"Welcoming New Scots through offering sanctuary and support for a settled future in Forth Valley."
Awarded The Queens Award for Voluntary Service in 2020
Our Mission
To enable families to be welcomed, build their own networks and to become integrated within our communities.
To work in partnership with stakeholders to provide support towards education, language, learning and employment.
To advocate on behalf of people seeking sanctuary for provision of comprehensive local and national services that meet their needs.
What's New
How You Can Help
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Check our Volunteer page above and send us a message to join up.
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Operational costs are inescapable. If you would like to share in the financing of Forth Valley Welcome activities, please consider donating using the link above. Thank you. (Don't forget to Gift Aid your donation if you are a UK taxpayer).
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Sign up to our Forth Valley Welcome Newsletter to make sure you stay informed of progress.
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'Like' us on Facebook and 'Follow' us on Twitter. Share with your friends who may be interested.
Additional support
Afghan Citizens Information Service - Scottish Refugee Council
Starting a new life in an unfamiliar country and culture can be scary and confusing. If you have recently arrived from Afghanistan and would like information, advice and practical support to help you feel more at home your new community, please get in touch.
CSREC advice sessions in Alloa (clacks.gov.uk)
CSREC
is holding weekly advice sessions in Alloa on Thursdays. Please contact them for an appointment if you need help with issues such as: benefits, education, housing, employment, discrimination or hate crime.
Email –
admin@csrec.org.uk
Phone – 01324 610 950
Ukraine Advice Scotland
The Scottish Government will support Ukraine Advice Scotland with a grant of £36,000. Ukraine Advice Scotland will be offering free, confidential legal advice to Ukrainians and their family members who are seeking safety in Scotland. Those who need help can contact qualified legal advisors by e-mail: ukraine@justrightscotland.org.uk or call the free legal helpline at 0800 995 6045.
Latest News
CLACKS SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE - AN UPDATE FROM CTSI
There
has been lots of local support for Ukraine. The steering group has set up a
Facebook page to direct the local community who are interested in helping and
to keep up to date. The facebook page is @clacksukrainesupport
CTSI and the wider third sector are united in their support for the people of Ukraine and condemnation of the unprovoked war and atrocities being committed in Ukraine.
To help coordinate the community response here in Clackmannanshire, we're asking anyone who wants to offer help to read the information below for guidance on what's going on currently.
IMPORTANT
One of the best ways to help is by donating cash through trusted charities and aid organisations, rather than donating goods. Cash can be transferred quickly to areas where it's needed, and individuals and aid organisations can use it to buy what is most needed.Unsolicited donations of goods, although well-meant, can obstruct supply chains and delay more urgent life-saving assistance from getting through.
There are a number of reputable fundraising bodies such as UNICEF, the British Red Cross, the International Rescue Committee, and the Disasters Emergency Committee* who run fundraising appeals for crises and are able to get money to those most in need and are mobilised in the region.
* For the Donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Appeal, the UK Government will match public donations to this appeal pound for pound.
There are also Scottish based Ukrainian community groups, including Edinburgh Ukrainian Club and Community of Ukrainians in Glasgow who have stopped gathering supplies and directing supporters to the national DEC Appeal and considering how they can support displaced people.
Ukraine Update - 19th of March
Following the First Minister's address to the Scottish Parliament (see link below), in which she affirmed that Scotland plans to take 3,000 refugees from Ukraine as soon as possible, FVW is keeping in contact with Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils and remain ready to offer our support to any refugees who arrive in our area.
Ukraine Crisis
FVW is keeping track of UK plans to support Ukrainian refugees coming to the UK. We will keep in touch with our two Councils on their links with UK government plans for housing refugees in the area, and stand ready to support them as we do for the 200 'New Scots’ already here from Syria, Sudan, and Afghanistan. Based on experience with refugees from Afghanistan, it may some time for the Home Office to start that flow happening.
The UK government has set up a sponsorship scheme to enable people to host refugees from Ukraine. If you know someone coming from Ukraine there is a fast track process. If you want to host but do not know anyone, you can register on the government website. More information here:
https://homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/60735121
In Scotland, the Scottish Refugee Council and Positive Action in Housing are providing information and support:
https://www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk
Individual charities are helping refugees on the ground and welcome donations via their websites. The Disasters Emergency Committee has set up an appeal for funds that they will route to charities supporting Ukrainian refugees:
We are grateful for financial support from the following:
