City of Sanctuary Sheffield (COSS) has undertaken a substantial internal listening and learning project titled Know Me. The purpose of this work was simple but powerful: to listen carefully to the experiences, insights, and ideas of the people who shape our organisation every day, staff, volunteers, people seeking sanctuary, and members of our wider community.
This was not a survey or a one-off consultation. The Know Me Project was a co-produced, relationship-based research project, designed and delivered alongside people with lived experience of the asylum system, including members of our Experts by Experience (EbE) team. Together, we carried out in-depth interviews, focus groups, reflective sessions, and ongoing analysis over many months.
Research Leadership
The Know Me project was led by Dr Ibtissam Al-Farah and members of the Experts by Experience (EbE) team at COSS. It was shaped and delivered through shared leadership, drawing on lived experience, frontline insight, and professional research practice.
A Rich and Robust Evidence Base
The project involved over 60 participants, bringing together voices from across the organisation and community, including staff working across different services and roles; volunteers supporting people in frontline and operational spaces; and people seeking sanctuary using City of Sanctuary Sheffield’s services.
This breadth and depth of participation have given City of Sanctuary Sheffield a rich qualitative evidence base, grounded in trust, honesty, and real lived experience.
What the Know Me Project Shows
The findings highlight the strengths at the heart of City of Sanctuary Sheffield: care, commitment, compassion, and a strong sense of welcome. Many participants described the organisation as a place of safety, dignity, and human connection, often in contrast to much harsher experiences elsewhere.
At the same time, Know Me has helped identify where pressure is increasing as demand grows and systems become more complex. By listening closely to those on the ground, the organisation is better placed to strengthen services, support staff and volunteers, and plan thoughtfully for the future.
Learning Beyond Sheffield: Sharing Practice and Experience
Through the Know Me project, City of Sanctuary Sheffield has demonstrated what is possible when organisations work with people seeking sanctuary, rather than only for them. The project offers a strong
example of how co-production, lived experience leadership, and sustained listening can shape meaningful organisational learning.
The Experts by Experience (EbE) team played a central role in shaping, delivering, and reflecting on this work. Team members were supported through training and ongoing mentoring to develop research, facilitation, and reflective practice skills, enabling them to contribute as partners in the research process.
City of Sanctuary Sheffield is proud to share learning from this approach with other organisations, networks, and educational institutions. The Know Me methodology offers a practical model for establishing and supporting Experts by Experience teams; embedding lived experience leadership in organisational learning; delivering ethical, co-produced research and service reflection; and strengthening inclusive listening practices across the sector.
We welcome opportunities to share this learning and experience with others interested in developing similar approaches and advancing collaborative, dignity-led practice.
Why This Matters
Know Me reflects City of Sanctuary Sheffield’s commitment to learning from lived experience, valuing staff and volunteer insight, embedding listening into everyday practice, and using evidence to guide organisational development.
The internal findings are already informing reflection and planning across the organisation, with further learning to be shared publicly in due course.
We would like to thank everyone who contributed their time, stories, reflections, and care to the Know Me project. This work was made possible by trust, openness, and a shared commitment to making Sheffield a city of sanctuary in practice, not just in name.