We’re delighted to invite you to The Sanctuary’s Community Reopening Celebration. After months of redesigning and rebuilding, join us for a moment to celebrate the transformation of our space and reconnect with the incredible community it holds.
When: Saturday, 1st March 2025
Time: 2 PM – 6 PM (Drop in anytime!)
Where: The Sanctuary, 37-39 Chapel Walk, Sheffield S1 2PD




What to Expect:
- Explore our beautifully redesigned space
- Enjoy delicious food, live music, and craft activities
- Connect with our community and celebrate together
Whether you’re a long-time supporter or just curious about what we do, this celebration is open to all. We would love to see you—just drop by!
Thank you to everyone for the love and support we’ve received throughout this redesign process. We are so excited to share the incredible impact of the work that has been accomplished.
The Sanctuary is far more than its 2,500 square feet- it is a lifeline for so many people seeking sanctuary in Sheffield. It’s a place of hope, a space to rebuild lives, and a welcoming community where people can build a sense of belonging again.
The profound impact of The Sanctuary is best captured through the words of one of our volunteers, who has powerfully shared their experiences with us.
Aso Mohammadi: Journalist and CoSS Volunteer
“Three years ago, when I arrived in Sheffield, I left everything behind, have given up all the possibilities support of my life and so much has been lost. My homeland, family, friends, work, reputation, social ties and connections with the city, people and society. In fact, I was cut off from everything. Just like a branch of a tree that was cut off and thrown in a corner. A truly vulnerable human being who would grab onto anything and take refuge in anyone and anywhere I could to get my life back to normal and continue again. No matter who you are and how much skill, strength and capacity you have, you are a vulnerable human being at that moment!
Everything was frighteningly and dizzyingly unfamiliar to me. So that when I wanted to go out, I did not know where to go in this big city. Sometimes being displaced is not having a place, it is just not knowing where to go, you are a displaced person. In fact, when everything in this life is about to collapse, a person struggles more than ever to maintain it. It is impossible to live in a city where you have no shared past or memory of living with its people. The trembling world of the displaced person is so crumbling that even a simple greeting, a motivating sentence or any kind of friendly, small and hopeful action from someone is interpreted as a sign of new life.
One of my greatest opportunities and chances was to get acquainted with City of Sanctuary Sheffield and start volunteering there. A place where I came back to life. The friendly atmosphere that gave me new life. A very kind manager, a place that believes in humanity and acceptance of others with all their differences.
The Sanctuary is a place in Sheffield that is a center for people to be together, get to know each other, and also get support with the problems they are facing. The best part of this place is the “welcoming space” where people sit for hours, drinking tea and coffee, and talking to each other. I had never heard of such a title before. There are very few people who welcomed a displaced people. Who would welcome someone who has already been dehumanized and delegitimized?! The government has labelled us as “illegal”. When we label a human being like that, naturally welcoming them becomes considered an illegal act and a crime.
But we have been welcomed here and experience togetherness again. We told each other our life stories, we felt a sense of identification and sympathy, and this storytelling melted the ice in our relationships, narrowed our distance and brought us closer together. Geographical, linguistic, cultural, ethnic and national boundaries were broken, and we were no longer alone. Now you could smile again.
In fact, space in its own sense does not present any special characteristics, but as soon as a human group proposes an activity in a place, the meaning of space appears and becomes a platform for expressing human activity and behaviour. A place to imagine and narrate the realities of human life, often hidden behind political rhetoric.
Here I must thank all my friends, colleagues and employees who work here with all the warmth of my heart and utmost sincerity. When you live in exile in a country or a city thousands of miles away from your homeland, it is very important that there are people that support your existence and that your life is important to them and that they look at you as a fellow human being, not a stranger. Living with others who are not like us is a skill and an art that we must learn. Sanctuary reminds us of the warm culture of hospitality and warm welcome; that is, it is a way of legitimizing and caring for people who have no shelter. A reminder that living intimately with each other, with all our differences, is a historical necessity.
After nearly two years, I met many people and organizations in this space and new opportunities were created for me. I joined different social groups. I connected with different communities. When I started volunteering at Sanctuary, I had many challenges: English, depression and mental health, the integration process, finding new friends and connecting with people, getting to know the locals, building a community, participating in cultural, social and political events, regaining social credibility and finally helping to rebuild my life. All of these were issues for me and I was able to manage all of them with the effort and help of my friends. You know? I was dead, but I came back to life!”
Let’s celebrate the incredible power of community, together. Join us on 1st March to celebrate the space and the people who bring it to life.
We can’t wait to see you there!
Tom
Director, City of Sanctuary Sheffield

