Thank you to everyone who joined us for The Sanctuary’s Community Reopening Celebration. From crafts and music to shared meals and connection, today was a powerful reminder of the strength of our community and the vital role The Sanctuary plays in holding and supporting it.

As Tom, City of Sanctuary Sheffield’s Director, said in a speech at the event “It’s a real privilege to be stood here with all of you today. I say it’s a privilege just because I know that everyone who’s been through The Sanctuary today, and everyone involved in The sanctuary, is committed to a world where people seeking sanctuary are safe and welcome, and committed to a city where people seeking sanctuary are safe and welcome, and for me, is a privilege stand alongside so many people who believe that… I really believe that if we nurture these spaces, that if we give value to them, that if we give power to them, then beautiful, complex, vital work will grow. And there is such power in that.”

A special thank you to our incredible performers—SOSA-XR, Romano Jilo, Gill, Kate, and Sam—and to Open Kitchen Social Club for the delicious Iftar meal. It was such a joy to share this moment together! Here’s to many more gatherings in this renewed space—may The Sanctuary always be a home for community, solidarity, care, and collective action.

For the latest updates on activities and support available at The Sanctuary, visit our website: https://sheffield.cityofsanctuary.org/the-sanctuary/

If you’re a group or community organisation looking for a welcoming space to host an activity, regular meeting, or one-off event, get in touch.

Photos by Frankie Currie