A GROUP of volunteers is working to bring Syrian refugee families to the Penistone area as well as other parts of Barnsley.
A group formed to help refugees and asylum seekers longs to see the town become somewhere those in need can stay.
Penistone Town Councillors were told on Monday that this is difficult in the Penistone area at present - mainly due to housing costs. It is easier to do in other parts of Barnsley where housing costs are lower.
Pat Punt, a member of Penistone Refugee and Asylum Seekers Support group, said: “We tried to get a Syrian family to come here but it wasn’t possible because of the cost of housing compared to parts of Barnsley.
“But we want to make Penistone a place where we could have asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution.”
Addressing the council meeting, group spokeswoman Gina Hawkins praised the ‘generosity of spirit’ of the Penistone community in supporting their work.
She said the group started in October 2017 after Churches Together organised a debate to raise awareness about newcomers arriving in Barnsley. Meetings began and a network was created.
She said there are no asylum seekers in Penistone at present but an increasing number in Barnsley - around 450 awaiting decisions on the right to stay.
“They have £37 a week to live on and come from all over the world,” she said.
Gina explained that refugees are those who have been given the right to stay. It was not known how many are in Barnsley. “They often move on and are often destitute,” she said. “They have to have a job and somewhere to live within a certain length of time before benefits start and this often means difficulties.”
On economic migrants, she said numbers are not known but that these people mainly come from EU countries such as Romania, Lithuania and Poland.
The Penistone group mainly supports asylum seekers.
“The generosity of spirit of the people in Penistone has been wonderful and we feel privileged to be involved in making a difference,” said Gina.
The group also supports the ‘City of Sanctuary’ movement for all people, working with local authorities such as the town council.
“This movement encourages groups to pledge to create a welcoming environment for others,” she said.
Pat Punt outlined what the group does to help: setting up conversation groups to improve English so newcomers can move forward; setting up groups for both men and women; kitting out homes before people arrive to ensure they have all they need.
“We have to make these people feel part of the community and we want to make Penistone a place where we could have some asylum seekers,” she said.
“We have helped three Syrian families and they are still in accommodation in Barnsley.”
The group asked for a town council delegate to act as liaison and attend meetings. Coun Joe Unsworth volunteered.
Last month the Chronicle revealed that the Syrian refugees currently living in the Barnsley area include Khaled al-Ayoubi, Syria’s former top UK diplomat.
He said he had been warmly welcomed by the community and was living very happily in Worsbrough Common.
