I am a Community Development Worker for SAVTE in Sheffield. My Fellowship focused on refugee integration in working-class communities, where host communities can often feel overlooked as support services for refugees are brought in from elsewhere. I asked: what if these communities were actively involved in the process?

My Fellowship explored how volunteers from host communities could help deliver essential services for new arrivals, while also strengthening cohesion between these groups. I visited projects in Amsterdam and San Francisco to learn how they successfully involved local communities in supporting refugees.

My findings have influenced the strategic direction of my work in Sheffield and created opportunities to disseminate my learning across wider refugee support networks.

Read my full story and detailed findings.