This week is Refugee Week (16 June to 22 June) and the theme this year is ‘Community as a ‘Superpower’.
Cambridge is a City of Sanctuary which is part of a wide UK network of people and organisations which seek to support people seeking sanctuary after being forced to leave their homes.
Cambridge City Council is committed to supporting refugee families establish new lives in and around Cambridge where they can feel safe, welcome and at home. The council has pledged to support refugee resettlement until at least 2030. Part of the work we deliver is done by working closely with local community groups and voluntary organisations.
Cllr Anna Smith, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “Cambridge is a wonderful, welcoming city. Time and time again, the people who live, work and study here offer compassion and empathy for survivors and refugees as they seek to recover from the trauma of their experiences and build their lives here.
“As part of refugee week, I’ve been visiting groups across the city, hearing from both refugees and the community groups who support them. The way in which everyone, community groups and refugees alike, come together in support and friendship, really does show that in our city, community is our superpower.”
Across the city, many organisations are putting on events to mark the week. These events are intended to be educational, give residents an understanding of the work they do and inspire community action across the city.
Cambridge City Council will also be hosting two events this weekend.
Voices of Hope and Compassion concert
Young people in Cambridge are set to take centre stage this weekend, for the Voices of Hope and Compassion concert in Cambridge.
The event is hosted by the famous poet Michael Rosen. Cambridge students will join Michael on stage to perform songs, poems, drama and dance pieces all inspired by Michael’s words and storytelling, which is based on the experiences of his family in the Holocaust and is in empathy with refugees.
The pieces to be performed by Cambridge school pupils were developed as part of a year-long education programme focused on refugees and asylum seekers reaching 5,000 young people in schools.
The council commissioned Helen Weinstein from HistoryWorks to run this education and arts programme with local pupils, through assemblies and special workshops, working with Michael Rosen as poet in residence. There have been 27 schools taking part in the programme this year.
The compositions developed by the school children as part of the programme reflect on what happens when individuals, families and communities are driven out of, or wrenched from their homes, because of war or climate catastrophe, persecution, or threat of genocide.
The event will be on Sunday 22 June between 4pm and 5.30pm at the Cambridge Corn Exchange (Wheeler Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QE). Doors will be open from 3.30pm for the 4pm start.
Everyone is welcome to the event, and it is unticketed to be as inclusive as possible. However, please note that children under the age of nine should only attend at the discretion of adults in their family who can follow-up and guide them through discussion of the issues they will hear and learn about during the event.
There will be a pop-up book shop with Michael Rosen signing books and offering selfies in return for donations, plus stalls from refugee charities open in the foyer from 1pm to 6pm for those who want to find out more and donate to Cambridge refugee charities.
Community Fair
Just hours before the Voices of Hope and Compassion concert (Sunday 22 June), the council will be partnering with Cambridge Central Library to host a Community Fair, showcasing the support available to refugees and some of the work that has been undertaken across the city.
Organisations who support people from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Hong Kong, and many other countries will also present. This includes Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum and Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign. We will also be joined by organisations such as the Karim Foundation who aim to alleviate food poverty in the city and Healthwatch Cambridgeshire who want to improve health outcomes for migrant populations.
The event will take place between 1pm and 3pm at Cambridge Central Library (Lions Yard, CB2 3QD).
World Refugee Day
World Refugee Day takes place today (Friday 20 June). As a symbol of solidarity, the Guildhall will be lit up orange to match the colour of the Refugee Nation flag.
