Ceredigion County Council has been nominated for the Local Authority Award 2019 in the Community Sponsorship Awards 2019, an award ceremony organised by Sponsor Refugees.

Ceredigion is one of only five local authorities across the UK who have been nominated for this prestigious award for working in partnership with local community groups who want to help families fleeing from war, hunger and homelessness.

Community Sponsorship was launched in 2016 by the Home Office and gives power to local volunteer groups to resettle a refugee family in their community. Each scheme has to be vetted by the council before it can be considered for approval by the Home Office, who will then match refugees to the community group.

Two Community Sponsorship schemes – Aberaid and Croeso Teifi – have already been established in Ceredigion. Both schemes are run by volunteers and have resettled two families each under Community Sponsorship. As well as finding suitable accommodation, Community Sponsorship groups help refugee families to resettle in local communities, befriending them and helping them adjust and meet the inevitable challenges of living in a totally new environment.

Cllr Ellen ap Gwynn, Ceredigion council’s leader and chair of the Ceredigion Refugee Resettlement Group, said: “I am delighted that Ceredigion County Council has been nominated for this award.

"As well as resettling over 40 Syrian refugees ourselves, we have also actively supported the applications of two community groups to do the same."

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