Stockport Refugee Welcome Programme Fund

This new grant programme supports VCFSE organisations in Stockport to improve integration, wellbeing, and employment outcomes for refugees and people seeking asylum.

It is part of the Greater Manchester Refugee Welcome Programme and aligns with the Live Well commitment to neighbourhood-based, community-led support across Stockport.

From consultations with the sector, we know there are gaps in the support available for people seeking asylum and new refugees in Stockport—especially when it comes to helping them find work and build skills. Since 2023, there has also been a rise in asylum decisions, which has increased pressure on individuals and local services.

To help address this, we want to fund local projects that strengthen the support offered by voluntary and community organisations.

The Programme’s goals and values have been shaped by listening to local organisations and learning from what’s already working across Greater Manchester. We aim to be flexible and responsive—supporting projects that reflect local needs, gaps in services, and the strengths of the local voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector.

This work is also part of the Live Well approach—a Greater Manchester commitment to making sure everyone can access everyday support in their own neighbourhood. By investing in community-led services, we’re recognising how important it is to connect employment and skills support with health, wellbeing, and social inclusion. The goal is to create joined-up, person-centred support that truly meets the needs of people who are often overlooked.

Stockport Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) will use what is learnt from this programme to help shape future support for refugees and people seeking asylum—especially through integrated services like Live Well and employment support.

A community-led
fund

How were the priorities agreed?

The funding priorities have been shaped by locally established voluntary and community groups experienced in working with people with Refugee or Asylum-seeking status.

Complemented by insights from independent reports & data.

Eligibility Criteria

This fund is for VCFSE’s actively delivering in Stockport. Applicants must have at least 12 months’ experience supporting refugees or asylum seekers locally and have experience in managing grants of £10,000+.
Collaborative bids are encouraged however the maximum fund available will remain the same.
This new grant programme supports VCFSE organisations in Stockport to improve integration, wellbeing, and employment outcomes for refugees and people seeking asylum , with a focus on developing work skills.
Funded projects should aim to meet at least one or more of the following priorities:
- Build English Language Skills (informal & formal ESOL Pathways)
- Gain Confidence, Wellbeing & Community Connection as a route to employability and skills development
- Improve Digital Literacy and Inclusion
- Access to Vocational, Numeracy and/or Literacy Training
- Progress into Suitable and Sustainable Employment
Examples of projects include:
- Classes teaching entrepreneurial skills (e.g. sewing, baking, or crafts) to refugees, with a makers market to sell their products at the end of the project.
- Peer-led groups that support refugee and asylum-seekers at risk of isolation, offering practical workshops (e.g. bike repair, DIY) alongside mental health support.
- ESOL classes with a business focus, tailored to specific sectors.
Activity must benefit one or more (but not exclusively) of the following groups:
- Residents or people who are based in Greater Manchester;
  - People aged 16 or older;
  - People with asylum backgrouds, including:
    people granted refugee status following an asylum claim;
    people granted Humanitarian Protection following an asylum claim;
    refugees who have arrived via Family Reunion;
    people seeking asylum, i.e. waiting for a decision on their claims, regardless of how long since their arrival in the UK;
    people who have had their asylum decisions refused or withdrawn who are in the process of making or waiting on an appeal or further submissions.
  - Members of households where at least one family member has an asylum background as specified above. Household members are defined as spouses or civil partners or parents and children (aged 16 or older) of the spouse/civil partner or person with asylum background.
This does not include people on resettlement pathways or other nationality-based schemes (e.g. Homes for Ukraine)
Up to £15,000 grants (£5,000 for Unincorporated Groups), per year over 2 years (£30,000 total, subject to monitoring & evaluation).
Please apply via the application form below.
Following feedback from previous grants rounds, we have switched to using Microsoft Forms. This means you will be able to save your application and return to it and the form can be translated into different languages (currently Urdu, Polish & Arabic) via the button in the top right corner . Please let us know if you require a different language.
If you would like it in a different format or require additional accessibility requirements, please let us know.
An independent review panel, consisting of Sector 3, Economy, Work & Skills, and independent representatives will assess applications against the defined criteria.
Application deadline: midnight Sunday 20th July 2025
Grant offers & agreements: w/c 11th August 2025
Mandatory Monitoring & Evaluation Session: 20th or 21st August (choose 1)
Delivery start: No later than 1st September 2025
If your application is successful, you will be required to attend a monitoring & reporting workshop to help you understand what data and impact we need you to collect.
Read about the Fund Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Requirements here.
If you’d like to view the full application questions you can download the form in a word document here.