Hundreds of youth leaders were urged to adopt young refugees last Thursday as churches were again told to lead the charge in resettling those fleeing war and famine.
Around 3,000 unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the UK in 2015 and only 22 per cent gained refugee status.
With the government looking to welcome 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020, more than 200 youth workers were trained in how to deal with young asylum seekers last Thursday.
The 'Engaging Young Refugees' day in Luton was streamed across 10 community centres hoping to spark a wave of enthusiasm for the Home Office' community sponsorship scheme.
Hannah Elwyn, from Refugee Support Network, delivered the training and said: 'Our hope and prayer is that the event's participants will play a central role in understanding, welcoming and serving the unaccompanied asylum children and resettled families who arrive in their communities.'
Tarnia Bright, chief executive of Church Response for Refugees, a charity coordinating the drive, said churches were 'incredibly well-placed to help refugees'.
She said: 'We hope that by attending this training day, youth workers at churches feel called and enabled to reach out to young refugees and asylum seekers, and show them hospitality and the love of Jesus in action.
Several churches have led the charge in welcoming families after the Archbishop of Canterbury became the first, housing a Syrian family in a cottage in the grounds of Lambeth Palace.
Since then the Diocese of Salford and the Salvation Army have both welcomed Syrian refugee families, taking responsibility for their integration into UK life.
