Find information and support for Ukraine
Refugee resettlement
Herefordshire is an inclusive county that has welcomed refugees through resettlement programmes since 2016. In early 2020, the council made a decision to resettle further refugees.
The government has announced two schemes in response to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan - the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme (ACRS) and the ARAP scheme. The council is committed to supporting both schemes. You can find further information about them in the Home Office factsheet.
Housing
We would like to hear from anyone who can make available self-contained housing suitable for family groups, ideally the properties should be located in Hereford city or Ledbury. All properties must have three or more bedrooms and be available for a period of at least 12 months.
To register an interest, please email the location, property size and contact details to housingdevelopment@herefordshire.gov.uk
Please note, the Home Office have advised that we are unable to resettle people into rooms in existing family homes or other types of shared accommodation.
English lessons
Herefordshire Council have commissioned the South Wye Development Trust to provide dedicated English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) lessons for refugees resettling in Herefordshire and people arriving from the Ukraine. View the timetable for details of the current ESOL classes.
Volunteer as an interpreter
If you speak any relevant languages, including Farsi and Pashto, and would like to volunteer as an interpreter or for translation, please contact the Herefordshire Language Network at diversity@herefordshire.gov.uk or visit our translation and interpreting services page.
Volunteer your time
If you would like to volunteer your time as part of the emergency response, please either contact HVOSS at volunteer@hvoss.org.uk or visit the HVOSS website.
Donations of goods and clothes
Unfortunately we are unable to take donations at present. In the interim, if you have items of furniture or clothing you wish to donate, you can do this by contacting one of the charities or reuse organisations in Herefordshire.
Financial donations
If you would like to offer a financial donation to support refugees from Afghanistan, you can do this through Refugee Action, City of Sanctuary UK or the Refugee Council.
Other offers
If you have any other offers of support including access to your service, your business, offers regarding health or mental health of refugees, collaborations, or any other reason, please email refugeesupport@herefordshire.gov.uk
To better understand how you can support refugee families, take a look at Refugee Action's What sort of help might a recently arrived refugee need (PDF).
Terms and definitions
There is often some confusion between the different terminology relating to refugees and asylum seekers. The Refugee Council offers an explanation in its terminology glossary.
Contact us
If you have additional queries please email refugeesupport@herefordshire.gov.uk