susan, Author at Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Understanding and Appreciating Good Health Event

Kent Equality Cohesion Council as part of its “Promoting Cohesion and Engagement Project” organised a Health Event for community elders which took place on November 26 at the Bassant. Titled Understanding and Appreciating Good Health it covered a range of subjects including health diets, diabetes, heart disease and mental health. Guest speakers included local GP Dr Janet Hall and Carol Gosal from Rethink Mental Illness. They both stressed the importance of living healthy lifestyles and seeking advice and support if any health issues arise, rather than trying to ignore the issue.

Gurvinder Sandher CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “I am very grateful to the support provided by our community partners to make this event a success. In areas like Gravesham there is a big difference in terms of life expectancy depending on where one lives, so events like this which openly discuss issues around heart disease and diabetes for example which are disproportionately more prevalent in communities from the Indian Sub-Continent are important. I have received some very positive feedback after the event and hope that those who attended will take heed from the advice given.”

9 December 2013

Mayor Charity Curry Night a Great Success

The Gravesham Mayor’s Curry Night which took place on Friday November 22 at the Old Town Hall proved to be a great success with over £1500 pledged to the Mayor’s Charity Fund on the night through an auction of artwork donated by local artist David Thompson, raffle ticket sales and donations. The Mayors two principle charities are Cancer Research UK and the House of Mercy, a local charity hostel for young homeless people. Cllr Derek Sales the Mayor of Gravesham commented “I was overwhelmed with the great support that the curry night received. We have raised some vital funds for local causes and I would like to thank everyone who came and supported the evening and those who donated auction and raffle prizes.” Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara President Davinder Singh Bains made a personal donation of £500 on the night while the auction raised another £500. In addition to the food there were performances by local young people including the Four by Four Bhangra Youth Club and emerging singer Gemma Moore. Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council who helped organise the Curry Night on behalf of the Mayor of Gravesham commented “I was pleased with the positive response that the Curry Night achieved. A lot of hard work goes into organising events like this, but it is worthwhile when you see how much was raised for local good causes. I am grateful to everyone who donated prizes for the raffle and the auction and all those who attended on the evening. This was another great example of the diverse communities of the borough coming together as one to support worthy causes.”

8 December 2013

Understanding Local Democracy and Parliament Event

Kent Equality Cohesion Council showed its support for Parliament Week 2013, which ran from 15 – 21 November, by hosting an open event that aimed to help more young people feel connected with Parliament and democratic life, and inform them about how they could make a positive difference to society. The event took place on Thursday November 21st at the Civic Centre in Gravesend and was organised in partnership with Vinbrooke Support Kent. Around 50 young people attended and they heard from a number of key note speakers about how local democracy operates and how Parliament works nationally and the role of a constituency MP. The speakers included the Leader of Gravesham Borough Council Cllr John Burden, the Leader of the Conservative Group Cllr John Cubitt, Finnian Rook from the office of Adam Holloway MP and Cllr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi the perspective Labour Party candidate at the Parliamentary election. Gurvinder Sandher CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “We were pleased to be taking part in Parliament Week this year for the first time, as we thought it was an excellent way of getting more people engaged with what really goes on in Parliament and also in terms of promoting local democracy. It was pleasing that both main political parties were keen to support the event and the feedback I have had from young people who attended has been positive. I am grateful for the support provided by our partners and young people who attended. This was the latest in a series of community events we have organised through our Promoting Cohesion and Engagement Project funded by Awards for All”

8 December 2013

Lantern Parade launches Christmas Celebrations in Borough

Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Gravesham Borough Council and local arts organisation Cohesion Plus organised a spectacular lantern parade through Gravesend Town Centre on Friday November 15 to launch the Christmas celebrations. The theme of the Parade was the 12 days of Christmas and 10 local schools and some 500 children took part alongside members of the Christmas Pantomime cast from Beauty and the Beast, Bloco Fogo Samba Group and the Premier Brass Band.

The parade started in the St George’s shopping centre before going onto New Road, Windmill Street then climaxing on the Community Square where a 30 foot Christmas Tree was lit. The Christmas lights in the town centre were lit in stages as the parade walked through.

he Parade was led by the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Derek Sales who was joined by the leader of Gravesham Borough Council Cllr John Burden and local community partners including Kent Equality Cohesion Council and the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara.

Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “We worked very hard with the local schools on the lantern parade and are very proud of what we managed to achieve. The atmosphere in the town centre was excellent and it was so pleasing to see all the diverse communities of Gravesham coming together as one to celebrate the start of the Christmas celebrations in the borough.”

Watch this video on YouTube

swaran-singh-davinder-singh-bains-and-gurvinder-sandher

8 December 2013

Special Lantern Parade Gravesham

Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Gravesham Borough Council and local arts organisation Cohesion Plus have organised a special lantern parade which will take place on Friday November 15 to launch the Christmas celebrations in Gravesham. The theme of the parade which launches the Gravesham 12 Days of Christmas Celebrations is a “Partridge in a Pear Tree”

11 local schools will take part in the parade which will start in the St George’s Shopping Centre at 4.30pm from the back of Marks and Spencer and BHS. The parade led by the Mayor of Gravesham and invited guests will then go through the Centre, onto the New Road, left into Windmill Street before finishing on the Community Square in Windmill Street outside the Civic Centre. The Christmas Lights will be switched on in the Town Centre in stages as the parade passes. In addition to the schools the lantern parade will feature the Premier Brass Band, Bloco Fogo Samba Group, Stilt Walkers and Illuminated Snow Birds. Once the parade reaches the Community Square the Mayor of Gravesham Councillor Derek Sales will switch on the lights on the Christmas Tree around 5.30pm.

Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “We have been working very hard with our partners Gravesham Borough Council, Cohesion Plus and local schools on the lantern parade and are looking forward to spectacular event involving some 500 young people from across the Borough. Christmas is an important celebration for the diverse communities of Gravesham and we are pleased that our lantern parade will launch 5 weeks of celebrations which we hope will also have a positive impact on the Town Centre as well as showcasing the positive community relations enjoyed in the borough.”

8 December 2013

Dartford Festival of Light 2013 Attracts Record Numbers

The fifth Dartford Festival of Light took place on Friday October 25 and attracted record numbers. 11 schools took part this year across the borough and over 500 pupils were joined by friends and family in the evening lantern parade which started at the Orchard Shopping Centre before going down the High Street and finishing at Dartford Central Park by the bandstand. The schools were joined by popular Samba Group Bloco Fogo and local dhol drummers from the Four by Four Bhangra Youth Club and Cultural Beats.

The parade was led by local dignitaries including the Leader of Dartford Borough Council Cllr. Jeremy Kite MBE and former Mayors of the Borough Cllr Ann Allen, Cllr Pat Coleman and Cllr Eddy Lampkin.

Once the parade reached Central Park which was specially lit up for the occasion, each school was presented with awards for participating before the Festival was climaxed by popular comedy duo Danny and Dan.

The Festival of Light was put together by local arts organisation Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Dartford Borough Council and Kent County Council.

According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council who organised the event the “I was so pleased that all the hard work paid off. Yet again the diverse communities of Dartford came out as one to support the Festival and highlighted the positive community relations enjoyed in the Borough. It was a joy to see so many young people in attendance showcasing their artistic work and great credit needs to go to the schools for their hard work in the build-up and our partners Dartford Borough Council and Arts Council England for their support and encouragement.”

8 December 2013

Wrotham Festival of Light 2013

The first ever Wrotham Festival of Light took place on Friday October 18 involving some 250 pupils from the Four schools in the Pilgrims Way Partnership; Saint George’s Primary School, Platt Primary School, Trottiscliffe CE Primary School and Stansted CE Primary School.

The Festival of Light was organised by the Pilgrims Way Partnership alongside local arts organisation Cohesion Plus, Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Tonbridge Malling Borough Council and Wrotham Parish Council.

The Festival of Light took part in 2 distinct phases. In the first part the local schools took part in a lantern parade through the village of Wrotham starting outside Wrotham Church before finishing at the Cricket Club. The children were joined in the parade by the Bloco Fogo Samba Group, Four by Four Bhangra Dancers and the Hartley Morris Men.

Once the parade finished at the Cricket Club, everyone was able to enjoy a light show on the Sky Dome which was created by the renowned arts company Samesky and colorful performances by Bloco Fogo Samba Group, Four by Four Bhangra Dancers and the Hartley Morris Men.

According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council who helped organise the event “I was very pleased with how the Festival went. This was the first time that we have worked in Wrotham and I was overwhelmed with the positive feedback. The purpose of the event was to bring together the different schools in the Pilgrims Way Partnership through the arts and showcase some of the fantastic culturally diverse artistic talent which exists around Kent. Events like this also showcase the positive community relations enjoyed in Wrotham and the surrounding areas. We are very grateful for the support provided by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council and Wrotham Parish Council in the build-up to the event.”

8 December 2013

Dartford Festival of Light 2013

Preparations are underway for the fifth Dartford Festival of Light which will take place on Friday October 25. The first part of the event will feature a schools parade through Dartford Town Centre between 6.30pm and 7pm starting in the Orchards Shopping Centre before heading left onto the High Street to Dartford Central Park where it will climax at the Bandstand. The parade will involve 11 schools from Dartford who will be working with renowned arts company Samesky in the build up to the event. In total over 550 young pupils will benefit from arts workshops. The children will make lanterns and torches which they will carry in the parade.

The second part will feature Kent based Comedy Duo Danny and Dan performing at the Bandstand in Central Park between 7pm and 7.30pm.

The Festival of Light has been organised by local arts organisation Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Dartford Borough Council and Kent County Council.

According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council who is co-ordinating the event “The whole purpose of the event is to celebrate the positive community relations enjoyed in the borough and to showcase some of the fantastic work being done by young people in their schools around the arts. I am delighted that we have had an excellent response from the local schools again and I hope the community of Dartford will come out and support the young people taking part in this colourful event. As ever I appreciate the on-going support of Dartford Borough Council for all their support in the build-up to this event.”

8 December 2013

Successful Police Community Meeting Held

Cllr Tanmanjeet Dhesi, Davinder Singh Bains, Mathew Nix, Philip Painter and Gurvinder Sandher

Around 100 representatives from local community groups including the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara, Asian Retired People’s Association, Soroptimist International, Rethink Mental Illness, Asian Women’s Group and the Dartford and Gravesend Muslim Cultural Centre attended a meeting on October 9 organised by KECC (Kent Equality Cohesion Council) around the work of Kent Police and its Partners which took place at the Civic Centre. This was part of the KECC “Promoting Cohesion and Engagement Project”

The main speaker was the Deputy Chief Constable Alan Pughsley who spoke about the work of Kent Police at a County Level and the importance that the force puts into listening to the communities it serves and how committed he was to providing a first class service protecting and serving the communities of Kent. He was followed by local Gravesham Commander Chief Inspector Philip Painter and North Division Commander Chief Superintendent Mathew Nix who spoke about the work taking place locally and how important it was to maintain good relations between the local community and the Police.

Gurvinder Sandher, Ejaz Aslam, Mohammed Aslam, Davinder Singh Bains, Philip Painter and Mathew Nix

In addition there were presentations by Kultar Nayyar from Victim Support who explained the role of the organisation and how is supports victims of crime and Detective Chief Inspector Tom Richards from Kent Police who spoke about Human Trafficking and provided some recent examples of cases in Kent including successful prosecutions in North Kent.

Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council who organised the event commented “I was very pleased that so many different community groups attended. We wanted to provide a platform for these groups to better understand the work of Kent Police and its partners while at the same time allowing them to provide feedback and share their own experiences. It is important that the community have confidence in the work of Kent Police and its partners so that Kent remains a safe place to live, study and work.”

Gurvinder Sandher speking at the Meeting

8 December 2013

Dartford Schools Carnival

Cllr Sandhu Cllr Kite and Gurvinder Sandher with Bloco Fogo at Temple Hill Carnival

Following months of planning working in partnership with Cohesion Plus and the Kent Equality Cohesion Council the sun shined as local schools Temple Hill Community Primary School and Oakfield Community Primary School brought 2 weeks of music, creative visual arts and dance to a climax with colourful carnivals on Friday July 19.

Parents and guests were entertained by the children who took part in Carnival Parades led by a range of different artists including Bloco Fogo Samba, the Junk Orchestra and Steel Ambition. The theme of the Carnivals was recycling and sustainability and all the materials that the children used to make costumes and visual arts pieces were made from recycled materials.

The Mayor of Dartford Cllr Thurlow attended the celebrations in Oakfield accompanied by the Leader of the Council Cllr Kite MBE who also attended the Temple Hill celebrations where the Deputy Mayor Cllr Sandhu MBE was in attendance.

Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “This was a very ambitious project and I am so pleased that with the leadership of the 2 schools and the hard work of the children and parents that both Carnivals proved to be a great success and showcased some of the wonderful talent that exists in both Oakfield and Temple Hill. There was a positive energy at both events and underlined the positive community relations enjoyed in the borough.”

Garry Ratcliffe the Executive Headteacher for both Oakfield and Temple Hill Primary Schools commented “This was a very positive event and exceeded our expectations. The feedback from parents and pupils has been really great and it allowed us to showcase the creative talents that exist within the 2 schools and how we work very closely with parents, guardians and local community partners.”

8 December 2013

Author: susan