Exonians to give Hong Kong arrivals a warm welcome
This weekend, Exeter will host their first ever Friendship Festival, offering a VIP celebration to welcome arrivals from Hong Kong. Around 140,000 people from Hong Kong have arrived into the UK following the introduction of British Nationals Overseas (BNO) visa scheme offered by the UK Government in January 2021. The event, centred around the Lunar New Year festivities, will celebrate the coming together of cultures and draw in on traditions, food, and fun activities that many would usually enjoy when back home in Hong Kong.
Exeter’s event is expected to attract over 200 people and will be hosted at The Beacon Community Centre on February, 4th 2023 at 2pm and finishing at 5pm. Local authority figures will be in attendance, as well as churches, musicians, and other organisations. The event will feature a range of different stalls, music, children’s entertainment, along with British and Hong Kong cuisine, and it is hoped arrivals will feel the welcome from the breadth of the Exeter community.
Paul Chung, one of the Festival’s organisers, moved to the UK from Hong Kong in 2021 and his wife arrived a year later. He is now retired and has a daughter who is studying at Exeter University. He said:
“Sometimes British people can be reserved and can take some time to understand our culture, but on the other hand people have been so kind and welcoming. The Western culture is different compared to the East, but we have been made to feel so welcome here.
“The food here is great and we appreciate the cultural diversity that is now in Exeter. There are different religions and nationalities here but we like that and we embrace it. The mood in the Hong Kong community in Exeter is great and people are being made to feel part of the city.
“We love the nature and scenery here and we are blown away by how beautiful and green it is.”
Organised by UKHK, a project of the charity Welcome Churches, and in partnership with many local churches, the Festival aims to build local friendships and encourage Hong Kong arrivals to feel more confident in asking for help and accessing the services they may need. Friendship Festivals held in localities across Britain over the last year have welcomed over 7000 people.
This event is one of the first of a series of nine Friendship Festivals across the UK over January, February and March. Partially funded by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, these events and activities are part of a national effort to help welcome those arriving from Hong Kong.
Emily Shepherd, the joint CEO of Welcome Churches, says, “Thousands of people from Hong Kong have made a hugely difficult decision to move themselves and their families to the UK on the BN(O) visa route. We want these Friendship Festivals to be a place where Hong Kongers can come together, share their challenges and experiences together, make new friends and experience a true welcome from their local communities. UKHK exists to ensure every new arrival from Hong Kong has the support and connections they need to build a life here in the UK. Our hope is that every Hong Kong arrival - and those still in Hong Kong thinking of moving over - will be welcomed, make friends, and know that they can call this country their home.”
In addition, every child attending the family-friendly event will receive an exclusive book entitled "Welcome to the UK", written especially for children from Hong Kong and help them adjust to life and culture here in the UK.
For more information on the Exeter festival and to book tickets, please visit www.ukhk.org/friendship-festivals
