Refugee Week arrives in Stockton

Refugee Week runs between Monday 17 and Sunday 23 June and this year's theme is 'You, me and those who came before'.

The campaign is a national initiative aiming to counter negative perceptions of refugees, defend the importance of sanctuary and highlight the benefits of diverse communities.

Following the success of last year's event, a free celebration will be held on Saturday 22 June at 3pm at ARC in Stockton for the whole community to share the contributions, creativity and resilience of local refugees.

Councillor Steve Nelson, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Access, Communities and Community Safety, said: "Here in Stockton-on-Tees we have a very proud history of, and longstanding commitment, to supporting people in need of a safe place to live, so this is a fantastic opportunity to highlight the contribution of refugees to our Borough.

"Understanding between our communities is vitally important and Refugee Week puts a real spotlight on the challenges refugees face and raises awareness of the conflict and oppression these vulnerable people have had to escape from.

"I'd really encourage everyone to come along to the free celebration at ARC to enjoy the music and dance performances as well as some great food - it'll give a real insight into the experiences of refugees who have come to live in Stockton-on-Tees."

The event is being supported by the Council, ARC, Catalyst and Stockton Riverside College.

Join the conversation this week on social media by using #RefugeeWeek2019 and #StocktonRefugeeWeek and you can also follow @StocktonRefugee on Twitter and Facebook.

For more information visit www.refugeeweek.org.uk