Wiganers brave the rain to welcome giant puppet Little Amal to the town

Wigan Community Choir sang for her as she arrived at Trencherfield Gardens, she was welcomed by GM mayor Andy Burnham, Wigan mayor Yvonne Klieve and council leader David Molyneux. Dancers performed for her and a poem was read to her outside Trencherfield Mill and the Wigan Youth Brass Band performed outside The Edge as her journey ended.

Art collective Manchester Street Poem read stories to Little Amal and she was given a large patchwork quilt created by SWAP, other community groups and local artist Ibukun Baldwin.

Little Amal's visit was organised by Manchester International Festival and Wigan Council. She represents a child refugee and has walked from the Turkish-Syrian border, across several countries, in search of her mother.

She has travelled through Turkey, Greece, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium.

She will visit Rochdale on Tuesday, before her walk finishes in Manchester city centre.

There will be a free finale event at Castlefield Bowl at 7pm on Wednesday, called When The Birds Land, which has been produced by Manchester International Festival with people who identify as refugees and asylum seekers and their allies, as well as a creative team that includes renowned puppeteer Sarah Wright and led by film and theatre director Simon Stone.

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