The University of Kent joined the Canterbury community to celebrate International Women’s Day at the popular annual breakfast hosted by Westgate Hall in Canterbury city centre. This year’s theme, Give to Gain, provided a timely opportunity to reflect on the University’s commitment to welcoming displaced people and migrants, and on what becomes possible when communities invest in one another.
Speakers highlighting the journey towards sanctuary
Samantha Scott Marques, Fundraising and Alumni Engagement Lead at the University of Kent, and a driving force behind the University of Kent being awarded University of Sanctuary status in 2025, shared her own career journey and lived experience which drew her to this work. Scott Marques invited one of our Sanctuary Scholars to share her journey to Kent to study forensic science here.
University of Kent alumna Domenica Pecoraro, who now works with the Diocese of Canterbury, spoke about her experiences with the Canterbury Social Justice Network. She addressed the harm of ‘othering’ and the practical realities faced by families who arrive in the UK with little understanding of how to access jobs, education, or support, and the importance of helping one another navigate what she described as the ‘Map of Belonging’.
Both speakers called on the women present to consider offering placements in their places of work to help migrants assimilate in the UK, and together reaffirmed the shared ambition for Canterbury to become a City of Sanctuary.
Kent Gospel Choir opened and closed with soul
Kent Gospel Choir, with members drawn from both the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University, beautifully set the tone for the morning. Tamara Mpanga-Sempa, the Vice-President of Kent Gospel Choir told us:
‘We are beyond grateful for the opportunity to perform at the International Women’s Day Event. Reflecting on the unforgettable time that was shared on Friday morning still brings goosebumps, and it was such an honour to be in a room full of integral women who were unafraid to share their stories.’
They closed on a high note with the gospel-soul anthem ‘I Wanna Praise You’, a fitting musical ending to the IWD 2026 theme of uplifting and inspiring others.
Bringing women together
The breakfast drew women from disparate worlds across Canterbury. Vice-Chancellor Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura, who attended the event, described it as ‘a fantastic morning’ with ‘the most energising atmosphere’.
The International Women’s Day Networking Breakfast is now in its 9th year. Claire Millett, Chief Executive of Westgate Hall summed up its purpose. ‘My mission has always been to bring people together who might never otherwise cross paths, sparking stimulating, fun, and challenging conversations. The event demonstrated the powerful cross-section of organisations, businesses, and people that drive our city forward. I was overwhelmed by the support and felt it was a huge step in developing Canterbury as a City of Sanctuary – a place of openness where everyone feels a sense of belonging’.
Would you like to support the University of Kent’s Sanctuary programme? Whether you can offer work experience, mentoring, entrepreneurship advice, event sponsorship or any other form of partnership, please email sanctuary@kent.ac.uk; or consider donating to the Sanctuary fund online to make more education opportunities possible. Want to support The Social Justice Network in Canterbury? You can donate online or get in touch about volunteering opportunities.
