Southmead News & What’s On Issue 69 July - August 2022 FREE DONATIONS WELCOME
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had the privilege to get involved with a great event Celebra�ng Sanctuary in North Bristol at the Greenway Centre. It was part of the city-wide Bristol Refugee Fes�val in June and a wonderful gathering of locals, visitors, refugees and asylum seekers alike. There were people from different walks of life and cultures sharing na�onal dishes, trading and displaying cra�s na�ve to them, along with music and dance. Conversa�ons were shared about religion and cultural cohesion. Tales of struggle, determina�on and triumphs of the human spirit were told by people from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Sudan and Tibet.
I spent the most part of the a�ernoon with some lovely Sudanese lads who had endured the crossing from France to the UK in one of those dinghys we see so o�en on the news. With only a fis�ul of common words between us, and many hand signals and makeshi� sign language, I cha�ed with these guys in length about their journey. I learned of the harrowing roller-coaster of joys and spills, told by them and echoed by so many. One of them le� Sudan aged 15 and turned 20 the week he reached our shores, a five year slog through borders, chaos, deten�on centres, refugee camps and long roads. These were heart-breaking and tense anecdotes of situa�ons you or I will never have to experience, yet there was not one grumble nor gripe from any of these lads. cont on page 3>
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Celebra�ng Sanctuary in Southmead pics Love & a poem for Krystal-Leigh Summer Hols at The Ranch �mes Community Corner Southmead Fes�val poster for your window! Tea-Po�ers on Tour! Free support groups Meadows to Meaders 20 Years on Arnside Mee�ng Info Greenway Fitness Classes