Dioceses:
We hope that dioceses will become familiar with the vision of Sanctuary Stopping and consider supporting and promoting the idea to their churches. Additionally, we would encourage dioceses to support Gypsy-Traveller Chaplains (where available) to work closely with individual parishes in setting up Sanctuary Stopping.
Churches:
Churches will need to consider whether they have the space that could be used and when they are willing to use it and for how long and how many caravans you would be willing to host. Additionally, definite times when the spaces could and could not be used should be agreed upon and the local pressures/events (e.g. footballs matches or parades) of their area need to be taken into account.
To help with considering Risks and Benefits, please refer to the Risks section later on this page.
The church will then have to have to notify their local authority of their interest in providing space.
Local Authorities:
Local authorities will need to visit and inspect potential spaces to determine if they are suitable to be a Sanctuary Stopping Place. They will need to ensure that arrangements are in place so that adequate water, rubbish collection and toilet facilities can be provided.
Local Authorities will then contact the churches if there is a need for their spaces, and the church will confirm if the land can be used at that time. Churches will retain control of their spaces, including deciding when they can be made available. Planning permission for allowing use of the land for Sanctuary Stopping (temporary stop-over) is not required when stopping is less than 28 days and working collaboratively with local authorities allows such questions to be addressed. It also helps to allay possible concerns of local communities.
It is important that you proceed with Sanctuary Stopping with the agreement and support of your local authority and Gypsy-Traveller services. It may be useful to designate someone to be the formal point of contact for the local council who can liaise between the church and authorities. Your local authority may have Gypsy Roma Traveller specialist services, who will know more about the arrangements in place (e.g. Negotiated Stopping) and if there is interest in having access to your space.
Hard standing with road access is suitable for the caravans, for example, part of a car park. Additionally, if they are travelling with horses, some grassy areas may be useful.
Land owned and managed by the Parochial Church Council (PCC) on behalf of a Church can be considered. If a PCC is unsure about the ownership/control of land, their diocese may be able to provide information. An initial enquiry with the relevant Archdeacon could be helpful.
Most Gypsy Roma Traveller people travel between April and September but also to family events like weddings and funerals. As such, the most demand will likely fall in Spring/Summer but the space will be appreciated year round.
You could require a refundable bond (£200 recommended through community consultation) to help mitigate risks to the property. Alternatively, you could request a donation to the church as a gesture of goodwill.
It is worthwhile contacting your insurance provider and seeing what provisions are/can be made available for the church. Additionally, liaising with the Gypsy-Travellers services in your area to see how risks and costs can be mitigated and what protections are available.
There is risk inherent in all aspects of life, and as such there are risks in opening your space to be used in Sanctuary Stopping. Offering Sanctuary Stopping Places to Gypsy Roma Traveller folk gives the Church a tangible way of demonstrating God’s love for them; it is missional activity.
Below are listed some risks with suggestions on how to manage them and for an example of fully worked risk assessment please see the resources page.
Though slight, there is a risk that some damage may occur to surfaces etc. due to the movement of the caravan. To minimise this, try to ensure that there is enough space for the caravan to manoeuvre comfortably.
Fire is a potential hazard of living in a caravan. If more than one vehicle is on-site then spacing reduces the risk of spread.
A small number may expect to use an open fire to cook. In this case, could a fire pit/designated area be available? Will water be available to douse if necessary?
Gypsy-Traveller people may be subject to vandalism from hate crimes and prejudice. Contact numbers for local authority serves and police Gypsy-Traveller liaison should be available to all parties and instances reported promptly.
If there is a concern from any party that the Gypsy-Traveller visitors have committed vandalism this should be reported rather than tackled directly.
If Travellers arrive on your land without forewarning, do not immediately call the police. Instead, introduce yourself (ideally in the afternoon, wearing a dog collar if possible) and have a conversation, to find out how long they wish to stay. If it is not appropriate for them to stay, explain why and offer assistance contacting the local authority, specifically the Gypsy Roma Traveller services.
Discuss with the local authority arrangements for a water supply and waste management, including the provision of temporary toilets.
If Travellers arrive unexpectedly on land, and the church cannot accommodate them, consider offering limited hospitality such as to re-fill a water container.
Also consider whether small amounts of household waste might be disposed of for them, and whether it is possible to offer use of toilet facilities.
Find an example of a worked risk assessment on the resources page
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