A Space of Sanctuary provides a physical and emotionally safe environment where people can go to seek peace and guidance to address their concerns without fear or prejudice.

When accessing the support at the Space of Sanctuary they will be treated equitably and with respect and their concerns listened to and taken seriously.  The Safe Space is intended to be self-guided however, if required a triage service can be provided in order to enable people to find any further support they may need.

You can use our interactive map to identify your nearest Safe Space, using the ArcGIS Web Application.

The council’s commitment to the City of Sanctuary movement was formalised in a motion put to council on 12 January 2022, proposed by Cllr Tippett-Cooper and seconded by Cllr Todd. The motion in full is as follows:

“Winchester City Council is committed to welcoming asylum seekers and refugees to our District and including them in our activities. The people in our district have shown kindness and openness in recent months with huge support when donations for evacuees from Afghanistan were needed. We are also a district with a rich network of organisations providing support to the most vulnerable in our society. As a Council, we recognise the importance of reflecting this spirit of our community and core values of openness, kindness and respect for others. Winchester City Council also recognises asylum seekers’ and refugees’ potential contribution to our district, and also recognises that a co-ordinated and forward-looking approach is needed if the welfare of people moving into the town, and community cohesion between new and existing communities, are to be supported effectively.

To this end, we resolve to:

• Support organisations such as the University of Winchester (which is a University of Sanctuary), the community group Winchester City of Sanctuary, the Southampton & Winchester Visitors Group, Hampshire Cultural Trust and other key charities and community groups in their work to make Winchester a place of sanctuary;
• Welcome to Winchester district those fleeing violence and persecution in their own countries;
• Value the contribution those seeking sanctuary can make to our District;
• Support taking practical steps, in dialogue with the organisations above, to welcome and integrate all people into our communities, activities and culture;
• Challenge anti-refugee and anti-migrant attitudes wherever they are found and support the Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group and Winchester City of Sanctuary in the promotion of the Together With Refugees campaign calling for a fairer, kinder and more effective approach to supporting refugees in the UK;
• Nominate a current Councillor(s) to act as a “Sanctuary Champion(s)”, who will endeavour to communicate with the organisations listed above to explore how we can develop further ideas to support asylum seekers and refugees who are resettled in our district;
• We are willing for our organisation’s name to be added to a list of supporters of City of Sanctuary. 

As part of our commitment to the City of Sanctuary movement, we’re welcoming refugees who are seeking a safe place due to the ongoing Ukraine crisis.

Find out more about how we’re supporting Ukrainian Refugees.