The University of Bradford Sponsors the City's First School of Sanctuary Award
The first Bradford School of Sanctuary award that was sponsored by the University of Bradford was presented to Horton Park Primary School on Monday 16 June.
The school is the first in the city to achieve 'School of Sanctuary' status, an initiative organised UK-wide by Streams of Sanctuary and supported locally by the University of Bradford’s School of Health Studies.
A School of Sanctuary helps its students, staff and wider community understand what it means to be seeking sanctuary, extends a welcome to everyone as equal, valued members of the school community, and shares their vision and achievements with others.
With the help of the University of Bradford and its partners; Bradford City of Sanctuary, Bradford Action for Refugees (BAfR), and The Zephaniah Trust, the scheme has been running in the city since September 2012.
Horton Park Primary School received book vouchers from the University of Bradford to spend on books about asylum seekers and refugees for their school library.
University of Bradford lecturer and National Trustee for the City of Sanctuary Dr Melanie Cooper said: "I'm delighted that Horton Park Primary School is the first of hopefully many schools in the city to be awarded Bradford School of Sanctuary status."
As part of Refugee Week, Sanctuary in Schools have organised a mixed-media exhibition in the Fabric Gallery in Bradford city centre. Running to Saturday 21 June 2014, the exhibition will be open every day from 11am to 5pm, with some evening opening.
In addition to work from schools and adult artists, there will be a small display about child refugees from the Spanish Civil War, in the 1930s, who found shelter in the Bradford area. There will also be photographs of a recent visit to Hutton Roof by a group of asylum seekers and refugees.
More information is available on from www.cityofsanctuary.org/bradford