Refugee Week 2018, held between 18th-24th June, marked the 20th Anniversary of public celebration of its contributions, creativity, and resilience in the UK and worldwide. International Community Organisation of Sunderland’s (ICOS) heartfelt and altruistic involvement in the Refugee Week 2018 is only one example of their involvement and hard work as a charity.
ICOS is a local charity whose mission is to provide help, support, and opportunities to those in need and always have been dedicated to going the extra mile by investing time in local opportunities and events. The charity planned and delivered an Eco-activity- Family Event, as one part of the other 20 Simple Acts, events and activities dotted throughout the week in Sunderland, marking this special anniversary.
The event was held on the 23rd June in Backhouse Park, Sunderland, from 12pm-4pm. It was led by representatives of ICOS Daniel Krzyszczak and Michal Chantkowski, FODI (Friends of the Drop-in) Community Project Development Worker Sandra Watt and very much enjoyed by the community members of both organisations and local public.
The day was pleasantly full of all sorts of activities. Along with a group community activity, park Clean-Up, local creative practitioner, Anna Glover, led arts and crafts workshops, making toys by upcycling and repurposing plastic bottles, which fits in with ICOS’s ethos of helping shape a safer and cleaner environment for the future. Visitors were able to enjoy variety of family games and take part in a creative hopscotch competition. Entertainment on the day was provided and performed by special guests from The Cuckoo Young Songwriters, led by Martin Longstaff (from The Lake Poets) who went on to sing refugee themed songs, as well as other original pieces.
ICOS brought along refreshments, food, drinks, clean-up equipment, a sense of fellowship, morale, and a fun, enthusiastic, and artistic contribution to this special celebratory day.
Refugee Week is a chance to celebrate the refugees who contribute to old and new British culture. It provides an opportunity for all cultures to get together in harmony and see common ground and grants the chance to hold local events full of arts, entertainment, education, public events, and bring new culture. Refugee Week is an important time for refugees and asylum seekers to be seen, listened to, and valued.
