Category: News
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Waving the Flag of Saint George with Pride 2015
Some of the biggest celebrations in England for Saint George’s Day took place in Gravesham and Dartford on April 23rd. 30 local schools and some 1600 children took part in parades to mark the national day for England alongside a host of entertainers, community groups and members of the public.
Entertainment included the Premier Brass Band, Bollywood Brass Band, West Hill Morris Dance Troupe, Four by Four Dhol Drummers, a Town Crier, a Saint George in full armor, Stilt Walkers and Medieval Court Jesters.
The celebrations commenced in Gravesham in the morning where the streets were filled with members of the public waving the flags of Saint George, who with enthusiasm supported first the entertainment in the town centre and then the schools parade as it marched through. The celebrations climaxed on Community Square where further performances took place before the audience was addressed by the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr John Caller before the flags of Saint George were raised.
The programme then moved onto Dartford where large crowds gathered at One Bell Corner to see performances by Premier Brass, Bollywood Brass and West Hill Morris. For the first time the parade started outside the Civic Centre in Dartford before heading into the Town Centre, stopping briefly at the War Memorial where flags of Saint George were raised by the Mayor of Dartford Cllr Avtar Sandhu MBE. The celebrations climaxed at the Bandstand in Central Park with a rousing rendition of “Land of Hope and Glory” by the Premier Brass Band.
Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented ““I am very pleased with the positive response that we have had today. Events like Saint George’s Day provide an opportunity to bring together our communities young and old, urban and rural regardless of faith or ethnicity and to celebrate our common values. I very much value the support of both Gravesham and Dartford Borough Councils and hope that other local authorities can see what a positive impact events like this can have in promoting positive community relations and showcasing excellent in the arts.”
The festivities were organised by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council supported by Dartford Borough Council, Gravesham Borough Council and Arts Council England.
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Vaisakhi 2015 Attended by Thousands
Vaisakhi Celebrations Attended by Thousands
Thousands attended the annual Sikh religious celebration of Vaisakhi over the weekend Historically Vaisakhi marked the spring harvest in Punjab in Northern India where most Sikh’s in Gravesham come from, in 1699 on Vaisakhi Day the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh Ji established the Khalsa Panth (the community of committed Sikhs) and created the faith as it is practiced today.
The centre piece of the celebrations was the Nagar Kirtan procession (nagar means town and kirtan means the singing of hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book) on Saturday. Led by religious floats and also involving community floats including Lethal Soundz, Guru Nanak Punjabi School, Kent Kirtan Society, Four by Four Bhangra, Jugnu Bhangra and Guru Nanak Football Club.
The parade started on the grounds of the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara before going through the Town Centre where it was well received by members of the public who stopped to see the colorful spectacle and enjoyed free donations (seva) of food and drink as the procession passed. Following a short stop for prayers at the Guru Ravidass Gurdwara the procession headed back to the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara where the congregation was joined by Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha Cameron on Wellington Street before the Nagar Kirtan entered the Gurdwara complex. Once the prayers had been completed outside the Prime Minister addressed members of the congregation inside while outside there was an open air community celebration on the Guru Nanak Sports Field which included a fun fair, Sikh martial arts and information stands.
The religious stage programme was headlined by Sukshinder Shinda an internationally renowned artist who performed from his recently released religious album “Langar” During the course of the event thousands also enjoyed free food and refreshments which was served by local caterers.
The celebrations concluded on the Sunday at the Gurdwara where prayers were read and donations made for the up keep of the running of the Gurdwara. Throughout the services thousands again attended rounding off a memorable weekend.
Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “I am so pleased that the months of planning for the Nagar Kirtan and the open air community celebration paid off. None of this would have been possible without the help of a team of community volunteers and the support of Gravesham Borough Council, Kent Police and Kent Highways for which I am grateful. The Vaisakhi celebrations have evolved from being just for the Sikh community to one where Gravesham comes together as one, something which everyone should be very proud off.”
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Gravesham and Dartford Saint George’s Day Celebrations
Preparations are underway for the Saint George’s Day celebrations which will be taking place in Gravesham and Dartford on April 23. The festivities have been organised by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council supported by Dartford Borough Council, Gravesham Borough Council and Arts Council England in what will be some of the biggest celebrations taking place in England on the day itself.
In the build up to the day 29 local schools and some 1600 young people will benefit from creative arts workshops as they prepare for the parades which will be the highlight of the celebrations in Gravesham and Dartford.
The celebrations in Gravesham will take place between 10am and 11.30am and in Dartford between 12.30pm and 2.30pm in and around the respective Town Centre’s.
Entertainment will include the Premier Brass Band, Bollywood Brass Band, West Hill Morris Dance Troupe, Four by Four Dhol Drummers, a Town Crier, a Saint George in full armor and Medieval Court Jesters.
The aim of the events is to celebrate the patron Saint of England and bring together the diverse communities in Gravesham and Dartford to celebrate this important day.
Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented ““I am very passionate about Saint George’s Day as I believe it is an excellent way for communities to come together and share our common values and celebrate what it means to be English today. I very much appreciate the on-going support of Dartford Borough Council and Gravesham Borough Council who are key strategic partners and their commitment to working with us to promote positive community relations.”
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Record Numbers Attend Launch of Gravesham Christmas Celebrations
It is estimated that over 5000 people enjoyed the Christmas Parade of Lights which was organised by Cohesion Plus and Kent Equality Cohesion Council and the Christmas Light Switch On which was led by Gravesham Borough Council.
The Christmas Parade of Lights featured 14 local schools and some 600 children from across the Borough who benefited from workshops in the build up to the event which were delivered by Same Sky Arts along with a number of culturally diverse artists including the Premier Brass Band, Crocodile Style Brass Band, Four by Four Dhol Drummers and Bloco Fogo Samba. They were joined in the parade by parents and guardians of the young people taking part.
The Christmas Parade of Lights which was led by the Mayor of Gravesham Councillor John Caller and invited guests set off from Saint George’s Shopping Centre before going onto New Road, Windmill Street then climaxed on the Community Square with the spectacular Christmas lights being switched on along the route.
One of the highlights of the parade was the performance of the “Dancing Santa’s” who performed a special bhangra dance routine to Jingle Bells which had been produced jointly by Cohesion Plus and Four by Four Bhangra Dancers at the junction of New Road and Windmill Street. The Parade finished on the Community Square where there was entertainment by the cast of the Pantomime before the giant Christmas Tree was lit up by the Mayor of Gravesham and Jamie Foreman one of the stars of Aladdin.
Gurvinder Sandher who organised the Parade commented “The response that we had to the Parade was beyond what I expected. We are very lucky that the local schools are so committed to getting involved in local community events and our strong partnership with Gravesham Borough Council allows us to produce celebrations like this which bring all the communities together as one to celebrate not only the start of the Christmas festivities but also the values of friendship, respect and tolerance which unite us as citizens of the borough. I believe that what we have delivered here with this event is unique and is a model which could be replicated by other towns across the Country”
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Dartford lit up by Community Festival
Dartford Community Lights Spectacle
Dartford Town Centre was spectacle of noise and colour as over 700 people took part in the Dartford Festival of Light on Friday October 24. The Festival was organised by local arts group Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Dartford Borough Council and Arts Council England.
The first part of the evening was the lantern parade which featured 10 local schools as well as a number of culturally diverse artists including Four by Four Dhol Drummers and Crocodile Style Brass which started at One Bell Corner before heading towards the Orchard Theatre where the parade was joined by Bloco Fogo Samba Group who had been entertaining commuters outside Dartford Train Station. The parade then went through the Orchard Shopping Centre and Market Street to Central Park which was specially lit up by lanterns by leading creative arts organisation Same Sky where it climaxed by the Band Stand.
Once the parade got to the Band Stand there was a programme of entertainment which included Steel Ambition and vocalist Ryan Bennett. All the schools that took part were also presented with a special award for their participation by the Deputy Mayor of Dartford Cllr Ian Armitt and the Leader of Dartford Borough Council Cllr Jeremy Kite.
According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council who organised the event “I would like to thank everyone who came along and supported our Festival. This was such a wonderful showcase for Dartford and highlighted not only the positive community relations enjoyed in the borough but also some of the fantastic talent and hard work of the young people who were involved in the parade. This was our most ambitious festival to date in terms of lighting and the route and I look forward to working with our partners Dartford Borough Council on making next year’s one even bigger and better.”
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Fusion and Light Festival Enjoyed in Wrotham 2014
The Wrotham Festival of Fusion and Light which took place on October 17 proved to be a great success attracting record numbers. Organised in partnership by Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Cohesion Plus and 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 took part in 2 distinct phases. The lantern parade element through the village launched the celebrations. The parade was led by the Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling Cllr Sasha Luck and the Vice Chairman of Kent County Council Cllr Mike Harrison along with invited guests. They were followed by the schools who had been working hard with arts organisation Same Sky on the lanterns which were based on the theme of harvest. The parade also featured stilt walkers, Four by Four Dhol Drummers and Under1Sun Samba Group.
Once the Parade reached its conclusion at Wrotham Cricket Ground there was a fusion Stage Show featuring performances by leading culturally diverse artists and emerging local artists including comedy duo Danny and Dan, Four by Four Bhangra Dancers, Reel Eire Irish Dancers and vocalist Ryan Bennett. The event climaxed with a short fireworks display organised by Phoenix.
According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council “We were very pleased with the how the Festival of Fusion and Light was received in Wrotham. The event has made great strides from last year and this was testament to the hard work put in by all the different partners. We hope next year to build upon this success and continue our partnership working in Tonbridge and Malling.”
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Dartford Festival of Light 2014
Preparations are underway for the sixth Dartford Festival of Light which will take place on Friday October 24. The event this year proves to be the biggest to date with a longer route and some exciting entertainment at the end for the local community to enjoy.
The Festival of Light has been organised by local arts group Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Dartford Borough Council and Arts Council England.
The first part of the event is a schools parade through Dartford Town Centre between 6.30pm and 7pm. The parade featuring 10 local schools and some 500 children who will all have made lanterns especially for the event will start on One Bell Corner on 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. In addition to the children the parade will feature Crocodile Brass, Four by Four Dhol Drummers and Bloco Fogo Samba. The parade will be led by the Mayor of Dartford Cllr Avtar Sandhu MBE and the Leader of Dartford Borough Council Cllr Jeremy Kite.
Once everyone is at the Band Stand there is a free programme of entertainment between 7pm and 8.30pm which will feature Steel Ambition, vocalist Ryan Bennett, Bloco Fogo Samba, Crocodile Brass and Four by Four Dhol Drummers.
According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council who is co-ordinating the event “I hope that the local community will come out and support the Dartford Festival of Light. The whole purpose of the event is to bring the whole community together and celebrate important values such as friendship, respect, determination and excellence and to showcase the positive community relations enjoyed in the borough. I very much appreciate all the support that Dartford Borough Council has provided in the build up to the Festival.”
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Wrotham Festival of Fusion and Light (2014)
Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Cohesion Plus and 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 have organised the Wrotham Festival of Fusion and Light which takes place on October 17th in the village of Wrotham.
The Festival will take place in 2 distinct phases. In the first part between 6.15pm and 6.45pm there will be a lantern parade through the village involving around 250 young people which will be led by the Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling Cllr. Sasha Luck and the Chairman of Kent County Council Cllr Peter Homewood. The lanterns will be created by the young people in special workshops in schools which are being delivered by the leading arts company Same Sky. The parade will also feature stilt walkers, Four by Four Dhol Drummers and Under1Sun Samba Group.
Once the Parade reaches its conclusion at Wrotham Cricket Ground there will be a fusion Stage Show between 7pm and 8.30pm featuring performances by leading culturally diverse artists and emerging local artists including comedy duo Danny and Dan, Four by Four Bhangra Dancers, Reel Eire Irish Dancers and vocalist Ryan Bennett. In addition there will be locally produced refreshments available.
According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council “We are looking forward to this community celebration in Wrotham. A lot of hard work has gone into this and we are grateful to all our partners for their help and support. We believe that events like this are an excellent way for communities to come together and to celebrate all that unites out regardless of age, faith, ethnicity or social background.”
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