Refugee Week is a festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.  It is organised annually around World Refugee Day on June 20^th.

This year, for the first time, we will be celebrating it in Belper.

On Friday 25^th June, the Welcome Meal at No28 in the Market Place will have a refugee theme – everyone is welcome to come and just pay what you like for the food.  Turn up for soup, bread and a pudding (and maybe a little more for this special occasion) between 12 and 2pm.

The Ritz Cinema will be showing a film during the week with a refugee theme.  More later when we have details, or keep an eye on their website.

On Saturday 26^th June, Belper Refugee Welcome in collaboration with Unite Community Branch, will be taking over the Memorial Gardens.  We will be showing an exhibition of the often unheard, or unseen, contributions of refugees to this country in the fields of commerce, science, music, the arts, literature, politics and sport. 

Today, Belper is opening its doors to Ukrainians fleeing war.  Did you know that Belper has opened its doors before ?  We’ll be telling you why and when.

All local groups working to support refugees in different ways will be present.  Come and find out what they are doing and how you can help.

Belper’s Youth Council will be exhibiting;  Tan Draig will be making a tapestry of the journeys we and our families have made to get here;  Just-Ice will be selling icecream and telling you how they support victims of trafficking;  the library will have a booklist of recommended reads.

Come and learn but also come and have fun.  The day (from 10.30 to 4) will be full of sound.  Belper Fringe and Fleet Arts are organising live and DJ’d music and poetry slots throughout the day.  It will be joyous.

We hope that these events will help us to build friendships across diverse communities, promote tolerance and build solidarity in the spirit of the common good.

Jill Day

Belper Refugee Welcome