Decision details

To award a grant of £9,000 during 2025–2026 financial year to Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees (CWR) as part of Cheltenham Borough Council’s Commitment in Council Motion B, 19th June 2023.

The funding will be allocated from the LA Funding Asylum Grant which states 'A payment will be made to facilitate Local Authorities to assist with costs of supporting Asylum Seekers. The payment is to provide a contribution to Eligible Expenditure incurred during FY2025-2026 by a Recipient in relation to pressure on local services associated with supporting Asylum Seekers.'

As a background to this decision, Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) unanimously supported a resolution on the 25th March 2019, to recognise the work done by CWR and for Cheltenham to adopt the title of Town of Sanctuary.

In doing so, CBC wished to take all practical steps to welcome and include refugees and to support them wherever it can. It also pledged to deepen its work with CWR, to build new links between them, the council's partners and other local organisations to support and provide inclusive and accessible activities.

A further motion was agreed on 19th June 2023, to enhance Cheltenham's strong record of welcoming, supporting and helping both refugees and asylum seekers.  This included working with CWR to support new initiatives to help and support refugees and asylum seekers in our community.

The purpose of this grant will be in line with CBC’s motion to recognise and provide a strong message of CBC’s strategic support. In particular, it will enable CWR to provide practical support for households living in the government’s new Contingency Accommodation, which has been set up recently in Cheltenham.

The proposed activities are underpinned by CWR’s extensive experience of supporting people seeking sanctuary and this funding will help CWR meet core needs with the ability to be flexible. CWR recognises that the specific requirements of newly arrived individuals are often difficult to predict. This funding will therefore provide structured provision of prescribed support along with back-filling gaps in other services and having capacity to respond to emerging and urgent challenges on the ground.

The total cost of delivering this project is forecast as £9,000. CWR will work in close partnership with Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS) to support joined up working and help avoid duplication with other workstreams.

The funding will enable CWR to undertake a range of practical activities, which will be set out in our grant agreement. This funding must be spent during this financial year, and any underspend will need to be returned to the council.

None considered. This is a unique opportunity to provide one-off grant funding in response to CBC’s Motion B, 19th June 2023 and will conclude at the end of March 2026.

The spending plan for this funding has been co-produced with CWR and meets the aims of Cheltenham being a Town of Sanctuary, Motion B and CBC’s Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy.

The funding will also be in line with the spending criteria of the LA Funding Asylum Grant 2025-2026.

These plans have been created in close consultation with CWR and positive feedback from Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS) and members of the Gloucestershire Migration Welfare Group. 

Cheltenham Borough Council’s Refugee Champions were also consulted as part of this process.