BRADFORD’S work as a City of Sanctuary, welcoming and helping refugees, has been nominated for a national award.

An inspiring film made by the City of Sanctuary (BCoS) team, raising awareness of its work with people seeking sanctuary from persecution, has been recognised in the Charity Film Awards, which champions storytelling and digital engagement in films and videos made by UK charities.

The awards have significantly raised profiles and donations for participating charities. Last year’s winners included Child Bereavement UK, NSPCC/Childline, RSPCA and Breast Cancer Care.

Bradford was the country’s City of Sanctuary, achieving the status in 2011. At a ceremony in 2014, when Bradford was endorsed by the national CoS movement, the then deputy council leader, Councillor Imran Hussain, said: “This is an important award for Bradford, which has long established traditions of tolerance and humanitarianism and of offering safe haven to people fleeing persecution.”

Will Sutcliffe, chairman of BCoS, said: “Our aim is to see asylum seekers and refugees welcomed, supported, able to access services and make a full contribution to the life of this fantastic city.

“This inspiring video was made to celebrate our 10th anniversary and includes interviews with many who make Bradford truly a ‘city of sanctuary’ - including sanctuary seekers themselves, those working to support them and Bradford Council’s very dedicated Chief Executive.

“We are particularly proud of our Schools of Sanctuary project, working with local schools towards the ‘School of Sanctuary’ award by which they commit to fully support children of refugee families, include accurate materials in their curriculum on asylum-related issues and share their learning within their own networks.

“Our new Help into Volunteering project, run jointly with Bradford Volunteer Centre, helps asylum seekers and refugees to be able to access suitable volunteering opportunities - vital to improve their integration, mental health, language skills and future employability.”

In the film, Bradford Council chief executive Kersten England says: “This city was built on the energy of people who came from elsewhere to build a better life for themselves and their families. It goes to the heart of what we’re about. We’re warm, we’re generous and we watch out for one another.”

In the three years of the Charity Film Awards, more than 1,000 charities have participated and more than 250,000 people have voted, generating millions of additional views online.

Simon Burton, founder of the Charity Film Awards, said: “All the charities that have entered deserve to be congratulated, but they need more than thanks - they need votes! It’s simple for the public to vote for their favourite film at charityfilmawards.com and many voters also go onto donate.

“The public vote will determine the final shortlist, which will be judged by a panel of experts. The winners will be announced at a gala event in London in spring 2020.”

* The Bradford City of Sanctuary film can be viewed at youtu.be/HfTv2QBT-HM