‘It’s helping me build my future’: empowering migrant and refugee families in a London borough of sanctuary

In Islington, a panel of people with migrant and refugee backgrounds is allocating 500,000 in grants to directly help new arrivals who are where they once were

On a cold morning in the heart of London, recently arrived refugees and more established migrants gather in a community centre. Their mission? To decide how 500,000 in funding will be used to support people like them.

The initiative is part of the Borough of Sanctuary grants programme, which takes the government's commitment to devolution a step further, using it to empower migrants and refugees.