Impact Report Launch
Report launch on Friday 17th May
An impact report has been launched today. Written by Jean Hirst and Professor Keith Brown, the report evaluates the impact that faith-based organisations have on refugee integration in Southampton, and the continued role that local churches can play in supporting people arriving in the UK due to oppression. It will review over 20 years of work in the city. The report is funded by Love Southampton and the City of Sanctuary Southampton charity.
Southampton is a City of Sanctuary and has over 20 schools of sanctuary and it libraries are also recognised with this award. This year, Solent University became a University of Sanctuary and it will soon be followed by the University of Southampton.
Council Leader, Lorna Fielker, provided a foreword to the report, saying:
“Southampton is proud to be a City of Sanctuary and the churches in the city have helped to make sanctuary a living reality for thousands of lonely and needy asylum seekers. Working in partnership with statutory services the churches in Southampton have contributed a huge amount to the social integration of asylum seekers within the city. I am grateful to Love Southampton for representing the churches and for their long-term commitment to welcoming and supporting vulnerable new arrivals to our city which is evidenced in detail in this report. Indeed, without the churches’ commitment to supporting these asylum seekers our community would be much more impoverished.”
Commending the report, Acting Bishop of Southampton, Geoff Annas said:
“Jean Hirst and Keith Brown have provided an honest, factual and inspirational report that is not confrontational or ‘anti – government’ but rather offers recommendations based on success stories that have emerged through years of service to the community in Southampton. This report offers us all a great deal to reflect on and to which we should be prayerfully responding.”
The launch finished with a panel from the CLEAR team describing their work with people from different nations.
