Past events at Ripon City of Sanctuary .

Thursday 24 January – We very much enjoyed guest speaker Mary Brandon, campaign projects manager for Yorkshire & Humberside at Asylum Matters.

Saturday 3 November – We took a Syrian family to participate in York City of Sanctuary’s ‘Welcome to York’ programme (a day of hospitality and exploring the city).

Tuesday 30 October – We gave a presentation to Ripon Cathedral Mothers’ Union, covering our support for the Syrian families as well as our wider work.

Saturday 13 October – As part of Ripon Poetry Festival, Palestinian poet Mustafa Abu Sneineh and British writer Naomi Foyle came up from London and Brighton, respectively, to read and discuss their poetry at the Old Deanery. This was arranged in collaboration with Ripon City of Sanctuary.

Thursday 11 October – We held a Ripon City of Sanctuary awareness stall at Ripon Market from 9am to 3:30pm, where we also focused on the Lift the Ban campaign.

Wednesday 1 August – City of Sanctuary prayer station at Ripon Cathedral charities day.

As part of Refugee Week, 18-24 June 2018 (see poster)

• Saturday 16 June – We joined Ripon Cathedral for a walk and thoughtful contemplation of sanctuary in the context of Ripon. 
• Monday 18 June – We held a free film night with 2 movies: a short entitled Only my Voice (2017, 12 mins) about 4 women from the Middle East as they transit through Athens, and a feature-length film entitled Syrian Stories (100 mins, 2017) revealing the diverse experiences of Syrian people displaced by war and living in neighbouring coutries. 
• Wednesday 20 June – We hosted a celebration of Schools of Sanctuary at Ripon Cathedral.
• Wednesday 20 June – We gave a public talk about the work of Ripon City of Sanctuary at Grewelthorpe Village Hall.
• All week – We put up a City of Sanctuary display at Ripon Library

Sunday 3 June – We participated in the volunteer service at Ripon Cathedral.

Monday 23 April – We held the first Ripon City of Sanctuary AGM: a review of our work since we set up in September 2015, committee appointments/resignations, plus interviews with 2 Syrian men resettled in Ripon.

Saturday 24 March – We took the Syrian families to 2 farms in Nidderdale, with lunch kindly provided by Pateley Bridge Methodist Church

Monday 26 February – We hosted a public talk by Jonathan Spencer, project manager for SVPR at North Yorkshire County Council, and one of the Syrian men who has been resettled to Ripon, who told his story.

Saturday 17 February – Ripon City of Sanctuary took our Syrian families to Wakefield District of Sanctuary, where we met with Wakefield’s Syrian families for lunch and a day of socialising and music.

Tuesday 2 January – We hosted a party for Ripon’s Syrian families at Allhallowgate Methodist Church Ripon.