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Refugee Action supports City of Sanctuary movement

Wednesday September 24th 2008

 

Refugee Action is backing a grass-roots movement creating a network of towns and cities that are proud to be places of safety.

The City of Sanctuary movement is creating a culture of hospitality for people fleeing persecution and war, so that they can become an active part of their new communities.

‘Cities of Sanctuary’ are places where a broad range of local organisations, local government, community groups and faith communities are publicly committed to welcoming and including people seeking safety.

The movement began in October 2005 in Sheffield.  In September 2007, with the support of the City Council and over 70 community organisations, Sheffield became the UK’s first official ‘City of Sanctuary’.

Refugee Action is the leading refugee agency in Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Leicester, Bristol, Plymouth and Portsmouth.

Its Leicester office is represented on the movement’s management committee in the city, and it provides office space to the City of Sanctuary staff member.

Sandy Buchan, the Chief Executive of Refugee Action, said: “It is important that we get behind this exciting movement, which is reaching out to a range of people who want to offer sanctuary to some of the most vulnerable members of our communities. We will support the City of Sanctuary movement in all of our regions, and will encourage others to join the cause.”

ENDS

For more information call Julia Ravenscroft, press officer at Refugee Action on 0161 2331956 or Stephen Rylance, head of communications, on 0207 654 7707.

• To find out more about the City of Sanctuary movement go to http://www.cityofsanctuary.com.

• London City of Sanctuary launch event is on Wed 12 November, 1900 hours at:
  St Martin’s Hall
  St Martin-in-the-Fields
  Trafalgar Square
  London WC2

  The event will involve performance, music and speakers. This event is for anyone interested in developing the City of Sanctuary movement in London, or just keen to find out more. Contact london@cityofsanctuary.org for more details, and visitwww.cityofsanctuary.org

• Refugee Action is an independent, national charity working to enable refugees to build new lives in the UK.  We provide practical advice and assistance for newly arrived asylum seekers and long-term commitment to their settlement through community development work, and received 30,000 visits from asylum seekers last year.  As one of the country’s leading agencies in the field, Refugee Action has 27 years’ experience in pioneering innovative work in partnership with refugees.

 

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