Programme for Afghan Refugee Community Support (PARCS) is a programme of learning and targeted grants in support of the refugee community sector in the UK. It aims to support Afghan-led Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs), and other small charities enable them to respond to the needs of people from Afghanistan including new refugee arrivals who came to the UK following the recent events in Afghanistan, as well as existing Afghan refugees in the UK.

The majority of charities who have been granted funds are  Afghan-led small grass roots community organisations based in different part of the UK. The funds are targeted towards improving their capacity to deliver much needed services which are addressing the needs of Afghan refugees and ease the pressure on the communities and organisations that support them.

The following organisations and community groups received grants from the Refugee Council through the Programme of Afghan Refugee Community Support (PARCS):

• AAMU Community West Midlands CIC
• Afghan Action
• Afghan Association of London (Harrow)
• Afghan Association Paiwand
• Afghan Community & Welfare Centre
• Afghan Community Association
• Afghan Cultural and Islamic centre
• Afghan Society in the West Midlands
• Afghan Voice CIC
• Afghan Women’s Support Group- part of REAP
• Afghan Youth Association
• Association of Afghan Healthcare Professionals -UK
• Ayendah Sazan Community
• Bahar AFG Womens Association
• Hazara Committee in UK
• Leeds Afghan Education Centre
• Leicester Afghan Cultural Society
• Masoud foundation
• Peterborough Afghan Shia Association
• Rahela Trust for Afghan women’s education
• Refugee Education UK
• Share my Voice -project of Cranhill Trust
• Tajik-Farsi Action Foundation
• Refugee Education UK
• The Afghanistan & Central Asian Association

As well as providing grants, PARCS plays a more direct role in providing grantees with a tailored programme of support to improve their organisational capacity, access to resources, and engagement with other sources of support. We focus our support on areas of development such as governance, policy development, project management, fundraising, networking and partnership development, and voice and representation. We also use our connections and networks within the community and voluntary sector to refer grantees and help them access other sources of support and resources.

The programme is generously supported by 5 contributing funders: Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, City Bridge Trust, AB Charitable Trust, and the London Community foundation.

For more information on the Programme for Afghan Refugee Community Support or if you would like to know more, please email development.one@refugeecouncil.org.uk