Refugee Week 2021 in North Wales: 'We cannot walk alone'

To draw Refugee Week 14-20 June to a close in Flintshire, North Wales, Cytun (Churches Together) has organised an ecumenical outdoor service at St David's Church in Mold on Sunday, 20 June at 4pm (weather and COVID regulations permitting).

At the centre of the service will be a Lampedusa cross. The Lampedusa crosses were made by carpenter Francesco Tuccio in Lampedusa, Italy, in the aftermath of a boat tragedy in October 2013 when a wooden boat carrying 466 people from Somalia and Eritrea caught fire and sank near the island, drowning 311 people. Flintshire City of Sanctuary (FCOS), the local branch of the nationwide movement, organised a number of events during Refugee Week, focusing on solidarity and celebrating refugees in Britain. The theme was: 'We cannot walk alone.'

In 2019, the Welsh Government set out a goal of becoming the first Nation of Sanctuary, and this not only offered support to people seeking sanctuary in Wales, but also prompted communities to embrace refugees and asylum seekers. In the government document, 'Refugee and Asylum Seeker Plan,' Jane Hunt, then Deputy Minister and Chief Whip, stated that, "the skills, experience and resilience of refugees and asylum seekers are useful to Wales and their inclusion will enhance our communities".

Flintshire has welcomed 10 resettled refugee families into the community since 2017. FCOS and its partners have continued regular contact with the families over the last year, developing creative means of communicating and engaging with adults and children. Over the year, friendships have deepened and understanding of each other strengthened.

This Refugee Week, FCOS created a series of short films made by and with trustees, volunteers, supporters and people with lived experience, to capture the journey for sanctuary seekers and people in Wales and Flintshire since 2015. They take the viewer on a journey of understanding and provide a sense of direction for people to walk together into the future as a community.

The short films are available on the YouTube channel 'Flintshire City of Sanctuary' as a resource. https://flintshire.cityofsanctuary.org/

The Mold service on 20 June will be online live at: https// www.churchservices.tv/mold .

More information from Katja.Jewell@FlintshireCoS.org