Last cohort of refugees from war-torn Syria are welcomed by Southwell Minster
An extended family of Syrian refugees arrived in Southwell on Wednesday to begin a new life away from conflict, hardship and fear.
The family of adults and children were welcomed to the town by representatives of the Church of England’s Southwell and Nottingham Diocese and Newark and Sherwood District Council, who have offered them sanctuary.
They arrived from refugee camps in The Lebanon, where they have been living since fleeing civil war in Syria.
The district council gave a commitment to house 12 Syrian families from refugee camps under the national Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Programme (VPR).
Those who arrived yesterday were the last of those families — and are believed to the first to be re-homed in Southwell.
“We are very grateful of the support from the newly-formed Support Refugees in Southwell group for helping to make this possible,” the district council said in a statement.
“We wish the family who arrived early on Wednesday all the very best in settling into their new home.
“The VPR has been a great success in our district, helping to resettle 12 families and we are looking to continue this work.
“The refugees who we have helped to resettle are the most vulnerable of families, all with young children, who have arrived with very few belongings, having lived in conditions we could not even imagine in western society.
“They have a new life now and are so keen to make a contribution to society and become part of the community.”
The council said that while its in initial commitment to the programme had been fulfilled, such was its success, it would be offering to house more people in the future.
Newark and Sherwood District Council Resettle-ment Partnership began in 2016. It had been successful in rehousing 45 individuals before Wednesday’s new arrivals.
It has used furnished private rented accommodation, assisted by Nottingham Community Housing Asso-ciation, where possible.
Each person receives £200 to live on until their benefits claims are processed, a welcome pack including groceries, Engl-ish lessons, and help with integration.
Children aged three will have financial educational support from the Home Office through to adulthood.
The Dean Of Southwell, The Very Rev Nicola Sullivan, said: “On behalf of all churches in the town, we are pleased the families have arrived safely and hope they will soon settle in this amazing community of Southwell.”
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