This week we held our AGM and celebration event. We elected our new Management Committee and celebrated the steps taken to understand, welcome and include people seeking sanctuary by supporting organisations. We were delighted with the turnout and can only apologise for running out of chairs! However, we think this is a great sign, demonstrating how widespread the ‘Sanctuary vision’ is in Swansea.

We were joined by Carolyn Harris, Member of Parliament for Swansea East and Shadow Home Office Fire and Communities Minister, at the event. Carolyn gave a passionate speech, highlighting the contributions made to welcome and include people seeking sanctuary, throughout the City. We are encouraged that Carolyn has committed to holding another surgery specifically for asylum seekers in her constituency who are experiencing problems with their accommodation.

Carolyn Harris, Member of Parliament for Swansea East and Shadow Home Office Fire and Communities Minister

Jean, one of our Sanctuary Speaker volunteers, took to the microphone to share his experiences with the audience. We thank him for his honesty and for his powerful testimony. Merci beaucoup Jean!

As well as being our AGM, the event was an opportunity for us to present Sanctuary Awards, to organisations who had successfully demonstrated the practical steps they had taken to understand, include and celebrate people seeking sanctuary in Swansea and further afield. These awards serve as recognition of the work undertaken by these organisations and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their hard work.

Please join us in congratulating our 2017 Sanctuary Award winners, Department of Adult Continuing Education (DACE), Digital Communities Wales, Down to Earth Project, Oxfam Castle Street and the Wales Observatory on Human Rights of Children and Young People.  We commend each organisation for the work undertaken to support, include and welcome people seeking sanctuary in their activities.
If you were unable to attend the event but want to hear more, check out the storify we’ve created to remember such a positive evening!