Welcoming refugees.
People are arriving in our area in great need, having lost everything and suffered devastating trauma. We’re committed to welcoming them and helping them to stabilise before supporting them to integrate, heal and build new lives.
The ongoing refugee crisis is the biggest in our time since World War II. We are taking action by:
- Providing newly-arrived asylum-seeking families with the basics, including food, clothes and toiletries. We also give these often deeply traumatised families wrap-around support and, if needed, language tuition. Once they are safe and settled, we support them with social activities to improve their wellbeing, and ensure they are ready to maximise livelihood opportunities if they are granted asylum and allowed to work.
- Supporting refugee families (who arrive with leave to remain and the right to work) to integrate into and contribute to their new community, find work and rebuild their lives.
- Providing social and pastoral support for unaccompanied asylum seeking children.
- Supporting individual asylum seekers to avoid destitution and help prepare them for their future, whatever that may hold.
We are delighted that previous beneficiaries - now settled - are starting to sign up as volunteers with Sanctuary in Chichester, to help us support new arrivals and advise us on things like communication. These volunteers are a huge asset to our organisation and community as they really know what people need and might be feeling when they first arrive in our area.
You can donate here if you wish to help. And we're always looking for more volunteers.
Are you a refugee or asylum seeker?
If you are a refugee or asylum seeker staying in the Chichester area, we would be very happy to welcome you into our community. We hold lively drop-in sessions every week, where you can come and get to know us (including refugees, asylum seekers and others from all over the world), practice your English and connect with local people. For security reasons we don’t post the time and location of our drop-ins online, but we will gladly share them with you via email.
If you are interested in coming along, please get in touch with us at contact@sanctuaryinchichester.org or contact us on Facebook.
We really hope to meet you soon.
Sanctuary in Chichester, registered charity no. 1181855, is part of the City of Sanctuary movement.
