A Glasgow welcome: How local people are leading the way in community sponsorship
Community sponsorship, a grassroots initiative led by the community and supported by Reset UK, works alongside refugee families to resettle them into their new homes, from accessing safe accommodation, navigating local services, registering with a GP, to helping children settle into school.
By Sarah Wishart | Illustrations by Reset UK and Cognitive Media
Across Glasgow, people are coming together to do something extraordinary: welcoming refugee families into their communities through a powerful grassroots approach called community sponsorship.
At the heart of this movement are people who’ve decided that sanctuary starts on their doorstep. Whether it’s a handful of friends, a faith community or a neighbourhood collective, these groups take the lead in supporting a refugee family to resettle and thrive in their new home.
From finding safe accommodation, navigating local services, registering with a GP to helping children settle into school, community sponsorship is about walking alongside a family and offering the support and solidarity that helps turn strangers into neighbours.
Behind the scenes, Reset Communities and Refugees is here to guide and support these groups every step of the way. As the official training and capacity building organisation for community sponsorship in the UK, Reset helps groups understand what’s involved, prepare their application and build confidence before a family even arrives. Once the welcome begins, that support continues with practical advice, problem-solving and a network of peers to draw on.
In Glasgow, like anywhere, this work doesn’t happen in isolation. Community sponsorship draws strength from other committed local organisations that are working to create a nurturing and welcoming environment. Groups often work closely with Refuweegee, who provide personalised welcome packs to arriving families, or the Scottish Refugee Council, whose expertise in integration and advocacy has shaped Scotland’s approach to refugee support for decades.
What Is Community Sponsorship? Find out what Reset does to support community led welcome in the UK
The impact of community sponsorship is far-reaching. For refugee families it offers a dignified and supportive route to safety with a built-in community from day one. For sponsors, it’s a transformative experience building new friendships, strengthening local bonds and putting empathy into action.
You don’t need to be an expert to get involved. Sponsorship groups come in all shapes and sizes and what they share is a belief that ordinary people can make a real difference. Reset is here to provide the structure and support but it’s communities that lead the welcome.
The latest group to lead the welcome is Refugee Community Sponsorship Glasgow supported by their lead sponsor based in Edinburgh, the Edinburgh Refugee Sponsor Circle. Both are running fundraisers at the moment – so look out for ways you can support them in any way you can.
Whether you’re in Govanhill or Govan and wondering if your community could get involved, the answer is yes. If you’re ready to form a group, would like to see how to join an existing one, you have a property to let to refugees or are just curious to learn more, Reset can help you take the next step and the Glasgow groups can offer you inspiration.
Together, we can make Glasgow a place where everyone feels at home.
Find out more at their website or reach out to chat about how you could be part of a growing movement of welcome.
Reset UK pays for this article.