Ashford leads the way in helping families build new lives

Ashford Borough Council wins national award in recognition of its commitment to welcoming Syrian refugees

Ashford’s proud record of welcoming vulnerable refugee families has earned national recognition , with its Syrian Resettlement Programme winning the Diversity and Inclusion category of the prestigious LGC Awards 2020.

Gerry Clarkson, Leader of the Council, said that often-praised work in helping Syrian refugee families to settle here and create a new, peaceful and secure life for themselves was praised by judges in the first-ever virtual Local Government Chronicle Awards.

More than 1,500 of the most senior figures in local government gathered online for the annual awards.

Commenting on Ashford’s entry, the judges said: “A great strategic approach to an important integration project with both organisational and community buy in. This has secured very impressive outcomes and transformed lives with backing of the local community. The project exemplifies the best in officer and political leadership and demonstrates what can be achieved when innovative approaches are championed at all levels.”

Winners of the 21 LGC awards are heralded as the councils doing the most to innovate to ensure they best serve their residents.

To win this award when Ashford was up against incredibly strong entries is a true testament to the life changing impact that its scheme has had for dozens of desperate families who now call our borough home.  It is making a huge difference to the lives of people most affected by the global refugee crisis.

The Leader thanked all those staff who dedicated themselves to making this programme such a success. The support from local residents, voluntary organisations and community and faith groups continues to be key to enabling successful integration.

The project coordinator, Anne Forbes responded to the news by saying : “We were absolutely thrilled to win this award against such strong opposition. It’s a testament to Ashford’s approach to resettlement, the team, partners and wider community and also to the huge resilience, hard work and willingness of the refugees themselves. They have worked with us and the community to build new lives and create strong bonds. In these unprecedented times they
have taught us a lot about how to deal with adversity.”