FLAGS were waving in Daubhill this weekend to mark a historic moment for the people of South Asia.

Members of the Sri Lankan Bolton Community (SLBC) UK, proudly celebrated the 69th Independence Day of Sri Lanka on Saturday at Willows Lane Community Centre.

Children and adults came together to commemorate the day their country gained independence from Britain.

Young and old donned cultural clothes, waved the Sri Lankan flag, sang the country’s national anthem and learnt about the history of the event.

It was organised by SLBC to help educate the younger generation and children about their heritage.

Established in October, 2015, the group aims to unite members of the Sri Lankan community.

Vice president Mohammed Sadim said: “We have 50 families in SLBC and we do a lot of activities. There was a large need to form an organisation, especially one to help members of the Sri Lankan community get involved with the wider community.

“We focus on running parenting courses which can help them teach their children British values, break down any language barriers and help them educate their children.

“For the independence day we wanted to show the children the importance of celebrating the occasion.

“We celebrate different things, including a community cohesion day and our members' achievements, such as university degrees.”

To find out more contact Mr Sadim at vicepresident@slbcuk.org.uk.