Hay Primary School officially became a School of Sanctuary on Friday, June 19, as it celebrated Refugee Week 2026.

The school marked the occasion by welcoming representatives from the City of Sanctuary charity, the Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees (HBTSR) charity, Deputy First Minister and MS for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, Sioned Williams, as well as school governors and other guests.

The Schools of Sanctuary Network, run by the City of Sanctuary charity, is a network of more than 1,100 schools across the UK committed to creating a culture of welcome, understanding and belonging for people forced to flee their homes.

On becoming a School of Sanctuary, a spokesperson for Hay Primary School said: “Our school aims to provide a nurturing, aspirational environment in which everybody matters and our pupils feel a strong sense of belonging to their community, to Wales and the wider world and know how to build connections with others.

“Our school has collaborated strongly with our local sanctuary seeker support group Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees to help with welcome days, letters of support for individual cases, appeals for Christmas gifts, for toiletries and food stuffs for refugee camps and local city sanctuary support groups.”

As part of becoming a School of Sanctuary, the City of Sanctuary charity gifted the school a selection of books, including two about professional footballers who were once refugees, Luka Modrić and Alphonso Davies.

Deputy First Minister and MS for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, Sioned Williams, visited the school and spoke to pupils about their work on equality and refuge.

Following her visit, Ms Williams said: “’Everyone is safe here’ – that was what one of the pupils told me when I asked them what they liked best about Hay-on-Wye Community Primary School.

“I was visiting the school as one of their local Members of the Senedd, to find out more about the work they have been doing to create a culture of welcome and inclusion as a School of Sanctuary. Thank you for your warm welcome.”

The school also took part in the Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees’ Creative Challenge in the run-up to Refugee Week.

The challenge encouraged collaboration and invited children to create collages, paintings, poetry, short stories, or combinations of these, centred on the theme of “celebrating refugees”.

Entries were displayed at Theatr Brycheiniog during Refugee Week, from Monday, June 15 to Sunday, June 21, and will be shown at other local venues later.

Sioned Williams also visited Theatr Brycheiniog last week to view the Creative Challenge entries and speak to Brecon High School pupils.

Hay Primary School has also shared its commitment to being a School of Sanctuary with its pupils and wider community. The school has signed the pledge, and its certificate confirming its status is displayed in the school foyer, taking pride of place next to the swimming fish display.

More information about Schools of Sanctuary can be found on the website: https://schools.cityofsanctuary.org/