Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Author: susan

  • Maidstone Community Mela 2019

    Maidstone Community Mela 2019

    The Maidstone Community Mela in Whatman Park again proved to be popular with over 3000 attending the annual celebration of music, food and dance from around the world. The Mela which is organised by a small group of community partners and volunteers led by Kent Equality Cohesion Council, the Maidstone Cultural Group and Cohesion Plus has proven to be popular in the borough since 2003 despite the many challenges it has faced over recent years.

    The celebrations were formally launched by the Mayor of Maidstone Cllr Marian Ring, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Bill Cockcroft and Kent Equality Cohesion Council CEO Gurvinder Sandher. Those in attendance enjoyed a range of culturally diverse performances including Kent based Phase 5 Steel Band, Folk Band Ukelear Fallout, Maidstone Nepalese Community Group, Maidstone Malayalee Group and Kitka Bulgarian Folk Dance Troupe.

    A Particular highlight was the Cohesion Plus produced Folkin Fusion Collective a high energy show bringing together music and dance from North India and Southern Africa which featured Four by Four Bhangra and Uzambezi Arts. The Mela was headlined by the Kings of Motown who had everyone up and dancing to the classic Motown hits.

    Whilst off stage the arts activity continued with interactive performances by the Chinese Lions, interactive workshops in the World in the Tent which focused on Nepalese and Roma culture and heritage, and for the younger members of the audience there were free arts workshops delivered by LV21.

    The food stalls also proved to be very popular with Indian, Chinese, Nepalese cuisines being served alongside burgers, doughnuts and hot dogs with many selling out whilst the Prosecco bar also did brisk trade.

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council CEO Gurvinder Sandher commented “I am very proud of what we achieved in Maidstone this year. People do not always appreciate how small the team is that puts the Mela on, but all the hard work is worthwhile when you get so many people turning up and supporting us. The Maidstone Community Mela I believe is very important for Maidstone, its ethos is to use food, music and dance to bring communities together and celebrate all that binds us together. The Mela was set up in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and its message is just as important today as it was in 2003 when we first started. I have been involved with the Mela from the start and I am very keen to develop it further next year and we are keen to take it back to Mote Park if we can get a date and also raise the necessary funding.”

  • Maidstone Community Mela Countdown Starts

    Maidstone Community Mela Countdown Starts

    Preparations are now at an advanced stage for the annual Maidstone Community Mela and Food Festival which will be taking place in Whatman Millennium River Park on Sunday July 22nd between 12.30pm and 6pm. The free event which has been taking place in the borough since 2003 is a celebration of music, food and dance from around the world and is organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Cohesion Plus working with local community groups through the Mela Advisory Group.

    There is an exciting programme of artists due to perform on and off stage including Maplesden Noakes School, Reel Eire Irish Dancing, Lambrego Brazilian band, Kitka Bulgarian Folk Dance, Maidstone Nepalese Community Group, Dance Asia Bollywood Fusion and the Chinese Lion Dancers. The Mela will be headlined by Folkin Fusion drumming collective which fuses the traditional dhol drum from North India and the Djembe drum from Southern Africa mixed with a little bit of bhangra and hip hop to get everyone up and dancing and Tanni Browne one of the UK’s leading Bob Marley Tribute acts.

    Off stage the food festival will have something for everyone ranging from British, Indian, Greek, Spanish, Nepalese, Chinese and Thai cuisines as well as doughnuts, ice cream and hot drinks. In addition there will be a number of information stands including National Citizenship Service, Kent Police and the Rotary. The Mela will be officially opened by the Mayor of Maidstone Councillor David Naghi and Helen Grant MP.

    The Mela this year has been funded through Awards for All, KCC Members Fund, Golding Homes as well as donations from members of the public.

    According to Gurvinder Sandher CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council “Our whole ethos as an organisation is to bring communities together and celebrate our shared British values. The Maidstone Community Mela and Food Festival is a great example of this. I hope that the Maidstone community will come out to support us and our small team of partners and volunteers who have worked so hard to pull the Mela together.”

  • Mela Festival Brings Communities Together in Tunbridge Wells

    Mela Festival Brings Communities Together in Tunbridge Wells

    The 14th Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival proved to be a big hit with the local community with thousands attending and enjoying the festivities in Calverley Grounds.

    The Mela was organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus and the Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Arts Council England and celebrates the diversity and cohesion of the borough through music, food and dance.

    One of the highlights of the Festival was the “Dancing Maharajas” show which saw the crowd wooed by a life size elephant walking through the crowd joined by an entourage of singers, dancers and drummers.

    Other highlights included performance by local Tunbridge Wells Groups Fireflies who opened the Mela Festival, Just Dance a group of primary school aged children who performed a fusion of Hollywood and Bollywood, Sahrudaya who performed music and dance from South India, and the ever popular Paul Dunton Orchestra.

    Artists from a further afield included the Sussex Syrian Trio who brought the sounds of the Middle East to the event, the energetic Dance Asia who had everyone up and dancing, DDFK Brass Fusion who played a string on popular hits and Common Denominator who performed classic reggae hits.

    There were food stalls from North and South India, Caribbean, Thailand and Greece as well as ice creams, doughnuts and fudge whilst the Tunbridge Wells Forum Bar served craft

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “The Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival is a great example of how the arts and food can be used to bring people together. The event is going from strength to strength and we are very grateful for all the support shown by our partners and hard working volunteers without whom none of this would be possible. There is an assumption that the Mela Festival just happens, not many people realise the month and months of hard work and preparation that goes into it which can be a challenge for small organisations like ours.”

  • Gravesham Eid in the Square Celebrations

    Gravesham Eid in the Square Celebrations

    Around 500 people attended celebrations on Community Square on Saturday June 29th despite the soaring temperatures to celebrate the Festival of Eid, one of the most important dates in the Muslim calendar. Eid marks the end of Ramadan, a month long period where people from the Muslim faith fast from dawn to sunset.

    The celebrations were arranged by Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Gravesham Borough Council, Gravesend & Dartford Muslim Association and Gravesham Muslim Cultural Education Centre.

    The Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Gurdip Bungar, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr Bhargawa Vasudaven, Cllr John Burden the Leader of Gravesham Borough Council and Adam Holloway MP were in attendance along with representatives from different faith and community groups.

    The celebrations involved the raising of a flag celebrating the Festival of Eid, musical entertainment, face painting children’s entertainment and the handing out of free food to not only those in attendance but also members of the public passing by.

    According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council “I am grateful not only to the partner agencies who attended these important celebrations but also the public, who came out in the hot weather to show their support. I can’t stress enough the significance of events such as Eid and Saint George’s Day, which at their core are vital opportunities to bring the communities of Gravesham together to celebrate our uniqueness, diversity, shared values and faith or if you have no faith at all.”

  • Gravesham Fusion Festival Proves Popular

    Gravesham Fusion Festival Proves Popular

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council were proud to be partners for the Fusion Festival which came to Gravesend Town Centre on Saturday June 15. The pop up street festival showcased a range of artists and art forms including a roaming elephant, dancing lions, mime artists, samba, bhangra, brass, choir and calypso.

    The aim of the festival was to bring culturally diverse arts to the heart of local communities and to showcase new performances especially in an area like Gravesham which has had traditionally low levels of engagement with the arts.

    The Festival also saw the premiere of Cohesion Plus’s new production working with Festive Road the “Dancing Maharaja’s“. Other highlights included performances by Bloco Fogo Samba, No Street Limit Band, Dancing Chinese Lions and the Rock Choir as well as stilt walkers, mime artists and LV21 who delivered interactive arts workshops for young people.

    The festival was organised by Cohesion Plus working in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council, and was supported by Gravesham Borough Council and Arts Council England.

  • Gravesham stands together to remember terror victims

    Gravesham stands together to remember terror victims

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Gravesham Borough Council organised an inter faith gathering on Friday April 26th which was attended by faith and community organisations from across the borough. The event was organised to pay respects and remember those who lost their lives in the Sri Lankan terror attack. The event was held on Community Square and was attended by around 100 people.

    Speakers from different faith and community organisations spoke to condemn the attacks and urged the community to stand together and not to be divided by the terrorists. The speakers included Gurvinder Sandher from the Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Reverend Richard Martin from the North Kent Interfaith Forum, Senior Pastor Tom Griffiths and Father Innocent.

    The Mayor of Gravesham Cllr David Hurley, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr. Vasudaven, Adam Holloway MP also spoke, strongly condemning the attack and offering their condolences and support to anyone affected in the violence. They were joined by Chairman of Kent County Council Cllr Mike Angell, Chief Inspector Neil Louden of Kent Police, as well as representatives from the Guru Nanak Dabar Gurdwara, Gravesend Hindu Mandir, Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association and the Buddhist faith. After the speeches, the Christian flag was raised as a symbol of solidarity on Community Square.

    Gurvinder Sandher CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council said “I was shocked by the attacks that took place in Sri Lankan on Churches and Hotels on one of the holiest days of the year. Attacks like this are tragically becoming commonplace and it is up to us as a community to come together and condemn the violence in the strongest way. We must come together and unite where terrorists of whatever persuasion are seeking to divide us. I was pleased that faith groups from across the borough came and stood united to condemn these atrocities.”

    Mayor of Gravesham Cllr David Hurley said: “Thank you to everyone that came together on Friday at the interfaith event to stand together shoulder-to shoulder once again against these terrible violent acts of terrorism. It was heart-warming to hear and see people from many faiths and none join us on community square to show solidarity and hear speeches from those representing religions from Gravesham.”

  • Cohesion of Dartford celebrated at Saint George’s Day

    Cohesion of Dartford celebrated at Saint George’s Day

    Dartford was abuzz with some of the biggest Saint George’s Day celebrations which took place on Tuesday 23rd April. 550 children from 9 local schools participated in the annual and took the opportunity to showcase the amazing art pieces they had been creating in the lead up to the event. The celebrations were organised in partnership by Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Cohesion Plus supported by Dartford Borough Council.

    Performances took place on One Bell Corner and were followed by a parade led by North Kent resident Russell Palmer as Saint George himself. The parade began from the Civic Centre, went through the Orchard Shopping Centre, stopping briefly at Memorial Gardens where the flag of Saint George was raised. The celebrations climaxed at the Bandstand in Central Park where there followed a programme of entertainment which climaxed with the National Anthem.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “Given the challenging climate we find ourselves in recently, it is so heartening to see that the communities of the borough regardless of their ethnic, religious or social background continue to come out and support such a wonderful celebration. I truly believe that the spirit of the communities is reflected in events such as St George’s Day where we prefer to celebrate what brings us together rather than what divides us. We should take away a message of unity and strength from today’s event.”

  • Communities come out for St George’s celebrations!

    Communities come out for St George’s celebrations!

    Gravesend Town Centre was brought to a standstill by some of the biggest celebrations in England to commemorate Saint George’s Day on Tuesday April 23rd. Some 500 Children from 13 local schools took part in the event which was organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council in partnership Cohesion Plus and supported by Gravesham Borough Council. The event celebrated the patron Saint of England and brought together the diverse communities of the borough.

    Celebrations began with performances in the Town Centre. The highlight of the celebrations was the schools parade which was led by Saint George enacted by Gravesham resident Russel Palmer. They were followed by the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr David Hurley and local dignitaries including Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Dr. Bhargawa Vasudaven and Superintendent Andy Gadd from Kent Police.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “I believe passionately that we should be using celebrations like Saint George’s Day as opportunities to bring communities together and celebrate all that binds us as residents of Gravesham. Today it was so humbling to see so many people regardless of faith or background come out to support the celebrations and wave the flag of Saint George with pride. Events like today champion the values of community cohesion, unity and diversity celebrating our shared values.”

  • St Georges Day 23rd April

    St Georges Day 23rd April

    The annual Saint George’s Day celebrations in Gravesham and Dartford will be some of the biggest taking place in England on April 23rd. The celebrations, which have been put together by Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Cohesion Plus celebrate the communities of England in the context of 2019 and educates young people about Saint George the patron Saint of England.

    This year 22 local schools across Gravesham and Dartford have been taking part in arts workshops run by arts organisation Same Sky in the lead up to the parade where they will have the opportunity to showcase their creations. The festivities are supported by Gravesham Borough Council, Dartford Borough Council and Arts Council England.

    The celebrations in Gravesend Town Centre will take place between 10am and 11.30am and in Dartford Town Centre 12.30pm to 2.30pm. Entertainment includes Big Fish Brass Band, DDFK and Premier Brass Bands, West Hill Morris, Hartley Morris Men, Saint George’s themed Stilt Walkers, a Saint George in full armor and a large scale dragon will feature.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of KECC commented “Whether we like it or not our country is greatly divided. I hope that over time we can come back together and that is why events like Saint George’s Day need to be celebrated as there is more that binds us together as communities than divides us. We have been arranging Saint George’s Day celebrations in Gravesham and Dartford for over 10 years now and I believe these events are a model other parts of the Country can learn from.”

  • Inter Faith Gathering to remember victims of Christchurch attack

    Inter Faith Gathering to remember victims of Christchurch attack

    Faith and community organisations came together on Wednesday March 20th to condemn the recent attack in Christchurch, New Zealand and share a message of unity and solidarity. The event, which took place at the Gravesend & Dartford Muslim Association Mosque & Cultural Centre in Gravesham hosted around 100 people and was the first opportunity for local faith and community groups to come together to strongly condemn the attack.

    Speakers at the event included the Chairman of the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association Ejaz Aslam, Mayor of Gravesham Cllr David Hurley, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr. Vasudaven, Adam Holloway MP and Gurvinder Sandher CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council. They were joined by Chairman of the Kent County Council Cllr Mike Angell, Assistant Chief Constable of Kent Police Nicola Falconbridge, Reverend Richard Martin from the North Kent Interfaith Forum, as well as representatives from the Guru Nanak Dabar Gurdwara, Gravesend Hindu Mandir and the Buddhist faith.

    Gurvinder Sandher CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council said, “Following the recent terrorist incident in New Zealand I felt it was important that communities and faith groups came together in an act of solidarity. Terrorists of whatever persuasion are seeking to divide communities around the world so it is vital that we take a stand in the most strongest terms and show those that seek to divide us that, regardless of faith or background we will stand together as one.”

    According to the Chairman of the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association Ejaz Aslam, “It is heartbreaking to be in a position once again in sending our thoughts and prayers to those involved in such a horrific attack. Whether it is on the other side of the world or right here in our own communities, the pain caused by such attacks is felt by all of us just the same. I am very grateful for the solidarity shown by other faith organisations and community partners at this most difficult time. In such trying times it is heartening to know that we have a support system that transcends race, religion and background.”

    Mayor of Gravesham Cllr David Hurley said: “On behalf of Gravesham, I send our deepest condolences, support and prayers to all the citizens of Christchurch. We stand shoulder-to shoulder with everybody in Christchurch. Those who have suffered loss of family and friends; those who are still suffering from injuries; those of the emergency services who have to deal with these terrible and evil atrocities on our behalf; but most of all, we remember all those who died in this senseless and violent act. Today’s gathering of all faiths is testament to the strong community that we have in Gravesham and we stood today to show that such evil atrocities will not be victorious.”