Tom Gordon announces support for Harrogate District City of Sanctuary group

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, Tom Gordon, over the weekend met with the Harrogate District City of Sanctuary, a local group that supports asylum seekers across much of the former Harrogate District, helping them to find their feet, giving them the tools and help to access local services and integrate into the community. They are affiliated to the national charity City of Sanctuary. 

Since his election, Tom has helped a number of local families with applications and accessing the right support, which is all too often not easily accessible. The Sanctuary have been working with the local community and migrants since November 2016, having been founded out of a desire to help the influx of asylum seekers from Syria, who had been driven out by the civil war there. 

The City of Sanctuary put on numerous social events and classes for the immigrant community, from basics such as English lessons through to coffee mornings, as well as being involved with the regular Afghan Kitchen events in Harrogate. They also provide a befrienders scheme, where volunteers meet with and befriend immigrants, to help them adjust to life in Britain. 

Tom also suggested that he could host an event for the City of Sanctuary group, where he could talk about his work with the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) in Parliament, which examines Government legislation through the lens of Human Rights Law, to try and ensure that all legislation upholds and supports human rights. 

Commenting, Tom said: 

“The Harrogate District City of Sanctuary team do some inspirational work to support the local immigrant community and help them adapt to life in Britain. Their willingness to help and care and adapt to the individual needs of the people they work with is invaluable. 

“Plenty of people have concerns about “immigrants not integrating” but they don’t volunteer to do anything to help. Yet that’s exactly what the team at Harrogate District City of Sanctuary have got down to do: 8 and a half years ago they recognised a need amongst some of the most vulnerable people in our society, and since then they’ve done some incredible work.

“I’m proud to represent two such welcoming towns, where everyone can feel at home, and with inspiring communities willing to help and learn from each other.”

ENDS