Ripon City of Sanctuary hosts public talks on asylum and refugee issues each year; audience numbers range from 40 to 100+.
Every year since the inaugural event in 2017, we’ve collaborated with the Ripon Poetry Festival (part of Ripon International Festival) to include the session ‘Poetry and Sanctuary‘.
We regularly take a stall on Ripon market and make ourselves available to talk to the public – of all persuasions – about refugee issues.
Our work on the Schools of Sanctuary stream is also a vital part of our awareness-raising among children and young people (and their teachers).
We regularly collaborate with, or present to, local groups and churches including Ripon Cathedral, U3A, the Women’s Institute, the local Methodist Circuit, St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church Ripon and the Leper Chapel.
We also campaign and are in regular contact with our MP, keeping him informed about the resettling of the Syrian families in Ripon and issues which concern them and us.