Schools of Sanctuary
Meet Katherine Hogg!
Hello, I’m Katherine Hogg, your local Schools of Sanctuary (SoS) Lead. I’ve lived, studied and worked in Leeds for the last 15 years and one aspect I appreciate about the city is its diversity. I previously worked at Christian Aid working locally in Leeds and beyond, educating supporters about international issues affecting the majority world. One key issue which came to the fore during my time here was that of migration and the situations facing those seeking sanctuary either in their countries of origin or beyond its borders and I am keen to continue supporting development of the SoS network across Leeds.
Schools of Sanctuary Award (SoS Award)
You may well be working successfully with children who have travelled to Leeds from another country and if so, I am eager to encourage your school to gain the SoS award! If you seek to make your school a place of welcome and safety for those seeking sanctuary, you could be well on the way to acquiring the award. The Award is a way of demonstrating your commitment to educating all children in your school about the human right to sanctuary. You will build empathy and intercultural awareness for all so even if you do not have children actively seeking sanctuary in school, you can still gain the award. I am here to help and support you in whatever way I can whether that is discussing what exactly you need to demonstrate to gain the award or helping you to know how to care for those children seeking sanctuary in Leeds. I will initially be producing a resource showing what is already happening in Leeds and how you can become a part of the SoS scheme. I look forward to working with you in Leeds, our City of Sanctuary. Get in touch for more information:
Katherine Hogg
Schools of Sanctuary Lead
Read the magazine
The Schools of Sanctuary Magazine is an insightful resource where you can find out more about the Schools of Sanctuary Award as a way of recognising the work you are likely already doing in educating all children about refugees and asylum seekers and the welcome and safety they all deserve. The booklet outlines what it means to be a School of Sanctuary and what you need to do to start to work towards the award.
I hope you enjoy reading about the scheme at this time when refugees are to the forefront of all our minds. Perhaps you already have children from sanctuary seeking backgrounds in your school but if not, you will be likely talking with your pupils about the current crisis in Ukraine in particular and how neighbouring countries are accepting those fleeing their homeland.