A PUBLIC meeting raising awareness about the plight of refugees across the world was held at Caldicot's community hub last week.

Members of iNeed, a local action group providing crisis support to refugees, were joined by speakers from the UK, Syria and elsewhere in highlighted the plight of displaced people and the campaign to support people in need.

Among the speakers were Baraa Kouja who described his experiences in Syria and Eritrean Michael Kasney on his journey to the UK via the Sahara Desert.

Also present were Monmouthshire’s Community Cohesion Officer, Shereen Williams and iNeed chairperson Natasha Cadman who outlined the history of the group and its work to date.

The event also featured an art exhibition of children’s work entitled ‘From Syria with Love’ and performances from the Chepstow Castle Singing Group.

Caldicot Community Hub manager Richard Drinkwater was delighted with the event’s success.

He said: “What was planned as an intimate evening at Caldicot Community Hub soon snowballed into something much, much bigger with nearly a hundred people attending."

Monmouthshire County Council's chief executive Paul Matthews added: “We were pleased to host a group of passionate and community-spirited people who entertained and informed.

"This event is a great example of how the council’s five hubs can bring people together to benefit a good cause and support local community activity.”