Sunderland celebrates Refugee Week with cooking demos, taste-testing and drumming

The event is part of Sunderland's Refugee Week celebrations and is also part of the national Lift the Ban campaign, which is calling on the Government to give people seeking asylum the right to work.

Naila, a talented chef who is part of the Friends of the Drop In for Asylum Seekers and Refugees (FODI) community, will demonstrate delicious Pakistani recipes, with live commentary from Andrea from the Sunshine Co-operative.

Demonstrations will take place at 11am and 1pm, with opportunities for the public to taste-test Naila's creations. There will also be the chance for people of all ages to take part in West African drumming at 12:30 with Sacred Sacred Sounds CIC.

The event is a collaboration between FODI, the Sunshine Cooperative, My Sister's Kitchen, Local Heroes North East, Sacred Sounds CIC and Asylum Matters.

Fanni Ngambi, manager at FODI, said: "FODI is committed to building stronger and broader connections to create a resilient community.

"Regardless of whether they are old or new, these connections are crucial for helping asylum seekers and refugees integrate into the wider Sunderland community.

“So, we are glad to be participating in and contributing to the voices heard during this Refugee Week Lift the Ban event."

Jen Laws, campaigns manager for the North East, said: "It's fantastic to see Sunderland groups and businesses coming together to celebrate Refugee Week and to highlight the many talents of people seeking safety.

"Lifting the ban on people working is common sense and would benefit everyone in our communities."

Refugee Week is a national event and runs from June 17 to 24. It has a whole programme of events in Sunderland.

The finale is on Sunday, June 23 with Citizen Songwriters between 2pm and 3.30pm at the Minster, featuring Stories of Sanctuary music and a ceremony awarding Sunderland College its College of Sanctuary status.

The week began with a successful Walk of Sanctuary around Sunderland on Monday.