Wycombe Refugee Partnership, High Wycombe
Wycombe Refugee Partnership helps refugees and asylum seekers, who have legal status to remain in the UK, resettle in High Wycombe and make a new start in the local community.
While housing is the first priority, the charity appoints befrienders for each family to help the refugees establish themselves in their new environment and facilitate applications for jobs, school placements and access to health services.
The challenge
The charity has operated as an entirely volunteer-led organisation for the last two years and, whilst the committed volunteers brought a varied mix of skills and experience to the organisation, there were limits on the time they had available and no-one had a background in fundraising.
To help secure extra funding, Wycombe Refugee Partnership needed advice and guidance in making fundraising applications to trust and foundations. They found this when one of the organisation’s volunteers attended CIB’s ‘Getting fit for funding’ training session, a practical course designed for anyone who wants to get ready to apply to grant funders.
The solution
Tooled with their funding tips from the training, the charity was successful with all three of the funding applications that they have since made to foundations and supermarket schemes.
“Some of the fine-tuning advice and discussion received on the course really helped make our applications more focused and sharper. It’s also signposted us to additional funding sources that we are looking to follow up in the near future,” said Emma Young, volunteer for Wycombe Refugee Partnership.
“In real terms, the successful responses we’ve received will make a huge difference in the lives of people who are trying to make new lives, having suffered huge trauma and upheaval. The course was well worth the time and money invested.”
For more information on volunteering or funding opportunities at Wycombe Refugee Partnership, please email contactus@wycombe-refugees.org or visit Wycombe Refugee Partnership website.
