Community support sought for borough’s Syrian refugee response
Businesses, local charities, community and faith groups are all being urged to come together and show how Telford and Wrekin can help support refugees from the Syrian warzone.
A week ago the Council said it wanted to play its part by offering support for refugees fleeing the Syrian war zone and help in the humanitarian crisis on Europe’s eastern borders as many refugees risk theirs and their family’s lives to escape.
It will now be contacting a range of organisations in the borough to find out how they might be able to help in a variety of ways. The Council has already been contacted by many borough residents offering their support.
Working with a number of aid charities, the Council will also co-ordinate and support a local drop-off point where people can make donations of items that refugees need such as clothing, blankets, books and toys.
The Council has said it will support the Government’s request for councils across the country for the UK to take up to 20,000 refugees over the next five years.
Details of exactly how the Government scheme will work have yet to be published. Based on Government statements and figures to date, if applied proportionately across the UK, this could see the borough take around 10 Syrian refugees a year for the next five years.
Councillor Angela McClements, cabinet member for communities, said: “We are now working to bring a range of partners, businesses, community and faith groups together so that we can co-ordinate what they can do to help.
“There is a huge amount of support in the borough for these refugees’ plight and local people want to do what they can to help. For example we have had people offering to accommodate refugees in the borough.
“Our role will be to help co-ordinate this in the most effective way possible so that we are ready to respond when details of the Government’s scheme become clear.”
The Council has also published a myth-busting guide to the council’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis to put across the facts of the situation and explain why Telford & Wrekin, along with many other councils, is offering its help. Anyone who has any suggestions or offers of support locally can contact refugees@telford.gov.uk
