At the end of November, the Bradford City of Sanctuary staff and trustees attended the Saltaire Peace Fair to spread the word about what we do and speak to people about our message of welcome.

We asked everyone we spoke to a simple question: what does welcome mean to you?

It turns out that welcome is a difficult concept to define, and means many different things to different people. A few key ideas stood out, however: kindness, open-mindedness, and acceptance.

We had some truly inspiring responses from people we spoke to, including ‘everyone who lives here belongs to this place. Welcome home!’, and ‘a cup of Yorkshire tea’.

For many people in the refugee support sector, it has been a tough year. Media discourse around people seeking sanctuary in our country frequently lacks empathy and often denies our shared humanity.

So, speaking to Bradfordians about how they are welcoming newcomers into their communities was an important boost of hope. While some in our country are spreading hatred and division, ordinary people in our communities are spreading kindness and compassion, one smile and cup of Yorkshire tea at a time.