THE ball is officially rolling as the Corsham community bands together with the aim of resettling a refugee family devastated by the war in Syria within the next year.

Charity Corsham Sponsors Refugees, which was set up by former town councillor Chris Reid using the Home Office’s community sponsorship initiative, called upon the people of Corsham on Tuesday to help give a vulnerable family the chance of a better life.

More than 60 people interested in the scheme attended the launch meeting where Mrs Reid asked for volunteers for everything from Arabic speakers and English teachers, to plumbers and gardeners to help with the resettlement.

Mrs Reid, said: “This won’t work unless we all do this together. We think the process will take more than six months, but less than a year.

“These are really vulnerable people and we are to take really good care of them.

“I have been given the promise of a three-bed house by a private landlord, which is one of the biggest hurdles groups like this have to overcome.

The group has to raise £9,000 to join the scheme and prepare for the family’s arrival.

In the last few weeks they have raised almost £1,000.

Members of the audience also heard from Tim Finch, the director of Sponsor Refugees, and Anna Roderick, project leader of Abide in Devon who have successfully resettled Syrian refugee families through the same initiative.

Mr Finch said: “There are people who say we don’t want them here in our town, what about the homeless in our country, but we don’t see much of that. This isn’t the whole of Corsham, but a big group saying we want to do this.”

People interested in volunteering can sign up by emailing corshamsponsorsrefugees@gmail.com.