Dear friend and supporter
Lots is happening that we’d love to tell you about! An especially warm welcome to the many of you who are new to us. The Afghan crisis, while devastating, has brought so many people forward wanting to know more and to support. Here’s a round-up of our most recent news…
Syrian families update
Next month, 2 of Ripon’s 3 Syrian families will have been here for 5 years. This brings them to the end of their official government resettlement support period, but of course we will continue to provide ongoing support. The families have applied to convert their ‘Leave to Remain’ status to ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’. And in future, if they wish, they could apply for British citizenship.
New Syrian families
Keep it under your hat, but a small number of new families will soon arrive in Ripon! They’d have been placed in Harrogate but we petitioned hard for Ripon, to help the existing families feel less isolated. The UKRS resettlement scheme was interrupted by COVID, leaving many families stranded and having sold their meagre possessions. However, thankfully it has reopened.
Our webinar for faith leaders
RCoS is hosting a webinar for faith and lay leaders on 28 September about the Nationality & Borders Bill, with a view to helping them mobilise and unite in protest. It brings together all sorts of people from trainees to bishops, from Dublin to Edinburgh to Portsmouth – Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Baptists, Quakers, Methodists, free churches, Presbyterians, a Nigerian megachurch…
A shot across the bows
We know that the Home Office is actively looking to create ‘processing’ centres (accommodation) for 8,000 asylum-seekers, who will suddenly become criminals after the bill goes through. Last week we wrote to 170+ North Yorkshire MPs, councillors, mayors and local authority chief executives to tell them we don’t think anyone in our county would welcome such a centre here.
Community Sponsorship
We received an unexpected boost to our Community Sponsorship fundraising last week, with a staggering £6,500 donated in just 7 days. This takes us well over the £9,000 limit to apply for a family, and in fact enables us to bring a SECOND family, as well! 
We think we’ve found accommodation for them, as well. Still lots of hoops to leap through, but we’re getting there! Thank you, Ripon.
Sanctuary Walk
Saturday dawned gloriously sunny and stayed that way for the robust souls of all ages who came on our Sanctuary Way walk. Some did the 5 miles, some did the full 10, but all enjoyed tea & biscuits at Thorpe Prebend House afterwards, courtesy of the cathedral. Over £600 was raised for our Community Sponsorship project! Absolutely amazing. Some new friendships were made, too.
Schools work
2 Ripon schools have now earned the School of Sanctuary award, with about 10 more working towards it, including Ripon’s secondary schools which came on board in July: Ripon Grammar School and Outwood Academy Ripon! And St Nicholas CofE Primary School in West Tanfield wants to support Afghan refugees at their Harvest Festival. We’re helping to raise a generation of young people who get it…
A real ‘City of Sanctuary’
We’re love it if Ripon could declare itself a ‘City of Sanctuary’. Primarily this means encouraging the local authorities to come into the Local Authority Network (a City of Sanctuary UK initiative). However, if you own/run a business, club, organisation, charity or voluntary group, and would like to add your name publicly to the list of sanctuary supporters, please just let us know!
Could you volunteer for us?
We’re looking for someone to take on the role of our Families Lead (this is also a committee position). Plus, we’d love a couple more people to join our schools team – it’s such a joyful and active part of our work, and we just need some more enthusiastic people to make it all happen!
Supplying 2 new centres
We already take clothing to the refugee clothes bank run by Wakefield District of Sanctuary as well as Hull Open Doors and Welcome House in Hull. Now, we’ve also set up to distribute clothing donations to PAFRAS in Leeds and IPC in Middlesbrough. Do check our website for what’s needed.
It’s all PANTS
No one wants to wear second-hand pants, so we’ve been running a campaign to raise money for new underwear to take to Wakefield. So far we’ve raised £759, which enables us to buy over 850 pairs of lovely fresh new undies for newly arrived asylum-seekers! There’s still time to donate.
Protest in London
Join us on 20 October from 4.30 to 6.30pm outside Parliament to protest the Nationality and Borders Bill. This is for everyone who cares about the right to seek asylum; bring your own banners! Get in touch if you’d like to know more; we may be able to offer lifts.
Paid jobs with refugees
The Refugee Council has the contract for delivering services to the refugees resettled here by the government. Three resettlement worker posts are currently being advertised. 2 x 35 hours plus 1 x 21 hours, FTE £25,991. Fixed-term contract until March 2022.
Afghan support: update
We’ve made some minor updates to our leaflet about how best to support Aghan refugees. There really aren’t many of them here yet, and after the bill passes, most will be criminalised anyway. Sadly.
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