BLACKBURN Cathedral has hosted a special Compassion Conference to mark the start of Refugee Week.

On Monday people from across Blackburn with Darwen’s diverse communities gathered in the cathedral crypt to hear from speakers including the Revd Canon James Lawrence and Chris Seddon on the board of the ARC Project to talk about the borough’s history of welcoming refugees.

The aim of the conference is to celebrate the welcome Blackburn with Darwen’s communities have offered to people who have had to flee their home countries due to violence or oppression.

The theme of this year’s Refugee Week, which runs until June 25, is compassion and what that looks like in action.

The leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council Cllr Phil Riley, who took part in the Compassion Conference, said: "It was incredibly powerful to hear the real life accounts of refugees who have made their homes in Blackburn and Darwen, and so heartening that they feel they have been welcomed here.

"As community leaders, part of our role is making sure no one in the borough gets left behind and has opportunities to make the most of everything that local life has to offer. The various partners taking part in today’s conference play a huge role in that."

The council - working with local partners including Blackburn Museum, Blackburn Library, the Bureau Centre for the Arts, the Connect Hub, ARC, DARE, Kairos Housing, Community Harmony, IMO and Blackburn Cathedral - has compiled a full programme of events for Refugee Week.

Activities include specially themed storytime sessions in Blackburn and Darwen libraries, an international food festival in Blackburn’s Wesley Hall, and the premier of a film about refugees’ reflections on arriving in Blackburn with Darwen.