CRRC is a registered charity for the purpose of supporting the resettlement of refugees in the Cambridge area. We are a volunteer-run group of Cambridgeshire residents which was formed in 2015 at the height of the current migrant crisis, when the media was filled with images of the misery of the camps and the tragedy of failed attempts to reach them. We wanted to help by welcoming refugees into our community. Originally focused on fundraising and lobbying local government, we were helped to organise by Citizens UK and became a registered charity in 2017.

We provide a wide range of practical support to resettled refugee families and work closely with the Cambridge City and Cambridgeshire County Councils and other local stakeholders. We advocate on behalf of our beneficiaries for assistance with housing, healthcare and education. This means:

• seeking out private landlords willing to accept Council rent rates;
• sourcing items of furniture, household equipment and bicycles according to identified needs;
• helping new families to settle in by tidying gardens and equipping homes;
• chaperoning beneficiaries at medical appointments and offering a doula service for expectant mothers;
• providing one-to-one help with homework for school-age children;
• running English for Speakers of Other Languages classes with childcare for the benefit of mothers with young children;
• organising programmes of outings and activities during the school holidays;
• partnering with individuals and groups able to assist with translation and educational opportunities;
• getting the families together twice a term for a social event where they can meet each other and our volunteers;
• arranging counselling and advice for beneficiaries;
• giving talks and presentations about refugee issues, particularly at local schools.

Follow @CamRefugees and join our Facebook group for regular updates.

Our structure

(Click to see a larger version of this image.)

Responsibilities

CRRC Board of Trustees

• Governance
• Strategy
• Compliance
• Legal & ethical responsibilities
• Policies & Procedures
• Donor Stewardship
• Financial oversight
• Safeguarding (SG officer: Ann)
• Charity Commission contact & reporting (Heidi)

Operational management

Interpretation & translation: Samir (For beneficiaries & volunteers, for & during events, for information material)

Admin, systems & IT: Dan, Faye, Beth (Administration & record keeping, CRRC systems & IT support and advice)

Partnership network: Adrian, Ann, Catharine (Sharing & advising, collaborating, advocating)

Budgets & Finance: Sarah, Robin (Accounts and financial reports, financial returns)

Volunteer support: Faye, Beth (Recruit, allocate, DBS checks, induct, train, evaluate, learn, support, volunteer socials)

CRRC learning & evolving: Ann, Heidi, Sue (Input from beneficiaries & volunteers, trustees reviews, assess, revise and adopt practices)

Direct action areas

Family support: Adrian, Catharine (Direct support, donations, welcome packs, home & garden, health & welfare, IT support, emergency hardship grants)

Educational support: Sue, Monica (English language support for adults (classroom & one to one), education support for children (one-to-one, school liaison, Arabic lessons, other educational needs))

Employment & mobility: Ann, Flic, Amanda (Job capabilities development, job opportunities, partnership management, support with driving license, bike project)

Culture & activities: Sue, Sharon, Jan (Events programme development, school holiday activities, monthly socials, venue, catering & transport organisation)

NVPR, advice: Adrian (Right to remain advice, family member status, advocacy, asylum to citizen advice referral)

Campaigns, communication & outreach: Catharine (Quarterly newsletter, website, social media, campaigns, grants applications, talks & presentations, integration within CRRC)