Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Category: News

  • Dartford Windrush

    Dartford Windrush

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council in partnership with the North Kent Caribbean Network and Dartford Borough Council marked the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the SSE Windrush on Monday 19th June with a special flag raising ceremony in Dartford.

    The event was attended by community and civic partners including the Founder of the North Kent Caribbean Network Claudette Bramble, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant Kelvin Holford, Mayor of Dartford Cllr Rosanna Currans and Leader of Dartford Borough Council Cllr Jeremy Kite MBE

    The ceremony included a programme of short speeches that addressed the multiple contributions and achievements made by the Windrush generation as well as the many challenges and discrimination they faced upon their arrival. The 75th anniversary Windrush flag was then raised to commemorate the day followed by refreshments.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL, CEO of KECC commented, “It is incredibly important that we celebrate British history in its fullest context and in order to do that, we must acknowledge that our history is a colourful and vibrant one. The UK as we know it wouldn’t be the place it is today without the vast contributions made to it by the Commonwealth and today specifically, by the Windrush generation. Today is a day to remember and celebrate those who came to the UK from the Caribbean to help rebuild Britain after World War 2. We must always be grateful for their efforts and honour them with their rightful place in history. Special thanks to our partners North Kent Caribbean Network and Dartford Borough Council.”

  • Eid Community Mela

    Eid Community Mela

    The Fort Gardens in Gravesham saw over 1000 people attend the Eid Community Mela on Sunday 4th June. The Mela celebrations were produced by Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Cohesion Plus, working with Gravesend Skills Centre, Involve Kent and local community members. The ethos of the Mela was to celebrate Eid and bring communities together regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender and socio economic background.

    There was wide array of activity both on and off stage with civic guests such as the High Sheriff Nadra Ahmed MBE DL, Deputy Lieutenant Rosemary Dymond and Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Gurdip Bungar who all spoke at the celebrations and congratulated those marking the occasion.

    Off stage attendees were able to enjoy free musical workshops for young ages by the Playground Project, cricket workshops by Kent County Cricket Club working with Gravesham Cricket Club as well as face painting, fun fair and a range of food and community stalls including Kent Police, Rethink Mental Illness and Kent Fire and Rescue Service.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL the CEO of KECC commented “Community cohesion is the absolute heart of everything we do, breaking down barriers and raising awareness to better promote understanding and unity. The Eid Community Mela was the embodiment of those ideals with the event being open to everyone regardless of faith. The event was a great way to bring everyone together to celebrate Eid in a fun and interactive way. We are thankful to everyone who attended and we look forward to putting on even bigger and better community celebrations in the future.”

    Khawar Khurshid from local company Gravesend Skills Centre who were one of the key community partners for the Mela commented “We were proud to support the Eid Community Mela. Eid is a special time for the Muslims around the world and this time it was made extra special for us in Gravesham as we were able to celebrate with all of our friends and colleagues at the Mela regardless of faith.”

  • Community club recognised for outstanding achievement

    Community club recognised for outstanding achievement

    A special reception was held at the Gravesham Civic Centre on Tuesday the 2nd of May 2023 in recognition of Punjab United FC and their recent victory in the final of the Kent Senior Trophy beating Deal Town 6-0. The win is the club’s most significant trophy to date and rounds off an excellent season.

    The reception was hosted by the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Peter Scollard at the Gravesend Civic Centre, and attended by Deputy Lieutenant and KECC CEO Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL. The civic guests awarded Punjab Utd with a special salver to commemorate their victory and recognise the immense achievement. Also in attendance was Kent’s FA’s first ever female South Asian referee Rashpal Shergill.

    Despite the team’s name, the Gravesham based football club is open to the all regardless of age, ability, religion, sexual orientation and race, promoting diversity in sport in their local community.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL, CEO of KECC commented “It was a great honour to celebrate Punjab United FC on their recent win of the Kent Senior Trophy as well as their hard work over the last 20 years. They should be very proud of their achievement and I’m excited to see what other successes the future brings. I have watched their rise over the last 20 years from close quarters and feel that they are an example of how sport can be used to break down barriers and bring communities together.”

  • Saint George’s Day celebrations bring smiles to faces

    Saint George’s Day celebrations bring smiles to faces

    Despite the weather Dartford Town Centre played host to two days of celebrations to mark Saint George’s Day with a dragon, stilt walkers, musicians and St George himself making an appearance. The aim of the festivities were to celebrate diverse England in the context of 2023, bringing communities together as well as educating young people about Saint George the patron Saint of England.

    Friday 21st April saw Dartford Town Centre brought to a standstill when the school and community parade to mark Saint George’s Day took place. A record 10 Schools and 600 children took part in the parade alongside Civic and community guests including the Deputy Mayor of Dartford Cllr Rosanna Currans and Deputy Lieutenant of Kent Kelvin Holford.

    The celebrations were produced by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Dartford Borough Council, Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Same Sky and supported by Arts Council England.

    The school and community parade on Friday which went through Dartford Town Centre before climaxing in Central Park proved to be very popular. The parade featured an array of performers including DDFK Brass Band, Kings of Dhol, Premier Brass Band, stilt walkers, Kits Coty Morris Dancers a musical Victorian Pram and a roaming giant dragon who were all led by North Kent resident Russell Palmer in full Saint George costume.

    The parade went through the town centre before finishing in Central Park where the national anthem was sung and the flag of Saint George was waved with pride by the children and the members of the public in attendance.

    Further celebrations took place on Saturday in the town centre which saw an array of performers including Premier Brass Band, Saint George and the Dragon, street performers as well as a live DJ who played English themed pop songs throughout the day.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL the Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus who produced the celebrations commented “Despite the challenges of the weather we were really proud of what we were able to deliver in Dartford with 2 days of wonderful entertainment which brought together the diverse communities of the borough to celebrate Saint George’s Day. For me it is vital we use events like Saint George’s Day to bring communities together, to create shared experiences and celebrate what unites us rather than divides us.”

    Sarah Martin, Chief Officer and Director of Corporate Services at Dartford Borough Council, said: ““Dartford Borough Council is proud to continue to support such an important event in our annual calendar. It’s a wonderful sight to see the parade set off from the Civic Centre through the town centre, and we know how much local people enjoying seeing it every year.
    “Providing two days of activity seemed only fitting and we’re grateful to everyone who made this possible. Well done everyone involved.”

  • Eid Flag Raising

    Eid Flag Raising

    Eid al Fitr is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world which marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

    A special flag raising ceremony took place on Thursday April 13 on Community Square in Gravesend to mark the ongoing Ramadan period and the forthcoming Eid al-Fitr which will be later this week.

    Around 100 people from the local community attended the ceremony which was arranged by Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association, Shah Jalal Mosque, Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Gravesham Borough Council.

    Guests who attended and spoke at the event included Deputy Lieutenant Gurvinder Sandher MBE, Deputy Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Jon Caller and Chair of the Gravesend Dartford Muslim Association Bilal Farooq.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “We have a long and proud history of working in partnership with the Gravesham and Dartford Muslim Association, and we are honored to be involved in another Eid celebration. Events like this provide opportunities for everyone to be educated on the Muslim faith, come together and celebrate all that connects us together as members of the local community. It was extra special for me to be here in my new role as a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent”

    Bilal Farooq the Chair of the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association commented “Eid al Fitr is a special time for the Muslim community as it marks the end of the month of dawn to sunset fasting of Ramadan. We were grateful to raise the Eid flag to celebrate this and celebrate the positive contribution made by the Muslim community locally in Gravesham”

  • Community Health and Wellbeing Conference at the Woodville

    Community Health and Wellbeing Conference at the Woodville

    Communities from across Gravesham and Dartford came out to attend the second Listen Up Health and Wellbeing Conference on Thursday 30th March. The conference was held at the Woodville and was organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Rethink Sahayak.

    The aim of the conference was to raise awareness of issues such as violence against women and girls, suicide prevention, alcohol abuse and physical and mental wellbeing especially in later life.

    Approximately 200 people attended the conference and heard presentations from speakers including the Head of Public for Kent County Council Dr Anjan Ghosh, renowned musician and rehabilitated alcoholic Bhupinder Singh and founder Championing of Youth Minds Tanya Marwaha.

    Also speaking at the conference were Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr Bhargawa Vasudaven, a retired local GP who gave his perspective on the importance of good health especially in later life, as well as Sam Phillips from Involve Kent who spoke about the work she has been leading on in Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley to support over 55’s with leading active lives, supporting wellbeing.

    There was also an opportunity for attendees to receive free blood pressure checks, take part in consultation undertaken by the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board as well as learning more about what support is available locally around violence against women and girls.

    The conference was supported by a range of partners including Involve Kent, Office of the Police Crime Commissioner, KKB Group and Gravesham Borough Council.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “Events like this are so important as everyone, young or old seems to live busier lives. This is a time to pause, reflect and understand the importance of physical and mental wellbeing. It’s also an opportunity for members of the local community to understand what level of support is available to them. The pandemic underlined the vast health inequalities that exist and events like these we hope, provide better understand and access.”

    Carol Service, Service Manager for Rethink Sahayak commented, “I have been working in the field of community mental health for over 25 years and what I have learnt over that time is that events like these will always be integral and vital to the local communities that we serve. As a specialist provider for minoritised communities it is clear that more still needs to be done around developing understanding of good mental health and wellbeing and events like these we hope will break down barriers and raise awareness.”

  • CEO Receives MBE at Windsor Castle

    CEO Receives MBE at Windsor Castle

    Gurvinder Sandher, Artistic Director of the Cohesion Plus and CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council received his MBE for services to the arts and the communities of Kent from Anne, Princess Royal at Windsor Castle on February 28th. He had been awarded the prestigious award by Her Majesty the Queen in her last birthday honours list in June 2022.

    Gurvinder started work at the North West Kent Racial Equality Council in 1999 before it became the Kent Equality Cohesion Council in 2010 where he became its first CEO. KECC works across the county serving under represented communities, working to reduce inequality, eliminate discrimination and to promote positive community relations between diverse communities.

    During his tenure Gurvinder has fostered important networks and partnerships including long standing relations across public, charity, voluntary and statutory sector partners from local district councils, to parish councils to county councils, Kent Police, schools, universities and health service providers around diversity and community engagement.

    After the ceremony Gurvinder commented “This is a truly proud moment for me, my family and also all the community groups and partners I have had the privilege of working with over the past 24 years. It was great to meet with Anne, Princess Royal and talk about our work in Kent, bringing communities together and celebrating what binds us rather than divides us. As a son of immigrants from North India who arrived here without anything in the early 1960’s, to receive this recognition just shows what can be achieved with hard work, determination and a little bit of luck.”

  • Festival Lights Up Dartford!

    Festival Lights Up Dartford!

    The Dartford Festival of Light returned to the borough for its 13th year on Friday 25th November. Organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council in partnership with Cohesion Plus and Dartford Borough Council, the aim of the festival was to bring diverse communities together to celebrate the shared British values of respect, friendship, diversity and community. The festival was supported by Arts Council England and sponsored by local business KKB Group.

    In the build-up artistic partners Same Sky worked with 11 schools from across the borough to create lanterns which celebrated the values of the festival working with 600 children.

    The festival started with a series of street performances as the children lit up their lanterns on the High Street. The parade led by Kelvin Holford Deputy Lieutenant of Kent, the Mayor of Dartford Cllr Paul Cutler and the Leader of Dartford Borough Council Cllr Jeremy Kite MBE then started and went through the town centre before finishing in Central Park. The festival climaxed with a spectacular fireworks display which was greatly enjoyed by the audience.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL, the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented, “This event’s biggest strength is the sheer number of people it brings together from across the borough, young and old, urban and rural, different faiths and backgrounds but all united as residents of Dartford. We are grateful to all of our partners for all their ongoing support including Dartford Borough Council and our event sponsors KKB, it is nice to see local businesses supporting community celebrations like this.”

  • Communities Come Together to launch Christmas Celebrations in Gravesham

    Communities Come Together to launch Christmas Celebrations in Gravesham

    Gravesham Town Centre once again played host to the beloved Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights Parade and Switch On, which took place on Friday 18th November.

    The lantern parade was established by Kent Equality Cohesion Council over 10 years ago to coincide with the Cultural Olympiad and since then has gone from strength to strength. Now linked to the Christmas Lights Switch On, this year’s event was produced in partnership with Cohesion Plus and Gravesham Borough Council and was part funded by Arts Council England.

    The parade was the biggest to date with 16 schools taking part from across the borough with an estimated 2000 people walking in the parade alone.

    The celebrations were attended by local dignitaries including Deputy Lieutenant of Kent Bhargawa Vasudaven, The Mayor of Gravesham Peter Scollard, local councillors and representatives from various faith and community organisations.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “I am really proud of what we have achieved with the lantern parade in Gravesham over the past 10 years. This event is a great example of our work in action, bringing together the diverse communities from across the borough to celebrate as one, creating shared experiences and promoting cohesion and understanding. As ever, great credit to all of our partners for working with us to create such a special event.”

  • Inter Faith Celebrations Remember Community Champion

    Inter Faith Celebrations Remember Community Champion

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council organised an Inter Faith community event on Thursday 17th November 2022 which saw local partners, faith leaders and community members attend. The event took place at the Kent Adult Education Centre in Gravesham and marked National Inter Faith Week.

    The event was also an opportunity to commemorate the life of Mr Mohammed Aslam, one of the founders of the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association, a local community champion and avid interfaith supporter who passed away in June this year.

    Mr Aslam was a key figure in fostering long standing and fruitful partnerships with Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara and multiple local Churches, working to promote interfaith connections. As such, KECC, supported by Mr Aslam’s family felt that Interfaith Week served as the ideal time to reflect and commemorate the life of an individual of saw faith as a means of connecting people rather than separating them.

    Dignitaries and faith leaders alike spoke at the event around themes of unity and solidarity, celebrating Mr Aslam and Inter Faith Work in Gravesham. These included Deputy Lieutenant of Kent Dr Bagawara Vasudaven, Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Peter Scollard, Adam Holloway MP, Bishop Greg Kitsell Chair of the North Kent Interfaith Network, Reverend Michael Payne from St Aidan’s Church, Bilal Farooq Chair of the Gravesham and Dartford Muslim Association, Bal Cheema and Jagdev Virdee MBE from the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara.

    Community partners who also spoke at the event included former Headteacher Rosemary Dymond DL, Michelle Bramble Chair of the North Kent Caribbean Network, Farook Girach long-time friend of Mr Aslam as well as Carol Gosal of Rethink Mental Health. They were joined by former Kent Police District Commander for Gravesend and Dartford Phillip Painter and Akeel Kedoo former treasurer of the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association.

    At the end of the proceedings, Mr Aslam’s son Cllr Ejaz Aslam spoke to everyone gathered and expressed his deep thanks for commemorating his father in such a way, a way that reflects the diverse communities of the area and the message of interfaith that his father always promoted.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council who hosted the event commented, “I believe that National Interfaith Week was the perfect setting to not only remember a local pillar of the community but also talk about religious tolerance and everything that brings us together through faith. Mr Aslam for one, was an individual who stood for everyone, he championed their right practice their faith freely and see the tenants in each religion that brought us together. He supported the local Gurdwara and Churches and fundraised for various relief campaigns and causes regardless of faith. He was truly selfless and generous and I am proud that we were able to honour him in such a manner.”