The Combe Martin Community Welcome team are a group of volunteers, living in and around this beautiful North Devon village who want to give a vulnerable family a safe home at the heart of our community where they can rebuild their lives. There will be lots of ways for the wider community to get involved.

We are applying to take part in the Home Office Community Sponsorship Scheme to help integrate a refugee family - most probably from Afghanistan or Syria - that has been identified by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) as vulnerable and having a high priority for resettlement. The Pickwell Foundation, who have already helped resettle families across North Devon, will be our Lead Sponsor providing guidance, support and a solid legal framework.

As a small core team of about 10 volunteers we are prepared and happy to provide a lot of the day to day support the family will need in a first instance but will need the help of the wider community to get things going and to really make it work. It is clear from other groups' experience that the community benefits from the experience just as much if not more than the resettled family.

In order to be matched with a suitable family, we need to find a private landlord who is interested in renting a suitable house to the family and is willing to commit to a two year contract. We need to raise £9000 to help make the house a home and to empower them to not only look after themselves but to contribute to society by getting the necessary language skills, training, education and work experience.