Bristol- once known as a city of slavery- is growing now into a city of sanctuary. For years Bristol has offered a welcome to people whose lives were in danger in their own countries. The Bristol City of Sanctuary Group is spearheading efforts to see this culture of welcome and hospitality extended to include people seeking sanctuary (asylum seekers and refugees) in our city.
City of Sanctuary is a movement to build a culture of hospitality for people seeking safety in the UK. So far only Sheffield has been named City of Sanctuary in UK. In order for Bristol to achieve this status the city needs to achieve certain essential goals.
Our Steering Group invites all organisations, local groups, religious groups, schools, universities, businesses and individuals to join us and help make Bristol proud to be a place of safety.We hope to stimulate opportunities for those seeking sanctuary to participate fully in the life of this city.
The Group is working towards an official launch in 2010, the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.
