Please note, this City of Sanctuary group is currently inactive. If you are interested in re-establishing it, please contact [email protected]
Welcome to Southwark Borough of Sanctuary.
We are part of the national City of Sanctuary movement which aims to create a network of towns and cities throughout the UK which are proud to be places of safety and inclusion for people seeking sanctuary.
Formed in November 2018, we are working with others to ensure Southwark is a recognised ‘Borough of Sanctuary’ that proudly welcomes refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.
Next meeting
Everyone is warmly invited to come to our next informal meeting, which will take place on Zoom.
Wednesday 2 September, 6.30pm.
If you would like to take part please email us. Come along to find out more about what’s happening and to get involved in helping Southwark move towards being a Borough of Sanctuary.
Listening project – tell us your view
To help us define what needs to happen to make Southwark a borough of sanctuary, we want to hear from refugee, asylum seeker and migrant communities in Southwark and the local organisations supporting them. We would love your help!
We’re inviting local individuals and organisations to share their thoughts on what ‘sanctuary’ means; what the barriers to sanctuary are; and what Southwark Council and the local community etc can do to make Southwark a borough of safety and inclusion.
You can also respond to the listening exercise questions based on your own experience. Or, you can complete the online survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/G8RRKTL
If you work or volunteer with an organisation that supports refugees, migrants and asylum seekers, could you help by organising a listening exercise session? We can help by leading the session (ie ask the questions and keep a record of responses) if you could support by providing a discussion space and inviting/suggesting participants. Contact us for more details.
We would be grateful to receive responses by Friday 14 February, 2020. We will summarise responses shared through the listening exercise in a public report. This report will help define the concrete steps needed to make Southwark a borough of sanctuary.
Please sign our resolution of support
If you have two minutes, we are asking individuals and organisations (including businesses, schools, arts organisations, churches, community groups) based in Southwark to sign a resolution of support.
Individuals – sign the resolution of support here
Organisations – sign the resolution of support here. Or download as a PDF or Word file and return by email to [email protected]
Please sign if you support the initiative to:
- Make Southwark a recognised ‘Borough of Sanctuary’
- Welcome those fleeing persecution, conflict, violence and disasters in their home countries
- Recognise the positive contribution of refugees and people seeking sanctuary to the UK
- And are committed to taking practical steps towards welcoming and including them in our activities
Signing the resolution means you are part of the movement and can help to shape how it develops as we work towards making Southwark a Borough of Sanctuary. Thank you for helping to make Southwark a Borough of Sanctuary.
Our aims
We aim to:
- Harness public support and focus on what people can do to help
- Celebrate the contribution of refugee and migrant communities to the diversity of Southwark
- Highlight the work of the long-standing refugee support organisations in Southwark including: Southwark Day Centres for Asylum Seekers; Southwark Refugee and Migrant Project; Southwark Refugee Communities Forum; Southwark Law Centre and Peckham Sponsors Refugees.
- Raise awareness both of international refugee issues and the issues facing refugees in the UK
- Challenge the anti-refugee and anti-migrant attitudes of much of the media and political establishment
How to contact us
Email – [email protected]
Twitter – @SthwrkSanctuary
Facebook – Southwark Borough of Sanctuary
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