City of Sanctuary is a movement to build a culture of hospitality for people seeking sanctuary in the UK. Our goal is to create a network of towns and cities throughout the country which are proud to be places of safety, and which include people seeking sanctuary fully in the life of their communities.

A City of Sanctuary is a place of safety and welcome for people whose lives are in danger in their own countries.

It is a place where:

• the skills and cultures of people seeking sanctuary are valued, where they are included in local communities and able to contribute to the life of the city.
• community groups, local government, media, business, schools and colleges have a shared commitment to offering sanctuary, so that it is seen as part of the city’s identity by local people.
• people seeking sanctuary can easily build relationships with local people as neighbours, friends and colleagues. Through these relationships, local people come to understand the injustices refugees face, and become motivated to support and defend them.

The City of Sanctuary movement began in October 2005 in Sheffield. In September 2007, with the support of the City Council and over 70 local community organisations, Sheffield became the UK’s first official ‘City of Sanctuary’ — a city that takes pride in the welcome it offers to people in need of safety.

There are now a growing number of City of Sanctuary working groups in towns and cities around the UK, and we are teaming up with the Refugee Council and Refugee Action to support them. We have also received funding from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust to support this work. In 2009/10 we aim to see a growing national City of Sanctuary movement that can start to influence policy-makers and public attitudes throughout the country.

Through creating a national network of Cities of Sanctuary, we aim to demonstrate the desire of people of goodwill throughout the country for a more just and humane approach to people seeking sanctuary in this country.

See how City of Sanctuary is working to build a culture of hospitality in our short film here.

City of Sanctuary is a registered charity, no. 1124921.

You can write to us at:
City of Sanctuary, Victoria Hall, Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 2JB

The City of Sanctuary Committee

Inderjit Bhogal (Chair) is Director of the Yorkshire and Humberside Faiths Forum and former President of the UK Methodist Conference.

Patricia Midgeley is a Sheffield City Councillor and Chair of the Inclusive and Cosmopolitan City Partnership Board.

Gina Clayton is a human rights lawyer specialising in asylum law.

Janet Stafford is a Deacon at Victoria Hall Methodist Church and a former manager in the NHS.

Diana Tottle is the Director of SAGE and a Trustee of Skillshare International.

Mike Reynolds is a Sheffield City Councillor and chairs the Council’s New Arrivals Members Advisory Group.