REFUGEES, asylum seekers and other displaced people are welcome in Somerset. That is the message being sent by a new county-wide initiative.

Welcome to All, led by the Community Council for Somerset (CCS) and funded by Somerset Council, brings together local authorities, community organisations and charities to build a network of safe, welcoming spaces for displaced people.

Among those involved is Frome Town Council (FTC), which will see continued funding for Iryna Ladyzhenska, its displaced persons officer who works out of the town hall Welcome Hub.

Welcome to All comes after three years of work in the community and responds to a growing need for practical, compassionate support, rooted in lived experience for arrivals in Somerset.

Alongside Frome Town Council, delivery partners include Charis Refugees, Wells Community Network, Wells City Council, and Yeovil Community Church, with an initial six hubs and further outreach efforts to reach rural and underserved areas.

READ MORE: Motion on housing pressures in Somerset dubbed ‘dog-whistle politics’: Fact check

Cllr Anita Collier, of FTC, said: “Frome has always been a town that welcomes people with open arms, and we’re proud to be part of this compassionate and forward-thinking initiative.

“Welcome to All is about more than offering help – it’s about recognising the strength and resilience of displaced people and creating space for them to thrive as part of our community.”

The initiative is designed in partnership with people who have lived experience of displacement.

Bristol Refugee Rights and Spark Somerset are leading on work in this area, and will create an advisory group to shape and challenge delivery and ensure services remain responsive, respectful and relevant.

Val Bishop, CEO of CCS, said: “At Community Council for Somerset, we believe everyone deserves to feel safe, valued and welcomed, no matter where they come from.

“Welcome to All is a powerful example of what we can achieve when we collaborate with communities and those with lived experience. It’s about helping displaced people not only find safety, but find their voice, their purpose and their place.”

The programme also includes mental health and wellbeing support for displaced people, with new investment meaning partners such as D’LOUMMMIES CIC, Mind in Somerset and the Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP) will be able to deliver a broader, more flexible offer, including group and one-to-one sessions, trauma-informed support and culturally-sensitive interventions.

For more on Frome’s Welcome Hub, visit bit.ly/frome-welcome-hub, and for Somerset hubs, see somerset.gov.uk/tables/welcome-hubs.

READ MORE: Frome news from your Somerset Leveller