MUSIC, song and dance kept everyone entertained at the Second Crediton Diversity Festival held at the Boniface Centre on Saturday, June 15.

It was a busy and successful event with many information and advice stalls, with face painting, games and entertainment.

At the opening the Mayor of Crediton, Cllr Frank Letch, commented how outside influences mould us from childhood with this Festival being an example where people had given up their time to show what a wonderfully diverse community Crediton and area was.

He added that the previous night there had been a fire at the Crediton Milling premises at Fordton. That morning he had received an email from a lady in Avranches in France, with which Crediton is twinned, hoping no-one had been injured. “It is this sense of community which is so important,” said Cllr Letch.

He thanked the Festival sponsors - Crediton Town Council, Devon County Council and Crediton Tesco, the Police and Crime Commissioner and Crediton Hospital League of Friends for funds that will be used for diversity teaching at Hayward’s Primary School (Landscore had this last year).

He introduced his ACF Cadet for the coming year, Cpl Sammie Preece-Drake on her first duty with him.

The opening ended with him and his wife, Natalia (who is Russian and a member of CISCO (Crediton International Social Cultural Organisation), singing “La Vie en Rose” in French.

Admission was free-of-charge and the event was family-friendly.

Also present was Cllr Nick Way, Devon County Councillor (Crediton), Matthew Tregenza, the Rector of the Crediton Benefice, Matt Lawler, the Police Commander for Exeter, East and Mid Devon and Alan Quick, the event organiser.

The event took place just weeks after graffiti including a swastika and anti-Semitic writing was found in the town.

Alan Quick, who helped scrub off some of the graffiti, said: “I was appalled to see such graffiti in Crediton and fortunately it is not representative of the community in which we live.

“Crediton is a welcoming place for all regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs or other difference.

"Valuing diversity recognises differences between people and acknowledges that these differences are a valued asset.”

He added: “This year’s festival was vibrant, celebratory, informative, educational, colourful and exciting.

“Thank you to all who attended, performed, ran stalls or helped in any way.”

The Diversity Festival was part of CredFest 2019, the hugely-successful biannual community festival organised by Crediton’s Town Team, which runs until tomorrow, June 23.

Photos by Sue Read and Alan Quick