Sanctuary Breaks

Hill House offers sanctuary retreats for refugees, asylum seekers and survivors of trafficking and torture

We welcome small groups of sanctuary seekers to stay with two or three host volunteers, and enjoy the space together in any way you wish.

Daily experience in the city for anyone without basic security is hard.  People who have fled conflict or persecution in their country of origin can often feel anxious and overwhelmed by the difficulty of securing protection in the UK.   If granted refugee status it is still a struggle to settle in to a strange culture and a new country that can sometimes be unwelcoming or actively hostile.

The quiet beauty of the Cotswold countryside, of Hill House and its garden, allows friends to  relax and feel at home, and to reconnect with more peaceful times in their lives.  We trust that after a few days here, you will return rested and resourced for the next stage of your journey.

A Local Welcome

We hear about the hostile environment that the government is keen to create towards migrants.  But from its beginning in 2016, local residents in the surrounding villages have responded generously to this project and the intention to help people seeking safety in our midst.

Friends drop in to prepare meals, assist with transport, take visitors on local walks, join shared meals, or do garden or craft activities together.

IN this ordinary way we meet as equals and hear each others stories.  Our refugee visitors are touched and encouraged by the welcome they find here.  Over a few days, together with people who have had to leave their first home, we create a new sense of family.