Sheffield

City of Sanctuary is a movement to build a culture of hospitality for refugees and asylum-seekers. In 2007, with the support of the City Council, Sheffield became the UK’s first ‘City of Sanctuary’ for asylum-seekers and refugees—a city that takes pride in the welcome it offers to people in need of safety.

More than 100 local organisations including schools, community projects, student groups, and most of Sheffield’s main faith communities have now joined the movement. If you look at our “Inspiration Page” you can see the different ways people are offering to help – anything from Morris Dancing to learning chess or playing football.

We would love you to make your own commitment too – either by persuading your group or organisation to sign our pledge, or as an individual. Please contact us if you would like to get involved.

If you would like to receive news of refugee-related events in Sheffield please subscribe to our monthly email newsletter using our contact form. You can also receive instant notification of new articles by registering with this website and joining the ‘Sheffield’ group.

With grateful thanks to our funders, Brelms Trust and Scurrah Wainwright

Vacancy at Sheffield City of Sanctuary

Sheffield City of Sanctuary is recruiting a new part-time Communications & Administration Worker to take over the role of maintaining relationships with our network of supporters, and managing our record-keeping and administration. This is an opportunity for a highly organised and self-motivated person to play a key role in this grassroots movement to build a culture of hospitality for people seeking sanctuary. Details of the post and an application pack are at: www.cityofsanctuary.org/jobs The closing date for applications is 23rd July 2010. Further information at: www.cityofsanctuary.org or contact: dan@cityofsanctuary.org
Sheffield Council to fund "Summer of Sanctuary"

Sheffield Council has announced it’s allocating £15,000 to help local people celebrate the contribution refugees make to the city. The money is being offered to local groups to enable them to stage events on the theme of sanctuary through the months of June, July and August. The idea came up in discussions about “Refugee Week” which takes place around the country every June. “Summer of Sanctuary” will develop the notion more extensively to give refugees a presence in festivals and other events around the city during the course of the summer. Anyone wanting to apply for funding, or just to put on an event should contact Rachel Westerby in the city council’s asylum team: rachel.westerby@sheffield.gov.uk
"Moving to Mars" on More 4

The documentary “Moving to Mars”, screened on More 4 on Tuesday Feb 2nd, shows the relatively smooth and managed migration of two Burmese families as they are transferred from a refugee camp in Thailand to begin new lives in Sheffield.
Sheffield scores a century!

At City of Sanctuary we aim to make everyone feel at home, so it seems particularly fitting that Sheffield Homes has become the 100th organisation to sign up to the movement. The event was marked at a special ceremony where Sheffield Homes signed a large-scale pledge, and City of Sanctuary Chair Inderjit Bhogal presented Sheffield Homes with a framed certificate of congratulations. The photo shows Trevor Bamforth, Area Board Member and Member of the Sheffield Homes Black and Ethnic Minorities Planning Group, who signed the pledge of Support on behalf of Sheffield Homes, with Janet Parry, Director of Housing Management, Sheffield Homes and City of Sanctuary Chair, Inderjit Bhogal, surrounded by supporters.
Have a say in your city!

If you live, work or study in Sheffield you could join a team of people who work with the city council to make sure your thoughts and ideas are included in discussions about improving life in the city. This year for example the "Sustainable Communities Panel" came up with the suggestion that the Council should encourage the government to support the right to work for asylum seekers. It was one of four ideas developed by the Panel and subsequently endorsed by the Council Cabinet, and we're now waiting to hear if central government will act on them. The Council is looking for volunteers to join the Panel from February 2010. It would be great to get the voice of someone seeking sanctuary onto this. They will pay expenses for attending panel meetings. If you're interested please contact Laurie Brennan, tel: 0114 273 5199 or email: laurie.brennan@sheffield.gov.uk And you can find out more about the Panel here: http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/your-city-council/sheffield-sustainable-comm...

Sheffield E-Newsletter

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City of Sanctuary is supported by:
The Co-Operative Esmee Fairbairn Foundation The Allen Lane Foundation Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

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