If you missed any of our posts from March, this is what happened in Preston City of Sanctuary:
April is finally here as we can see the first signs of warm days in Preston!
Preston City of Sanctuary Open Meeting
On Monday 13th at Preston Town Hall, Preston City of Sanctuary had an open meeting with charities, faith groups, local schools’ representatives and members of the public. It was the first meeting after the exhibition “Escape to Safety”, kindly provided by Global Link and held for an entire week in the Minster Church. The open meeting was an excellent forum for network and feedback, where we learned what other groups are doing to support refugees and asylum seekers, as well as discussed how we can support their activities. Our special thanks to British Red Cross, Fylde Coast Amnesty Group, Hello Preston, Talk English, and all that have participated. If you’d like to present your group’s ideas, or would like to introduce yourself and get introduced to other local groups, please come to our next open meeting on April 24th. For more information, click here.
Vigil by Lighthouse Foundation for the victims of Westminster Attack
On 
Monday 27th over 70 people gathered in the Flag Market, Preston, to remember those killed in the recent London attack. Organised by the Light Foundation, a Muslim group locally based, the vigil showed solidarity and sympathy to the families of the victims, and, more importantly, that people from different backgrounds, faith and no faith, can remain united, open, and stand together in peace. See The Light Foundation’s Facebook page for more information.
PCoS’s launch inspires local artist Hannah Cobb with project “HOME”
You might have met one of ou
r volunteers and local artist Hannah, who has put together a series of illustrations into a project called “HOME”. These illustrations contain short interviews with people who have lived abroad or born outside the UK, including some refugees and asylum seekers.
With the aim of celebrating diversity and acceptance, these people were asked one single question: “What is HOME to you?”. The answers are beautiful and inspiring. You can see her project here.
Resettled Syrians granted Refugee Status by the Home Office – See letter in full
On 22nd March, a written statement by the Home Office made a positive change for Syrian refugees originally granted humanitarian protection status. With effect from 1st July, those admitted under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) and Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS) will be granted refugee status and five years’ limited leave. Preston City of Sanctuary, along with other organisations, welcomes this decision as we believe these vulnerable people need all the support for their successful integration in the UK. See letter in full here.
Over 100 followers ♥
Thank you very much for your support in these last couple of months, we currently have over 100 followers and likes on Facebook! But so much can be done if our network is expanded even more, so please spread the word to your friends and within your organisations, and watch this space for the latest news and events in Preston. If you feel that your event can be supported by us, do not hesitate to contact us via email or Facebook.
This is all very interesting…but what next?
Call for refugee footballers in Preston
Do you k
now any refugee or asylum seeker footballer in your area? Preston City of Sanctuary is calling for refugees and asylum seekers who would like to play a “Refugee World Cup” organised by Leicester City of Sanctuary. If you would like to register your team, please send us your details via email or Facebook. Don’t worry if you do not have large numbers as teams can be formed on the day. This is a fun way to make your refugee friends involved in a true team-spirit event! You can contact us here for more information.
Call for refugee artists and musicians in Preston
If you work with refugees and asylum seekers you might have noticed at least one artist within your group. We are calling for musicians, dancers, singers and performers who would like to present their art to the public in a friendly environment. Ideally, this would be part of the Refugee Week 2017. Please contact us here if you’d like to introduce your artists to us.
Got anything to say? Let us know your thoughts!
You can contact us for any queries you might have, from requesting information to getting involved. Also, you are welcome to use this space to share your thoughts and news regarding refugees and asylum seekers in Preston. Don’t forget that organisations and members of the public are welcome to attend our Open Meetings – our next Open Meeting is on the 24th April at 5.30pm, at Stephen’s Church Hall, PR1 8DY. Confirm you are attending here.
