Area’s support for refugees hailed

The women of Soroptimist International Paisley were pleased to welcome Alison Millar, refugee resettlement co-ordinator for Renfrewshire Council, to their latest meeting.

Alison talked about the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Programme and said Renfrewshire was leading the way in supporting refugees, offering homes to more families than any other local authority.

Jenifer McFarlane from SI Paisley said: “Alison told us about how she came to be involved in this type of work, including firsthand experience of being in a war zone in Kosovo – a life-changing and frightening experience.

“She then spoke about some of the challenges she and her team face daily, supporting the refugees and helping them to settle in. This includes encouraging the adults to learn English and helping teenagers, who because of their experiences see themselves as adults, into education through the college rather than school.

“Her talk gave us some insight into what it is like to be a refugee, a situation in which none of those present could really imagine finding themselves.”

Soroptimist International is a leading global women’s voluntary organisation. SI Paisley meets every Thursday evening in the Glynhill Hotel, Renfrew.

To find out more about the group, go to sigbi.org/paisley/