A practical guide for those wishing to help refugees settle in their area

In September 2014, on the occasion of the Jewish festival of Succot, 50 members of Lambeth Citizens built a sukkah in Windrush Square in the heart of Brixton, south London.

This custom commemorates the temporary homes of the Israelites wandering in exile – not far from Syria, where the civil war was already in its third, destructive year. Our aim was to begin a campaign for refugee families to be resettled in Lambeth, and we invited members of the local council to join us. At the time, they declined, citing their long waiting lists for social housing.

But we persisted, and two years on the borough is in the process of accepting 23 families, about 120 people, mostly from refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon. The first families are already settled in private rented accommodation; they are learning English and their children have started in local schools.

How has this change been achieved and what lessons does our experience offer to similar groups campaigning for refugees?