Holocaust survivors, youth leaders and MPs came together for a tea party to launch a day of social action.

Parliamentarians from different parties joined members of Jewish Care's Holocaust Survivors' Centre to hear their stories at a special tea party in Parliament to launch Mitzvah Day, a faith-based day where people take part in social action activities.

The day sees people from all faiths taking part in community activities or getting involved in social action on November 19, or in surrounding days.

Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East, said: “I have taken part in interfaith social action projects for Mitzvah Day for a number of years and am hugely supportive of the way it positively promotes charitable work and volunteering in our community.

“I'm looking forward to joining in with projects led by Stanmore and Belmont synagogues once again this year and have also already been to an event in Parliament in support of preparations for this important annual day.”

Other MPs who attended were Hilary Benn, Finchley and Golders Green MP Mike Freer and Cat Smith, the Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons.

Laura Marks, the founder of Mitzvah Day, said: “A big part of making a difference in the community is spending time with older people – who can often feel lonely or isolated – and that is what we wanted to achieve here today.

“You could not only see how much the Holocaust survivors enjoyed spending time in the House of Commons, but how rewarding the MPs found the day too.”

Mitzvah Day 2017 will see more than 40,000 volunteers in the UK and 20 other countries taking part.

Visit www.mitzvahday.org.uk for more information.