About Us
Who We Are?
The Afghan Welcome Project brings together a consortium of experienced organisations committed to helping Afghan families rebuild their lives in the UK.
Led by The Pickwell Foundation, we are working in partnership with — Charis Refugees, Caritas (Salford, Liverpool, Leeds & Shrewsbury), and the Social Justice Network — to welcome 125 Afghan households over the next five years.
This work is part of Communities for Afghans (CfA) - a new government-funded programme from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). The scheme supports the safe resettlement of Afghan individuals and families who have been waiting since August 2021 to find a permanent home in the UK.
Our partnership is rooted in the Community Sponsorship Alliance (CSA) — a national network of organisations with deep experience in community-led refugee resettlement. The CSA works closely with government and civil-society partners to strengthen community sponsorship across the UK, drawing on practical insights from local groups like ours.
Together, we are building the structures, partnerships, and local networks needed to make welcome possible.
Why we are Doing This?
At the heart of this project is a simple belief: everyone deserves a safe place to call home.
After fleeing their own country from fear of the Taliban, many Afghan families have spent years in temporary accommodation, waiting for the chance to rebuild their lives. Through Communities for Afghans, local people are helping to make that possible — turning compassion into action by offering practical support, friendship, and hope.
When communities come together to welcome new neighbours, it changes lives on both sides. Families find safety, stability, and the chance to belong. Local people discover new friendships, confidence, and purpose. Communities become stronger, kinder, and more connected.
This programme also shows what’s possible when safe and legal routes are supported by local people. It’s welcome at its best — personal, practical, and led by the community.
Our aims are simple but powerful. Through this project we want to:
Welcome 125 Afghan households into communities across the UK, helping them settle, learn, and become independent.
Support local people and groups to lead the work of welcome in their towns and villages — building skills, confidence, and local partnerships along the way.
Create a ripple effect of kindness, helping to shift attitudes so that refugees and newcomers are seen as neighbours and contributors to our shared life.
Together, these aims are about helping families find safety and belonging — and helping our communities grow stronger in the process.
Our Aims
Our Objectives
To make this happen, we will:
Recruit, train, and support volunteer groups who are ready to welcome Afghan families into their local area.
Find suitable homes where families can settle and start to rebuild their lives.
Walk alongside families as they gain confidence and move towards financial independence within three years.
Connect groups with each other, so they can share experiences, learn from one another, and celebrate what’s working.
Share stories and learning with partners and communities to strengthen future welcome efforts.