Ormeau Refugee Partnership is raising money to support a refugee family to rebuild their lives in the Ormeau area.

Please note: All donations made will go directly to Ormeau Refugee partnership. Ballynafeigh Methodist Church circuit is acting as our 'lead sponsor' for the project. This means they are our guarantor. This is why you may see the 'Methodist Church in Ireland' name on this page. Find out more at resetuk.org.

Who are ORP? 

Ormeau Refugee Partnership (ORP) is a diverse group of people living in the Ormeau area who have come together to support a refugee family to find safety and community, through the community sponsorship scheme.

You can stay up to date with our work on our social media channels: 

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

What is the community sponsorship scheme? 

Community sponsorship offers a chance for local groups to apply to the Home Office to bring a refugee family into their community. This is an addition to existing government pledges to resettle refugees. 

The scheme started in 2016. Since then 100 groups welcomed more than 500 refugees. Charities like Reset offer groups training and support on how to apply to the scheme and how to support newly arrived families to the UK. 

Find out more about community sponsorship at resetuk.org

What are we fundraising for? 

For our application to be successful we need to demonstrate we meet certain criteria. The Home Office has to be sure the family will be supported to rebuild their lives successfully. This involves finding things like housing and school places, and raising an emergency fund of £9,000. 

Anytime you see ORP fundraising, this is what we are fundraising for. This is our first burst of fundraising, we are hoping to raise to start us off before January.

The fund can be used for anything the family needs. Other groups have spent the fund on translators, warm clothing, transport and more. Rent will be covered by the Housing Executive and the family will likely claim Universal Credit to cover their living expenses until they find employment. 

Why are we doing this? 

More than 29 million people around the world have been forced to leave their homes and countries because of war or persecution. Many of us feel powerless as we watch on the news and social media as people flee war and persecution, with nowhere to turn. We feel lucky to live in a time and place where we feel safe and want to share that privilege with others who were not born so lucky.