A FUND to help refugees and asylum seekers build new lives in the county has been launched by Wiltshire Community Foundation.

The Welcome Fund has been inspired by the plight of Afghans coming to the UK in the wake of the Taliban takeover of the country, but will be used to help all refugees and asylum seekers who want to make it their home.

Foundation joint chief executive Fiona Oliver said it will support charities and groups who work with refugees and asylum seekers. “We have been approached by donors who want to support the refugees so we are launching the Welcome Fund to give those who want to help a platform for doing so,” she said.

“The situation with refugees arriving from Afghanistan is very fluid at the moment and the intention of this fund is to meet not just their immediate needs of clothing or food but to be there in the longer term when they need more specific help in settling into a new life and establishing themselves within our communities.”

“We will be talking to the voluntary groups and charities who are supporting refugees and asylum seekers so we can understand what their needs are likely to be in the longer term. It could be to assist with things like language skills, provide pathways into education or employment, improve support for physical and mental health or help them connect with the communities they are living in.”

The community foundation has a track record in funding groups who support refugees and asylum seekers, including The Harbour Project, Swindon City of Sanctuary, Swindon Women’s Aid, Splitz and Kennet Furniture Refurbiz. But Mrs Oliver said: “Our fund is a long-term initiative to support projects and activities that aid the overall integration of those newly arrived in our county, enabling them to feel welcomed, valued and become active members of our communities.”

Claire Garrett, chief executive of The Harbour Project, has welcomed the fund. She said: “This fund potentially allows us and groups like us to extend and expand our delivery as well as offering some surety that we can keep our doors open for as long as there is a need. It also offers the opportunity to share experience within the voluntary sector by building skills and capacity across Wiltshire.

“Being an asylum seeker is a short interval in someone's life. Their very simple request is that they can get on with their lives in a fair and safe place, leaving behind the fear and trauma that drove them from their homes, friends and family. Our role is to help people along the way, to build the skills and confidence to navigate the UK, establish their own network of friends and contribute to their local community.”

The fund is also being endorsed by Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council, which have both been helping refugees and asylum seekers settle into the county.

Cllr Richard Clewer, leader of Wiltshire Council said: “The people of Wiltshire are incredibly generous and since the beginning of the crisis in Afghanistan they have sought to help in any way they can.

“Here in Wiltshire we are making preparations to welcome 20 households permanently under the Locally Employed Scheme and a number of Afghan families under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme. We are currently working alongside partners to ensure we have the homes and resources available to meet the need and make them feel at home here.

“This fund will mean donations can be targeted and used in effective ways so refugees and asylum seekers coming to the county can be assured a warm welcome and will have the support they need to settle here in the county.”

Mrs Oliver welcomed the councils’ support, saying: “We hope their support, and the generosity of the people of Wiltshire and Swindon, who have shown time and again that this county throws open its doors to people in need, will build the Welcome Fund into a long-term resource that helps individuals and families make a secure and happy home here.”

To find out more about the fund and to donate, go to wiltshirecf.org.uk.