Wakefield District City of Sanctuary

16/06/2026

💚 Give hope. Build welcome 💚

This Refugee Week, we’re celebrating the strength, courage and resilience of people seeking sanctuary here in Wakefield.

At Wakefield District City of Sanctuary, we see every day how small acts of kindness can make a big difference, helping people rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.

If you’re able to, please consider making a donation. Your support helps us provide essential items, practical support, and a warm welcome to those who need it most.

Regular donations, no matter the size, help us plan ahead and secure our future so we can continue supporting people long-term.

Please visit the link in the comments. If you are unable to donate, please share this post to encourage others to support us.

Every pound makes a difference. Every act of care matters. Together, we can continue to build a kinder, more welcoming community.

Donate today and stand in solidarity with people seeking sanctuary 💚

16/06/2026

💚

What would you do to keep yourself and your family safe?

You’d quit your job.
You’d move house.
You’d drain your savings.
You’d pack a suitcase and disappear into the night.
You’d leave behind your friends, your memories, your home.
You’d risk everything - your future, your life - for a chance to survive.

Wouldn’t you?

Every person seeking sanctuary has already faced that question - and made the hardest choice imaginable.

Ever wondered why many of those crossing dangerous waters to the UK are men? It’s because they don't want to put their wives or children in danger. They come first - to find safety, to find hope, to bring their families home the right way.

No one risks it all unless they have no other choice.

And they have no other choice as there are almost no official routes to safety. There is no scheme like 'Homes for Ukraine' for people from Gaza or Syria or Sudan.

Right now, lies and fear are turning some of the most vulnerable people in our communities into targets - scapegoated, persecuted, attacked.

Truth matters. Compassion matters. Sanctuary matters.

👉 This Refugee Week help bring humanity back into the conversation. Download our free Courageous Conversations resource: https://cityofsanctuary.org/2025/03/25/22280/

15/06/2026

This , we stand 🧡

This Refugee Week, we’re standing with the community to celebrate Refugee Week. We are honouring the courage of sanctuary seekers across the Wakefield District and the incredible contributions they make to our community.

Join us.
Share this post to show your support.

💚🧡

13/06/2026

👣 Help us keep people safe, comfortable and dignified 👣

We support sanctuary seekers arriving in the UK, many of whom come with very few belongings. In initial accommodation, something as simple as comfortable footwear can make a huge difference.

We’re currently appealing for donations of new or nearly new Crocs-style and flip-flop style shoes for men, women, and children.

These are especially needed because they:
💚 Are easy to wear and clean
💚 Provide comfort in shared living spaces, including bathrooms
💚 Help people feel a little more at ease during an uncertain time

How you can help:
• Donate clean, new or nearly new Crocs or flip-flops
• All sizes welcome (children to adults)

Every pair donated is a small act of kindness that brings comfort and dignity to someone starting over.

Please message us if you’d like to contribute or organise a collection. To donate money towards this appeal please visit the link in the comments.

Thank you for standing with people seeking safety 💚

13/06/2026

Courage belongs to us all.

As Refugee Week begins, we are mindful that this year’s festival takes place at a time when some communities are experiencing rising hostility, division and uncertainty. In recent weeks, we have seen incidents of racism, violence and attempts to disrupt events that celebrate welcome, inclusion and belonging.

It is precisely in moments like these that Refugee Week matters most.

For 28 years, Refugee Week has brought people together through art, culture, food, film, music, sport and conversation. It creates opportunities to meet neighbours, hear new stories, experience different cultures and discover what connects us. Each year, millions of people take part in tens of thousands of events and activities, helping to build stronger communities across the country and internationally.

Refugee Week is a celebration of the enormous contributions that people seeking sanctuary have made - and continue to make - to every part of our society. It is also a chance to deepen understanding of why people are forced to flee, and to recognise the importance of the right for displaced people to seek safety, dignity and opportunity.

This year's theme, Courage, feels especially resonant.

For refugees courage is often a daily necessity. It is the courage to face unknown journeys, learn new languages, navigate unfamiliar systems, or simply to wake up each morning and step into an uncertain world.

But courage belongs to all of us. Courage to welcome, to stand for what we believe in, and to celebrate culture and community.

At a time when some seek to divide and blame, Refugee Week offers an opportunity to broaden our horizons and discover the richness that emerges when people from different backgrounds share creativity and connection. This year also marks 75 years since the Refugee Convention - a landmark agreement affirming that those forced to flee deserve protection, dignity, and hope.

As Refugee Week 2026 begins (15 June), we invite everyone to celebrate the courage that lives within us all - join us and take part!

If you are hosting or participating in an event this year, read our 'Showing Solidarity and Staying Safe' resource, which offers an overview of Refugee Week alongside practical guidance for organisers.

It explores why the festival matters in today’s context, how it helps build connection and counter hostility, and shares simple, proportionate tips for planning safe, welcoming events - from risk awareness and safeguarding to managing online spaces and protecting personal information: https://refugeeweek.org/showing-solidarity-staying-safe/

11/06/2026

We condemn violence in all its forms.

Those responsible for criminal acts should be held accountable through the proper legal process. At the same time, the actions of one individual must never be used to stigmatise an entire community, nationality, ethnicity, or faith. Collective blame only creates further division and harm.

We stand with Belfast City of Sanctuary in rejecting racism, hatred, intimidation, and attempts to exploit tragic events to spread fear and division. Responsibility lies not only with those who carried out these attacks, but also with those who fuel division, exploit public anger, and create a climate in which racism can thrive.

04/06/2026

🌟 Volunteers’ Week 2026 🌟

This Volunteers’ Week, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to every single person who gives their time, compassion and energy to support sanctuary seekers across the Wakefield District. Especially now, we look around and see the love and compassion that our volunteers display and we feel real optimism.

From offering a warm welcome and practical help, to sharing skills, listening, and standing in solidarity - your kindness makes a real difference every day. You help create spaces where people feel safe, valued and hopeful for the future. That impact cannot be overstated.

Whether you are one of our volunteers who run free online English classes; pack clothes in our clothing bank; support people through our food bank; offer advice and support; offer a friendly welcome at our reception; encourage socialisation at our craft sessions; sweep the floor; do deliveries; liaise with other charities; make copious numbers of cups of tea; and everything in between, we appreciate every single one of you.

To all our incredible volunteers: we see you, we appreciate you, and we couldn’t do this work without you 💚

Please leave a message of gratitude for our volunteers in the comments and we will make sure they see them.

02/06/2026

🌈 Pride Month: Standing in Solidarity 🌈

This Pride Month, we celebrate the resilience, courage and identity of LGBTQIA+ people everywhere - including those seeking sanctuary.

Pride is about visibility, dignity and the right to live freely. For LGBTQIA+ people seeking asylum, these rights are often still out of reach - they face isolation, uncertainty and ongoing barriers even after arriving in the UK.

This month, and every month, we stand with LGBTQIA+ sanctuary seekers:
💚 Celebrating their strength
💚 Amplifying their voices
💚 Advocating for safety, fairness and belonging

Everyone deserves to live openly, safely and with pride, no matter where they come from

26/05/2026

🌙 Eid al-Adha Mubarak 🌙

We wish a joyful and peaceful Eid al-Adha to everyone celebrating.

Eid al-Adha is a time to reflect on sacrifice, compassion, and the importance of supporting one another. It reminds us of the strength it takes to give up what is precious in the hope of something greater.

For many of the sanctuary seekers we work alongside, the meaning of sacrifice resonates deeply. Leaving behind home, family, and familiarity in search of safety takes immense courage. This day is a powerful moment to recognise those journeys, honour resilience, and stand in solidarity with those rebuilding their lives.

As communities come together in generosity and care, may this Eid bring comfort, dignity, and connection - especially to those far from loved ones.

Together, we celebrate hope, humanity, and the strength found in supporting one another 💚

15/05/2026

This weekend, far right organisers are using fear and division to advance their own racism.

Some marchers will be there out of real frustration - about housing, jobs and feeling unheard. That anger is understandable. But the organisers have a different agenda: turning people against each other rather than addressing the real problems in a society built for the powerful few.

They won't succeed.

Our neighbours, our friends, the people who make up the fabric of our communities - they belong here. And so does the spirit of welcome that has always defined us at our best.

We're all from somewhere. What matters is where we're going. Do we turn on each other, led by fear, chasing simple answers to complex problems - or do we do what communities have always done: show up, help out, look after one another?