Syrian refugees host dinner for city that welcomed them

A chef who fled war-torn Aleppo is among a group of Syrian refugees in the UK hosting a "thank you dinner" for the city that gave them a new home.

Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre in the Midlands is staging the now sold-out charity dinner on Saturday which will raise money for the area's homeless.

As well as enjoying an exclusively Syrian menu, guests will also be asking a panel of Syrian refugees about their experiences and the crisis in their country.

Adnan Khalil Omar fled Syria in 2015 and settled in the Wood End area of the city with his wife and daughter.

Acting as chef for the event, Adnan told the Coventry Observer newspaper: "We are thankful to the city of Coventry and its people for the support we have received since arriving.

"Hopefully this event will provide an opportunity for Syrians like me to give something back to the community, by raising funds for those in the city that really need it."

Mary Unsworth, one of the organisers, said: "It's a way for our Syrian clients to give something back to the community.

"It will be an exciting evening with excellent food and a lot of fun. I'm sure everyone will enjoy it."

The evening is raising money for the CRMC's Destitution Fund which helps some of the neediest people in the city.

CRMC Director Sabir Zazai said: "CRMC has a long history of supporting the integration of newly arrived communities in Coventry. The evening will be a coming together of Coventrians and some of the most recent newcomers to the city.

"Everyone will have a wonderful meal, hopefully find out something about each other's cultures, and raise money for the destitution fund."