A guest blog from our partners at the Pickwell Foundation.
‘Named Community Sponsorship’ and the future of refugee protection in the UK
Right now, the UK Government is not talking about any other safe and legal routes for refugees. Named Community Sponsorship is it. This is the route the Government has chosen as the primary means of offering protection for refugees – and for it to work depends entirely on communities being ready to say “yes”.
For over a decade, communities across the UK have welcomed refugees through Community Sponsorship – but always with families they didn’t already know. Although this way of welcome is still going to be possible, the direction of travel is about to see wholesale change.
For the first time, community groups will be able to identify and name the person or family they want to welcome – perhaps a family member of someone already here, a friend, a former colleague, anyone with a connection to their community.
And this new scheme and way of working is expected to open for applications this autumn 2026.
The evidence to support this new approach is strong. Where sponsors choose who they welcome, integration outcomes improve – higher employment, stronger language progress, and refugees who go on to volunteer and contribute themselves. Finding housing and a community is the starting point. Independence and belonging is the ultimate hope.
Get involved
The Pickwell Foundation are building a list of groups and individuals who want to be ready for when the scheme opens – churches, book groups, community groups, universities, sports clubs, anyone with a connection to someone who needs protection. Signing up costs nothing, but it means you’ll be first in line for support, training and information as the model is finalised.
Susannah Baker MBE, Director at The Pickwell Foundation and Chair of the Community Sponsorship Alliance, will be at Greenbelt across the whole weekend. You can find her and members of the Pickwell Team – along with more information and sign-up sheets – in and around their Hot House venue all weekend.
Susannah will also host a session on the opening Thursday night of the festival at the Caravan of Love at 8pm for anyone interested to know more.
For more information, go to the Pickwell Foundation website.
