Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Author: susan

  • Mental Health event brings Young People together

    Mental Health event brings Young People together

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with North Kent Caribbean Network and Rethink Sahayak delivered a mental health awareness event on Thursday 24th March designed to engage young people from diverse backgrounds.

    The event was delivered as part of an ongoing project commissioned by Porchlight and Kent County Council which aims to identify how mental health in young people has been impacted since the onset of the pandemic.

    The event was held at No 84 Eatery and over 25 young people had the opportunity to hear from speakers including Carol Gosal from Rethink, Tamsyn Phillips and Adam Littlefield from EK360 and Jennifer Kelly from North Kent MIND around shaping services to cater to young people from underrepresented communities as well as the importance of discussing mental health overall. The young people also heard from spoken word artist Nathanial Ogun who presented two poems around mental health.

    Also presented at the event by Gurvinder Sandher from KECC (Kent Equality Cohesion Council) was a report researched and published by KECC which features data captured from over 300 young people around their thoughts and reflections of mental health over the many lockdowns caused by the pandemic. The report looked at the themes that emerged as a result of the findings and some key issues that presented themselves were around social anxiety caused by prolonged lockdowns and the subsequent lack of social interaction. Also prevalent was the concern around the impact on education during the pandemic as well as lack of awareness of which services could be accessed for mental health support.

    The aim of the event was not only engage diverse young people but to encourage open dialogue around the challenges facing minority youth when it comes to mental health as well identifying perceived barriers when attempting to access health and support services.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of KECC commented, “We are incredibly proud that we were able to deliver this important event working partners North Kent Caribbean Network and Rethink Sahayak. Mental health is something that has in some way shape or form, touched us or someone that we know. However, its not something that we know a great deal about in terms of where to go when we need help. This is particular prevalent in young people who openly acknowledging their struggles with mental health but don’t necessarily know where to go in terms of accessing tangible, dependable support. The aim of this event was to demystify this process and it was important that colleagues from MIND, Rethink and EK360 through their partnership with the NHS could contribute to the discussions around this. Special thanks go to all the young people that have generously given their time to contribute towards our report and overall project as well as No 84 who continue to do great community work by offering their premises for such important events.”

  • Listen Up Conference sparks important discussions

    Listen Up Conference sparks important discussions

    The communities of North Kent came out to attend a public conference around health and being called Listen Up on Thursday 10th March. Held at the Woodville in Gravesham and organised by the Kent Equality Cohesion Council in partnership with Rethink Sahayak, North Kent Caribbean Network and EK360, the aim of the conference was to raise awareness of issues such as suicide, substance abuse and mental health which have been impacting communities since the onset of the pandemic.

    Approximately 250 people attended the conference and heard presentations from speakers including Mandeep Manocha from Alcohol Free Sikhs, Sandeep Saib who spoke her lived experiences with body dysmorphia and attempted suicide and Tim Woodhouse from Kent County Council who covered a number of the services provided to tackle the issues discussed during the conference.

    Also speaking at the conference were Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr Bhargawa Vasudaven, Acting Head of Community Services South, Carol Gosal, and Chair of the North Kent Caribbean Network, Michelle Bramble. They gave a community perspective on the issues discussed during the conference and some of the support available locally.

    The conference was concluded by Gurjit Singh Shokar’s emotional and hard hitting experience around the loss of his brother Amarjit Singh Shokar to suicide recently. Gurjit has been advocating for more work to be done to raise awareness of suicide prevention especially within ethnic minority communities as there is still a taboo around mental health.

    Furthermore, in recognition of the tragic events unfolding in Ukraine, fundraising was conducted during the conference and £950 was collected. The funds will be donated towards the Ukrainian relief efforts via the Disaster Emergency Committee.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “Since the onset of the pandemic, we have seen issues such as suicide and mental health reach new devastating levels. As such, we felt it necessary to hold this conference and reach as many people as we could from the local communities, to raise awareness as well as highlight the services and aid available. Our hope is that through the conference, if even one life can be saved, or someone suffering from mental health can find access to care, then we have done our job right. I am also grateful to everyone who donated to the Ukraine appeal on the night.”

    Carol Gosal, Acting Head of Community Services South commented, “We are really pleased to have been able to deliver this event and reach so many people. The topics discussed today are hard hitting and not easy to listen to but we have to make ourselves uncomfortable for the severity of the matter to really sink in. It’s vital that we talk about suicide and mental health and raise awareness. Special thanks go to our speakers who all made such important contributions.”

    Michelle Bramble, Chair of the North Kent Caribbean Network said, “We wholly believe that we need events like these to raise awareness and shine a light on subjects like suicide and mental health, subjects that aren’t necessarily talked about until it’s happening to you or someone you know. The aim of this event was to show people that it’s never too late to access help and support no matter where you are from. I am so happy so many people came out to support and it was particularly heartening to see members of the community reach out to speakers and thank them for sharing their stories. It’s indicative of the fact that on some level, the penny has dropped and people are listening and taking this seriously.”

  • Maidstone celebrates Chinese New Year 2022

    Maidstone celebrates Chinese New Year 2022

    Maidstone celebrated the Year of the Tiger in style as hundreds braved the cold weather on Saturday 5th February. Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Cohesion Plus, Maidstone Cultural Group, and Maidstone Borough Council arranged the first Chinese New Year celebrations since the onset of the pandemic.

    The celebrations began with the dotting of the eye’s ceremony, which involved waking the Chinese Lions and was conducted by dignitaries such the Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Faye Gooch, the Leader of the Council Cllr David Burton, Cabinet Member Cllr Martin Round as well as Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Michael Lam a member of Maidstone Cultural Group and local business owner.

    Gurvinder Sandher commented “I was delighted to work with Maidstone Borough Council and community partners to deliver this event. Great credit needs to be given to Maidstone Cultural Group for supporting us and sharing out vision. We all know that the last few years have been very challenging with the pandemic so it was positive that we were able to welcome in the Year of the Tiger which represents strength and the overcoming of darkness. For me along with the cultural significance, it was also important to showcase that Maidstone Town Centre is open for business and that slowly but surely, we are coming out of the other end of the pandemic.”

  • Maidstone Chinese New Year Celebrations

    Maidstone Chinese New Year Celebrations

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Cohesion Plus, Maidstone Cultural Group and Maidstone Borough Council have arranged Chinese New Year celebrations for the Year of the Tiger, which will take place in Maidstone, the county town of Kent, on Saturday 5th February between 11am and 1.30pm with performances taking place on Jubilee Square and Week Street.

    The celebrations will start at 11am outside the Old Town Hall where the dotting of the eyes ceremony will take place to waken the Chinese Lions, before they lead a procession through the town centre. The ceremony will be conducted by the Mayor of Maidstone Cllr Faye Gooch alongside representatives from the local Chinese community and Gurvinder Sandher CEO of KECC.

    Gurvinder Sandher commented “It is a pleasure to be bringing back Chinese New Year celebrations to the County Town of Kent after a year’s break. I am very grateful to our community partners and Maidstone Borough Council for working with us on the celebrations and we look forward to hosting a fun filled event which will bring together the diverse communities of Maidstone.”

  • Hope Not Hate

    Hope Not Hate

    On Monday 10th January Gurvinder Sandher CEO of Kent Equality Council was invited to speak at Hope Not Hate’s online webinar and launch of their new Inclusive Events Guide which featured the work of KECC and its long standing partnership with Gravesham Borough Council.

    The report published by Hope Not Hate is a practitioner’s guide to public events and how such events can bring together different communities in a meaningful way that has a lasting effect. The report showcases the work done by Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Gravesham Borough Council as an example of best practice to building resilient and cohesive communities.

    Gurvinder spoke about the importance of being embedded in the local community, working in partnership, having a broad range of funders and getting a wide range of community partners involved in the respective events. The full report can be accessed via the link below:

    https://www.hopefultowns.co.uk/inclusive-events-guide

    Other speakers included former government minister John Denham who now is based at the Centre for English Identity and Politics, Sunder Katwala from the think tank British Future and Melanie Norris from Gravesham Borough Council.

    Gurvinder Sandher commented. “It was a pleasure to be invited to speak at the webinar and talk about the excellent work we are doing year in and year out in partnership with Gravesham Borough Council. It is important to not underestimate the powerful impact that inclusive community events have on strengthening community cohesion and society overall. I am even more proud that our work was used as prominent examples within the report and we hope that those looking to deliver inclusive events in the future now have a useful tool to do this. Many thanks to our colleagues at Hope Not Hate for their support and recognition and to Gravesham Borough Council for our ongoing partnership.”

  • Community and local authority partners welcome new Mosque administration

    Community and local authority partners welcome new Mosque administration

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council organised a meeting at the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association Mosque which saw local authority, charity and voluntary sectors partners attend on Friday 3rd December. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the new management committee to wider partners.

    Mr Bilal Farooq, the new Chairperson welcomed the guests including Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Lyn Milner to the meeting and introduced all in attendance to the new management committee for the Mosque. Other guests included representatives from Kent Police, Citizens Advise, Rethink Mental Illness and Gravesham Borough Council.

    Mr Farooq expressed that he was greatly enthused and excited to be working with the partners in attendance and stated that the committee had exciting plans to work with the other local communities of Gravesham as well as spearheading a female led women’s initiative around empowering women and girls.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of KECC commented, “The entire ethos of the work we do at KECC is around building and maintaining relationships and partnership working across the diverse communities of Kent regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexuality or religion. As such, we were proud to be able to arrange this important meeting between colleagues at the Gravesham and Dartford Muslim Association Mosque and local authority, charity and voluntary sectors partners. The most impactful and meaningful work occurs when we all work together towards a common shared goal. We welcome the new committee and wish Mr Farooq a fruitful and productive tenure as Chairperson. KECC have always had a positive relationship with the local Mosque and we look forward to future partnership working.”

  • Dartford Festival of Light Returns with a Bang!

    Dartford Festival of Light Returns with a Bang!

    The Dartford Festival of Light returned to the borough on 26th November and was organised by Cohesion Plus working in partnership with Dartford Borough Council and Kent Equality Cohesion Council. The event which normally runs in the borough annually last took place in 2019 and was subsequently paused in 2020 due to the pandemic. The aim of the festival was to celebrate what binds the communities together in Dartford through the values of local heroes, friendship and community.

    11 local schools and some 2000 people attended the festival which boasted street artists and live music. In its 11th year, the parade, which began in the High Street was led by Mayor of Dartford Cllr Rosanna Currans, Leader of Dartford Borough Council Cllr Jeremy Kite and Deputy Lord Lieutenant Kelvin Holford and made its way onto Market Street, along Market Place, down the High Street and finally making its way to Central Park where short speeches were made to the crowds. The evening climaxed in a dazzling fireworks display.

    Gurvinder Sandher, the Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus added, “We have all been starved of collective, community activity for so long. Therefore it’s been an absolute pleasure to be able to deliver the Dartford Festival of Light this year after a very trying and long 18 months. It was incredibly heart-warming to see so many people come out and support the festival despite the cold weather. The Dartford Festival of Light is a wonderful example of how such events can break down barriers, celebrating all that binds us together young or old, faith or no faith and urban or rural. Special thanks go to our event partners Dartford Borough Council whose support has allowed the festival of light to flourish and grow over the past decade.”

  • The Communities of Gravesham come out for the Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights

    The Communities of Gravesham come out for the Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights

    The diverse communities of Gravesham came out to support the return of the Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights on Friday 19th November. The event has not taken place since 2019 due to the pandemic and was delivered by Kent Equality Cohesion Council in partnership with Cohesion Plus and Gravesham Borough Council.

    The event proved to be one of the biggest to date as entertainment started in the town centre with pop up performances taking place across the High Street, Windmill Street, New Road and Community Square getting people into the Christmas spirit.

    Civic guests included The Mayor of Gravesham, Councillor Lyn Milner, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Bhargawa Vasudaven and local Councillors and representatives from various faith and community organisations who led the parade which included 13 local schools.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “It was a delight to see the communities of Gravesham come out and celebrate together again after such a long time. The whole ethos of our work is to promote unity, community cohesion, tolerance and shared British values and we are proud that this longstanding and popular event provides the platform to do this. Christmas is a special time for everyone regardless of faith, whether you celebrate or not. We are incredibly grateful to our partners for their continued support and we are proud that the Gravesham Festival of Lights was such a huge success given its absence last year.”

  • A Black History Month 2021 to Remember

    A Black History Month 2021 to Remember

    At the close of Black History Month, we are incredibly proud of what we have been able to achieve as a working partnership, delivering 4 in person events across Margate, Canterbury and Gravesham as well as producing a new exhibition and film which debuted as part of the month long celebrations. Some 500 people in total engaged with the events which celebrated the themes of immigration, race, heritage, the arts and community. A common thread throughout the celebrations was the fact that Black history is in fact British history

    Some 500 people in total engaged with the events which celebrated the themes of immigration, race, heritage, the arts and community. A common thread throughout the celebrations was the fact that Black history is in fact British history.

    The celebrations kicked off on the 1st October with People Dem Collective’s ‘Come Stand With Us’ event at the Turner Contemporary. Bringing together diverse communities in the area, the event discussed social mobilization and change through the medium of art and offered artistic workshops for all who attended. Also on offer, was the incredibly dynamic musical talent of Folkin Fusion, a Cohesion Plus produced act who brought the house down with fusion sounds of African and Indian beats as well as a hit rendition of Bob Marely’s Three Little Birds.

    The premiere of a new exhibition called “The Windrush Front Room” which encapsulates the quintessential living space of a migrant family from the Caribbean, took place in North Kent on the 4th of October. Produced and curated by the North Kent Caribbean Network, the exhibition has been incredibly well attended and has received high praise for its authenticity and pride in its heritage. Currently the exhibition is available to see at the Blake Gallery in Gravesham.

    Next was North Kent’s flagship event “This is Kent” Community Film Screening which took place 20th October. The event saw a free screening of community led and produced films at the Woodville Theatre which some 200 people attended. Dignitaries and community members alike were able to watch the premiere of Cohesion Plus produced film ‘Identity’ which featured members of the local community chronicling their journey as diverse individuals and how their journeys and experiences have shaped their identity.

    Other short films were shown produced by the North Kent Caribbean Network which took a look at what Black History Month has meant in the past and how celebrations and discussions could evolve in the near future. People Dem Collective also showcased their short films around social justice and the impact of art on minority communities and artists. Chief Constable Alan Pughsley QPM was the keynote speaker at the event and spoke about the importance of Kent Police reflecting the communities it serves as well as his dedication to diversity and inclusion.

    The month long celebrations culminated in the screening of cult classic ‘Babylon’ at the Gulbenkian Theatre on the 28th October. The film was originally released in 1980 and still resonates with audiences to this day. It focuses on the experience of racism and police brutality experienced by young black men of Caribbean decent against the backdrop of an ever diversifying London. The film was then followed by a Q&A panel with an original cast member and fostered discussions around culture, modern day policing and ways to forge forward positively. Attended by community members from Margate and North Kent, the screening was a huge success and the evening climaxed with dance and drinks with music provided by a DJ’s Steve and Flate from North Kent.

    Online content published as part of the Black History Month programme has also been incredibly well received with around 151,000 engagements online to date.

    Michelle Bramble, Chair of the North Kent Caribbean Network commented, “What an absolute joy Black History Month 2021 has been. It’s taken a lot of hard work and effort to be able to organise an entire month’s worth of activity, celebrating the vast contributions of our black and brown communities here in Kent as well as taking much needed time to reflect on the past and discuss ways to forge ahead toward real, sustainable, systemic change. I am so grateful to the partnership of Cohesion Plus and People Dem Collective, whose collaborative spirit and efforts have made these celebrations possible. The key thing to note is that our individual organisations do this work all year round, which also feeds into the belief that Black history, is British history and takes place every single month. That being said, I am so proud of what we have been able to achieve and offer to the diverse communities of Kent who all put just as much stock in the celebrations as we do. We look forward to future celebrations which can only get bigger and better from here on.”

    Gurvinder Sandher, Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus commented, “These month long celebrations which spanned across the breadth of Kent have been a long time in the planning. We are so pleased that these plans have finally come to fruition, not only broadening the reach of our work but also establishing firm partnerships with North Kent Caribbean Network and People Dem Collective. We truly believe that diverse led groups and organisations, when working together, can truly impact and affect discussions around representation, leading to real change. Creating this network of partnerships across Kent has always been an aspiration of mine and can only stand to get bigger and stronger. My sincere thanks go to our supporters and funders including Arts Council England, The Gulbenkian Theatre, Kent County Council and Gravesham Borough Council. These celebrations were led by the community, made for the community and our hopes for next year’s Black History Month are ambitious and given the success of this year’s celebrations, we are greatly enthused and excited to start planning.”

    Victoria and Kelly, founders of People Dem Collective commented, “The spirit of our work is around collective, community engagement and we are so proud that Black History Month this year was celebrated with the community at its heart. We are really proud to work with Cohesion Plus and the North Kent Caribbean Network and look forward to future collaborations. We believe that we put together a month to celebrate the vast contributions of black and brown communities and champions past and present. Our goal has always to put Margate on the map and we believe that not only did we do that, but we also got to celebrate the communities in North Kent and Canterbury. We are so excited for what the future brings and look forward to working with our valued partners again soon.”

  • Communities Come Together For Black History Month

    Communities Come Together For Black History Month

    Wednesday 20th October saw the diverse communities of North Kent come out to celebrate Black History Month by attending a free screening of community led and made films at the Woodville Hall Theatre in Gravesham. Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Cohesion Plus, North Kent Caribbean and People Dem Collective delivered the in person Black History Month event since 2019.

    Supported by Kent County Council and Gravesham Borough Council, the event saw dignitaries and community members alike come together to view films around the themes of race, diversity and identity.

    Chief Constable of Kent Police Alan Pughsley QPM delivered the keynote speech of the evening and spoke at length about the extensive work that Kent Police were doing around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within the force as well the continued work around the recruitment scheme. He also spoke about the steps that the force were taking to instil confidence around the issue of violence against women and girls.

    The Chief went on to address the audience of over 150 attendees about his commitment to the diverse communities of Kent. He stated that he hoped the gesture he made when he took the knee during a peaceful memorial to mark the death of George Floyd at the hands of American police in 2019, showed his solidarity and commitment to equality within policing. Mr Pughsley was then presented with an award for outstanding support and service to diverse communities in Kent by event organisers Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of KECC and Michelle Bramble, Chair of the North Kent Caribbean Network.

    Local residents were also recognised for their outstanding work in their respective communities as they received awards presented by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant Bhargawa Vasudaven and Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Lyn Milner.

    The event was part of a series of taking place across Kent as part of Black History Month. Further activity will also be taking place in Margate and Canterbury over the coming week culminating in a screening of cult classic ‘Babylon’ at the Gulbenkian on Friday 29th October with a coach making its way from Gravesend.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of KECC commented, “It was an absolute pleasure to be able to deliver the first in person Black History Month celebrations here in North Kent for the first time since 2019. It is important that we use events like Black History Month to understand our shared history and heritage. It is vital to stress that Black History isn’t confined to just one month rather it is a yearlong recognition that Black history is in fact British history. We are incredibly grateful to our valued partner the North Kent Caribbean Network and I am immensely proud of what we have been able achieve during this time.”