At Easton Community Children’s Centre (ECCC), we believe that every child and family deserves to feel safe, valued, and genuinely welcomed. We are excited to share our involvement in a newly published resource, Sanctuary, Belonging and the Early Years: Case Studies from Bristol.

Produced through a Knowledge Exchange Partnership between Bath Spa University, ECHO (Early Childhood Organisation), and Bristol City of Sanctuary, this case study collection brings together real-world stories from early years settings across the city. It explores how educators can build environments of safety, anti-racism, and deep community belonging.

Our Case Study: Care, Home, and Community Responsibility

Our contribution to the booklet showcases how social justice and empathy shape our everyday curriculum. Following the sudden emergency evacuation of Barton House in November 2023, more than 250 residents were displaced, including a family whose children attended ECCC.

Rather than treating this event as something distant, our educators used it to help children process real-world questions around home, safety, and community support:

• Exploring Big Questions: Our pre-school teacher co-created a story map with the children to discuss what “home” means, how it feels to leave home suddenly, and what helps people feel secure.
• Connecting Experiences: Through these discussions, children naturally drew parallels between local events and the experiences of refugee families who leave their homes to find safety in new countries.
• Practical Social Justice: When the affected family asked us to support a community march organised by the ACORN union, the children put their care into practical action. They baked biscuits for the marchers and sent messages of hope wishing that families’ homes would be “fixed soon” and that everyone would be “safe in their beds”.

This project demonstrated that even our youngest learners can explore complex ideas of fairness and offer meaningful support within their local community.

Standing with the City of Sanctuary Movement

Bristol is a city with a proud identity of welcome, yet recent times have shown how quickly hostility and divisive rhetoric can affect local neighbourhoods. As Adele Owen, Director of Bristol City of Sanctuary, notes in the foreword, early years settings play an essential role because kindness and welcome, when nurtured early, become a code for life.

At ECCC, our commitment to being part of the City of Sanctuary movement means going beyond welcoming families inside our doors. It involves:

1. Standing in Solidarity: Supporting families facing displacement, poverty, or hostility with practical help and genuine relationships.
2. Anti-Racist Practice: Actively challenging racism and creating environments where diverse languages, cultures, and family backgrounds are embedded into daily learning.
3. Growing the Network: Encouraging other early childhood providers across Bristol to sign the Nurseries of Sanctuary pledge and embed sanctuary principles into their work.

Moving Forward Together

Sanctuary is an ongoing practice built on everyday relationships, listening, and proactive care. We are grateful to Dr Shaddai Tembo, Millie Colwey, Sally Jaeckle, Bath Spa University, ECHO, and Bristol City of Sanctuary for bringing these vital local stories together.

We invite all our parents, carers, and fellow early years educators to read the booklet and join the conversation.

Read the Booklet: You can access the full publication online to explore all seven case studies from across Bristol.

Get Involved: To learn more about how you can support the City of Sanctuary movement in Bristol, visit bristol.cityofsanctuary.org