Final preparations underway as Moray prepares to welcome Syrian refugees

Final preparations are being put in place in Moray to welcome four Syrian families.

Published 16th Feb 2016

Final preparations are being put in place in Moray to welcome four Syrian families.

Moray’s support is being led by the Community Planning Partnership which is providing a co-ordinated approach across all its strands such as the NHS, Police Scotland and various strands in Moray Council to ensure that measures are in place to support the families.

This month the refugees will be met at the airport of arrival with appropriate personnel from the relevant agencies who will then support the families until they are settled into houses and flats in Forres.

A welcome pack translated into Arabic has also been produced explaining how the families can access help and support like interpretation, medical and dental support and practical information on how to get bank accounts, etc.

They will also be supported with practical help such as getting children into schools and some briefing on Scottish customs and laws to help them integrate into our society.

Laurence Findlay, a spokesman for the Community Planning Partnership said: “The families are going to need time and space to adjust to living here and the partnership has been working together to try to ensure that this all goes as smoothly as possible for these four families.

"We have had to think of the obvious things such as education for children and medical and dental support but there are also all sorts of other things that we take for granted that we have had to think of such as how to call the emergency services, cultural differences and making sure that they don’t inadvertently fall foul of Scots law such as smoking in public places, wearing seatbelts in cars and that any small children in cars use car seats.. These briefing guides are not chapter and verse on Scots law but simply intended as a helpful guide to our culture to help the refugees integrate and feel welcome.”

Moray Supports Refugees who are co-ordinating charity donations and offers of help have been overwhelmed with offers of help and support from a donation of books from the Scottish Book Trust to 50 plus knitted blankets which will be used as welcome gifts for the families when they arrive.

Each week a team of volunteers help sort the donations ready for forwarding to the crisis points in Europe and setting aside items for our new neighbours when they arrive. Cash donations have also been received through coffee mornings, Christmas collections, cake sales and this last weekend a book/toy garden sale organised by some youngsters in Fochabers.

The Rev Shuna Dicks, spokesperson for Moray Supports Refugees said “the response from the people of Moray to the needs of the refugees has been heart-warming. I receive almost daily phone calls or Facebook messages from people offering clothes, camping and household goods.

"A warm welcome is something our new neighbours can expect. A welcome lunch is being planned by local people in Forres for the refugees once they have had a chance to settle and get used to their new homes. Many people are working hard to ensure everything is in place to make the move to this area as smooth and as easy as possible.”

Laurence Findlay added: “There has been a wonderful response from the people of Moray and we warmly congratulate them and the Moray Support Refugees group who are doing such a great job in raising funds and donations. We have also received a number of offers of help with translation and interpretation which is just great. However, whilst we wholeheartedly welcome all these offers it is important that any help is co-ordinated through the Moray Support Refugees charity and urge anyone with services to offer to direct their help to the charity where it can be best used.”