A READING-BASED charity that helps refugees is busy organising events to mark Refugee Week.
The national event runs until Sunday and includes football tournaments, workshops and art exhibitions.
Refugee Support Group’s activities include film screenings. One took place in Wokingham last week, with Hostile being screened in Reading’s Biscuit Factory on Thursday, and another screening will take place in Newbury’s Corn Exchange on Wednesday, June 29.
The first Reading Community Cup contest will take place on Saturday.
Held at the artificial pitch at the University of Reading’s Whiteknights Campus, this will see Berkshire’s only refugee football team, Sanctuary Strikers Football Club, compete with guest teams Giveback FC, Burghfield FC, and Thames Valley Police FC.
The contest aims to promote unity and integration through the international language of football.
It runs from: 10am and 2pm, and is run in partnership with Reading FC Community Trust, University of Reading and Reading City of Sanctuary.
An art exhibition is running at St Nicolas Church in Earley until July 31. This features poetry, prose, paintings, and photographs created by 32 people from all over the world.
Half of the creatives who have generously provided their work are refugees, and the rest are friends and supporters of refugees. There will be copies of the artworks for sale.
And on Thursday and Friday this week, Living Home: Neighbouring Difference will be on display at OpenHand OpenSpace in Reading.
It features an exhibition of Second Year University of Reading Architecture students in collaboration with Design Partners from the Refugee Support Group.
The Oxford Road gallery is open from noon to 4pm on both days.
Refugee Support Group, which recently dropped Reading from its name to broaden its scope, has launched a Seven Day Challenges, aimed at helping residents find out more about the difficulties facing refugees who attempt to make a new life in the UK.
The charity’s CEO, Nick Harborne, said the programme was its most ambitious yet, and with good reason.
“With the Afghanistan Crisis and now the war in Ukraine, there are more refugees in the area needing our help than ever before.
“We hope that through these events, we can entertain, educate, and inspire the wider public to make our county a proud place of welcome for people fleeing war and persecution.”
He added: “We’re really excited to be able to offer such an exciting variety of events to bring people together to learn about, support and celebrate refugees here in Berkshire.”
For more details, log on to: refugeesupportgroup.org.uk/refugee-week
