UK soccer giants Newcastle United have become the first Premier League football club to be awarded ‘Football Club of Sanctuary’ status.

Members of the Newcastle City of Sanctuary team attended the club’s final Premier League fixture of the 2024/25 season for a formal presentation.

The club and its official charity arm, Newcastle United Foundation, received special recognition after demonstrating an “outstanding impact on the lives of individuals seeking sanctuary within the community, through provision of a varied range of bespoke projects”.

A number of joint initiatives across the city and wider Northeast England region were also highlighted as ‘best practice’ at the event.

This included backing of the Newcastle West End Foodbank and the ‘A Helping Hand at Christmas’ campaign, which supports vulnerable people in the region during winter.

Further work across the football club has seen additional staff training to understand more about refugees and asylum seekers, alongside reaffirming ways in which discrimination is reported.

Commenting on being accredited with Football Club of Sanctuary status, Newcastle United’s CEO Darren Eales stated: “It was a pleasure to welcome the Newcastle City of Sanctuary team to St. James’ Park on Sunday”.

“Formally receiving Football Club of Sanctuary status is a testament to the hard work and dedication behind the scenes at Newcastle United and Newcastle United Foundation as we strive to be the best club possible, both on and off the pitch.

“We’re proud of the role that the club plays in ensuring that everyone feels at home in our city,” he said.

Football Club of Sanctuary accreditation is part of the club and Foundation’s long-term commitment to inclusivity, which is encompassed through the ‘United As One’ brand.

The brand encapsulates the club’s work in the fields of diversity, inclusion and welfare.

“It encompasses the wide range of activities the club undertakes to help keep people safe and end discrimination and inequality in both football and society,” the club’s website says.

“The work done under this brand includes work with players, participants, parents and supporters and key initiatives such as On the Ball, Be A Game Changer and Memory Café,” it says.

The Football Club of Sanctuary stems from the City of Sanctuary movement, which is about recognising and celebrating local organisations who are working together to build a culture of welcome for people forced to leave their homes and seek safety in the UK.

“In towns and cities across the county, football clubs are crucial as real and symbolic sources of local pride and identity,” movement head Dr Chris Stone said.

“The Football Club of Sanctuary Award was developed to showcase football’s contribution to combined local efforts of embedding solidarity, compassion and inclusion regarding sanctuary seekers. Newcastle United have recognised the importance of this and have been working with us for the past three years to develop the Football Club of Sanctuary concept and the award is well deserved,” he said.