AN annual walk, which celebrates communities coming together in one town, will take place this weekend.

Darlington's Walk For Peace will take to the streets on Sunday, November 17, as a demonstration of the willingness of different communities to support each other.

All are invited to attend the walk, which will start at the Darlington Quaker Meeting House in Skinnergate at 12:30 pm.

Organised by Darlington For Peace, the walk calls at a range of places of worship including churches, the Mosque, the Peace Garden, the Sikh Gurdwara and the Buddhist Centre, before finishing at the Dolphin Centre at 4:00 pm.

A member of the Jewish community, Bess Robertson, will be offering reflections and members of the town’s Sikh community will offer walkers a free ‘langar’ meal when they visit the Gurdwara to keep their strength up.

One of the organisers, Councillor Matthew Snedker, said: “It is a pleasure to be once again putting together the Walk for Peace this year. We have made a real difference to so many people. Friendships have been made and a strong community has been forged in our town.

"The sad truth is that a minority of people are driven by fear and mistrust to commit hate crimes. The number of recorded hate crimes has doubled since 2013.”

Cllr Snedker added he hopes large numbers of people from the town and surrounding area will join them, for all or part of the walk. Those interested should meet at 12.30pm at the Friends Meeting House.