Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Category: News

  • Wrotham Festival of Light 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.”

  • Dartford Festival of Light 2013

    Dartford Festival of Light 2013

    Dart fol 2013Preparations 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.”

  • Successful Police Community Meeting Held

    Successful Police Community Meeting Held

    Cllr Tanmanjeet Dhesi, Davinder Singh Bains, Mathew Nix, Philip Painter and Gurvinder Sandher
    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
    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
    Gurvinder Sandher speking at the Meeting
  • Dartford Schools Carnival

    Dartford Schools Carnival

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

    Oakfield
    Oakfield

    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.”

    Temple Hill
    Temple Hill

    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.”

  • Gravesham Party on the Prom attracts Thousands

    Gravesham Party on the Prom attracts Thousands

    PBN and Gurvinder Sandher
    PBN and Gurvinder Sandher

    The annual Gravesham Music Festival Party on the Prom which is organised by Gravesham Borough Council in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Cohesion Plus proved to be another great success with over 10,000 people in attendance with a particular highlight being the dynamic performances put on stage by Team PBN (Punjabi by Nature), Only One Direction and Cold Player.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “There was another great turn out for the Party on the Prom. I was particularly pleased with the positive response that Team PBN received, for us it is about bringing communities together through music and exposing audiences to new music and artists to new audiences. We were delighted to work together again with Gravesham Borough Council and are pleased that the support provided by Arts Council England allowed us to do some innovative programming for the festival.”

    Party on the Prom People Doing BhangraAccording to PBN who is a producer, singer and song writer is regarded as one of the leading bhangra artists of his generation “This was the first time that we have performed in Gravesham and I was blown away by the positive response. We had such an amazing response from the crowd and I was delighted that I was able to showcase my music to a new audience. Festivals like this are a great way for artists like us to reach out and promote Punjabi culture to wider audiences. Many congratulations to Gravesham Borough Council and Gurvinder Sandher on a great event.”

  • Dartford Schools Carnival Project

    Dartford Schools Carnival Project

    DFOL 18Building upon the success of the Dartford Saint George’s Day celebrations and the Dartford Festival of Light KECC and Cohesion Plus has been working in partnership with Temple Hill Community Primary School and Oakfield Community Primary School on a Carnival Project which will climax on July 20 with carnivals taking place in the respective schools. The theme of the Carnivals is recycling and sustainability and all their materials that the children will be using to make costumes and visual arts pieces are being made from recycled materials.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “I am pleased that we continue to increase the number of community events that we deliver in Dartford. This event is a welcome addition to the Saint George’s Day Celebrations, Temple Hill Community Fete and the Dartford Festival of Light and we hope in future years to open it out to more schools. Months of hard work have gone into planning these events and the feedback that the schools are receiving from pupils and parents have been really positive.”

    Lucky Moyo
    Lucky Moyo

    The Carnivals themselves in the respective schools will involve the children performing music, song and dance along with culturally diverse artists including Lucky Moyo, Bloco Fogo Samba, Steel Ambition, Wishart and the Junk Orchestra. Arts Company Samesky will also be working in the schools in the build-up to the big day.

    Garry Ratcliffe the Executive Headteacher for both Oakfield and Temple Hill Primary Schools commented “The pupils are really looking forward to next Friday. This has been an excellent way for the pupils to learn new skills and learn more about the environment, music and creative arts all at the same time.”

  • Tunbridge Wells Mela Proves a Great Success

    Tunbridge Wells Mela Proves a Great Success

    Danny and Dan
    Danny and Dan

    Sun, music and food were the order of the day at the 8th Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival in Calverley Gardens on Sunday which was organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus, Sue Latham Events and the Kent Equality Cohesion Council. The Mela which never nearly happened this year due to the withdrawal of all funding for it from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council proved to be a great success with thousands in attendance.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “We have been overwhelmed from the support that we have received this year from the local community. The turn-out we have had plus the numerous messages of support via social media and in person on the day underlines that there is an appetite for the Mela in Tunbridge Wells. I was very disappointed when the local authority refused to support the Mela this year but feel vindicated that there is demand and interest and we hope to work with the local community again next year to make it even bigger and better.”

    Phase 5
    Phase 5

    The Mela Festival stage programme showcased new and emerging acts the majority of whom were from Kent. Highlights included the Charlie Monroe Band who got the Mela Festival off to an upbeat start; they were followed by emerging comedy duo Danny and Dan who had the thousands in attendance laughing at their antics on stage. The sounds of the Caribbean then filtered through Calverley Gardens as the Phase 5 Steel Band took to the stage. Popular Bangladeshi Pop Star Shilpi then wooed the audience before the ever popular Four by Four Bhangra took to the stage. They had the crowd up and dancing to their unique fusion of traditional bhangra and contemporary pop and hip hop. The Mela Festival was then brought to an exciting climax by Ilona an emerging pop and folk star and the Magical Motown Band who brought the great music of Motown to the Mela Festival.

    In addition to the stage programme there was a range of food and drink from around the world as well as information stands, charity stalls and free arts and crafts workshops for young people to enjoy.

    Sue Latham from Sue Latham Events commented “A lot of hard work has gone into pulling the Mela Festival together. I am very proud of what we and our volunteers have achieved. I feel that Tunbridge Wells should be very proud of its Mela Festival, we have been working on this for 8 years now and I believe that this is the best to date in terms of people attending, our stage programme and the breadth of stalls that we had. We have already had offers of support and sponsorship for next year which we will be following up in the coming weeks.”

  • Gravesham Fusion Festival Goes Global

    Gravesham Fusion Festival Goes Global

    Ying tao
    Ying tao

    KECC (Kent Equality Cohesion Council) in partnership with Gravesham Borough Council and leading Arts Organisation Cohesion Plus organised the first ever Gravesham Fusion Festival which took place on the Community Square on June 29. The aim of the free event was to celebrate food and music from around the World with the majority of the food stalls and artists coming from the North Kent area.

    Gurvinder Sandher KECC CEO commented “I was very pleased with the support which was shown for the Fusion Festival. The purpose of the event was to showcase new and emerging talent on the stage and also to allow people to experience different food from around the World. The feedback that I have received has been very positive and I am hoping in partnership with Gravesham Borough Council to organise something similar next year”

    Rainmaker
    Rainmaker

    The stage programme was opened by the Four by Four Bhangra Youth Club who fused the traditional sounds of the dhol drum with popular British Pop and American R&B; they were followed by emerging alternative rock band Rainmaker which was founded by Gravesham residents Gabriel Sanghera and Michael Constantine. They performed a set of original songs, performing in their home town for the first time. The Ying Tao Chinese Association performed a traditional Chinese folk dance which was appreciated by the audience. A particular highlight was Danny and Dan another Kent based act whose comedy routine had the audience in stiches of laughter. The Gypsy Stars the popular Eastern European Music and Dance group proved very popular as did Bhangra Singer Ravi Josan who performed a number of songs from his forthcoming debut album. Local schoolgirl Gemma Moore was another particular highlight singing a couple of songs which were enjoyed by the Festival goers. The event was brought to an exciting finish first by the Dartford based Steel Ambition and then by African artists Ayo Tikare and Joe Fowotade.

    There were also a range of food stalls on hand selling food from around the world including British, Chinese, Indian and African.

    Genny Jones(Confident Queen)
    Genny Jones(Confident Queen)

    Gurvinder Sandher KECC CEO concluded “All in all this was a great event, the feedback not just from those who attended but also from overseas where some people watched the live web stream via Gravesham TV has been positive. For example the Village in North India where Ravi Josan comes from stayed up later into the night to watch his performance via the web. So in a way we were showcasing the talent and positive community relations that we enjoy here in Gravesham not just locally but to the World.”

    Slide Show at bottom of article on Cohesion Plus web site

  • Gravesham Fusion Festival

    Gravesham Fusion Festival

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council in partnership with Gravesham Borough Council and Cohesion Plus have organised the Gravesham Fusion Festival which will take place on the Community Square on June 29 between 1pm and 6pm. The aim of the event is to celebrate food and music from around the World.

    The stage programme features a range of culturally diverse talent ranging from local dhol drummers Four by Four Bhangra to emerging band Rainmaker led by Gravesham resident Gabriel Sanghera to local comedy duo Danny and Dan. Leading Eastern European Group Gypsy Stars will also be appearing in Gravesham for the time; they are originally from Poland and perform traditional Roma music. They will be joined by Brit Asia Superstar Winner Ravi Josan an emerging star on the bhangra music scene and the Festival will be brought to a climax by Steel Ambition a popular local Steel Band and African Music Stars Ayo Tikare and Joe Fowotade.

    In addition to the stage programme there will be an array of food from around the world for the community to enjoy ranging from African to Asian to European as traditional British Tea and, fresh cream cakes and scones.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “I am pleased that in partnership with Gravesham Borough that we have been able to organise this new event for the Town Centre. We are looking to showcase a number of new and emerging acts in Gravesham for the first time, as well as bringing in a range of food from around the world. The purpose of this free event is to bring together the diverse communities of the borough through music and food and underline the positive relations which are enjoyed in Gravesham.”

    Fusion poster
  • Listen to Our Voices – Women’s Event

    Listen to Our Voices – Women’s Event

    Sadi Awaz Suno 1The Sadi Awaz Suno (Listen to our Voices) conference which took place on March 15 and was organised in partnership with Rethink Mental Illness proved to be a great success.

    The aim of the event was to explore important issues which are not often discussed openly including domestic violence, forced marriages and honour based crime. The audience of around 250 women was addressed by the Kent Police Crime Commissioner Ann Barnes who spoke about her new role and her determination to work for the communities of Kent. She was followed by Shereen Williams and Saeeda Chowdhry from the Henna Foundation a Charity based in Wales which supports victims of forced marriage and honour related violence. They spoke about the impact these crimes can have and talked about some of the cases that they had been involved with.

    Sadi Awaz Suno 2Following the key note speakers there was a panel session which was chaired by the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council Gurvinder Sandher and which had Kent Police, Rethink Mental Illness and the Henna Foundation on it. One the key messages coming out of the panel 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 “The conference was very powerful and emotional; to hear stories about how life’s have been destroyed because of so called honour is very disturbing. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness of these issues and we hope that as a result that those in attendance understand better what help and support is available if required. We are also very grateful for the support provided by our partners including Rethink Mental Illness, Kent Police and Awards for All in helping make this conference possible”