Reflections from the CSA Away Day: Fresh Energy, Shared Purpose, and a Bold Path to 2026

Earlier this month, our Chair, Susannah Baker MBE, joined colleagues and partners in London for the Community Sponsorship Alliance’s latest away day — an invaluable chance to step out of day‑to‑day work and step into deeper conversation, strategic focus, and collective purpose. As Susannah put it,

“There’s something about getting the whole Community Sponsorship Alliance in a room together that you just can’t replicate in online calls.”

And this gathering truly proved that.

Welcoming New Organisations to the Alliance

This year, CSA welcomed several new partners whose insight, experience, and fresh perspectives have already energised the group:

• International Rescue Committee UK 

• Reset Communities for Refugees 

• Refugee Education UK 

• Refugee Council 

• UK Welcomes Refugees 

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These organisations joined our long-standing members, including:

• The Pickwell Foundation 

• Caritas 

• The Salvation Army

• Waltham Forest Community Sponsorship Partnership

• King’s College London

• Social Justice Network

• Holywood Shared Town – Community Sponsorship

• Croeso Menai 

• CHARIS Refugees

• Edinburgh Refugee Sponsorship Circle

Shaping Our 2026 Strategy Together

A major focus of the away day was working through CSA’s 2026 Strategy and deepening our shared approach to:

• Earned Settlement

• CSA’s collective identity and voice

• Where we should sharpen our focus — and what we should stop

• How we can work with more discipline and clarity

  
  

Huge thanks goes to our friend of the CSA, Rachel Griffiths, who facilitated the strategy session with her characteristic clarity, humour, and steadying presence.

What became clear — and pleasantly surprising — was how aligned the Alliance already is. Although the room held challenge, it was rooted in a shared purpose and mutual respect.

The Power of Lived Experience

One of the most important contributors to the day was Abdulrahman Bdiwi, who brings both lived experience of UK resettlement and years spent advising organisations within this sector.

His dual lens is rare, invaluable, and central to the integrity of CSA’s growing strategy. Susannah reflected:

“As we shaped our thinking, it genuinely mattered to us that it felt right — and comfortable — through his lens. If something didn’t sit well from his perspective, we needed to pause.”

This commitment to lived-experience leadership continues to shape the heart of the Alliance.

Looking Ahead: A Clear Path for 2026

By the end of the away day, the Alliance had:

• Almost finalised the CSA 2026 Strategy

• Agreed a collective position on Earned Settlement

Both will be shared publicly soon.

But as ever, the greatest value wasn’t just the strategy documents — it was the human connection. Sharing food. Laughing together (and occasionally at each other). Enjoying unstructured conversations that spark new ideas, strengthen relationships, and remind us why this work matters.

As Susannah put it:

“CSA is a broad church — traditional sponsors, pathway specialists, lived-experience leaders, national bodies, local groups from all four nations. Holding that together takes work. These days reminded me that we can be aligned and still challenge each other — and that’s exactly how it should be.”

We are deeply grateful for everyone who makes the Alliance what it is. And we’re quietly excited for what 2026 holds.