Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Category: News

  • Women’s Conference a Great Success

    Women’s Conference a Great Success

    The annual Sadi Awaz Suno (Listen to our Voices) conference organised in partnership by Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Rethink Mental Illness Sahayak Services took place at the Old Town Hall in Gravesend on March 18. The aim of the women only event was to explore important issues which are not often discussed openly including mental health, on-line grooming and domestic abuse.

    The audience of around 125 people were addressed by Detective Inspector Angie Chapman from Kent Police, Mayor of Gravesham Councillor Wenban, Gravesham Borough Council Cabinet Member for Communities Councillor Bains, Gurvinder Sandher from the Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Carol Gosal from Rethink Sahayak.

    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.

    Once the conference element of the event had finished there was a special cake cutting ceremony led by the Mayor to celebrate 20 years of the Rethink Sahayak Project which supports communities from BME communities who need help around mental illness.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented after the event “I am really pleased with how the event went overall. It is important that issues such as on-line grooming and domestic abuse are discussed and communities know where there is support available locally. Gravesham for example had over 2000 incidents of domestic abuse reported to Kent Police in 2014-2015 and we all need to work together, communities, the authorities and local charities to raise awareness and provide support to victims.”

    According to Carol Gosal Rethink Mental Illness Service Manager for Kent “We are very grateful to everyone who took the time to come and support this community event. The feedback that we received on the evening in person and through the evaluation forms indicates how important events like this are around raising awareness and highlighting what support is available. We are very much committed to working with Kent Police and voluntary sector partners to help those in need.”

  • Gravesham Christmas Lights Parade

    Gravesham Christmas Lights Parade

    A colourful lantern parade inspired by the hit 1970’s song by Wizzard ““I wish it could be Christmas Everyday” will launch the Festive celebrations in Gravesham on November 13. Organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus, Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Gravesham Borough Council around 600 pupils from 13 local schools will be taking part.

    Crowd Shot of the Parade 3The Parade which will be led by the Mayor of Gravesham Councillor Michael Wenban will start in the Saint George’s Shopping Centre at 4.30pm and will then head towards Community Square via New Road and Windmill Street. The Christmas Lights in the Town Centre will be switched on in stages as the parade passes.

    The children will be joined in the parade by the Glenduart Pipe Band, Crocodile Style Street Band, Four by Four Dhol Drummers, Bloco Fogo Samba, Stilt Walkers and comedians Payne and Pearce. A particular highlight will be the performance by the Dancing Santa’s on the junction between New Road and Windmill Street which has been created by Cohesion Plus working with Four by Four Bhangra Dancers which will fuse the cultures of east and west together in a unique performance. 

    Once the parade reaches the Community Square the Mayor of Gravesham Councillor Michael Wenban will switch on the lights on the Christmas Tree around 5.30pm after the cast of the Gravesham Pantomime of Robin Hood have appeared on stage.

    Gurvinder Sandher Parade Organiser at the Climax of the CelebrationsGurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “I am very pleased with how the arrangements have gone for the Christmas Lantern Parade. This is our last event of the year and we hope that the local community will come out and see the spectacular work that the young people have been doing in the build up to the event. Events like this showcase not only Gravesham Town Centre but also the positive community relations enjoyed here in the borough.”

    Christmas light switch on
  • Dartford Festival of Light 2015

    Dartford Festival of Light 2015

    Preparations are well underway for the Dartford Festival of Light which will take place on Friday October 23 between 6pm and 8pm. Organised by leading arts organisation Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Dartford Borough Council and Arts Council England the Festival is now in its 7th year. The aim of the Festival is to bring the communities of Dartford together through the arts and promote key values of respect, excellence, friendship and equality.

    The Festival this year is the biggest to date and is split into 3 distinct parts. Between 6pm and 6.30pm there will be entertainment on One Bell Corner as local vocalist Mark Lees sings some popular chart tunes.

    11 local schools will then take part in a lantern parade starting around 6.30pm involving some 550 young people which will also involve the Four by Four Dhol Drummers, Crocodile Brass, Same Sky Arts and Stilt Walkers. The parade will be led by the Mayor of Dartford Cllr Ian Armitt and the Leader of Dartford Borough Council Jeremy Kite MBE and will start on One Bell Corner in the High Street. It will then go via Hythe Street, the Orchard Shopping Centre and Market Street to Central Park where it will climax by the Band Stand.

    Once the Festival reaches Central Park after a series of short performances and presentations there will be a spectacular fireworks display to climax the celebrations delivered by the awards winning Phoenix Fireworks.

    According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council who is co-ordinating the event “I am really pleased with the positive response that we have had to date for the Dartford Festival of Light. It is a great showcase of how the arts can be used to bring communities together and a perfect showcase for Dartford Town Centre and builds upon the success of our Saint George’s Day celebrations and High Street Carnival. We have also added a firework element this year which we hope will prove popular.”

    A3 Poster dartford Festival_sm
  • Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival a Hit

    Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival a Hit

    The 10th Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival which celebrated the diversity of the borough through music, food and dance at Calverley Grounds proved to be popular with the local community. The Mela was organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus Kent, Sue Latham Events and the Kent Equality Cohesion Council.

    KECC have been involved in the Mela since its inception and were very proud as an organization to have managed to get the Mela to this important milestone.

    A range of culturally diverse artists the majority of whom were base in Kent performed at the Mela including the Bollywood Brass Band, Four by Four Bhangra Group, Bloco Fogo Samba Group, Bulgarian folk dance group Kitka, local band Sean Fennessey and Friends, popular Bangladeshi star Nurjahan Shilpi, African ensemble Uzambezi, the Paul Dunton Orchestra, bellydancng troupe Anaconda and leading Ed Sheeran tribute Jack Sheppard.

    Alongside the exciting stage programme there was also a creative arts zone where LV21 Arts put together the Changing Audiences piece of art, with members of the public dressing up wooden models to create an additional audience. While Eric MacLennan’s new piece of work “Voyage around my Bedroom”also proved to be very popular with people queuing to take part. In addition the popular Nutkhut Stilt Walkers had the audience up, laughing and dancing throughout the day.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of KECC commented “I was very pleased with how the Mela was received. There has lots of positive feedback which makes all the struggles to raise the funds and the hard work which starts some 6 months before well worthwhile. I would like to pay credit to all our community partners who had not given up on the Mela and supported us and encouraged us to make the Mela happen. If this does prove to be the last Mela that we are involved with in Tunbridge Wells I am glad that we went out on such a positive note. Events like this bring diverse communities together and allow us to promote our shared British values and showcase excellent local talent. “

  • Dartford High Street Carnival of Summer

    Dartford High Street Carnival of Summer

    There were big smiles and lots of sun at the first ever Dartford High Street Carnival of Summer which took place on July on Friday July 10. The Carnival organised by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Dartford Borough Council with the support of Arts Council England commenced in Central Park by the Bandstand between noon where the children gathered to have pack lunches and enjoy entertainment by the Steel Ambition Calypso Band, Four by Four Bhangra Group, Rhythm of the City Samba and children’s entertainer Ant Payne.

    At the same time there was a programme of entertainment around the High Street where the same performers also brought the High Street to a standstill with their colourful performances.

    The Carnival parade set off from Central Park just after 1.30pm led by the Mayor of Dartford Cllr Ian Armitt, Leader of Dartford Borough Council Cllr Jeremy Kite MBE, Gareth Johnson MP and Chairman of Kent Equality Cohesion Council Dev Sharma MBE.

    The children from Our Lady’s Catholic Primary, Fleetdown Primary, Westgate Primary and Temple Hill Primary who had been working with the Great British Carnival Company in the build up to the event showcased some colourful creative art which focused on the history of Dartford and in taking pride in the Borough. The Carnival got bigger as it collected people along the way as it went from Central Park, via the High Street before returning to back to Central Park.

    Once the carnival arrived back each child was presented with a special medal to thank them for their participation.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of KECC commented “This was the first year that the High Street Carnival of Summer took place and I was really pleased with the positive impact it had. It was a great pleasure to see all the smiling faces not just of the young people taking part but parents and onlookers as the carnival parade went by. I very much appreciate our longstanding partnership with Dartford Borough Council and would like to thank them for all their help and support both in the build-up and on the day itself. I believe the Carnival showcased the positive community relations in the borough and showed how arts can be used to bring people together and celebrate the rich heritage of Dartford.”

  • Gravesham Fusion Festival 4th Jul 2015

    Gravesham Fusion Festival 4th Jul 2015

    The Fusion Festival which was organised by Cohesion Plus and Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Gravesham Borough Council and KCC Arts Development Unit provided to be popular and saw a number of new and emerging acts performing. These included local band What, a drama by young children from Gravesham especially prepared for the festival by 2B Scene Theatre Company, leading African vocal ensemble Uzambezi, emerging female bhangra star Sarika Gill, popular Bulgarian Folk Group Kitka and Slovakian band Gejza.

    The Fusion Festival took place alongside the 169th Town Annual Town Regatta, Gravesham Summer Queen and the Northfleet Carnival.

    The festival also say the premier of “Samba Bhangra Beats” an exciting new performance co-produced by Cohesion Plus working with the Bollywood Brass Band, Four by Four Bhangra Group and Bloco Fogo Samba. This proved to be a particular highlight and underlined the theme of the Fusion Festival to use the arts bring communities together and promote cohesion and understanding.

    Headline acts bhangra star Jassi Sidhu and Sam Smith tribute Joe Scripps also proved very popular and had the audiences up and dancing with their repertoire of hits.

    In addition to the stage programme there was some exciting creative arts taking place off stage which was delivered by LV21 Arts which proved to be very popular while Nutkhut performed a series of walkabouts dressed as Bollywood stars on stilts.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “I was very pleased with the support that we received form the local community for the Fusion Festival. It was a great family day out and the performances by all the artists were really enjoyed by the audience. We are committed to promoting our shared values and events like this bring the community together as one to celebrate all that unites us. I am also very grateful for all the support provided by our partners both in the build and on the day itself and look forward to working with them on creating an even bigger and better festival next year.”

  • Dartford High Street Carnival of Summer

    Dartford High Street Carnival of Summer

    There will be lots of colour and noise coming to Dartford on July 10 as the first ever Dartford High Street Carnival of Summer organised by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Dartford Borough Council with the support of Arts Council England takes place. The Carnival will feature 4 local schools and some 250 children who have been working with leading carnival company The Great British Carnival who delivered workshops in the build-up to the event.

    The aim of the Carnival is to celebrate the rich heritage of Dartford, to celebrate the High Street and the positive community relations in the borough and provide an opportunity for children to learn new skills around costume and prop making.

    There will be entertainment on One Bell corner between 12.30pm and 1.30pm which will include performances by Steel Ambition and Rhythm of the City Samba. The Carnival parade will start at the Band Stand in Central Park at around 1.35pm and will then head towards the High Street going past One Bell Corner before heading back to Central Park. Once back at Central Park the Mayor of Dartford Councillor Ian Armitt along with the Leader of Dartford Borough Council Councillor Jeremy Kite and representatives from the Kent Equality Cohesion Council will make a presentation of medals to the pupils taking part in the Carnival.

    According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of KECC “We are delighted to be involved with the Dartford High Street Carnival of Summer and believe it fits in really well with our other events in the borough namely the Saint George’s Day celebrations and the Dartford Festival of Light. I am very grateful for the on-going support of Dartford Borough Council who like us want to celebrate not only the positive community relations enjoyed in the borough but also the positive impact that the High Street has on the residents of Dartford.”

    Carnival of Summer
  • Gravesham Fusion Festival 2015

    Gravesham Fusion Festival 2015

    BBB 3Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Cohesion Plus with the support of Gravesham Borough Council and Kent County Council Arts Development Unit has arranged the Gravesham Fusion Festival. The event will take place on July 4 at the Gravesend Promenade, Riverside Leisure Area between 12pm and 6pm. The aim of the free festival is to showcase new and emerging culturally diverse artists and to celebrate music and dance from around the world.

    There will be a range of culturally diverse artists performing on and off stage and the event is being headlined by bhangra star Jassi Sidhu who will perform alongside the Bollywood Brass Band, leading African ensemble Uzambezi, Bulgarian dance troupe Kitka as well local band What and Sam Smith tribute Joe Scripps. In a change to the published programme Slovakian band Gejza will be performing rather than Rebel.

    The festival will also feature the premier of “Samba Bhangra Beats” a new performance put together by Cohesion Plus working with Bollywood Brass Band, Four by Four Bhangra Group and Bloco Fogo Samba.

    There will be drama also for the first time on the Fusion stage with Cohesion Plus working with 2Bscene Theatre Company on a new production working with young people from the borough.

    Fusion Festival poster 2015The event is being hosted by popular comedy duo Payne and Pearce. There will also a food zone which is being delivered by the Cheese and Chilli Festival.

    In addition to the Fusion Festival the Promenade will also play host to the Gravesend Town Regatta, a fun fair and the climax of the Northfleet Carnival.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “We are pleased that our months have hard work have paid off with a fantastic day planned for the Fusion Festival. This event underlines what we are trying to do, namely to bring communities together and celebrate all that binds us. We hope that this event will build upon our recent very successful Saint George’s Day celebrations in the borough. With all the other activities taking place at the Prom at the same time this promises to be a great day out for the communities of Gravesham with the Regatta, Summer Queen and climax of the Northfleet Carnival.” 

    Fusion Festival Poster 2015
  • Gravesham Saint George’s Day 2015 Short Film

    Gravesham Saint George’s Day 2015 Short Film

    Gravesham Saint George’s Day Celebrations 2015 Short Film

    The Gravesham Saint George’s Day celebrations which took place on April 23rd were some of the biggest in England. The event featured 19 local schools as well entertainment including the Premier Brass Band, Bollywood Brass Band, West Hill Morris, Four by Four Dhol Drummers, Medieval Court Jesters Payne and Pearse and Saint George himself. The schools parade was led by the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr John Caller. 

    The celebrations were organised by Cohesion Plus working in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Gravesham Borough Council, Same Sky Arts and Arts Council England. 

    Copyright © 2015 Cohesion Plus Kent, All rights reserved.

  • Dartford Saint George’s Day 2015

    Dartford Saint George’s Day 2015

    Dartford Saint George’s Day Short Film

    The Dartford Saint George’s Day celebrations took place on April 23rd and featured 11 local schools as well as a number of performers including Premier Brass Band, Bollywood Brass Band, West Hill Morris, Four by Four Dhol Drummers, Medieval Court Jesters Payne and Pearse and Saint George himself.

    The event was organised by Cohesion Plus working in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Dartford Borough Council, Same Sky Arts and Arts Council England

    Copyright © 2015 Cohesion Plus Kent Limited, All rights reserved