A GROUP aiming to make Flintshire a safe sanctuary for refugees is to be launched.

Synergy is a group of representatives from various organisations which support refugees across the county.

It is part of the international City of Sanctuary movement and will officially launch at King's Christian Centre in Mold on Tuesday.

Liz Litherland, a former teacher for Wrexham youth service, is a member of the group and said she hopes to get businesses across the region involved.

She said: "A little while ago I had an invitation via Kim Mills - chair of North Wales Refugee Coalition and manager of the Syrian project in North Wales for the Red Cross - for a meeting of interested parties at Theatre Clwyd.

"We had Share, Renew, the Salvation Army, Christian Aid, Kings Christian Centre, Raven, St Davids the Catholic Church, housing people - I was astonished how many people were there.

"What they really wanted was for someone to say let's do something about it - but how?

"After that half a dozen of us got together and formed a steering group. We decided there and then to call it Synergy, which of course means working together for the greater good."

Mrs Litherland also runs a project called Language 4 Living (L4L) which offers free language lessons to refugees and economic migrants living in Flintshire.

She said she hopes Synergy can help to encourage businesses to sign up to a 'pledge' scheme in which they offer to do something to help make Flintshire a welcoming place of safety for people fleeing violence or persecution.

Suggested pledges include raising awareness, displaying a 'we welcome asylum seekers and refugees' sign, helping to publicise opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers and more.

Mrs Litherland, who is also part of the King's Christian Centre leadership team, said: "We do have refugees in Flintshire and we are trying to involve them in local activities.

"I have been in their homes to interview them for language purposes. They say they love it here and the feedback has been that they have been welcomed here.

"At the launch the Mayor of Mold, Cllr Karen Hodgkinson, will be present to sign the first pledge."

The launch event will take place on Tuesday (June 19) at King's Christian Centre in Pwll Glas at 2pm and will give people a chance to find out more about sanctuary, safety and settlement as well as networking with groups working in Flintshire.

For more information, search for the group 'Synergy: working together to make Flintshire a place of Sanctuary' on Facebook.