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Friendship. It’s a tricky thing, isn’t it? Especially in the capital, where we’re all busy busy busy and walk around with our eyes glued to our phones.
Well, the London Friendship Festival is set to be the perfect opportunity for different cultures to come together, and for British National (Overseas) residents, aka people associated with the former Hong Kong, to build friendships with locals. That sounds nice, doesn’t it? The fest offers a VIP celebration to welcome arrivals from HK after tens of thousands of people moved here following the introduction of a BN(O) visa scheme last year.
It sounds like a cracking day is in store. Hosted at Hendon Park (which, fun fact, was originally part of a medieval estate back in the day) it’s on Saturday (June 11) from 11am.
“Historically, Hong Kong and East Asian people have been quite dispersed and hidden in London. With the BN(O) scheme, it has changed the demographic of people moving to the UK, and there is a lot more awareness of the challenges that Hong Kong arrivals are facing. This event will be a great time to champion their needs and help them get connected into a different culture,” said Reverend Wien Fung (馮永業), one of the organisers. Wien, who grew up in Hong Kong and later moved to north-west London, believes that this will be an important time to recognise the historical contribution HK people have made to the capital.
“London is a multicultural city and what makes this event unique is that it’s not just Hong Kong Chinese putting on a Chinese event but it’s been co-designed by Chinese and English citizens, churches and local charities. It’ll enable all ethnic communities in London to come together and connect with the new arrivals. There will be stalls, activities, games and performances that will be a blend of Eastern and Western. We’re so excited for the event and the Hong Kong community will definitely feel the warm welcome of London: we are certain of it,” Wien adds.
The event is one of an eight-part series of Friendship Festivals happening across the UK. It’s been put together by UKHK, who received government funding to run events and activities to help welcome those arriving from Hong Kong.
So what can you actually expect on the day? There will be activities for kids, like traditional Chinese writing and paper dragon boat folding. Plus, plenty of musical performances and the opportunity to mingle with local community groups. And after you’ve worked up an appetite, there will be some delicious, authentic food from Hong Kong to tuck into. Crafts and good eating? We’re in.
Have a read of our pick of the 22 best friendship songs.
If you’re looking for more things to do, Somerset House is doing a new festival with a huge ferris wheel.