REFUGEES from Syria were given a formal welcome last month with a Solidarity gathering held in the Albert Halls.

The event, which took the form of a lively ceilidh and general exchange of culture, was arranged to facilitate engagement between refugees and a variety of humanitarian, social wellbeing and community empowerment groups in the Forth Valley area.

Underscoring the positive message of integration, the function was dubbed “We are all Adam’s Children” – an apt homage to the traditional Scots adage celebrating cultural diversity: “We’re a’ Jock Tamson’s Bairns”.

It was the first of the Refugee Festival Scotland 2016’s interactive gatherings, and was collaboratively organised by the Central Scotland Regional Equality Council (CSREC), the Scottish Refugee Council, the Falkirk Muslim Forum, Stirling Citizens for Sanctuary, CVS Falkirk and Stirling Voluntary Enterprise.

Support also came from each of the three central Scotland councils, Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire.

Stalls with information on community health and safety, multicultural activities and vocational, volunteering and educational opportunities were set up around the main hall by the organising bodies and some of their third sector partners, including Police Scotland, the Scottish Health Council, the Stirling Alcohol and Drug Partnership, ACE Cornton, the Forth Valley Violence Against Women Partnership and the Falkirk Muslim Forum.

The keynote speaker was Angela Constance, cabinet secretary for communities, social security and equalities, with the Stirling provost Cllr Mike Robbins also participating in the event.

Other speakers included CSREC chairperson, Michael Giannandrea, the Scottish Refugees Council’s head of policy and communications, Gary Christie, and Frank McCord, community planning officer for Falkirk Council.

Cultural entertainment was abundantly laid on in the form of rousing bagpipe music and a set of Scottish and Breton Dance performances.

This was followed by a lively lesson in ceilidh dancing with the Syrian community members enthusiastically joining in the fun.

Truly a paradigm of multicultural integration and friendship, the Forth Valley Refugee Solidarity event concluded – in a spontaneous manner – with some of the Syrian participants entertaining their new Scottish friends with Arabic songs and Kurdish communal dancing.

Mr Giannandrea, said: “ I was happy to witness the joy, fun and participation of the Syrian refugee families at the reception. It was so good to see them relaxed and participating in the events of the day.

"The reception was also a good example of co-production on a local scale; with different community members, community organisations, third sector organisations and public bodies coming together to make a event idea a reality.

“I felt that the effort put in by those who organised the function was well rewarded as I watched all join in the Scottish and Kurdish dancing. But the culmination of the day, which brought a lump to my throat, was seeing everyone join in singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ – a wonderful Scottish expression of brotherhood and sisterhood.”

Arun Gopinath, manager of (CSREC) and one of the organisers of the Forth Valley Refugee Solidarity event, added: “One of the key aims of the function was to provide opportunities for newly arrived Syrian families to feel at home and to thank the volunteers, support groups and public bodies for coming together in solidarity with the refugees. The joy on people’s faces during the dances, and the way most families seemed very much at home, made me feel the event was worth all of our efforts.

“Altogether, this reception for refugees living in the Forth Valley area was an inspirational success, enjoyed by all who came. It will hopefully provide both a blueprint and impetus for many other events of this kind.”

The Provost of Stirling, Mike Robbins, also spoke in praise of the event and said: "The work of all the local and national organisations involved in the Syrian Refugee Resettlement Programme has been admirable and I know that third sector organisations like the Scottish Refugee Council, CSREC and Stirling Citizens for Sanctuary have been fundamental in supporting our own efforts as a local authority to welcome Syrian refugee families into Stirling.”