NEW friends were made and bridges between communities built during a walk around Darlington recently.

The annual Walk for Peace saw more than a hundred people take to the streets in a show of solidarity on Sunday, November 26.

The event was organised in a bid to bring people together in an effort to build a peaceful community and establish links between those of different cultures and backgrounds.

Now in its third year, the Walk for Peace saw participants set off from the Friends Meeting House on Skinnergate to tour a number of Darlington’s places of worship and community hubs.

Walkers followed a three-mile route that stopped off at St Augustine’s Church, the Bondgate Methodist Church, Jamia Mosque, St Cuthbert’s Church, the Sikh Gurudwara, the Atisha Kadampa Buddhist Centre and the Dolphin Centre.

They enjoyed breaking bread together during a meal provided by members of Darlington’s Sikh community at the Gurudwara.

Organiser Matthew Snedker said: “This is the third time that people have come together to walk for peace and link communities of many different beliefs and none.

“While many on the walk had participated in previous years there was still room for newcomers. New friendships were made while old acquaintances caught up on news. The welcome we received at each stop was warmer than ever and the meal provided at the Sikh Gurudwara was very much appreciated as ever. At the end of the Walk for Peace it was clear that this event has become a fixture in Darlington’s calendar.”