Sanctuary Runners is excited to announce that Graham Clifford, who founded the multi-award-winning organisation in 2018, is to become our new Head of International Development.
Graham, who led the development of our solidarity-through-sports initiative in Ireland and was our first CEO, will help grow Sanctuary Runners beyond Ireland’s shores and ensure that blue wave of solidarity, friendship and respect spreads to new continents, countries, cities, and regions breaking down barriers and bringing people together as it goes.
As a result, Sanctuary Runners is recruiting a new CEO to help steer the organisation in Ireland, continue the highest quality of governance and oversee its development overseas.
Sanctuary Runners CEO Role – Sanctuaryrunners.ie/careers/
Founded by Graham in 2018 in Cork, Sanctuary Runners now has 40 groups across Ireland and has recently acquired charitable status. Sanctuary Runners continues to play a pivotal role in community integration by using running, jogging, walking and other activities to bring all together – including migrants and especially those seeking international protection and refugees.
“It’s a very exciting moment in the Sanctuary Runners story – a story to which so many wonderful people across Ireland, have already contributed so much. We see weekly the massive impact Sanctuary Runners’ work is having on people and communities. I am so grateful to every one of my colleagues, volunteers and runners for all we have achieved together so far,” said Clifford.
Anna Pringle, Chair of the Board added: “Graham has done a fantastic job in founding and expanding Sanctuary Runners across Ireland and in establishing an international presence through the connections he has built with bodies like the UN, the Olympic Movement, Strava and the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland. His positive energy and enthusiasm will be hugely valuable as we take that next step to respond to international opportunities and to develop our organisation with a new CEO in place”.