Paris may have had the Olympics, but it’s not the only city that hosted a sporting event bringing together participants from across the globe this summer!
On Saturday 27 June at Derby’s Markeaton Brook Recreation Ground, a tournament of quintessentially British events was held, to test participants' speed, hand-eye coordination and endurance.
Very much in the Olympic spirit of friendship and solidarity, this ‘Sports Day’ brought together a diverse group of people from an array of different ethnic backgrounds and featured refugees and those seeking asylum in Derby.
Rich Keene, our New Arrivals Alliance Manager was lucky enough to get an invite to this half-day event, organised by Derbyshire Refugee Solidarity (DRS), and he had a hugely enjoyable time! Rich said:
“The event was carried out with a spirit of fun, sporting endeavour, friendship, support, camaraderie, and compassion. It was great to see some real talent and ability on show, and the bringing together of individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds and faiths united in friendship and competition.”
The list of sporting events included a sack race, obstacle course, egg and spoon race, ‘welly wanging’ and finally, a fiercely contested tug of war.
Young and old alike participated from a wide background of individuals, nationalities, and athletic abilities.
Members of the police from Darley Safer Neighbourhood Team also attended to take part in the event and chat with attendees about keeping their communities safe. Some of the youngest participants even got to try on some police uniform!
Girmay, one of the event participants said:
"I like to see sports, especially when people are struggling to win, then they win and they are so happy and smiling. I like to see the teamwork when strong people help people who are not so strong."
You can see some more photos from the event below and view the whole gallery here.
