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Awards

Sanctuary Awards

The City of Sanctuary Awards recognise organisations, businesses, and institutions that demonstrate a clear commitment to welcome, inclusion, and solidarity with refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

These awards help show the culture of welcome growing across the UK and celebrate organisations that are taking practical steps to make their services, spaces, and communities more inclusive.

Stockport City of Sanctuary is keen to support local organisations on their journey towards becoming a recognised Place of Sanctuary.

Who Can Apply?

Any organisation, business, or institution can apply for a Sanctuary Award if it can demonstrate commitment to the values and vision of the City of Sanctuary movement.

For some award streams, there are specific minimum criteria and dedicated guidance. These include:

  • Universities of Sanctuary
  • FE Colleges of Sanctuary
  • Gardens of Sanctuary
  • Health Institutions of Sanctuary
  • Arts Stream of Sanctuary
  • Schools of Sanctuary
  • Libraries of Sanctuary
  • Football Club of Sanctuary
  • Maternity Stream of Sanctuary

For other organisations, the general minimum criteria below should be used alongside evidence of Learning, Embedding, and Sharing.

The Three Award Areas

Sanctuary Awards are based on three core areas:

Learn

Organisations are encouraged to develop understanding of migration, asylum, and sanctuary across the whole organisation.

Embed

Organisations are expected to put welcome into practice by embedding inclusion into their structures, services, and decision-making.

Share

Organisations should actively share their learning and commitment with others, helping to build a wider culture of welcome.

General Minimum Criteria

To begin the Sanctuary Awards journey, organisations should demonstrate the following:

  • Make a public commitment to the City of Sanctuary vision by endorsing the Charter, becoming a supporting organisation, and signing the local group pledge where relevant.
  • Identify a dedicated member of staff or team member as a contact point for sanctuary-related queries and for people seeking sanctuary. This should be clearly communicated, easy to access, and supported by appropriate training.

Learn – Minimum Criteria

Applicants should demonstrate a whole-organisation approach to awareness-raising about migration, asylum, and sanctuary.

This should include:

  • increasing understanding across staff, volunteers, or members
  • involving people with lived experience of seeking sanctuary wherever possible
  • promoting learning that challenges myths, prejudice, and misinformation

Embed – Minimum Criteria

Applicants should show how welcome is being embedded in practice.

This includes, wherever possible:

  • involving people seeking sanctuary in the development of plans and actions
  • including people with lived experience on relevant groups or committees
  • actively engaging with refugee support networks and the local community
  • creating opportunities for people to come together
  • being actively involved with the local City of Sanctuary group and/or other refugee support networks
  • supporting relevant campaigns where appropriate
  • working to reduce barriers that prevent people seeking sanctuary from accessing services

Share – Minimum Criteria

Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to sharing their work and encouraging others.

This includes:

  • using websites, newsletters, social media, or other channels to celebrate sanctuary initiatives and promote a culture of welcome
  • sharing learning with similar organisations locally and across the UK
  • helping inspire others to take practical steps towards becoming more welcoming and inclusive

Organisational Pledge

All Sanctuary Award applicants must sign an organisational pledge showing their commitment to the values and principles of the City of Sanctuary movement.

stockport_city_of_sanctuary_organisational_pledgeDownload

This pledge is part of demonstrating a genuine public commitment to welcome.

How Stockport City of Sanctuary Can Help

We can support organisations in Stockport to:

  • understand the Sanctuary Awards process
  • explore the most relevant award stream
  • strengthen evidence under Learn, Embed, and Share
  • connect with local refugee support networks
  • develop their journey towards becoming a recognised Place of Sanctuary

Interested in Applying?

If your organisation would like to explore becoming a Place of Sanctuary, we would love to hear from you.

Please contact Stockport City of Sanctuary to discuss the next steps and how we can support your application.

E-mail: info@stockport.cityofsanctuary.org