Cheshire West and Chester recognised as a Council of Sanctuary
Cheshire West and Chester Council has been named a Council of Sanctuary in recognition of its work and ongoing commitment to support people seeking sanctuary and fleeing war, conflict and persecution.
The Council has been awarded the accreditation of Council of Sanctuary by the charity, City of Sanctuary UK. The accreditation recognises local authorities and other places of sanctuary that go above and beyond to welcome people fleeing conflict seeking a safe place to live and thrive.
City of Sanctuary UK have praised the Council for promoting a culture of welcome and hospitality for those seeking sanctuary in the United Kingdom through support for integration activities, events in the community, and working with voluntary, community and faith organisations. The Council has also shown its commitment to supporting those seeking sanctuary by ensuring its own services are accessible and welcoming to all people regardless of their background.
This is a key step to making the borough a place of welcome for those seeking sanctuary, working alongside other key partners and other “places of sanctuary”, such as schools, colleges, and places of worship, amongst others. This will enable Cheshire West and Chester to be recognised as a Borough of Sanctuary, proud of its diversity and history of welcoming people from across the world to settle here.
The Council’s vision of working with partners to make Cheshire West and Chester a welcoming place for those fleeing war, conflict and persecution is underpinned by five key values:
- Inclusiveness - We will work to ensure that people from all backgrounds are not excluded or marginalised.
- Openness - We are committed to a culture of working collaboratively within the sanctuary network and in partnership with others.
- Participation - We will ensure that those seeking sanctuary will have their voices heard, are involved in decision making processes and are supported to become leaders within the sanctuary network.
- Inspiring - We will work with partners to inspire a culture of welcome and positivity. We work collectively to inspire those seeking sanctuary to achieve the best for them and their families.
- Integrity - We will work with partners to ensure a high quality of service provision by sharing knowledge, expertise and best practice.
We are pleased to have been awarded the Council of Sanctuary accreditation. Cheshire West and Chester has a proud history of welcome and compassion for refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants from around the world in search of safety, sanctuary, work, education opportunities and a better life. In 2016, we welcomed Syrians into the borough who had been forced to flee their homes due to the ongoing conflict in the region. In 2021, the Council worked with partners to provide safety and shelter for people fleeing Afghanistan, including those who worked as interpreters or in other support roles for UK troops. Also in 2021, the launch of the Hong Kong scheme saw people making Cheshire their home. In 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine and this has led to Cheshire welcoming Ukrainian guests as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme. As a Council, we are just one part of making Cheshire West and Chester a Borough of Sanctuary. Community and voluntary groups, schools, libraries, places of worship and other places are all working together as networks, and providing a welcoming environment, support and opportunities to help people settle in our Borough following a period of massive upheaval in their lives. The life experiences of individual people who have migrated and the connections between our Borough and the wider world is so important and enriches all that call the Borough ‘home’.
Since coming here we have received tremendous support from the neighbours, from the Borough and from the community as a whole. We wanted to establish our long-term future here. We found an amazing house in an amazing neighbourhood where we live now. Then my two children were born here, and the support we had from the hospital, GP registration and then as they were growing, the school that we found – we are extremely happy. I couldn’t have asked for anywhere better to live with my family.
We came to the UK on the evacuation programme in 2021. We find the people here very friendly, and it is a safe environment for my children to live because we came from a country where war had been going on for the past 30 years. When we came here, we couldn’t imagine how safe it was, for my children they could go to school, and we didn’t have any concerns. We received a lot of support from the Council, especially when we lived in the hotel, every day they were there, and they were helping us. My eldest daughter has started college here and last year she received an award for outstanding progress. In Afghanistan, education is very restricted by the Taliban but now my children have a chance, and living here is a very good opportunity for them.
For more information on the Borough of Sanctuary, visit: