SANCTUARY SUNDAY @ LLOYDS CAFÉBAR, CENTENARY SQUARE, BRADFORD

SUNDAY 26^TH JUNE 2011, 3PM TO 7PM

Sun 26th June 2011, 3-7pm: SANCTUARY SUNDAY @ Lloyds Cafébar, (Upstairs Function Area), Centenary Square, Bradford, BD1 1HY

SolaMatik Festival, HEM (Holmewood Ethnic Minorities), Bradford Rape Crisis and the Congo Awareness Group present the official Bradford Refugee Week civic reception for Bradford’s brand new lord mayor Naveeda Ikram, on Sunday the 26th of May, which is the final event after a week of activities celebrating Bradford’s diverse refugee communities, and their creative input into our multicultural society. Our vibrant yet thoughtful Sunday afternoon event features live music, dance, storytelling, a fashion show, and much, much more. Everybody is welcome to attend this excellent opportunity to counteract myths and mistruths with real-life stories of hardship, suffering, misery, humanity, AND YET, ABOVE ALL, HOPE!!!

Come down to town in the afternoon, and unite in the celebration of cultural diversity, discovering the truth about life as a refugee seeking sanctuary from danger.

Our family-friendly event is open to everybody from all communities, and is totally free to attend. No advance booking required. Food and refreshments available all afternoon.

Refugee Week 2011 leaflet

Refugee Week 2011 poster

Refugee Week is a UK-wide programme of arts, cultural and educational events that celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK, and encourages a better understanding between communities. Refugee Week 2011 takes place from 20 – 26 June 2011.

Every year during Refugee Week hundreds of events are organised across the UK. In 2010, there were over 550 small and large events, ranging from big music festivals and art exhibitions to political debates, film screenings, conferences, school activities, sports and community events etc

2011 Theme

This year is the 60′th anniversary of the refugee convention, and we’ll be focusing on the theme of 60 years of Contribution for Refugee Week 2011.

This year’s refugee week celebrations in Bradford just like any other cities are packed with eye opening facts about refugees.  An able and fantastic team started meeting since July, 2010 to plan for this year’s refugee week celebrations which include organisations such as City of Sanctuary, BEACON, STAR, BIASAN, British Red Cross, Bradford Action for Refugees, Horton Housing, Sharing Voices, NRC, Raising the Roofs, Solamatik, Bradford Refugee Forum (which chairs this year’s Refugee Week), West Yorkshire Police, Education (Bradford), etc.

There is so much misinformation circulating about refugees and asylum seekers in the media that it is sometimes hard to work out what is reality and what is myth.  This year’s program is packed with information from personal testimonies that can help you to figure out the facts from the fibs.

All you need is to mark the following dates and times and simply show up.  All the events are absolutely free to everyone.

This year’s celebrations fall on 20th to 26th June, 2011.  During this week, Bradford will hold the following events:

• The celebrations will begin with the refugees joining the Bradford community at the 2011 Mela which will be held on 12^th June,  where different performances will be held, such as Music Dance, Drumming, etc from members of the local refugees and asylum seekers communities
• Launch Event which will be on 20th June, 2011 at  Kala Sangam, 1 Forster Square, Bradford BD1 4TY, starting from 10am to 2pm.  The Lord Mayor  is the guest of Honour on this day, there will be personal testimonies from different people who have come to seek sanctuary in Bradford and there will be a lot of information on display, fantastic performances by the refugees (Music and dance), drama by young children and many more.
• The BEACON Walk for Justice on Wednesday, 22 June.  This walk is aimed at drawing attention to asylum seekers having to walk from Bradford to Leeds to register.  The walk will start at 10am from Centenary Square, Bradford to Waterside House , Leeds.  Approx. 10 miles. Many walkers will be sponsored.
• The Finale Celebration which will be on 24th June at Urban Gardens starting from 12noon to 2pm.  People will enjoy food made by different countries in the world plus music and dance from different countries, cultures and religion.
• Football Tournament on 25th June, 2011 where both men and women’s teams are going to participate and there will also be a variety of games at Goals Sports Academy (Junior teams) and Manningham Sports Stadium (adults teams) from 10am to 4pm.  Trophy’s and prizes are already packed for the winning teams.
• On the same day, 25^th June, 2011, a BIASAN Gig has been organised at Manningham Mills Community Centre starting from 07.30pm till 11pm.  Fantastic live bands and many more entertaining activities have been planned.  Affordable entrance tickets to the event will soon be on sale, stay alert for our past event attracted a lot of people.  So don’t miss your chance this time.
• On the final day, 26^th June, 2011, Solamatik, HEM & Congo Awareness Group (CRC & Bradford Rape Crisis) has organised a refugee week support event which has been titled “Sanctuary Sunday”.  This event is marking the end of 2011 Refugee Week Celebrations where everyone in Bradford is invited to come and learn about their real stories as well as celebrate the contributions of refugees in Bradford over the years.

The event is blessed with the presence of the Lord Mayor who will speak to the celebrating crowd.  There will be performers, stories, exhibition, drama & of course refreshments.

Families & children welcome. The event will be held from 3pm to 6pm at the City Hall.

Recap 2011

Under the chairmanship of Will Sutcliffe, Bradford Refugee Week for 2010 was held from 16^th to 22^nd June.  The celebrations registered a number of successful and memorable achievements.  Many Asylum Seekers and refugees were represented including national and Bradford based organisations, on the theme: “different pasts shared future.”

RW Press Release – 2011

1. the Launch which will be on 20th June, 2011 at Kala Sangam (St Peter’s House), Forster Square, on Bolton Road, starting from 10am to 2pm.  A lot of information on display, fantastic performances by the refugees (Music and dance), drama by young children and many more.
2. the Finale Celebration which will be on 24th June at Centenary Square starting from 10am to 2pm.  People will enjoy food made by different countries in the world and music and dance from different countries, cultures and religion.
3. and then we will have a Football Tournament on 25th June, 2011 where both men and women’s teams are going to participate and varieties of games at Goals Sports Academy (Junior teams) and Manningham Sports Stadium (adults teams) from 10am to 4pm.

Friday @6: youth club ran by Holme Christian Centre, Holmewood for 6-10years old.

7-8.45pm: Interfaith Gathering @ Khidmat Centre

7pm Kascarade Live @Clayton Heitghs Pub. Contact Mat Milnes for more information.

Saturday 12^th March

Celebration of International women day @ City Hall.

Sunday 13^th March

11.15am St Mary’s The Vine, BD4. Special worship celebrating 150 years of existence!

Monday 14^th March

4-6pm: Family Space – Enjoy relaxing time where parents can chat, kids play and get a free cooked dinner! Open to any residents of Holme wood. @ Hall of HCC (ex-Hopes Centre)

Tuesday 15^th March

5.30pm-8.30pm Cohesion, Counter-terrorism and Communities @ Norcroft Centre

Wednesday 16^th March

1-2.30pm HEM Meet&Greet @ Holme wood Activity Centre

Thursday 17^th March

10-11am: Councillors Surgeries @Holmewood Library, BD4.

International Film Festival Bradford until 27^th March.

3.30pm Bradford Refugee Forum Full meeting @Frontline Initiative

Friday 18^th March

Friday @6: youth club ran by HCC, Holmewood for 6-10years old.

Saturday 19^th March

11am-4pm: Bradford Media museum Puppet movie & face painting £1 per person

Sunday 20^th March

12-5pm: .Holi Festival Multi-cultural Event celebrating 25 years of Oriental Arts: world music, dance, workshop, world food. £4 per adult, £2 per child. @ Ukrainian Club, BD7.

Monday 21^st March

10.30am-3.30pm: OXFAM BME Conference – guests are Southall Black Sisters @ Leeds St George centre.

Wednesday 23^rd March

6-9pm: City of Sanctuary Special Event – Launch of Bradford City of Sanctuary status & focus on positive contrinutions of asylum seekers & refugees to Bradford. @ St Peter’s house

Thursday 24^th March

11am-3pm: Ice AND Fire event in partnership with BRF, Bradford Women District… @Valuing Diversity’ – Asylum Dialogues. Book your place by emailing projects@iceandfire.co.uk

Street Angels Fundraising Dinner @ Chino Thai

Friday 25^th March

Friday @6: youth club ran by HCC, Holmewood for 6-10years old.

Saturday 26^th March

9AM-5PM: Bradford Women Market, Darley street, BD1. From SOW – Supporting Opprtunities for Women (social enterprising).

7.30pm: Innchurches Thanksgiving Service @St John’s great horton. Free but you need to bring a pudding to share!

9pm TGU – Trance Global Underground – world music Club @ Balanga – FREE!

Monday 28^th March

4-6pm: Family Space – Enjoy relaxing time where parents can chat, kids play and get a free cooked dinner! Open to any residents of Holme wood. @ Hall of HCC (ex-Hopes Centre)

Friday 1^st April

Friday @6: youth club ran by HCC, Holmewood for 6-10years old.

8pm-2am: Love Music Hate Racism @West Indian Centre. £10 per person.

Saturday 2^nd April

10-11am: Councillors Surgeries @St John’s church, BD4.

12-2pm: CONGO AWARENESS CAMPAIGNING Group meeting (open to public) – venue TBC. Contact me if you need further info.

Sunday 3^rd April

12.45pm-2.45pm: KOKESHI – Stand up, Speak out, Make a difference @ Bradford Gallery, Yorkshire Craft Centre, BD7 1AY.

Wednesday 6^th April

1-2.30pm HEM Meet&Greet @ Holme wood Activity Centre

Thursday 7^th April

Asylum Dialogues by Ice &Fire @7pm @Bradford Playhouse

Friday 8^th April

Friday @6: youth club ran by HCC, Holmewood for 6-10years old.

Monday 11^th April

4-6pm: Family Space – Enjoy relaxing time where parents can chat, kids play and get a free cooked dinner! Open to any residents of Holme wood. @ Hall of HCC (ex-Hopes Centre)

7-8.45pm: Interfaith Gathering @Khidmat Centre

Wednesday 13^th April

6-8pm: City of Sanctuary monthly meeting @Touchstone, BD7.

Friday 15^th April

Friday @6: youth club ran by HCC, Holmewood for 6-10years old.

Saturday 16^th April

Bradford Media Museum Special Effects Spectacular 11am-4pm.

Wednesday 20^th April

Lego Animation Workshop @Bradford Media Museum 10.30am-12.30pm or 1.30-3.30pm.

Thursday 21^st April

10-11am: Councillors Surgeries @Bierley Community centre, BD4.

Tuesday 26^th April

1pm and 3.30pm Fireman Sam Live @St George Hall.

Friday 29^th April

6-11.30pm Kascarade (Faze) Live @ The Old Tramshed, Saltaire.

Wednesday 4^th May

1-2.30pm HEM Meet&Greet @Holme wood Activity Centre

Thursday 5^th May

3.30PM: Bradford Refugee Forum AGM (Open to Public) @BAFRA, 40a picadilly street, BD1.

Friday 6^th May

Friday @6: youth club ran by HCC, Holmewood for 6-10years old.

7.30pm: HEM & Janet presents Women Pamper night @ Social Club (Tong)

Monday 9^th May

4-6pm: Family Space – Enjoy relaxing time where parents can chat, kids play and get a free cooked dinner! Open to any residents of Holme wood. @ Hall of HCC (ex-Hopes Centre)

Wednesday 11^th May

6pm: Holme wood Community Council @HCC Hall. Open to public.

7-8.45pm Interfaith gathering @Khidmat Centre

Friday 12^th May

Friday @6: youth club ran by HCC, Holmewood for 6-10years old.

Saturday 13^th May

1-4PM: Be a TV Presenter @Bradford Media Museum

Adult Learner week till 2oth may.

Wednesday 18^th May

HEM Day trip (Free) to the Dales. Book your place by emailing hem@holmewoodactivitycentre.co.uk

Friday 20^th May

Friday @6: youth club ran by HCC, Holmewood for 6-10years old.

Monday 23^rd May

4-6pm: Family Space – Enjoy relaxing time where parents can chat, kids play and get a free cooked dinner! Open to any residents of Holme wood. @ Hall of HCC (ex-Hopes Centre)

Wednesday 25^th May

1-2.30pm HEM Meet&Greet @Holme wood Activity Centre

Thursday 26^th May

Launch of Holme View (Holme wood) Allotment

Friday 27^th May

Friday @6: youth club ran by HCC, Holmewood for 6-10years old.

7pm: African Achievers International Awards @Hilton Hotel. Book and pay your tickets through the Nile- Africa House.

Tuesday 31^st May

Community Seaside Trip to Southport £8 per adult; £6 per child. Book by calling Brian on 683740 from Holme wood Activity Centre.

Saturday 4^th June

HEM Intercultural Cafe – Gypsies &Travellers 3.30pm onwards @Madison Cafe.

Friday 10^th June

Friday @6: youth club ran by HCC, Holmewood for 6-10years old.

Saturday 11^th June

7-8.45pm Interfaith gathering @Khidmat Centre

Monday 13^th June

4-6pm: Family Space – Enjoy relaxing time where parents can chat, kids play and get a free cooked dinner! Open to any residents of Holme wood. @ Hall of HCC (ex-Hopes Centre)

Friday 17^th June

Friday @6: youth club ran by HCC, Holmewood for 6-10years old.

Monday 20^th June

LAUNCH OF REFUGEE WEEK!

Friday 24^th June

Friday @6: youth club ran by HCC, Holmewood for 6-10years old.

Congo Awareness Campaigning group in partnership with Refugee Week presents fundraising community festival/ celebration: Dramas, talks, poems, music, fashion, music, dance! Food.

Saturday 25^th June

Refugee Week Football Tournament

DCF – Disabled Christian Fellowship Fun day @HCC 11am-3pm.

Monday 27^th June

4-6pm: Family Space – Enjoy relaxing time where parents can chat, kids play and get a free cooked dinner! Open to any residents of Holme wood. @ Hall of HCC (ex-Hopes Centre)

HEM_Connects_Bradford

Bradford_Women_Refugees_and_Asylum_Seekers_Conference_Quotations

Also wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

BRF NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2010

The year 2010 was the most successful for Bradford Refugee Forum. We set up a website; we had the biggest Women’s Conference I have ever seen in Bradford; and twice The Lord Mayor of Bradford officially opened our functions-at the launch of the website and at the opening of the Women’s Conference. We hosted The Black History Month function; were involved in the Refugee Week which ended with a wonderful day of dance and sharing of foods from refugee countries represented at the Centenary Square.

BRADFORD REGIONAL COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS [RCOs]

Bradford RCOs are an example to the UK. They are truly dedicated to the cause of making the lives of refugees more bearable. There are several that provide meals to destitute. Meals are provided by RCOs, churches, individuals and associations. Our destitute have a meal every day. There are organisations that even provide meals that meet specifications of some religious organisations. Is that not wonderful? THANK YOU BRADFORD.

There are organisations in Bradford that have chosen to take destitute into their homes. Imagine choosing to live with someone whose background you do not know; some from countries where we read of frightening stories. These organisations have chosen to live with these people because they love people. AND, every winter time these people come together to provide shelter for those that have not yet got a home to go to. They take turns to bring them hot soup each morning. THANK YOU BRADFORD.

There are those that collect clothes and place them in Churches and public buildings –clothes, blankets, shoes, pots, furniture.

There are Bradfordians that have created links with communities in Africa. One such organisation helps victims of rape in the DRC. There is an organisation that collects computers and sends them to poor communities in Kenya and Uganda. Computer classes have been started in Africa thanks to the work of RCOs in Bradford. There are ladies that run homes for destitute children in Zimbabwe. One Bradford based organisation is sinking boreholes in many parts of Zimbabwe. In several parts of Africa clothes are sent to the poor to be sold at give away prices to help these people make a living. THANK YOU BRADFORD.

WHERE ARE YOU BRF?

BFR has been given the support of the people of Bradford. The City Council, private companies, colleges, and big institutions such as the Lottery have supported us. We are going to be a Charity in 2011. Let us be recognised for our work rather than for our disagreements. Let us be seen to be using our money properly. We are lucky to have a professional accountant. Let us use him to raise more money and to use the money to help refugees. There are many areas of real need that have not been looked at by existing RCOs and there are areas where we can help increase the work already being done. Here are some examples:

1. Creating English lesson classes to help many refugees from non-English speaking backgrounds. I already have the material and all I need are people willing to teach. We can easily get rooms in most districts of Bradford.
2. Legal advice for many refugees that cannot get relatives and friends to pay the heavy fees demanded by the Bradford Law firms. Asylum seekers are desperate for legal advice. Many are being cheated into signing agreements which force them to pay heavy fees for no service at all. Some are promised positive results when the Law firms know there cannot be a positive result. We need to help asylum seekers with their legal problems.
3. Children of asylum seekers sometimes find themselves playing with wrong friends. We need youth clubs for our children to help them adjust to the UK environment. There are many useful values in our cultures. There are also many dangerous values in foreign cultures. We need parents from different backgrounds to help children know that not everything from Africa is backward or bad. Our children must be helped to get the good from the different back grounds of the communities that have settled in Bradford.
4. We need social clubs where we discuss developments in our home countries, look at the UK Country Case Laws for each country and advise our members make the right decisions.
5. We also need to join the Bradford organisations that have done such wonderful work for refugees-We can join the food distribution schemes in different organisations; we can help collect clothes and place them at centres where destitute can collect them; we can offer to stay with a destitute in our homes; we can do a lot more.

2010 was a great year for BRF and I am sure 2011 will enable us to achieve a lot more. May I wish all Bradford Refugee Forum members a wonderful Festive Season and a prosperous New Year!

Roben Mutwira

The celebrations began with the refugees joining the Bradford community at the 2010 Mela where different performances were held, such as Music Dance, Drumming, Poetry, Drama,, etc from members of the local refugees and asylum seekers communities, art exhibition, children’s play area.(see the photos)

The Refugee Week was launched at Carlisle Business Centre and about 200 attended the event on 16^th June which was opened by the Lord Mayor. Selina Ullah, Bradford Council’s Assistant Director Safer and Stronger Communities, gave a powerful keynote speech, followed by stunning music from Zimbabwean group ‘Theatre Under Fire’ – some brave souls even got up to dance.

Terry Rooney MP officially opened the Finale Refugee Week celebration on 22^nd June and 3 hours of  wonderfully diverse music and dance followed, showcasing the talents of Kurdish, East European, Congolese and Zimbabwean musicians.

A working group had been meeting since December, 2009, chaired by Will Sutcliffe from the City of Sanctuary and with representatives from local refugee community organisations.

The same planning group has, since August, 2010, started meeting to plan for the 2011 Refugee Week and Mela celebrations.  The group is now chaired by Beatrice Botomani, Secretary of the Bradford Refugee Forum.  The planning group wishes to involve more people from local refugee communities, and local organisations in planning meetings which are taking place on every third Wednesday of each month at BAFR offices, 40a Piccadilly, BD1 3NN from 12.30pm.  If you would like to join the planning group, please call Beatrice on 07900855722.

2011 Refugee Week will take place from 20^th to 25^th of June.  We are expecting that its successes will surpass every event that Bradford has held  in the past.  Many activities are being planned which include:  Music, Dances, Drumming, Poetry, Drama, Children performances, Ladies football and football tournaments .

 We are also working hard to identify sources of local funding. Any offers or suggestions call Beatrice or Christy (Tel01274 762 1000) !