted to come in and speak.

“One of the core purposes of our group is to raise awareness of refugees internationally, as well as resettle two families in Launceston.”

The group will also be planning events to further fundraise, and just await the outcome of an application for Charity Commission status. If registered as a charity, the group can then claim Gift Aid on eligible donations it receives.

The Launceston group is linking in with Bude Refugee Support Group, which last year received approval from the Home Office through the community sponsorship programme to welcome the first refugee family to their town.

This family has already resettled well, and the Home Office since invited the Bude group to apply to resettle a second family. This second family has been matched with the group — young parents and three children under the age of five.

Frances said: “It gives us real confidence because we can learn from other places.”

Depending on how the progress of an application working with Cornwall Council goes, Frances said: “We are aiming to hope to have a family here by the end of summer.”

The group is also busy collecting direct aid and getting this support out to Europe. Frances said one of the group members, Rob Butler, along with the charities he works with, ‘has been working absolutely tirelessly, I’m filled with admiration for what they are doing’.

Frances added: “People have been really generous with donations,” so much so that the group is having to find another store room for them all. Those wanting an idea of what items are needed can visit the Launceston Refugee Support Group Facebook page for the most up to date list.