Keighley College is a warm and welcoming college that provides a safe environment in which everyone can learn, thrive and achieve.
Our values underpin all we do and we enjoy sharing our welcoming ethos with other colleges and the local community. We actively encourage students from asylum-seeking backgrounds to join our community and take part in college life. Through working with external organisations, we have secured extra support for our asylum-seeking students and refugees. The concept of ‘sanctuary, and its importance, is something we dedicate time to educating all our students about, and staff and students alike contribute to ensuring that Keighley College’s inclusive, safe and welcoming environment is extended to all.
Our Pledge
- We support the ‘City of Sanctuary’ vision that the UK will be a welcoming place of safety for all and proud to offer sanctuary to people fleeing violence and persecution.
- We endorse the City of Sanctuary Charter, and agree to act in accordance with City of Sanctuary values and apply the network principles within our work (as far as our specific context enables us to).
- We recognise the contribution of people seeking sanctuary. Sanctuary seekers are welcomed, included and supported within our context. We expect our branches or local groups (if any) to support their local City of Sanctuary group if one exists, and will facilitate contact between them and their local City of Sanctuary group.
- We are willing for our organisation’s name to be added to a list of supporters of City of Sanctuary, linked to our website. We are also willing to be contacted by City of Sanctuary with further ideas for how we can turn our support into practical action and to discuss ways we might work together to promote the vision further.
Our Events
Refugee Film Festival
As part of this year’s Refugee Week we hosted a Refugee Film Festival at Keighley’s Picture House. The aim was to help enhance the recognition and representation of refugees and asylum seekers across the region.
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ESOL Summer School Gives Ukrainian Refugees Skills for Life
Earlier this year, we ran a three-day course open to students from a range of backgrounds, including a number of Ukrainian refugees hoping to boost their employment chances.The aim was to help students, who may also be English speakers of other languages (ESOL), gain the important skills they need to live and work in the UK.