Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Author: susan

  • Dartford Community comes together to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day

    Dartford Community comes together to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day

    Communities and faith groups from Dartford came together on Monday 27th January to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day which also marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the 25th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia. The event was organised by the Kent Equality Cohesion Council in partnership with Dartford Borough Council and saw a number of people attend including Dartford Borough Council Leader Jeremy Kite, The Worshipful Mayor of Dartford Cllr Roger Perfitt and Chairman of Kent County Council Cllr Ann Allen.

    Attendees heard from a range of speakers including Gurvinder Sandher from the Kent Equality Cohesion Council who spoke about the importance of learning lessons from history. Gerald Rose from the Catford and Bromley Synagogue talked about the theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day, ‘Standing Together’ and Dartford Council Leader Jeremy Kite spoke about his recent experience visiting Auschwitz Concentration Camp. The event concluded with an interfaith prayer which was led by Reverend Cantor David Rome.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented, “I am very grateful to everyone who made the time to attend this event. It is imperative that we continue to come together regardless of background, faith and ethnicity to remember the wrong doings of the past and learn from them. It is vital that the same mistakes do not repeat themselves. Tragically, some lessons have to be repeatedly learnt with genocides still occurring to this day, most recently in Darfur. The atrocities that took place in Auschwitz, Bosnia and Rwanda are no less horrific now than they were back then and we must never forget them. ”

    Dartford Borough Council Leader Jeremy Kite said, “Holocaust Memorial Day is a powerful reminder of how quickly civilisation can descend into chaos and hatred. Sadly this prospect is no less real in 2020 than in the 1930s and 40s. We need to unite and demonstrate that we stand together in building a more peaceful and tolerant world.”

  • International Holocaust Memorial Day

    International Holocaust Memorial Day

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Dartford Borough Council have arranged an event to mark International Holocaust Memorial Day.  The event will take place on the day itself, Monday 27th January at the Civic Centre in Dartford between 2pm and 3pm.  This year marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, a significant milestone and is made particularly poignant by the dwindling number of survivors who are able to share their testimony. It also marks the 25th anniversary of the Genocide in Bosnia.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of the KECC commented “I think it’s important that we come together to remember these horrific episodes in our history, as by keeping the memory alive and not allowing them to fade, can we ensure that history does not repeat itself. I am very grateful to our partners Dartford Borough Council for working with us to deliver this event.”

  • Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights returns to shine again

    Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights returns to shine again

    The ever popular Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights returned to the Town Centre again to mark the beginning of the festive period this year on Friday 22nd November. The festival was organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Cohesion Plus in partnership with Gravesham Borough Council and proved to be one of the biggest to date with additional support provided by Barron Edwards Architects and Arts Council England.

    13 local schools and some 600 young people benefitted from workshops in the build-up to the event which was delivered by Same Sky Arts. Around 3,500 attendees participated in the celebrations on the day including the Mayor of Gravesham, Councillor Gurdip Bungar along with Deputy Lord Lieutenant Rosemary Dymond and representatives from various faith and community organisations.

    The celebrations climaxed on Community Square where the CEO of KECC Gurvinder Sandher thanked the schools, partners and sponsors who helped make the event so memorable. The Christmas tree lights were then switched on following a countdown led by the Mayor of Gravesham.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of KECC commented “The whole ethos of our organisation is to bring communities together to promote cohesion and celebrate all that binds us together. The celebrations in Gravesham were the climax of a busy year where we have worked across the county promoting the message of unity. I’m very grateful to my small team and all the volunteers who have given up their valuable time to support not just this event but all our other work around Kent. I’m particularly proud of our long standing partnership with Gravesham Borough Council who have championed our work over many years.”

  • 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji Inter Faith Event

    550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji Inter Faith Event

    As part of National Inter Faith Week, Kent Equality Cohesion Council working with local community and faith organisations arranged a special event at the Woodville to commemorate the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh faith. Some 600 people were in attendance from around Kent including representatives from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist faiths.

    Highlights from the programme included talks by renowned academic Dr Opinderjit Kaur, Director of the Centre for Sikh and Punjabi Studies at Wolverhampton University, popular artist Dilmeet Kaur who is based in Glasgow and Gravesend based academic Rajvinder Singh Gill. There was also a programme of spiritual hymns and speeches from different faith representatives. One of the highlights of the programme was a vast exhibition which was donated by the Indian High Commission. This displayed in great detail and artistic creativity, the prolific life of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, his many teachings and how these teachings are still relevant to this day. The exhibition has made an extensive tour around the UK and Europe and was seen by the communities of North Kent for the first time.

    Light refreshments and drinks were kindly donated by the community and were provided to all those attending by volunteers who gave up their time to contribute towards the celebrations.

    Special guests included the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Gurdip Bungar, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr Bhagwara Vasudaven, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Rosemary Dymond, High Sheriff of Kent Mr Paul Barrett MBE, Leader of Gravesham Borough Council Cllr John Burden, Leader of Dartford Borough Council Cllr Jeremy Kite, Cabinet Member for Communities Kent County Council Cllr Mike Hill, Shri D P Singh of the Indian High Commission and Assistant Chief Constable Pete Ayling from Kent Police.

    Gurvinder Sandher CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented, “I was humbled by the positive response we received from communities across Gravesham and Dartford who came out to support this important celebration which marked the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh faith. We were really pleased to be able to tie this event in with National Inter Faith Week and to have an inter faith element to the programme. Guru Nanak Dev Ji himself was a great advocate of breaking down barriers such as religion, race, social standing and striving towards a shared humanity and these beliefs resonate deeply with the themes of Inter Faith Week.”

  • Community comes together to celebrate Black History Month

    Community comes together to celebrate Black History Month

    Black History Month celebrations climaxed in the borough with a special event which was arranged by Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Cohesion Plus and the North Kent Caribbean Network in partnership with Gravesham Borough Council. Some 200 attended the event in the Council Chamber which celebrated the significant and positive contribution made by those of Caribbean descent.

    Guests included the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Gurdip Bungar, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr Bhagwara Vasudaven and Chairman of the KCC Cllr Ann Allen. Talks were also given by Lennox Rogers from local charity Refocus who spoke about his experience with gang violence and his eventual rehabilitation which led to the publishing of his new book ‘Breaking Better’. Rethink Sahayak spoke about issues of mental health within the black communities and the support they can provide. There were also performances by the Taboo Dance Company and rap/poet D-Wayne.

    Special awards were presented during the evening recognising the many achievements and contributions to the borough by local entrepreneurs, athletes, business owners and community workers. Winners included Commonwealth Games 2018 Bronze medallist Chev Townsend for his ground-breaking achievement in boxing, youth volunteer Darius Farrell, entrepreneur Steve Boss and former gang member / youth worker Lennox Rodgers.

    A special award for services to communities’ was presented to Patricia Fenton for her outstanding service with Metropolitan Police supporting victims of crime which included being a Family Liaison Officer to the family of Steven Lawrence in the aftermath of his murder.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented, “There have been a number of events taking place around Gravesham to celebrate Black History Month and I was particularly proud of what we were able to achieve with very limited resources. It is important that we use events like Black History Month to celebrate what binds us together as communities and to remember the past struggles and the sacrifices that the generations before us made. A particular highlight for me was the recognition of community champions who are often unsung but make a positive contribution within our local communities.”

  • Dartford Festival of Light 2019

    Dartford Festival of Light 2019

    The 11th Dartford Festival of Light returned to the borough on Friday 18th October. The festival was organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Dartford Borough Council and Cohesion Plus. The aim of the festival was to celebrate what binds the communities together in Dartford through the values of respect, excellence, friendship and equality.

    Some 2,000 people attended the festival and enjoyed the sights and sounds as musical performances took place on One Bell Corner. The lantern parade was made up 8 local schools, members of the community and performers which was led by the Deputy Mayor Cllr Rosanna Currans, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Kelvin Holford and KCC Chairman Cllr Ann Allen.

    The parade departed from One Bell Corner, went via Hythe Street and Suffolk Road into the Orchards Shopping Centre, left out on to the High Street and then turned right at the Holy Trinity Church heading back towards Central Park. The festival climaxed with a spectacular free fireworks display finale.

    Gurvinder Sandher CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council, “At this moment in time when our nation is so divided it was so heart-warming to see Dartford come together as one and celebrate our annual Festival of Light. I always say that there is more that unites us than divides us and this event is a great of example of the positive impact the arts can have in bringing people together, young or old, faith or no faith and urban or rural. I am very proud of our positive working relationship with Dartford Borough Council and this has allowed the event to grow from strength to strength.”

  • Swale Fusion Festival of Light wows again

    Swale Fusion Festival of Light wows again

    Despite the wet weather Sittingbourne Town Centre was awash with colour and lights with over 2,500 participating in the 3rd Swale Fusion Festival of Light. The aim of the festival was to use the arts to bring communities together and celebrate the values of respect, excellence, friendship and equality.

    The celebrations were organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Cohesion Plus working in partnership with Swale Borough Council.

     

    The Festival kicked off on Sittingbourne High Street with spectacular performances from a host of culturally diverse acts as well a large scale mobile art installation that wowed and interacted with the crowds. Then the parade, featuring 13 local schools made its way along the High Street, through Roman Square and climaxed at Albany Park. Along the way the parade collected hundreds of new people who joined in to create a powerful mass of colour, noise and light. Albany Park was specially decorated for the evening with winter themed lights and installation. The festival climaxed with a spectacular firework finale.

    In the build-up KECC worked in partnership with Cohesion Plus, Same Sky, Ideas Test, Big Fish Arts and Platforma Festival around community engagement, providing opportunities for free arts activities across the borough.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “The weather may have let us down but the communities of Swale certainly did not! I’m so grateful to everyone who attended and not only celebrated the Festival but also our shared values that bind us together as a community. The Swale Fusion Festival of Light continues to grow year upon year and we are already looking at more ambitious plans for next year funding permitting. Events like these are so important as they celebrate what unites us rather than what divides us.”

  • Annual Women’s Conference Hailed a Success

    Annual Women’s Conference Hailed a Success

    The annual Sadi Awaz Suno (Listen to our Voices) Women’s Conference took place on Thursday 19th September at the Woodville in Gravesend. The aim of the conference was to raise awareness of issues relating to mental health, modern day slavery, alcohol abuse and general well-being, issues that are not always understood or discussed within some of the communities locally, who hail from the Indian Sub-continent.

    The conference was organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Rethink Mental Illness Sahayak Services with the support of the Gravesham Borough Council led Altogether Safer Project. The audience of around 300 women heard from Kris Eberlein from Kent Police about the work that is being done to tackle modern day slavery , what to look out for and some of the barriers Kent Police have found with victims coming forward. He was joined by Kulbir Pasricha who spoke about honour based abuse, forced marriage and the help and support available around these issues. The key note speakers Bhupinder Kullar and Gurbax Kaur from the Sikh Recovery Network spoke about the importance of making use of support services and to move away from the cultural norms that exist within some communities from the Indian sub-continent, where alcoholism isn’t necessarily understood or addressed.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “Mental health or alcohol abuse does not discriminate; they can happen in any community, whilst issues such as modern day slavery and forced marriages are prevalent in some communities more than others. That is why events like this are so important to raise awareness of issues that are not openly discussed amongst communities from the Indian sub-continent and to provide information where people can go for further help and support.”

    According to Carol Gosal Rethink Mental Illness Service Manager for Kent, “I am very pleased with what we were able to achieve with the conference and the feedback has been positive. It is important that we continue to educate the local community especially those who have English as a second language where they need to go for help and support if they or members of their family require it.”

  • Police Community Meeting

    Police Community Meeting

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council working with Kent Police arranged a community meeting which took place in Gravesend at the Civic Centre on the 12th September. Community groups from across Gravesham and Dartford were in attendance, where they learnt more about what Kent Police are doing around Stop and Search, recruitment, gangs and the local crime profile.

    The meeting was addressed by the Deputy Chief Constable Tony Blacker who reiterated Kent Police’s commitment to working in partnership with local communities. Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council spoke about the importance of local communities working in partnership with Kent Police and he spoke about how the local communities could get involved through the Independent Police Advisory Group and the Stop and Search Scrutiny Panel both of which he chairs.

  • Charity Community Cricket Match

    Charity Community Cricket Match

    A charity cricket match took place on Thursday 22nd August at Gravesend Rugby Club which raised £260 for the Mayor of Gravesham’s charity fund. It featured a Kent Equality Cohesion Council Community XI and the Kent Police XI. The Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Gurdip Bungar was in attendance to see a highly competitive match which went into the last over before the Community XI were victorious overcoming a target of 93 runs.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council said “I am really pleased that we were able to raise funds for the Mayor of Gravesham’s nominated charities. The cricket match was a great way of bringing together diverse communities to play against and encourage dialogue with Kent Police in a competitive but fun way. I am very grateful to Gravesham Rugby Club who hosted the match and we look forward to putting together similar activities featuring other sports over the coming year.”