As your VP Wellbeing and Diversity, I attended Global Plymouth's International Dinner and Burn's Night celebration at Sherwell Church on Saturday 27th January. Burn's Night is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns, the author of many Scots poems. The suppers are normally held on or near the poet's birthday, 25 January, and can be celebrated by food, drink, music, and poetry.
On Saturday, Global Plymouth hosted students and members of the community from 40 different countries around the world- including Egypt, Turkey, Peru, Iran, USA, Nigeria, Malaysia, France, Hong Kong, India, Armenia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Thailand, Uganda, Germany, Yeman, Jordan, Romania, Japan, Spain, Singapore, Bangladesh, China, Zimbabwe- and of course, Scotland!
We had live music on the bagpipes, read Scots poetry, sang Scottish songs, and had our very own poetry writing corner to join in the fun! Everybody was served free hot food from a wide range of cultures, including haggis and vegetarian haggis to try! After the supper, everyone was invited to chat and dance, and reminded that the International Dinner is a monthly celebration hosted by Global Plymouth.
Photo: VP Wellbeing & Diversity at Burn's Night
Global Plymouth is a a non-profit organisation dedicated to uniting Plymouth’s international student populations with the wider community, hosting their monthly International Dinner as well as many other events! Global Plymouth’s monthly International Dinner is the largest regular multinational gathering taking place right here in your Ocean City. Those in attendance included the local society and students and staff from the University of Plymouth.
These International Dinners are referred to as the "most diverse, welcoming monthly event in the Southwest"; a "festival of shared food, music and dance." Whether you are an international student or just want to meet new people and embrace new cultures, Global Plymouth invites all University of Plymouth students and staff to get involved and attend their monthly International Dinners.
“No matter who you are, or where you are from, come do join us to sample delicious dishes from all around the world at our International Dinner. It is all for free. Please do bring along a dish/drink to share if you are able. Absolutely no worries if not – we just want to celebrate the beauty you bring to our community!” – Global Plymouth
You can find out more about Global Plymouth and their events on Meetup or by connecting with them on Facebook here.