City of Sanctuary

Bradford News

Bradford Awarded 'City of Sanctuary' Status!

Submitted by Will Sutcliffe on Mon, 22/11/2010 - 15:22

Bradford was officially recognized as a ‘City of Sanctuary’at a National Network meeting of the City of Sanctuary movement on 18th November 2010 :

“.. a place where a broad range of local organizations, community groups and faith communities, as well as local government, are publicly committed to welcoming and including people seeking sanctuary”
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It is fantastic that all the hard work of so many in this city to welcome and include those seeking sanctuary amongst us was officially recognized, as well as the incredible contributions to the life of the city of sanctuary seekers themselves.

At that date an amazing 126 groups, organisations, places of worship and businesses had signed our ‘Resolution of Support’(clicking on the ‘Supporting Organisations ‘ tab on your right will show the latest number). Have a look at the attachment entitled ‘Supporters Actions’ to see examples of many of the inspiring ways in which these are turning their resolution into practical actions (you will need to click on the title line above first).

With huge thanks to the Committee and all whose hard work made this possible.

Refugee Voices Schools Drama Project

Submitted by Will Sutcliffe on Tue, 24/01/2012 - 16:33

An exciting initiative we are currently developing in collaboration with the Zephaniah Trust is the Refugee Voices schools drama project. Whilst Bradford Action for Families workers do awareness-raising and myth-busting teaching, the children also work on a powerful performance in which they act out true stories of local refugees – adults and young people.

*Watch this space as this project develops!*

Sanctuary Sunday 29th April

Submitted by Will Sutcliffe on Tue, 24/01/2012 - 16:28

Following the initiative of John Packer, the Anglican Bishop of Leeds, Sunday 29th April has been designated nationally as ‘Sanctuary Sunday’.

Sanctuary Sunday is an opportunity for places of worship across Bradford to explore the issues, stories and responses to creating a more welcoming city for those seeking safety among us.

*Watch this space for materials specifically designed to be used on the day.*

NEWSLETTER 2011

Submitted by Will Sutcliffe on Sun, 07/08/2011 - 23:57

Please find attached our latest newsletter.

Positive Bradford - put 28th September in your diaries!

Submitted by Will Sutcliffe on Mon, 11/04/2011 - 15:14

Bradford City of Sanctuary group wholeheartedly supports Positive Bradford. Please see message below from PB’s organising committee.

Positive Bradford’s objective is easily defined: we’re going to speak up for Bradford.

We intend to remind local people about Bradford’s achievements, update them on work in progress and inform them about the city’s exciting plans.
A ‘Positive Bradford Day’ will be held on *Wednesday, 28 September 2011 *to coincide with the opening of the new City Park. Centenary Square will be filled with displays, music and dancing performed by groups who promote Bradford’s cultural strength at home and overseas. It will be a day to celebrate all that is great about Bradford. Sceptics will be especially welcome!
Bradford has been the target of unfair criticism, often through baseless surveys designed simply to create headlines. The measure of a city is not how many department stores it has but the value and contribution of its people. Those who live, work, study or invest in Bradford know it’s a distinctive city with a unique identity and a bright future. A place where community cohesion isn’t just a fashionable term but a way of daily life.
Positive Bradford has been formed by a group of people fed up of seeing their city unfairly criticised. They have resolved to do something about it – but need support from local people, communities, businesses and other organisations. Set up by Jane Vincent, founder of recruitment company Candelisa People and Saleem Kader, managing director of international business Bombay Stores Group.The Positive Bradford Group includes volunteers from the arts, business, communities and education who share a mission to change perceptions of Bradford and highlight positive aspects of the city.

For more information see the website: http://www.positivebradford.co.uk/

or contact:
Eleanor Clyde-Evans
Head of Community Engagement
School of Lifelong Education and Development, University of Bradford

Bradford City of Sanctuary celebrated the positive contributions of refugees to the city on March 23rd!

Submitted by Will Sutcliffe on Wed, 30/03/2011 - 19:47

Asylum seekers, refugees and supporters came together to celebrate Bradford’s recent award of official ‘City of Sanctuary’ status and to pay tribute to the contributions of refugees in Bradford. It also tied in with the 60th anniversary of the Geneva Convention. Over 100 people attended the event at Kala Sangam on Wednesday 23rd March 2011. It was a very inspiring and informative evening.

Indeed, after a wonderful meal prepared by Masoumeh, an Iranian lady recently awarded refugee status with her 2 sons after a 10 year battle, the Deputy Mayor opened the evening, followed by several speakers. The first focused on 60 years of refugee migration to the city, then four refugees told of their incredible achievements despite destitution and other obstacles since arriving in the UK. We finished off with music and dance from various refugee musicians and a Zimbabwean choir.

City of Sanctuary is a movement to build a culture of hospitality for people seeking sanctuary in the UK. A City of Sanctuary is a place of safety, peace and welcome for people whose lives are in danger in their own countries.
We aim to value the skills and cultures of people seeking sanctuary, support community groups, schools and faith organisations to fully include refugees in the local community and enable them to contribute to the life of the city. We also aim to bring understanding by challenging stereotypes as well as engage with strategic agencies to bring change against the injustice refugees face.
For more information, please visit www.cityofsanctuary.org/bradford ,
Also if you would like to get involved or you have any questions, please contact us on cofsbradford@gmail.com

SANCTUARY Tent at Bradford's Mela 2010

Submitted by Will Sutcliffe on Mon, 22/11/2010 - 16:49

Many hundreds visited the *Sanctuary tent *again at Bradford’s 2010 Mela festival over the weekend of 12th and 13th June – a wonderful springboard for Refugee Week which immediately followed.

The tent resonated all weekend to the sound of live musical performances (including impromptu gatherings of musicians!)from local sanctuary seekers; perhaps the most memorable being the children’s junk percussion performance. For others keen to emanate their success, Moses Ekabusi’s percussion workshop soon had a large audience producing their own rhythms. As well as colourful displays from organisations such as the Refugee Forum, Red Cross and BEACON, there was the hard-hitting ‘Far from Home’ exhibition a display of children’s art.

Best of all was the atmosphere of welcome, hospitality and inclusivity which perfectly ilustrated what the City of Sanctuary movement is all about.

Mela 2011 will be one day only: Sunday 12th June

'Stories of Sanctuary' event 14.10.09

Submitted by Will Sutcliffe on Thu, 17/09/2009 - 15:17

     

150 people from across Bradford converged on St. Mary's hall (BD1) on 14th October for City of Sanctuary Bradford's second 'Stories of Sanctuary' event. The theme was "Stories of hope, struggle and achievement from people who have sought sanctuary in our city".

After meeting and mingling over a hot meal, those attending were moved by the powerful and very personal story of the Lady Mayoress Cllr Naveeda Ikram's own journey to the UK. 

Six speakers of different nationalities then spoke of how they had been able to overcome huge difficulties to be able to stand there that evening, but also of the many and inspiring ways in which they all are now contributing to the life of the city - and their hopes for the future.

Bradford's Zimbabwean Choir stirred everyone with some wonderful songs, before a multi-national impromptu percussion group (see picture above), led by Sister Teresa, assembled on stage and got everyone's toes tapping and hands clapping. This exploded into dancing as members of the Kurdish community closed the evening with some fantastic music and got everyone out of their seats. A vision of a City of Sanctuary - a place where complete strangers from different nationalities, ages and backgrounds join hands and dance together!

We will continue to work to see this vision spread across the city.

You can watch a snatch of the event on the brilliant new City of Sanctuary video, produced by the Media Trust: http://www.cityofsanctuary.com/film

First City of Sanctuary Bradford Newsletter

Submitted by Will Sutcliffe on Wed, 22/07/2009 - 10:19

Click on the link below to read our first Newsletter, published early July 2009.

 

 

City Council backs campaign!

Submitted by Will Sutcliffe on Mon, 30/03/2009 - 12:02

On 24th March Bradford Council passed the following motion, supporting Bradford's bid to become a recognized 'City of Sanctuary'

"This Council notes that:

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

This Council therefore recognises the contribution of asylum-seekers and refugees to the City of Bradford and is committed to welcoming and including them in our activities and supports Bradford becoming a recognised ‘City of Sanctuary ’ for refugees and asylum-seekers.

The Council also recognises that a comprehensive, co-ordinated and forward-looking approach is needed if City of Sanctuary and the management of other groups of people moving to the District are to be delivered effectively and appropriate support provided to new and existing communities.

The Council therefore requests the Executive to produce and adopt a formal strategy for New Arrivals into the District as a matter of urgency."

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