A Nidderdale community group has issued a plea for help to find a refugee family a long-term home.

Nidderdale Community Welcome (NCW), a voluntary group established at the end of 2020, took to the local parish magazine to seek accommodation for a Syrian refugee family.

The group, which helped to find the family their current Nidderdale home, raised more than £13,000 by April 2022 to fund the initiative.

However, according to a local parish magazine, the family’s tenancy is due to end “in a few months”, and they are on the hunt for a new home.

The group said:

“The children have settled in at a local school, the parents have made good progress with learning English and have been seeking employment opportunities.

“The family would like to remain in the area, where they have been warmly welcomed and have settled well.”

Nidderdale Community Welcome issued a plea to anyone that knows of local rental properties, that would be suitable for the family, to get in touch.

The group said the family is looking for a two or three-bedroom house, which will soon become available, with a monthly rent in the region of £800 to £900.

It said anyone that may be able to help should call Bill Hickson on 07831809246, or email him at wgehickson@gmail.com.

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After a number of frustrating hold-ups, Nidderdale Community Welcome (NCW) has finally found a house for a refugee family from Syria.

The group, founded in late 2020, has raised more than £13,000 to fund the initiative and had originally hoped to bring a family here before Christmas.

But the house they had in prospect did not materialise.

Now there is positive news and NCW chair, Peter Wright, told the Stray Ferret:

“A local landlord has kindly agreed the rental of a three-bedroom property in Pateley Bridge for a minimum period of two years.”

With this key element of the resettlement support  programme in place, NCW has submitted its application to the Home Office, uprating from ‘approval in principle’ to ‘final approval.’

Peter Wright of Nidderdale Community Welcome, anticipates that a refugee family from Syria will be arriving in Pateley Bridge this summer

Mr Wright, pointed out:

“It is anticipated it will be granted shortly, with a view to a family being welcomed into the Dale in early summer.”

He added:

“We have decided to stay with our original intentions of welcoming a Syrian family, many from Syria are still in camps in the Middle East whilst the conflict in their country continues.

“We have every sympathy with those from other countries displaced by war, Afghanistan and Ukraine who we hold in our thoughts and prayers, we believe the support we can offer best suits a vulnerable family from Syria.

“NCW will assist the family to sign up for all the allowances they will be eligible for as part of our national response and commitment to those displaced by conflict.

“Refugees are keen to be a valuable part of the community they move into, and to integrate as soon as they are able, but many also wish to be able to return home as soon as conditions allow.”

NCW is working in conjunction with Ripon City of Sanctuary and Harrogate District of Sanctuary, who will be helping the family learn English so they can become self-sufficient and participate in daily life. Courses will be run both locally and in nearby towns.

People from around the dale and further afield have already provided funding, resources, and their time and skills towards making the NCW project a success.

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Attempts to resettle a refugee family in the Pateley Bridge area have taken a significant step forward.

Nidderdale Community Welcome, a community group set up to sponsor a refugee family in Nidderdale, has found a house and raised more than £12,000.

Peter Wright, who heads the organisation, said:

“We can expect a refugee family to be selected by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and for the family to be with us in about four months time.”

With funding and housing in place, the application to bring the family to the Dales now needs Home Office approval, which should be a formality.

In preparation for the resettlement, Nidderdale Community Welcome is to hold a meeting at Pateley Bridge Methodist Church between 7pm and 9pm on Tuesday next week. For further details email wrightpandh@gmail.com

The search for a house in the Pateley Bridge area for a refugee family has been successful.

Mr Wright said:

“We are now moving from the planning to the implementation stage and need to put together small teams to assist the family with benefits, schooling, language, etc.

“The meeting will allow people to hear what is involved and to help us by signing on to one or more of the teams.”

The steering group is also looking at the possibility of establishing a community investment scheme to purchase a house for the longer term of this project.

People able to invest between £5,000 and £40,000 in a fixed-term scheme with an anticipated return of two percent per annum would have a proportionate share in the capital of the house.

John Tarrant, treasurer of Nidderdale Community Welcome, can be contacted at johntarrant@leakhb.plus.com  for further information.

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Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the refugee focus has switched from those displaced by war in Syria to Afghan nationals fleeing their country.

While Nidderdale Community Welcome, which was set up in November, plans for its first refugee family, Ripon City of Sanctuary has already resettled a number of Syrian families and is ready for another.

The group, established in 2016, has been fundraising since April, in anticipation of bringing another Syrian family to the city.

It has raised 85 per cent of the money needed and a has identified a suitable house.

Nicola David, chair of the Ripon group, said:

“We have been trying to build a little Syrian community here.

“Some Afghan interpreter families are currently being assisted to resettle in the UK, and a very small number have arrived in the Harrogate district.”