Published: 22 December 2021
Over £39,000 is making its way to projects across the UK and Ireland from the Trust’s Afghan Evacuees Emergency Grants Programme.
Benefact Trust’s emergency programme was launched on the 15th November, for one month, to equip Christian organisations to support evacuees resettling in the UK from Afghanistan.
Those being evacuated include Afghan interpreters and support staff who have risked their lives in support of British troops; they and their families have been flown safely to the UK just as the Taliban entered Kabul.
Churches and charities have been on the frontline, welcoming Afghan evacuees and making sure they have the support they need to resettle.
See some of the first projects to receive funding towards this vital work:
City Life Church, Southampton
A £4,000 Afghan Evacuees Emergency Grant will help City Life Church to provide advice, language and practical services to improve the quality of life for Afghan evacuees in Southampton.
There are currently 160 evacuees in a bridging hotel in Southampton. The church has been providing ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes as well as meeting the practical needs of these families.
The church has already provided five families with emergency funds where the families have been unable to access statutory support. The emergency grant from the Trust will enable the church to continue to provide essential support.
St Nic’s Church, Nottingham
A £5,000 grant will help St Nic’s Church to support Afghan evacuees resettling in Nottingham in many different ways.
The church will promote and facilitate extra-curricular events for Afghan children in local schools, helping them to integrate with their peers. The church will also work with schools to provide parent support events for Afghan families to open up about their experiences.
St Nic’s will also be focussing on professional support, connecting Afghan arrivals with the businesses and sectors they are interested in, and providing them with CV and interview training.
The church is keen to make Afghan evacuees feel as comfortable and welcome as possible, providing welcome boxes full of essentials and linking new arrivals with local families as part of its befriending work.
Mustard Tree, Manchester
As one of the biggest charities in Greater Manchester, Mustard Tree has been responsible for coordinating support for one of the four hotels which is temporarily housing Afghan evacuees. Working in partnership with other organisations, the charity is doing its bit to help make resettlement as easy and comfortable as possible, providing clothing and essentials.
A £5,000 grant from Benefact Trust will support Mustard Tree to help these vulnerable families.
Crosscare, Dublin
Crosscare’s Afghan Refugee Support Project will help Afghan evacuees to access social protection, health, education and employment opportunities in Ireland. The charity’s Information and Advocacy Services will provide increased stability and quality of life for these vulnerable families who will be feeling scared and unsettled.
A £1,000 grant from the Trust's Afghan Evacuees Emergency Grants Programme will support Crosscare’s vital work.
