Messages of unity shared at multicultural festival

Josh Locke from J.S. & the Lockerbillies, and Loko Lomal, a Senegalese musician now living in Lowestoft, both performed in Alexandra Park

Messages of hope and unity have been shared onstage at a community festival.

The 12th One Big Multicultural Festival was held in Alexandra Park, Ipswich on Sunday.

It comes after racist violence and anti-immigration demonstrations in parts of England and Northern Ireland.

Shayra Begum, one of the organisers, said the town and the county had shown it was one community.

Boshor Ali, chair of organisers BSC Multicultural Services, spoke onstage about the importance of unity

"Obviously, with the troubles, we were worried whether we go ahead or not," she said.

"But Suffolk has shown what a fantastic place it is - we are one community, regardless of where we come from.

"We are Ipswich, we are Suffolk, and that's what's most important."

The festival was a showcase for the many different communities in Suffolk, including Chinese dancing, Bengali pop music, a Senegalese singer, British rock 'n' roll, a Samba band and Bollywood dancing.

There was also a football tournament with support from Suffolk FA.

It was also an opportunity for local groups and organisations to promote their work, with a marquee and and stalls around the edge of the park.

These included Suffolk Archives' Arrivals project, which collects personal stories of people from overseas who have made Suffolk their home.

Organisers and supporters, including councillors from Ipswich and Felixstowe spoke onstage, reflecting on the importance of community cohesion and the long history of multicultural Britain.

Sharon Marston, Joy Smith and Michael Lythcott enjoyed the music and the atmosphere together

Sharon Marston, attending with friends, said: "It's a nice event, with lots of people from all over the world here in Ipswich."

Her friend Joy Smith said: "It's great; people from different communities mixing together.

"There's great food and you can find out a lot from the stalls."

Michael Lythcott said: "It's the first time I've come. [It] seems well organised and good to see all the kids around - they're the lifeblood of the town so it's good they can come and feel safe with their families."

Organisers said about 6,000 people attended across the afternoon in glorious sunshine