We would like to extend our warm welcome to Host Oxford, one of the newest NACCOM members. The organisation was formed in March 2015 and took off in September after a Refugees Welcome demonstration attended by 2,000 people. Here, attendees were asked if they would be willing to house sanctuary seekers and at least 100 hands went up.
Ever since then, the team at Oxford City of Sanctuary have been working through enquiries and the scheme has now got 23 host households approved, with a further 25 pending approval. All hosts are DBS checked and supported with references.
Since the project started, it has supported 15 people from countries such as Eritrea and Afghanistan, including several who came to the UK as unaccompanied children and have since turned 18. Since September the project has provided 550 nights of accommodation for individuals who would otherwise be homeless.
The Host Coordinator, Wyon, writes:
“Hosts are remarkable people. They are willing to trust and help a complete stranger in a really significant and generous way. This is great counter-balance to the cynicism and xenophobia in our society and a wonderful example for us all.”
