Refugee Support celebrates different pasts and shared futures
Refugee Support (MST’s leading specialist refugee and asylum seeker service provider) will be celebrating the unique cultural diversity of refugees within the community and the contribution they make to their neighbourhood. On Thursday 19 June, Refugee Support will host a day of events in an attempt to give support, encourage greater community cohesion and break down social barriers.
The event is part of Refugee Week and will give people from the local community an opportunity to see and learn more about the history and culture of refugees. The theme of the event will be ‘different pasts and shared futures’ and will build a stronger rapport between the varied cultures and sub communities within the borough. The day is also an acknowledgement of the direct involvement and contribution service users have made to Refugee Support.
Refugee Support will coordinate the event, which is now an established and anticipated date in the MST calendar, and anticipates over 200 attendees. The day will see an array of activities which will include:
- a 2-piece Latino music band
- traditional Eritrean music from local refugees
- there will also be a workshop by the Royal court theatre.
Emily McLaughlin, associate director, will be helping participants to learn and develop writing techniques that is hoped will one day see them start writing.
Speakers on the day will reflect on the achievements and also the issues faced by refugees and how to tackle them. Barbra Roche, chair of MST, IPPR’s Jill Rutter, and Mark Austin, Managing Director from MST will be speaking and celebrating with key stakeholders from the area. Representatives from local authorities, local MPs, the home office and UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) have been invited to the event. It is hoped that it will provide a platform to engage and ultimately influence policy at local and national level.
Adullai Mahir, a refugee from the Maldives says of the event: ‘I am the only Maldivian refugee living in this country and I am living here a little more than two years. I am speaking at this event to highlight how much progress can be made in such a short time and hopefully motivate others to improve their situation living in the United Kingdom.’
One service users highlights the significance of the event and service saying: ‘I think it is a great opportunity for refugees to get together and share their stories with others, most importantly with people who never experienced how it is to be a refugee and to be a stranger somewhere. I think it is even more interesting for non-refugees to attend as there is a fantastic chance to meet many people from different countries. Refugee Support provided help when our family was facing eviction. I’ve got secure accommodation now, I study English and don’t fear of my family’s future any more. Refugee Support was with me during this difficult trip’.
Neil Whitelam, MST Operations Manager says: “The event is about bringing people together; service users, stakeholders and staff, here we commemorate the refugee experience and provide entertainment and information from the service users themselves as well as our organisation and other local organisations. There is a sense of enthusiasm and huge interest in the event. It’s inspiring to see how people overcome the most challenging situations.”
Information, advice and support will be on hand for both local residents and refugees to provide greater insight and assistance for refugees, support offered and developments. Stalls on site will include: representatives from Refugee Support’s Regional Servie User Groups, Refugee Support.
Press Enquiries:
CommunicationsMetropolitan Housing Partnership
The Grange
100 High Street
Southgate
London N14 6PW
Tel: 020 8920 7604
Fax: 020 8920 7629