BOLTON will hold its annual service for Genocide Memorial Day at the town hall tomorrow featuring singing, poetry and stories from refugees.

The service is an interfaith tribute involving school children, civic leaders and community groups and has taken place every year since 2007.

Organiser Chan Parmar said that Bolton is one of the few towns in the country to hold such an event.

The event is held during Refugee Week, a national celebration of refugees’ contribution and promoting understanding of people seeking sanctuary, now in its 20th year.

Chan, who is the strategic officer at Bolton Interfaith Council, said that there will be greater participation from refugees and asylum seekers this year.

The audience will hear about the experiences of refugees from Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as a personal story told by Brandwood Community Primary School pupil, Rimsha Ali.

Chan said: “There has been good community input, better than we’ve ever had before as we’ve tried to engage as many people as possible.”

The programme includes a performance by the Melbourne Road Methodist African Choir, poems read by children from Brandwood Community Primary School and statements from Bolton’s Mayor and the Bolton Council Leader.

Chan pointed to the current situation in Syria, Yemen and Rohingya to highlight the importance of the commemoration. He said: “Sadly, there’s a lot of ignorance of the unknown and of people outside. We have to show our compassion.”

Representatives from organisations that work with refugees and asylum seekers, such as City of Sanctuary and BRASS, also appear on the programme.

He said the event gives refugees and asylum seekers the opportunity to meet their elected representatives and feel part of the community.

He said: “We are a changing society, there’s lots of people from different parts of the world here.”

The service begins at 1pm tomorrow in the Festival Hall, Bolton Town Hall.