Powys County Council will be resettling 6 Syrian families in Ystradgynlais by the end of July as part of the government’s Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme.
Maggie, one of our group members, attends a subgroup of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme and has shared the most recent information provided by PAVO (Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations).
Letter (slightly edited) from PAVO:
Following a recent meeting of the Syrian Vulnerable People Relocation Scheme sub-group, which was drawn from the first meeting held in the Welfare Hall, we have been asked to circulate a number of items for your information:
- The link to the Welcome Packs on the Welsh Government’s website.
- Details on furnishing from the Home Office Statement of Requirements: “Ensure that the accommodation is furnished appropriately. The furniture package should not include luxury items. This means that food storage, cooking and washing facilities can be provided but the facilities should not include the provision of other white goods or brown goods, i.e. TV’s, DVD players or any other electrical entertainment appliances.”
- The shopping list arranged by the Support Workers in Ceredigion:
- Groceries:
- Tea / coffee
- Sugar
- Jam
- 2 pkt biscuits
- Fruit juice / children’s juice
- Eggs
- Tortilla wraps /flat bread
- Tinned tuna
- Tinned tomato
- Tomato paste
- Green olives
- Pasta / rice (5kg)
- Cooking oil
- Salt / ground black pepper / ground cinnamon / ground cumin / cardamom / paprika
- Fruit and vegetables: apples, oranges, bananas, lemons, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, potatoes/frozen chips, garlic
- Dairy and meat: milk, feta cheese, yoghurt, halal chicken
- Toiletries: shampoo (adult and/or baby), shower gel (adult and/or baby), soap bar, hand wash liquid, tooth paste, tooth brush
- Cleaning: kitchen cleaner, bathroom cleaner, washing up liquid, small washing powder
- Groceries:
An example of a Personal Integration Plan form can be found here (note: Gateway is a different scheme to the Syrian Resettlement Programme, but there is some very good relevant information in the guide).
In addition the Integration Support Provider (Ethnic Youth Support Team) appointed by Powys County Council has offered some dates in May for training which will be of use to all who may be in contact with the Syrian families. The training will be for approximately three hours and will cover the following:
- Background information about the Syrian population, including culture and religion
- The vulnerability of Syrian refugees arriving in Wales and the issues and difficulties they’ve faced
- Support requirements of Syrian refugees
- The role of the Ethnic Youth Support Team (EYST)
Training dates offered are:
- Thursday 5 May
- Wednesday 11 May
- Wednesday 18 May
- Wednesday 25 May
Anybody able to attend training on any of the dates shown above is asked to get in touch with PAVO on 01597 822191.
For further information on the resettlement of refugees in Powys, please click here.