A 'Bollywood event' and a celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee: just two of the ideas being planned by a York charity to bring people of different races and colours in the city together.

The York Racial Equality Network has received a £40,000 grant to stage a series of regular twice-weekly events at the St Sampson's Centre on Church Street, which will celebrate everything from food and music to film and culture.

Sessions being planned already include poetry workshops, arts and crafts - and a 'virtual' museum tour by laptop.

But in addition to the regular twice-weekly events at St Sampsons - which will be every Wednesday from 1-3pm and every Friday from 10.30am-12.30pm from April 6 onwards - there will also be a larger monthly event at a different time, details of which are yet to be finalised.

Ideas for that include a Bollywood event. "And we also want to do something to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee!" said YREN chair Dr Rama Isaiah.

The funding, which has been awarded by the People's Health Trust from the health lottery, will last for two years from April 6.

YREN coordinator Lisa Evans said all events would be open to 'people of all races and colours'. "We will be celebrating cultural events, perhaps an international meal or even a Bollywood event!" she said.

Dr Isaiah said the idea was to celebrate different cultures - but more importantly to bring people from different backgrounds together.

"It is to bring people together as one people, to celebrate our community," she said.

To find out more about YREN events, visit www.yren.co.uk