KIRAN, the Knowledge-based Intercommunity relationship and Awareness Network, has organised a community dining in Cardiff on 24 August 2019. It was a free event, open to all. Approximately 60 people have joined on the day to dine together. People from all walks of life and from different cultural backgrounds have come together and made new friends across different communities from different places. This programme was funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, Wales. The venue for this event was St John’s Church, Rachel Close, Cardiff, CF5 2SH.
Who has participated on the day?
People living in Cardiff, Penarth and Swansea have taken part in the community dining. Members from South-Indian, Bengali, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Somalian, African, European and White British cultural backgrounds have enjoyed a 3-course meal together.
The participants have had the opportunities to talk to people from diverse backgrounds (whom they would not meet under usual circumstances) about different culture and heritage. They have made friendships beyond their own communities.
People were delighted to be able to network beyond their social boundaries and make new friends. They have requested us to organise this type of events again in future.
The impact of community dining
We work to promote wellbeing in local communities by enabling community members to connect through Art, Culture and Heritage. The engagement of community members can reduce social isolation and hatred and make a more inclusive and tolerant society.
KIRAN Community Dining was a unique event which brought people from diverse communities together through food. There was complimentary hot food along with tea, coffee, biscuits and snacks. People were able to talk freely among each other and make new friends. This event has the following positive outcomes:
1) It has reinforced the importance of diversities in our communities.
2) It has highlighted the vast contribution made by people from diverse communities in our daily lives
3) It has provided people with the experience of interacting with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and make lasting connections.
