Leeds: a City of Sanctuary?

town hall

Leeds: a city of sanctuary? History students at the University of Leeds ask you! …

Can Leeds be seen as a place of welcome and sanctuary historically? How has it achieved or failed to do this and can it be credited with this title today? We invite you join us in answering these questions in a discussion to be held on Wednesday 24th April at ‘The Crypt’ in the Leeds Town Hall.

The City of Leeds has always appeared to be a place where incoming communities have felt welcomed, despite many negative presumptions of racism in Yorkshire. Whether it was because of the industrial opportunities the city brought or simply because of the attitudes of people, immigrant communities have settled and prospered in the Leeds area for centuries.

In the nineteenth century Leeds provided sanctuary to a large migrating Jewish community looking for work, which allowed them to settle and set up business. One successful example was Jewish immigrant Michael Marks, who founded Marks and Spencer in 1884; bringing huge wealth to the Leeds area and, as we know, the entire country.

Similarly, from the nineteenth century the Irish community has a long history in Leeds. Many Irish travellers found sanctuary in Leeds away from the famine which had forced them to leave Ireland. The reception received by the Irish was not always as positive as it may be thought today and the Irish were susceptible to prejudice owing to vast cultural differences. However, the city council has created public awareness for the Irish through projects such as the ‘Irish History Month’ and through groups such as the ‘Leeds Irish Foundation’, demonstrating the positive changes from within the Leeds community.

Two significant areas to concentrate on are Beeston and Chapeltown. For decades Beeston has generally been more welcoming than other areas of the City because of the regular influx of migrants settling there. Since the year 2000 the government’s national dispersal scheme and restriction of home office support has meant more refugees and asylum seekers were placed in Beeston, which has arguably benefitted the area. Similarly, Chapeltown has been home to almost all new communities that have come to Leeds. But what is it that makes Chapeltown in particular so appealing?

When considering how certain areas provide sanctuary it is essential to consider whether sanctuary is limited to physical space. With the increase in the use of social media, places of sanctuary may well be adapting to a more virtual environment, bypassing the traditional sense of security. Furthermore, as students, how has the university and campus life been a sanctuary for those unfamiliar with the area and, for international students, those new to the country?

The movement ‘City of Sanctuary’ are working hard to give Leeds the official title as a place of sanctuary, in terms of such things as education, religion, housing and maternity. By creating a network of people who are willing to help, the movement has succeeded in creating a number of opportunities for people settling for the first time in the area.

Please join us in an evening to recognise how Leeds has historically been a place of welcome, and to give your opinions on what has made it this way, whilst also discussing if it can be seen in this light today. Guest speakers from the ‘City of Sanctuary’ who are part of the network or who have used what the movement has to offer will also be at the event to shed light on its success. If you are interested in any of the points raised, would like to assist us with our research, or to simply find out more about the event, please email hy11pc@leeds.ac.uk. See you there!

More information: www.leedsinspired.co.uk/events/leeds-city-sanctuary

or Tweet @LeedsCityofSanc

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