College Group celebrate receiving College of Sanctuary status

Education Partnership North East (EPNE)’s colleges hosted a series of events to celebrate becoming the first in the region to be awarded College of Sanctuary status.

The award-winning group, which includes Sunderland College, Northumberland College, and Hartlepool Sixth Form College, committed to a pledge of providing support to people seeking sanctuary in the UK, raise awareness of the issues facing people in the asylum system, challenge misconceptions and build social cohesion.

In the summer, College of Sanctuary status was awarded by City of Sanctuary UK, a nationally coordinated network of organisations and services in every area and in every sector, including councils, universities, theatres and libraries that encourage inclusivity, compassion and solidarity with refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

At the start of the academic year, each college was presented with accreditation certificates, to formalise their College of Sanctuary status.

Campus Principal at Hartlepool Sixth Form and EPNE College of Sanctuary Strategic Lead, Jane Reed said: “We recognise how students seeking sanctuary enrich our college communities by bringing new skills and knowledge to our campuses.

“We were delighted to hold our presentation event during the same week where our first cohort of ESOL students were welcomed to the sixth form college.

“As a college group, EPNE is committed to supporting the College of Sanctuary’s charter and organisational values, including inclusivity, openness, participation, inspiration, and integrity, so that we can play a significant role in the region, to support building a more welcoming environment for people seeking sanctuary in the UK.”

Rosie Tapsfield, Director of Operations at College of Sanctuary said: “The Sanctuary Awards appraisal panel were very impressed with the work across the college group, and it was a pleasure to be able to recognise them as an awarded FE College of Sanctuary.

“Sanctuary Awards recognise and celebrate the work of organisations and institutions, such as colleges, who go above and beyond to welcome people seeking sanctuary. There were numerous examples of good practice that the group has in place to support people seeking sanctuary, as well as examples and evidence of activities and learning that encourages all students and staff to understand and be aware of what it means to be seeking sanctuary.

“There was a real sense of commitment, passion and buy-in for the work across the college and they should be very proud of what they offer to students who are seeking sanctuary.”

By signing the pledge and being awarded the College of Sanctuary status, EPNE endorses the City of Sanctuary Charter and agree to act in accordance with City of Sanctuary values and apply the network principles within their work.

The college group works alongside many external agencies to ensure that students are aware of what support there is in the community and to support inclusion and belonging, such as Friends of the Drop in (FODI) – which aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of asylum seeking and refugees in the area, and Young Asian Voices (YAV) – which is a multicultural youth and community project.

Through the establishment of a Strategic Sanctuary Steering Group which reports into the Inclusion and Vulnerable Groups Committee, and appointment of College of Sanctuary Champions across the EPNE, awareness and the profile of sanctuary seeking students has been significantly impacted.

‘Speak Up for Sanctuary Roadshows’ have been developed and rolled out across the group to continue with raising awareness and are currently developing a ‘Conversational Cafe’ concept to encourage those with lived experiences in relation to sanctuary, to come together to further raise awareness and develop community cohesion and inclusion.

As a learning institution, colleges have an important role in fostering a culture of safety, respect and understanding for new students who are seeking sanctuary and can lead by example locally.

Being a College of Sanctuary means recognising and celebrating the achievements of students seeking sanctuary, as well as raising awareness across the college community.