Gleadless residents pulled together to lay on their second “Community Social” attracting approval from the Starnewspaper, whose editorial described it as “a tremendous effort (that) will go a long way towards building closer understanding among people who have made the estate their home”.

The event, organised by City of Sanctuary and Gleadless Valley forum, and funded by the Community Assembly, brought together people from the many different cultures living in the area for a celebration of food and conversation.

They began by playing an ice-breaking game of bingo, when everyone had to write down the name of someone for example born in in Africa, or wearing a beard. There was also a short film about life in Burma, and food cooked by refugees and local people, giving guests an opportunity to sample the delights of Burmese and Kurdish cuisine, alongside Yorkshire pudding and shepherd’s pie.

The Star editorial finished by saying it looked forward to similar events taking place elsewhere in the city, because “it is only by meeting and understanding our neighbours, from whatever backgrounds, that we can begin to cast the seeds of tolerance that are vital for the harmony we all appreciate.”