Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Author: susan

  • Sadi Awaz Suno Women’s Conference 2018

    Sadi Awaz Suno Women’s Conference 2018

    Preparations are at an advanced stage for the annual Sadi Awaz Suno (Listen to our Voices) conference will take place on Thursday 20th September at the Woodville in Gravesend. The conference will look at important issues including mental health, alcohol and substance abuse and the support available locally to those suffering from domestic abuse.

    The conference is organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Rethink Mental Illness Sahayak Services with the support of the Gravesham Borough Council led Altogether Safer Project.

    Guest speakers at the event include the Deputy Chief Constable of Kent Police Tony Blaker and Bhupinder Kullar from the Shanti Project who will talk about his battle with alcoholism and subsequent recovery.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “We are very grateful that working with our partners, we have again been able to deliver this important community event. In such a fast changing world it is vital that local community groups especially those who may be more vulnerable are aware of the help and support available to them. I also passionately believe that we should be having more open discussions about issues such as alcoholism and mental health within our local diverse communities and the Sadi Awaz Suno Women’s Conference is the ideal platform for this to take place.”

    Sadi Awaaz Suno 2018
  • Maidstone Community Mela Hailed a Success

    Maidstone Community Mela Hailed a Success

    Following months of hard work and sheer perseverance the Maidstone Community Mela took place in Whatman Park on Sunday 22nd July. The Mela which has taken place in Maidstone since 2003 was organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Cohesion Plus, local partners and volunteers.

    The free community event took place in soaring temperatures and was officially opened by the Mayor of Maidstone Cllr David Naghi and Helen Grant MP who thanked all the volunteers who were involved in bringing the event together stressing the importance of events like the Mela in Maidstone. A special presentation was given by the Mela Advisory Group and Gurvinder Sandher in memory of the late Mr. Morel D’Souza former Mayor of Maidstone who was hailed as the founding father of the Community Mela.

    The ethos of the Community Mela is to use music, food and dance to bring communities together, to celebrate all that binds Maidstone together regardless of faith or background. This was reflected in the diverse stage programme with exciting acts such as Maplesden Noakes School, Reel Eire Irish Dancers, Lambrego Brazilian band, Kitka Bulgarian Folk Dance, Maidstone Nepalese Community Group, Dance Asia Bollywood Fusion and the Kudos Combat’s Chinese Lion Dancers. The Mela was 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 and dancing and Tanni Browne one of the UK’s leading Bob Marley Tribute acts.

    Off stage the food festival offered something for everyone ranging from Indian, Nepalese, Chinese and German cuisines as well as doughnuts, ice cream, juices and hot drinks. In addition there were a number of information stands including National Citizens Service, Kent Police, Unison, Amnesty International, Gullands, Nepalese Community Group and the Rotary. The Mela this year was 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 “The entire ethos of our work is to bring diverse communities together celebrating our shared British values and the Maidstone Community Mela is the embodiment of this work. Despite an uphill struggle with funding, I was delighted that the communities from the borough came out to support and participate in the festivities really highlighting the positive outcomes of events like the Community Mela. I am incredibly proud of what we continue to achieve in Maidstone and of the small team of partners and volunteers who believe in the Maidstone Community Mela as much as we do and worked tirelessly to pull the event together.”

  • Maidstone Community Mela 2018

    Maidstone Community Mela 2018

    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.

    According to Gurvinder Sandher who is the Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus, “I am really excited about this year’s Maidstone Community Mela and Food Festival. When Cohesion Plus started this was the first festival we arranged and over the years despite many obstacles especially the last few, we have managed to put together great artistic stage programmes which celebrate the diversity of Maidstone through the arts. This year we have a range of genres from Bhangra to Bollywood, Brazilian fusion to Bulgarian Folk, Chinese Dragons to Nepalese Dancing. I would like to thank everyone who has worked with us to make the Community Mela and Food Festival dreams a reality.”

    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.

  • KECC hosts Maidstone community mela launch event

    KECC hosts Maidstone community mela launch event

    With less than two weeks to go to the Maidstone Community Mela which will be taking place in Whatman Park on Sunday 22nd July, a special launch event hosted by KECC took place at the kalaRED bar restaurant in Maidstone on July 5th. The event was attended by key partners including representatives from local community groups, Kent County Council, Kent Police and Maidstone Borough Council. The chief guests were the Mayor of Maidstone Cllr David Naghi, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Trevor Sturgess and KCC Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services Cllr Eric Hotson.

    The purpose of the launch was to update partners around the plans for the Community Mela this year and to inform them of the journey it has been on to raise the required funds for the event to take place again. The Community Mela is organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Cohesion Plus supported this year by funding from Awards for All, KCC Members Fund, Golding Homes as well as donations from members of the public. The Mela has been taking place in the borough since 2003 and is delivered in partnership with local partners and volunteers who have all worked tirelessly to ensure that Mela will take place again this year.

    According to Gurvinder Sandher CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council, I am very grateful to everyone who has supported the Community Mela through financial contributions without which the event could not have taken place this year. The Community Mela is a beacon which other parts of the country can learn from as it is a great way of bringing diverse communities together and celebrating our shared British values.”

  • The Sun Shines on the Mela Festival 2018

    The Sun Shines on the Mela Festival 2018

    The sun shone brightly on Calverley Grounds for the 13th Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival which took place on July 1st. The Mela was organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus and the Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Arts Council England. The free festival which celebrates the diversity of the borough through music, food and dance proved to be as popular as ever with thousands attending.

    The stage programme was particularly diverse with performances ranging from South Indian dance by Sahrudaya, to ukulele inspired Ukelear Fall Out, to the African inspired Drum Beat. They were joined by Tunbridge Wells very own Paul Dunton Orchestra and local reggae artist Jack Curtis. Well renowned Syrian artists Jamal and Alaa showcased the rich cultural history of a country torn apart by conflict. The Folkin Fusion Collective which was produced by Cohesion Plus and fused together street dance with traditional North Indian Dhol Drums and the African Djembe proved to be very popular. The Mela Festival was headlined by bhangra star PBN who had the crowd up and dancing to his hits before Mars Live performed the hits of Bruno Mars.

    Off stage the Chinese Lions entertained the audiences as did the Chappal an interactive show which was produced by Nutkhut and the Bureau of Silly Ideas and was part of the National Mela Partnership project that Cohesion Plus belong to. Alongside the entertainment there was an array of food including Indian, British, Thai, Chinese, Spanish, as well as doughnuts and fudge.

    There were also free artistic workshops for children to make Mela Festival badges and flags delivered by LV21. This proved to be very popular with young families and provided an excellent way for young people to experience the arts in a practical way.

    According to Gurvinder Sandher, the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council “I am really proud of what we achieved with the Mela Festival. Our work is about bringing communities together, to celebrate our shared values and this is an excellent example of this. I am very grateful to our partners and funders for working with us to enable the Mela Festival to develop as it has, to become one of the largest culturally diverse celebrations in Kent.”

  • Gravesham Eid Celebrations

    Gravesham Eid Celebrations

    Gravesham Eid Celebrations

    Around 500 people attended celebrations on Community Square on Saturday June 23 to commemorate the Festival of Eid, one of the most important dates in the Muslim calendar. Eid marks the end of Ramadan when 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 David Hurley and Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr Bhargawa Vasudaven were in attendance along with Assistant Chief Constable Pete Ayling and representatives from different faith groups including the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara, Hindu Cultural Society and Saint George’s Church.

    The celebrations involved the raising of a flag celebrating the Festival of Eid, musical entertainment, fun fair, face painting 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 was pleased with the positive response that the Eid Festival received not only from members of the public who attended but also the many partner agencies. To me the Eid Celebrations were like the other events we organise such as Saint George’s Day, it was an opportunity for the communities of Gravesham to come together and celebrate our shared values regardless of faith or if you had no faith at all.”

    Ejaz Aslam the Chair of the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association commented “We had an excellent turnout to the celebrations. This is what makes Gravesham so unique. It was a joy to see people from different backgrounds and faiths stand together enjoying the festivities.”

     

  • Maidstone Mela Fund Raising

    Maidstone Mela Fund Raising

    £270.00 was raised for the Maidstone Community Mela at a fundraiser which took place at the Gurkha Kitchen Restaurant on May 21st and was attended by the new Mayor of Maidstone Cllr David Naghi. This will be added to the £318.00 which was raised through a Crowd Funder Appeal. Further funding has been secured through Awards for All, KCC Members Fund and Golding Homes. The Community Mela is being organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Cohesion Plus with the support of the Maidstone Mela Community Advisory Group and will take place on July 22 in Whatman Park.

    Gurvinder Sandher who is Artistic Director for the Community Mela commented “We are very grateful to everyone who has supported the Community Mela. It has been a major challenge to raise the funds this year but we are nearly there now. I have been humbled by the support shown by local community partners which has given us the encouragement and belief to carry on when things were getting difficult. We look forward to welcoming the community of Maidstone to the Mela on July 22 in Whatman Park.”

  • KECC pleased to support the opening of Hindu Mandir in Gravesend

    KECC pleased to support the opening of Hindu Mandir in Gravesend

    KECC pleased to support the opening of Hindu Mandir in Gravesend

    KECC have worked with the Hindu Cultural Society over the past few months in preparation for the opening of the new Mandir in Manor Road, Gravesend. 2 special events were arranged, a community procession to mark the inauguration of the Mandir on April 17th after which prayers were said, and then on April 29th local and national guests attended a special ceremony. These included the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Harold Craske, Adam Holloway MP, former Cabinet Member Priti Patel MP, Cllr Gurjit Bains, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr Vasudaven, Vishakha from the Indian High Commission, Radio and TV Presenter Ravi Sharma and Dev Sharma MBE Chair of Kent Equality Cohesion Council. They were joined by other community partners including Kent Police and the North Kent Interfaith Forum and over a hundred people from the local congregation.
    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented after the events “I would like to congratulate the Hindu community for making their vision a reality. I am aware of the hard work taken place over many years to raise funds and complete renovations. This is a welcome addition to the religious landscape to the borough and I look forward to working with the Mandir and its congregation.”

     

  • Communities come together to celebrate Saint George’s Day!

    Communities come together to celebrate Saint George’s Day!

    Communities come together to celebrate Saint George’s Day!

    Dartford played host to some of the biggest celebrations in England to commemorate Saint George’s Day on Monday April 23rd. 500 Children from 8 local schools participated in the vibrant festivities which were organised by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council supported by Dartford Borough Council. The aim of the event was to celebrate the patron Saint of England and bring together the diverse communities in a large scale celebration.

    The festivities began on One Bell Corner with performances from West Hill Morris, Premier Brass Band, Brass Volcanoes, and Cohesion Plus’ Folkin Fusion Drumming Collective with Saint George themed Stilt Walkers interacting with the growing crowds.

    The colourful parade started at the Civic Centre and made its way through the Orchard Shopping Centre accompanied by West Hill Morris, Premier Brass Band, Brass Volcanoes, Cohesion Plus’s Folkin Fusion Drumming and artistic partners LV21 and Same Sky. Once the parade reached the High Street they were joined by a large scale dragon and hundreds of local residents who then followed the parade to its climax in Central Park. .

    The parade climaxed around the Band Stand in Central Park the 500 school children sang Happy Birthday to HM The Queen to celebrate her 92nd birthday. The festivities climaxed with a special rendition of Land of Hope and Glory performed by Premier Brass Band and the Folkin Fusion Drumming Collective.

    Gurvinder Sandher CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “The underlying work of KECC is to bring communities together to celebrate what it means to be British within today’s diverse society. Looking around us here today I think we have achieved that and I am extremely proud of what we have delivered. I passionately believe that events like Saint George’s Day should be celebrated as a means of bringing communities together and I am glad to see that Dartford embraces the festivities so completely.

  • Saint George’s Day Celebrations bring Communities Together!

    Saint George’s Day Celebrations bring Communities Together!

    Saint George’s Day Celebrations bring Communities Together!

    Some of the biggest celebrations in England to commemorate Saint George’s Day took place in Gravesham on Monday April 23rd. 600 Children from 14 local schools took part in the event which was organised by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council supported by Gravesham Borough Council and Arts Council England. The aim of the event was to celebrate the patron Saint of England and bring together the diverse communities in a large scale celebration.

    The highlight of the celebrations was the schools parade which was led by Saint George enacted by Gravesham resident Russel Palmer who was followed by a large scale dragon. They were followed by the Mayor of Gravesham Harold Craske and local dignitaries and partners including the Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott and Deputy Lord Lieutenants of Kent, Dr. Bhargwara Vasudaven and Rosemary Dymond.

    The 14 school paraded behind accompanied by Premier Brass, Brass Volcanoes, Folkin Fusion Drumming Collective, Stilt Walkers and artistic partners LV21 and Same Sky.

    The Parade went up the High Street into King Street, through Saint George’s Shopping Centre and then headed back through town before finishing on Community Square. Throughout the parade members of the public waved their flags of Saint George and encouraged the children as the parade went by.

    Once the parade climaxed on Community Square the 600 school children sang Happy Birthday to HM The Queen to celebrate her 92nd birthday. The festivities climaxed with a special rendition of Land of Hope and Glory performed by Premier Brass Band and the Folkin Fusion Drumming Collective before the flag of Saint George was raised high above the Community Square as the national anthem was played by the Borough Band.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “This was a great example of how we have used the arts to bring communities together to celebrate Saint George’s Day. It is important we believe, to use events like this to celebrate our shared values and the positive community cohesion that exists in Gravesham. I was humbled by the positive response that I have received from members of the public and from those who have taken part in the celebrations.”