Southwark Cathedral is hosting a talk by an award-winning journalist on the asylum system this week, as part of its ongoing commitment to social justice.
Nicola Kelly, an investigative journalist and author of the book ‘Anywhere But Here: How Britain’s broken asylum system fails us all’, will speak at Southwark Cathedral on 25 September.
The Cathedral has been a place of worship for more than 1000 years and in addition to multiple daily services, it offers a rich programme of music recitals, events and workshops.
Last February, it decided to renew its vision, announcing a commitment to exploring one area of social justice every year – starting with modern slavery.
Marketing and communication manager Charlotte Campbell said: “The commitment to social justice is about welcoming everybody, about inclusivity, but also about not shying away from topics that might be uncomfortable.
“We are really happy to have Nicola Kelly speaking at a time that is so topical. She is someone who has worked around this topic a lot, and so maybe she is able to open up the conversation about the small boats and immigration.”
Kelly’s talk, which is set to give a behind-the-scenes insight into the asylum system, comes at a time when public opinion about migration is very polarised.
Just a few weeks ago, more than 100,000 people took part in the Unite the Kingdom anti-immigration march in London, while several thousand others joined a counter-protest.
Kelly, who worked as a press officer for the Home Office before becoming a journalist, has won multiple awards for her work on immigration, including Best Feature at the 2024 Freelance Journalism Awards.
Her book, published in March 2025, has been longlisted for the Moore Prize for Human Rights.
The Guardian said it “brings a human and humane perspective to an issue that is politicised and toxic.”
The talk is the latest in a series of events dedicated to exploring the issue of modern slavery at Southwark Cathedral.
In March, they hosted the Hestia Art is Freedom exhibition, showcasing work created by survivors of modern slavery.
Next month, they will be organising an anti-slavery day and a talk on migration, ethics and exploitation.
Campbell said this new direction is largely due to the arrival of Mark Oakley as dean in 2023.
Oakley, an ambassador to Stop Hate UK and advocate of human-rights causes, brought with him a new vision for the Cathedral.
Featured image courtesy of Southwark Cathedral
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