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An afternoon with refugees

19 June 2004

A social event celebrating the contributions of asylum seekers and refugees to Oldham as part of national Refugee Week will take place at the town’s library on Saturday June 19th.

The event, entitled ‘An Afternoon With Refugees’, will feature a performance by the St Patrick’s African Singers, live Iranian music, Henna painting and beadwork by Pakistani and Kurdish artists and a reading by a Zimbabwean poet.

Former mayor Councillor Riaz Ahmad will give a short talk on issues surrounding asylum and a refugee living in Oldham will talk about his own experiences. An animated film for youngsters about a girl who flees her home will also be shown in the children’s section.

In addition, there will be some myth-busting displays about asylum seekers and refugees and a related quiz will see two lucky entrants receiving £25 prizes.

This free event, organised in partnership between Oldham Library, the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Refugee Action, will take place between 2pm and 4pm. The guest speakers will give their talks from 2.30pm.

ENDS

For more information or to organise an interview please contact Julia Ravenscroft, press officer, on 0161 233 1956 or contact juliar@refugee-action.org.uk.

Refugee Action is an independent, national charity working to enable refugees to build new lives in the UK. We provide practical advice and assistance for newly arrived asylum seekers and long-term commitment to their settlement through community development work, and received 30,000 visits from asylum seekers last year. As one of the country’s leading agencies in the field, Refugee Action has 22 years’ experience in pioneering innovative work in partnership with refugees.

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