Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Category: News

  • 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.”

  • St Georges Day 2018

    St Georges Day 2018

    Dartford St George’s day 2018 poster click to enlarge.

  • Commonwealth Reception hailed as a success

    Commonwealth Reception hailed as a success

    A special community event took place at the Civic Centre on Thursday March 15th to celebrate the Commonwealth and the positive contribution made in the borough by local residents who were born in Commonwealth countries. The event which was organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council featured a number of guest speakers who highlighted the positive contribution the Commonwealth has made both locally and internationally. Speakers included the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Harold Craske, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr Bhargwara Vasudaven, Cllr Gurjit Bains, Assistant Chief Constable Jo Shiner and Mr Prithipal Kang BEM from Kent Fire and Rescue Service. Entertainment was provided by Lucky Moyo and Bill Singh from Folkin Fusion Drumming Collective.

    Those in attendance were also informed of plans for a big celebration taking place in Gravesham in October to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the SSE Windrush, which arrived in Tilbury in 1948 carrying passengers from the Caribbean who were invited by Britain to assist with post war reconstruction.

    Two special community awards were also presented by Kent Equality Cohesion Council to Claudette Bramble and Devinder Singh Patara for their outstanding contribution in promoting positive community relations in Gravesham over many decades. Claudette was an active member of the Community Relations Council which was a forerunner to the Kent Equality Cohesion Council in the 1980’s and a founding member of the Gravesend West Indian Association. She is a former Chair of the North Kent Police Liaison Committee and Kent’s first female BAME magistrate. Claudette is still active in the community today with her work with the North Kent Caribbean Network. Devinder was one of the founding members of the Gravesend Kabbadi Club in the late 1960’s. Since then he has established a reputation nationally for his commitment and service to the sport of Kabbadi. He was also involved in football and the arts in Gravesham. In the 70’s and 80’s he was very active in promoting positive community relations including the publication of ‘Ekta – United We Stand Divided We Fall’ Magazine the first ethnic media available in Gravesham at the time. As well as being an active member of the Community Relations Council he also served in many different roles for the Guru Nanak Sports Club.

    According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council, “I was very humbled by the positive response we had to our Commonwealth celebration. I have always highlighted Gravesham as a beacon that other parts of the country could learn from in terms of cohesion, integration and the celebrating of shared values. It was an honor to present awards to two unsung heroes of the local community who have done so much over many decades to help contribute to the positive community relations that we enjoy here today in Gravesham”.

  • Preparations under way for Saint George’s Day 2018

    Preparations under way for Saint George’s Day 2018

    Work has already started on the Saint George’s Day celebrations which will take place in the Gravesham and Dartford on Monday April 23rd. The annual Saint George’s Festivals which are organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council in partnership with Cohesion Plus supported by Gravesham Borough Council, Dartford Borough Council and Arts Council England. The celebrations will be some of the biggest taking place in England on Saint George’s Day.

    The aim of the events is to celebrate the patron Saint of England and bring together the diverse communities in the boroughs to celebrate this important day.

    The celebrations in Gravesham will take place between 10am and 11.30am and in Dartford from 12.30pm to 2.30pm. Entertainment including Premier Brass Band, Brass Volcanoes, Folkin Fusion Drumming Collective, West Hill Morris, Saint George’s themed Stilt Walkers, a Saint George in full armor and a large scale dragon will feature.

    The highlight of the celebrations will be the school parades which will feature 20 local schools and 1000 young people from across the boroughs and will be working with our artistic partners Same Sky to create pieces of visual art which they will display in the parades.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of KECC commented “We are really proud of how the Saint George’s Day celebrations have evolved in Gravesham and Dartford over the years. We believe it is important that events like Saint George’s Day are celebrated as it’s a perfect opportunity to bring communities together and celebrate our shared values.”

  • Listen to Our Voices Women’s Event

    Listen to Our Voices Women’s Event

    Women’s Conference a Great Success

    The annual Sadi Awaz Suno (Listen to our Voices) conference took place on Friday November 24th at the Woodville in Gravesend. The aim of the women only event was to explore important issues which are not often discussed openly including mental health, on-line grooming, child disability, well-being and domestic abuse.

    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 were addressed by Assistant Chief Constable Jo Shiner from Kent Police who spoke about the work done around supporting victims of domestic abuse while Parmi Dheensa from Include Me Too spoke about child disability and how communities from the Indian Sub-continent deal with it. Local GP, Dr Manpinder Sahota spoke about well-being and mental health and how communities can help themselves and key note speakers Shahien Taj MBE from the Henna Foundation and Yasminara Khan from the BBC spoke about honour based crime and on-line grooming.

    The key message coming out of the event was the fact that there was support available locally and that if anyone needed any help or support they should not hesitate to ask for it.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented after the event “It is important that events like this take place so that there can be an open and informed discussion around issues such as mental health, domestic abuse, on-line grooming and honour based crime which we know affect members of the local community. Sometimes people do not know who to turn to for help and support and that is why we hold this event.

    According to Carol Gosal Rethink Mental Illness Service Manager for Kent “It is important that we all work together, communities, the authorities and local charities to raise awareness and provide support those who are experiencing issues relating to mental health and domestic abuse. Events like this are a step towards this and we look forward to working with our partners to make more positive strides over the coming months.”

    The event was part funded by the Home Office VAWG (Violence and Against Women and Girls) Transformation Fund through the Altogether Safer Partnership which is led by Gravesham Borough Council and includes Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Rethink, Dartford Borough Council, Kent Police and Choices.

  • Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights 2017

    Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights 2017

    Some 1500 people participated in the Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights on Friday 17th November which incorporated the switching on the town’s Christmas Lights. The celebrations were organised by Cohesion Plus working in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Gravesham Borough Council supported by Arts Council England.

    10 local schools took part in a lantern parade led by the Mayor of Gravesham, Councillor Harold Craske along with representatives from various faith and community organisations as well as street entertainers Bloco Fogo Samba, Brass Volcanoes, the Drumming Santa’s and the Black Knights. All the schools worked with Same Sky in the build up to the parade to create special lanterns which were showcased during the event.

    The parade started at Community Square and then travelled down Windmill Street, New Road, through the St Georges Shopping Centre before finishing at Gravesham Borough Market. The Christmas Lights were switched on in the Town Centre as the parade passed by.

    The climax of the celebrations took place in the Gravesham Borough Market where the Cohesion Plus produced “Drumming Santa’s” performed bringing a unique fusion of Christmas tunes to Bhangra and African drumming to entertain and wow the crowds. This was followed by a series of performances which included starts of this year’s pantomime Sleeping Beauty.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented: “This was one of our biggest Christmas celebrations to date in Gravesham. I am very grateful to all the local schools and our partners who made our celebrations such a success. It is important that celebrations like Christmas are used as opportunities to bring communities together and celebrate all that binds us together regardless of faith.

  • Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights

    Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights

    The annual Festival of Christmas Lights will be taking place on Friday November 17th. Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Cohesion Plus and Gravesham Borough Council have been working on this project for the last few months.

    The town centre event will be kicking off from 3.45pm. Crowds can expect street entertainers including a Jack Frost themed mime artist, Santa and his helpers on stilts, Bloco Fogo Samba, Brass Volcanoes and the Drumming Santa’s.

    Around 500 school children from 10 local schools will then take part in a lantern parade led by the Mayor of Gravesham Councillor Harold Craske, which will start at Community Square at 4.30pm with the switching on of the Christmas tree lights. The schools have been working with Same Sky Arts on Christmas Lanterns which they will showcase during the parade.

    The parade will then go via Windmill Street, New Road, through the St Georges Shopping Centre before finishing at Gravesham Borough Market. The Christmas Lights will be switched on in the Town Centre as the parade passes. The celebrations will climax with a series of performances including the stars of this year’s pantomime Sleeping Beauty and the Drumming Santa’s.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “Christmas is an important time of year; it is a time for reflection and for sharing goodwill. Events like this bring the diverse communities of the borough together to celebrate our shared values and all that connects us. We hope that the residents will come out and support the spectacular parade which will go through the Town Centre.