People in Newcastle will have the opportunity to welcome new arrivals into the region from Hong Kong as the city hosts a Friendship Festival.
The event is expected to attract around 300 people, and it will be hosted at Trinity Church in Gosforth this Saturday, May 27 from 11am-3pm.
Overall, 160,000 people have arrived into the UK from Hong Kong since January 2021, with the 15 friendship festivals that have been held so far attracting over 14,000.
Hongkongers were invited to the UK after concerns about the Chinese regime gaining more authority over the former British colony.
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The Newcastle event will see cultures come together, with different foods, traditions and activities , with local leaders expected to attend to see the different stalls and musical acts.
Every child attending the event will also receive a book titled 'Welcome to the UK', which has been written especially for children from Hong Kong.
Andrew Wong is one of the organisers of the event, and he himself moved to the UK from Hong Kong in 2020. He has spoken about the difficulties people can have and why this event is so important.
"I like the UK so much, it is so much safer and friendlier than other parts of the world. The system here is brilliant and we can actively participate in a civil society.
"The language barrier is sometimes difficult and we can struggle with the Geordie accent, but the people are so friendly and I love Western food so find the restaurants in the North East great too.
"The event we are running will be brilliant for both communities to come together and strengthen our relationships.
"Lots of people form Hong Kong have settled in London but not in the north of England, so I hope this shows that there is strong community presence and that there is a desire for connection and relationship here too", he said.
The event will be one of several friendship festivals taking place across the UK in May and June. With funding from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the events are part of a national effort to help welcome people arriving to Britain.
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