The home secretary today announced £1m of extra funding to help communities support Syrian refugees.

The funding is to mark the one year anniversary of the community sponsorship scheme, which enables community groups to support refugees who have been resettled from camps in the countries surrounding Syria.

Since last year, 53 refugees have been welcomed by 10 community groups across the UK. The groups, which include faith organisations and charities, provide refugees with housing and they help them access medical and social services.

‘I am delighted that the community sponsorship scheme has got off to such an excellent start,’ said home secretary Amber Rudd.

‘The work of the volunteers who have welcomed refugees into their communities over the last year is inspiring, as is the compassion of the many local authorities who have provided their support.

‘But this is just the beginning. I hope many more groups, from across England and Wales, will be inspired to get involved.

‘That is why I have announced this funding, to help more communities welcome vulnerable families looking to create a new life and bring real benefits to the places in which they will live and work.’

In 2015 the former prime minister David Cameron committed the UK Government to taking in 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020 under the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Programme (VPRP).

According to the latest Immigration Statistics, 5,453 Syrians were resettled to the UK under the VPRP in the year ending March 2017.