A NATIONAL charity has chosen Bradford as the host for its celebration following the city’s success in raising the bar for people seeking sanctuary.
City of Sanctuary is a charity working to help individuals, groups, and organisations in every sector to encourage inclusivity, compassion, and solidarity with refugees and people seeking sanctuary.
Over the past year, a number of spaces across the district have been awarded City of Sanctuary status, the most recent being Horton Community Farm, which was the first garden in the North to be given this accolade.
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From schools and universities to local councils, libraries and arts organisations, the City of Sanctuary networks ensure that wherever people seeking sanctuary go they are met with understanding, kindness and empowering opportunities.
The theme of this year’s conference was inspiring Resilience.
The last few years have been particularly tough for people seeking sanctuary and those who support them: the pandemic, increasingly hostile government policies, the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the war in Ukraine are only some of the issues
A spokesperson for the City of Sanctuary said: “Despite hostility and division pushed by politicians and the press, thousands of ordinary people around the country are stepping up to support people seeking sanctuary in our communities.
“After so many setbacks, hurdles and tragedies - the day was about celebrating what gives us all resilience and hope to keep going.
“We celebrated the fantastic contribution of the conference hosts - Bradford City of Sanctuary, who have been setting the bar for other cities in terms of how it is welcoming people seeking sanctuary.”
There were also speakers and attendees from local Bradford Sanctuary awarded institutions: Bradford Council, awarded Council of Sanctuary; Bradford Interchange, awarded Station of Sanctuary; Bradford College, awarded College of Sanctuary; and Horton Community Farm, awarded Garden of Sanctuary.
Other attendees included Dr Sabir Zazai, Inderjit Bhogal, people with lived experience of seeking sanctuary now living in Bradford and elsewhere, community groups providing direct aid provision to new arrivals and campaigners from Asylum Matters, IMIX, Migration Yorkshire and the Mental Health Foundation
Sian Summer-Rees, City of Sanctuary UK, Chief Officer said: "We couldn't have asked for better hosts for this incredible event.
“Bradford truly exemplifies what it is to be a City of Sanctuary.
"From the local council to the university, schools, gardens and even a train station - every aspect of this community is committed to showing compassion and welcome to people forced to flee.
“They set the bar for other cities in terms of how to welcome people seeking sanctuary."
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