Refugee Week is a UK-wide programme of arts, cultural and educational events and activities that celebrates the contribution of refugees to the UK and promotes better understanding of why people seek safety.
We kicked off the week with a celebratory event in Parliament, young refugee cricketers took on politicians in a special match up, and our prestigious photo exhibition The Refugee’s Gift continued to attract crowds in London.
Here, Refugee Council Community Development Worker and Volunteer Coordinator Frowynke Siegers reflects on a very special RefuTEA party we held as part of our Refugee Week celebrations in Hull.
In Hull, the Refugee Council works to support refugees resettled in the UK under the Government’s Gateway Protection Programme. This Refugee Week, we wanted to celebrate refugees’ contributions to UK life.
For the second year running,we worked closely with our partners, including Humberside Police Community Cohesion Team, Hull City Council and Hull Identity, to host a RefuTEA event at St Stephens’s shopping centre.
Starbucks had offered 200 vouchers for free tea and the Freedom Festival sponsored the printing of thousands of leaflets. 15 volunteers were handing out leaflets and chatting to the shopping public.
There were local bands playing music from Congo, Somalia, Sierra Leone, China and Kurdistan.
It was a fantastic, celebratory event. As a result, we hope more people in Hull have been informed about why refugees live here and the positive contributions they make.
