The mayor of Carlisle has announced his chosen charity.

Alongside CFM Cash for Kids and Carlisle Foodbank, Carlisle mayor Abdul Harid, the city’s first BAME mayor, has announced that his chosen charity is Carlisle One World Centre, which helps refugees in the city.

This announcement follows a public appeal from the mayor asking people what charity they think he should support, with many requests for a charity which helps people of minority ethnic backgrounds and for the city’s new refugee residents.

Mr Harid said: “I had a look at what other mayors chose and they didn’t choose this one.

“I chose it with regard to recent events seen across the globe.

“People are coming here from war-torn countries and seeking sanctuary in Carlisle.

“We are a welcoming city, I have seen a lot of refugees coming into Carlisle, and I feel that they need that support.

“Carlisle One World Centre is offering them that support.

“During my consultation, a lot of the feedback was to choose a charity that helps people in the BAME community, and people who haven’t been supported before.

“It took me a while to choose because I wanted it to support the most people as possible.”

For this reason, he said, he chose the One World Centre, as they help people from a variety of backgrounds in the city.

Speaking further of continuing support for the Carlisle Foodbank, he said that after figures reported in the News and Star recently showed a rise in people using foodbanks, it’s more clear now than ever that the public need to get behind him.

“Local people can get involved in many ways.

“For example, restaurants and takeaways can have charity days and nights.

“Carlisle Foodbank especially is struggling with a decline in donations and rising costs.

“Families will be looking more towards these foodbanks as we go forward.”