THE SANCTUARY RUNNERS

The Sanctuary Runners is a solidarity-through-sport initiative which uses running, jogging and walking to bring together all in society including refugees and other migrants.

The initiative started in Ireland in 2018 and now has 7,000 members there, at least a quarter of whom are, or were, asylum seekers or refugees.

With 30 groups in Ireland, and now three in London, the Sanctuary Runners focus on seeing the individual rather than the label.

We say that once a Sanctuary Runners puts on their blue running top their label – be that citizen, asylum seekers, resident or refugee disappear, and they are seen as an individual and everyone who runs with us is treated with equal respect.

And we focus on solidarity rather than charity preferring to do things ‘with’ rather than ‘for’ people.

The movement was established by former journalist and broadcaster Graham Clifford who is now the organisation’s CEO. At its heart are the principles of ‘solidarity’ ‘friendship’ and ‘respect’.

A recent impact study carried out by the Sanctuary Runners found that almost 90% of refugees who run with us say that the initiative has made them feel welcome in Ireland.

Over 70% of our members who come from the ‘host’ community said that they had never previously spoken with an asylum seeker or refugee before joining the Sanctuary Runners but now have friends from that community.

We are bridge builders bringing all in society together simply and in a healthy, energetic, positive way.

The benefits to all who take part are multi-faceted. The initiative helps tackle that feeling of isolation so many feel. In addition, there is education through shared experience for all – including for those in the host community, many of whom may realise previous misconceptions were inaccurate.

Working with local authorities in Ireland and the UK the Sanctuary Runners continue to prosper and grow with plans to establish new groups in the U.S, Canada and Belgium before the end of this year and in many more countries in 2023.

Multi-Award winning our work has been celebrated at the United Nations in New York and by the European Union.