Tuesday, September 16th, 2025
This week Sanctuary Runners, an Irish founded solidarity-through-sports movement, was shortlisted for a 2025 International Sport and Culture Association Award (ISCA).
The ISCA is a non-governmental and not-for-profit umbrella association empowering physical activity to get more people active and thereby enjoy their human right to move. See: ISCA | International Sport and Culture Association
Shortlisted in the ‘Integration of Refugees Through Sport’ & Community’ category Sanctuary Runners will find out if they are awarded the global accolade at the end of October at the MOVE conference in Copenhagen.
The other nominees in this category are the Cheza organisation from Uganda and Fédération Sportive et Gymnique du Travail (FSGT) from France.
In all, shortlisted entries from a dozen countries are in contention to receive awards at the Global event.
Reacting to news of the announcement Graham Clifford, Sanctuary Runners’ Founder and Head of International Development, said : “This is just a huge moment in the evolution of our organisation. These awards recognise world leaders in the area of integration through sport and we are so proud, honoured and humbled to be right up there with the best from across the globe. Its a testament to the work of our staff, all of our organisers and participants across Ireland and in Brighton in the UK. Their shared values of decency, kindness, respect and solidarity are why we have been shortlisted. And as we aim to grow in the UK and further afield this nomination, and who knows maybe even the award itself, will really help open doors for the Sanctuary Runners – so we are thrilled, humbled and proud.”