I HAVE helped to organise the Walk for Peace in Darlington for the past four years.

Darlington for Peace organised the event as a response to a worrying increase in hate crime, both nationally and locally, and as a counter to calls for British armed forces to start bombing operations over Syria.

The Walk for Peace in now an annual event and has become a great way for communities to show mutual respect and understanding.

A letter was printed on this website (HAS, Mar 11) in which the author stated that they had never seen Jenny Chapman join the procession.

I would like to confirm that Ms Chapman has attended the Walk for Peace, she attended the first Walk for Peace in December 2015.

While Ms Chapman and I disagreed over the vote to use British forces to bomb Syria I was happy that she showed her support for Darlington for Peace.

I know that she cares deeply about the need to foster understanding and cooperation between all communities that live in our town.

The fact that Ms Chapman didn’t seek to make a speech or otherwise promote herself on that occasion may explain why the author of the letter did not see her on that day.

Darlington for Peace will be hosting the fifth Walk for Peace in November this year.

Matthew Snedker, Darlington for Peace