Welcoming the BBC Spotlight team into The Pickwell Foundation's Welcome Hub

We were delighted to welcome BBC News South West’s Home & Social Affairs Correspondent, Anna Varle, to our Barnstaple Welcome Hub. An opportunity to share our community-led welcome approach to supporting new neighbours— from volunteer-led ESOL sessions to casework support. We discussed proposed changes to the Community Sponsorship Scheme, including the potential for Named Sponsorship.

We’re proud that The Pickwell Foundation is helping to shape proposals, which could give communities more choice in who they welcome and an opportunity for controlled expansion to safe, legal routes for refugees.

Susannah Baker, our Refugee and Asylum Director for the programme and chair of the Community Sponsorship Alliance, also joined the BBC Radio Devon team to discuss what that could mean for communities nationality - Listen here (approx 10 mins in).

Huge thanks to the BBC, and to the volunteers, sponsors and neighbours who make this work possible every day.

Read the accompanying article and learn more about Refugee Sponsorship.