Borough of Sanctuary - Small Grants 2025

In 2025, We offered small grants of up to £1500 to support individuals living or working in Lewisham and local organisations to develop their own projects to support this work.

We have received over forty grant application and were very impressed by the quality and diversity of submissions. We have been able to fund 18 projects relating to the key Borough of Sanctuary objectives:

1. Reducing barriers to access and inequalities experienced by people seeking sanctuary (refugees, people seeking asylum and people with no recourse to public funds - NRPF)
2. Promoting belonging, connectedness and wellbeing of sanctuary seekers and solidarity between different communities
3. Promoting sanctuary seeker voice, educating Lewisham residents about issues relating to migration, forced displacement and sanctuary 

The winning projects were selected by a Small Grants Panel consisting of two council officers and two members with lived experience of seeking sanctuary. 

Projects selected for grant funding:

Sanctuary seeker led projects – projects organised by individuals, supported by a local organisation

• Intercultural Workshops on topics ranging from small talk to tea traditions (supported by Facework)
• Pilates Lessons for Sanctuary Seekers (supported by Facework)
• Therapeutic Art Sessions for Sanctuary Seekers (supported by Facework)

Projects led by local organisations

• Community Meal and Lived Experience Focus Group (Action for Refugees in Lewisham)
• Food Growing Session, Free tickets and Community meal (The Albany)
• Training Sanctuary Seekers as Bike repair volunteers (The Bike Project)
• Digital Inclusion for Sanctuary Seekers (Catbytes)
• Music Making Sessions for Children and Young People (Fairbeats!)
• Free Community Shop (GraceAid)
• Textiles-based Art project and exhibition (Lewisham Arthouse)
• Sanctuary Choir: Empowering Women Through Music and Performance (Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network)
• Workshops for sanctuary seeking volunteers (Lewisham Donations Hub)
• Baby Bank bespoke bundles (Mammakind)
• Career events for refugee women in health and construction (Mothers into Work)
• Community Meal (Plateful Café)
• Wellbeing Sessions (Red Ribbon)
• Empowering Young Sanctuary Seekers through Football (Sports Fun 4 All)
• Community ESOL class (St Mary’s Primary School - School of Sanctuary)