Refugee film night to be held in Cambridge

SOS Children’s Villages UK, part of the world’s largest charity working with unsupported children, is hosting an evening of conversation and short films focusing on the experiences of refugees around the world.

The film night, held to mark the 20th anniversary of Refugee Week, will showcase award-winning short films and creations from talented young refugees from the Surviving to Thriving Project, a pioneering programme supporting 11-25 year old refugees and asylum seekers across Cambridgeshire and other areas of England.

The evening will also include a panel discussion with leading local voices on the global child refugee crisis, including the Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign and SOS Children’s Villages UK.

The evening is part of the SOS Children’s Villages UK ‘Walk a Mile’ campaign to show solidarity with child refugees worldwide. The campaign is encouraging people to Walk a Mile in the shoes of a child refugee and consider what it must be like to be a child fleeing for their life from violence, warfare and disaster, leaving behind everything – their home, friends, school and maybe even families – and making the long and dangerous journey in search of a safe home.

CEO of SOS Children’s Villages UK Alison Wallace said: “Many refugee children have suffered terrible ordeals as they flee violence and disaster in search of a safe place to call home. With our Walk a Mile campaign we want to show child refugees that they are welcome here, acknowledge their courage and fight for their right to be reunited with their families.”

“Our refugee film night is a fun way for people to show their support for child refugees. I hope you will all join us for an evening of great films and good conversation.”

Fifty million children have been uprooted from their homes worldwide and are internally displaced or seeking sanctuary abroad. Consequently, children now account for half of the world’s refugees. Many are travelling the world’s key migrant routes in search of a safe haven, where they will be exposed to extreme risks of abuse, trafficking and exploitation. At least 300,000 of them are facing these dangers alone, having lost or been separated from their parents.

Surviving to Thriving National Project Manager Kalyani McCarthy said: “Every day our team has the pleasure of working with young refugees and people seeking asylum who show tremendous resilience and optimism after going through so much hardship. We’re delighted to take part in this film night which is offering these young people a crucial opportunity to share their experiences with the Cambridge community.”

The film night is being held from 9pm on Tuesday June 19 at the Arts Picturehouse on St Andrews Street in Cambridge. Entry is free. People can let us know they will be attending on our Facebook page.

This Refugee Week (June 18-24) people can show their support for child refugees by attending the SOS Children’s Villages UK Walk a Mile march through Cambridge on June 23. The walk will culminate with a ‘Great Get Together’ in memory of Jo Cox MP, a champion of refugee rights and a strong believer that we have far more in common than that which divides us.

SOS Children’s Villages UK is also campaigning in support of the Refugee Family Reunion Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, which would bring unaccompanied refugee children one step closer to being reunited with their families. Current immigration laws are preventing refugee children who have leave to stay in the UK from sponsoring family members to join them and often results in children being raised in care.

You can find out more information about the SOS Children’s Villages UK Walk a Mile campaign and how you can get involved here.

Notes to editors:
For media enquiries please contact Lucy Prioli at Lucy.Prioli@sosuk.org or on 01223 222 974.