ABOUT LATVIAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION IN THE UK
We are
passionate and
proud to share
our culture,
history and
traditions with
others
How it all started
When someone makes a decision to leave their home country to head into the unknown, the first reaction is the need to surround oneself with the familiar - the foods, the people, the traditions, the culture. It was the same for Iveta, when she moved from Latvia to the UK, but she found herself missing these familiarities that would bring her a little bit closer to home. For that reason she started organising events for Latvians in Peterborough - only a few times a year with attendance of 20-30 people per event. But after each event she realised how special those moments of connecting were and the community and support grew stronger and stronger and within these years we have hosted so many wonderful events not just for Latvian people but also for other cultures to join in our festivities and share our traditions and values, which helped us massively to integrate in the local community.
Now we are successfully running different workshops and events and providing support to those who are in need in order to contribute to creating a more compassionate, equal world where everyone can feel heard and supported.
What does it mean to be a Latvian in the UK
We are extremely proud to have such a tradition-rich culture and we love to share it with others! And likewise, we love to learn about all the other cultures that are surrounding us. The UK is such a diverse place and we believe it should be celebrated and that is what we are trying to achieve. We have realised that our national pride is much stronger when we are abroad because that is what makes us truly unique and it's something that no-one can take away from us, no matter where we are. At the same time, we are a part of the global family and we are always excited be a part of different cultural festivals and events and help others feel at home far away from home. We have so many wonderful traditional dance groups and vocalists around the country, and every year or so we try to come together for a Latvian Culture Day to showcase many of our talents, tastes, outfits and folk tradition for others to enjoy and take part in.