June 1st -7th is Volunteers Week and we recognise that City of Sanctuary groups rely on volunteers who do so much to foster and develop a culture of welcome and hospitality for those seeking sanctuary.
Most City of Sanctuary groups are co-ordinated by volunteers, who give up their time freely to support the vision of City of Sanctuary, spreading the ‘sanctuary message’ of welcome and inclusion to all spheres of society.
As well as their time, volunteers donate their skills in a huge number of ways. This may include translating, co-ordinating a drop-in group, delivering awareness-raising activities, liaising with schools, or inspiring action from supporters and allies.
Without support from volunteers throughout the UK and Ireland, the City of Sanctuary movement would have been unable to grow or develop in new and innovative ways.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers who have dedicated their time and energy to the City of Sanctuary movement. We recognise the huge effort you each put in to creating a culture of welcome and hospitality for those seeking sanctuary.
An excellent example of the work carried out by volunteers in one of our groups comes from Swansea City of Sanctuary which has been awarded the sought-after Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service by Buckingham Palace. This award is the equivalent of an MBE for volunteer groups and is the highest award given to volunteer groups throughout the UK. The award is a recognition of outstanding work which has taken place in UK communities. Congratulations Swansea! More information here .: https://swansea.cityofsanctuary.org/2017/06/02/swansea-city-of-sanctuary-wins-prestigious-queens-award
