Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Category: News

  • Passing of Great Local Champion Mr Mohammed Aslam

    Passing of Great Local Champion Mr Mohammed Aslam

    Local community champion Mr Mohammed Aslam sadly passed away on Sunday 5th June 2022 after long bout of ill health. He was one of the founders of the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association and the Kent Muslim Welfare Association based in Medway.

    Mr Aslam was recognised not just in Kent but around the country for his dedication and service to diverse communities spanning over 50 years. He was widely respected and recognised for his selfless servitude to the community and an instrumental figure not only establishing the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association but also supporting the opening of the newly acquired burial space for members of the Muslim community in Thames View Crematorium and Cemetery.

    Having arrived in this country from Lahore in Pakistan in the April of 1968, he settled in Gravesend. Like many immigrants of that era, he initially worked in construction and then in the paper mills locally. Alongside this, Mr Aslam working with others members in the Muslim community set about establishing a base for the fledgling Muslim population in the borough. From these small seeds emerged the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association. He was one of the driving forces behind the Islamic classes which started in the borough and then the development of the current Mosque in Albion Terrace.

    Parallel to this Mr Aslam was a key figure in promoting positive community relations locally and fostered long standing partnerships with the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara and multiple local Churches, working on promoting interfaith activity. This was something that was very close to his heart as most recently Mr Aslam worked with local faith groups to fundraise for oxy-meters and oxygen concentrators to be sent to India in the midst of its worst wave of Covid 19 infection in May 2021.

    In addition to his interfaith work, Mr Aslam was always on hand to provide advice and support to key local community partners including Kent Police over many years.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented, “During the course of my career I have been incredibly fortunate to work with real community champion and heroes. Mr Aslam was one such champion, who not only worked tirelessly and diligently throughout his time serving the community, but also did it humbly and utterly selflessly. He genuinely worked towards to the betterment of the community he served without any guise or ulterior agenda, never once asking for recognition or award. A pillar of the community in the truest sense, Mr Aslam was a warm and welcoming figure, qualities that reflected in the way he worked together with other communities, cultivating unity and religious tolerance. Mr Aslam will be greatly missed and his absence will be keenly felt locally. I for one pay tribute to the vital work he did within the heart of the community and for the outstanding individual he was.”

  • Gurvinder Sandher

    Gurvinder Sandher

    Gurvinder Sandher, Artistic Director of the Cohesion Plus and CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council has been received recognition of his contribution towards the arts and communities of Kent in the form of an MBE. Mr Sandher was awarded the prestigious award as part of Her Majesty the Queens 2022 honours selection amidst the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council which was born from the North West Kent Race Equality Office in 1999 has been conducting vital work across serving under-represented communities, working to reduce inequality, eliminate discrimination and to promote positive community relations between diverse communities. Mr Sandher has always stressed that the community lay at the heart of the work that the charity delivers, taking care to recognise the many diverse and nuanced needs each demographic has, championing difference and celebrating unity in the same vein.

    In 2008 Cohesion Plus was created from the work that Kent Equality Cohesion Council was doing, using culturally diverse art forms to complement KECC’s mission of celebrating differences and using these differences to forge connections amongst disparate communities. Cohesion Plus’s delivers around 12 outdoor events annually, providing platforms for under-represented art forms, genres and artists. The organisation’s work is delivered across the length and breadth of Kent, with the diverse communities at the heart of every outdoor event and celebration. In 2018 Cohesion Plus won National Portfolio Organisation status as part of Arts Council England investment, ensuring that it was able to deliver its work consecutively for a four year funded period.

    Mr Sandher has an extensive background in the arts himself and is a renowned Bhangra dancer having performed all over the world since 1985 and still performs to this day. He is the co-founder of Four by Four Bhangra, one of the leading and respected exponents of Bhangra outside of India. Mr Sandher is passionate about diversity and inclusion within the arts sector and champions increased visibility for BAME artists and organisations.

    Mr Sandher commented, “This is an achievement beyond my wildest expectations and to say I am humbled is truly an understatement. I cannot accept this honour without paying tribute to the local diverse communities who I have had the privilege of working with for over two decades now. Having worked in the heart of local diverse communities for over 20 years now, I have been incredibly lucky to work with and learn from a great number of local champions and heroes. This honour is as much theirs as it is mine.

    As an artist and deliverer of culturally diverse events, my dream has always been to give diverse art forms and artists a much needed platform and to be awarded an MBE for contributions towards the arts and communities is a sentiment I can’t quite quantify just yet. All I can do is express my sincere heartfelt gratitude to each and every individual who has helped, supported and mentored me to this position. I am also so grateful for the fact that my parents will be able to see me receive this honour. They came to the UK from India in the 1960’s and had to face countless struggles and barriers in order to make a life for their family. The expression that ‘it takes a village’ rings true now and I genuinely look forward to continuing my journey in promoting community cohesion through the arts over the coming years.”

  • Annual in person Saint George’s Day celebrations return!

    Annual in person Saint George’s Day celebrations return!

    For the first time since 2019 large scale in person celebrations took place in Gravesham and Dartford to celebrate Saint George’s Day.

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council were delighted to work in partnership with Cohesion Plus, Gravesham Borough Council and Dartford Borough Council to produce these successful community events which also featured 18 local schools from across the 2 boroughs, with 900 children taking part in creative arts workshops in the buildup. The workshops were run by our artistic partners Same Sky.

    The aim of the celebrations was to celebrate the patron Saint of England and to use it as an opportunity to bring the communities of Gravesham and Dartford together. Entertainment included traditional and contemporary brass bands, fusion Dhol drummers, folk musicians, DJ, balloon modeler, Saint George himself and a large scale dragon.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “I am so pleased that we are able to produce in person Saint George’s Day celebrations again in Gravesham and Dartford. After the challenging period we have just been through, it is so wonderful that we are able to bring the communities of Gravesham and Dartford together through the Saint George’s Day celebrations. I am always humbled by the support we received for these events from local schools, artists, residents and artists and this year was no exception.”

  • Mental Health Awareness North Kent Project Report

    Mental Health Awareness North Kent Project Report

    KECC (Kent Equality Cohesion Council) has published a report around the impact on mental health in diverse young people since the onset of the pandemic. Working with local schools, youth groups and grass root organisations, the report was compiled with the use of surveys which were circulated amongst local young people and roundtable discussions which looked into the issues affecting young people over the various lockdowns and subsequently in a post lockdown society.

    The research was funded through the Live Well Fund for Kent and Medway and was delivered in partnership with Rethink Sahayak, Cohesion Plus and North Kent Caribbean Network.

    Key themes that emerged included the negative impact that the pandemic had on young people, many felt really anxious and some still feel uncomfortable in social situations. There was also still a lack of awareness of services and support available locally. Recommendations included the need for more targeted interventions with young people in non-educational settings including sports clubs and arts settings. It was also felt that more could be done to highlight the link between physical activity and mental health wellbeing.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of the KECC commented, “In a society which has been so impacted by the pandemic, we were keen to understand the effect locally. The young people who participated in the research really opened up about the challenges, some of them knew friends and family members who had been severely impacted with some participants knowing friends who had sadly taken their own lives. We will be sharing the report and its findings widely and hope it can contribute to the debate around mental health and well-being as we try to get back to pre-pandemic normality.

  • Mental Health event brings Young People together

    Mental Health event brings Young People together

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with North Kent Caribbean Network and Rethink Sahayak delivered a mental health awareness event on Thursday 24th March designed to engage young people from diverse backgrounds.

    The event was delivered as part of an ongoing project commissioned by Porchlight and Kent County Council which aims to identify how mental health in young people has been impacted since the onset of the pandemic.

    The event was held at No 84 Eatery and over 25 young people had the opportunity to hear from speakers including Carol Gosal from Rethink, Tamsyn Phillips and Adam Littlefield from EK360 and Jennifer Kelly from North Kent MIND around shaping services to cater to young people from underrepresented communities as well as the importance of discussing mental health overall. The young people also heard from spoken word artist Nathanial Ogun who presented two poems around mental health.

    Also presented at the event by Gurvinder Sandher from KECC (Kent Equality Cohesion Council) was a report researched and published by KECC which features data captured from over 300 young people around their thoughts and reflections of mental health over the many lockdowns caused by the pandemic. The report looked at the themes that emerged as a result of the findings and some key issues that presented themselves were around social anxiety caused by prolonged lockdowns and the subsequent lack of social interaction. Also prevalent was the concern around the impact on education during the pandemic as well as lack of awareness of which services could be accessed for mental health support.

    The aim of the event was not only engage diverse young people but to encourage open dialogue around the challenges facing minority youth when it comes to mental health as well identifying perceived barriers when attempting to access health and support services.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of KECC commented, “We are incredibly proud that we were able to deliver this important event working partners North Kent Caribbean Network and Rethink Sahayak. Mental health is something that has in some way shape or form, touched us or someone that we know. However, its not something that we know a great deal about in terms of where to go when we need help. This is particular prevalent in young people who openly acknowledging their struggles with mental health but don’t necessarily know where to go in terms of accessing tangible, dependable support. The aim of this event was to demystify this process and it was important that colleagues from MIND, Rethink and EK360 through their partnership with the NHS could contribute to the discussions around this. Special thanks go to all the young people that have generously given their time to contribute towards our report and overall project as well as No 84 who continue to do great community work by offering their premises for such important events.”

  • Listen Up Conference sparks important discussions

    Listen Up Conference sparks important discussions

    The communities of North Kent came out to attend a public conference around health and being called Listen Up on Thursday 10th March. Held at the Woodville in Gravesham and organised by the Kent Equality Cohesion Council in partnership with Rethink Sahayak, North Kent Caribbean Network and EK360, the aim of the conference was to raise awareness of issues such as suicide, substance abuse and mental health which have been impacting communities since the onset of the pandemic.

    Approximately 250 people attended the conference and heard presentations from speakers including Mandeep Manocha from Alcohol Free Sikhs, Sandeep Saib who spoke her lived experiences with body dysmorphia and attempted suicide and Tim Woodhouse from Kent County Council who covered a number of the services provided to tackle the issues discussed during the conference.

    Also speaking at the conference were Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr Bhargawa Vasudaven, Acting Head of Community Services South, Carol Gosal, and Chair of the North Kent Caribbean Network, Michelle Bramble. They gave a community perspective on the issues discussed during the conference and some of the support available locally.

    The conference was concluded by Gurjit Singh Shokar’s emotional and hard hitting experience around the loss of his brother Amarjit Singh Shokar to suicide recently. Gurjit has been advocating for more work to be done to raise awareness of suicide prevention especially within ethnic minority communities as there is still a taboo around mental health.

    Furthermore, in recognition of the tragic events unfolding in Ukraine, fundraising was conducted during the conference and £950 was collected. The funds will be donated towards the Ukrainian relief efforts via the Disaster Emergency Committee.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “Since the onset of the pandemic, we have seen issues such as suicide and mental health reach new devastating levels. As such, we felt it necessary to hold this conference and reach as many people as we could from the local communities, to raise awareness as well as highlight the services and aid available. Our hope is that through the conference, if even one life can be saved, or someone suffering from mental health can find access to care, then we have done our job right. I am also grateful to everyone who donated to the Ukraine appeal on the night.”

    Carol Gosal, Acting Head of Community Services South commented, “We are really pleased to have been able to deliver this event and reach so many people. The topics discussed today are hard hitting and not easy to listen to but we have to make ourselves uncomfortable for the severity of the matter to really sink in. It’s vital that we talk about suicide and mental health and raise awareness. Special thanks go to our speakers who all made such important contributions.”

    Michelle Bramble, Chair of the North Kent Caribbean Network said, “We wholly believe that we need events like these to raise awareness and shine a light on subjects like suicide and mental health, subjects that aren’t necessarily talked about until it’s happening to you or someone you know. The aim of this event was to show people that it’s never too late to access help and support no matter where you are from. I am so happy so many people came out to support and it was particularly heartening to see members of the community reach out to speakers and thank them for sharing their stories. It’s indicative of the fact that on some level, the penny has dropped and people are listening and taking this seriously.”

  • Maidstone celebrates Chinese New Year 2022

    Maidstone celebrates Chinese New Year 2022

    Maidstone celebrated the Year of the Tiger in style as hundreds braved the cold weather on Saturday 5th February. Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Cohesion Plus, Maidstone Cultural Group, and Maidstone Borough Council arranged the first Chinese New Year celebrations since the onset of the pandemic.

    The celebrations began with the dotting of the eye’s ceremony, which involved waking the Chinese Lions and was conducted by dignitaries such the Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Faye Gooch, the Leader of the Council Cllr David Burton, Cabinet Member Cllr Martin Round as well as Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Michael Lam a member of Maidstone Cultural Group and local business owner.

    Gurvinder Sandher commented “I was delighted to work with Maidstone Borough Council and community partners to deliver this event. Great credit needs to be given to Maidstone Cultural Group for supporting us and sharing out vision. We all know that the last few years have been very challenging with the pandemic so it was positive that we were able to welcome in the Year of the Tiger which represents strength and the overcoming of darkness. For me along with the cultural significance, it was also important to showcase that Maidstone Town Centre is open for business and that slowly but surely, we are coming out of the other end of the pandemic.”

  • Maidstone Chinese New Year Celebrations

    Maidstone Chinese New Year Celebrations

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Cohesion Plus, Maidstone Cultural Group and Maidstone Borough Council have arranged Chinese New Year celebrations for the Year of the Tiger, which will take place in Maidstone, the county town of Kent, on Saturday 5th February between 11am and 1.30pm with performances taking place on Jubilee Square and Week Street.

    The celebrations will start at 11am outside the Old Town Hall where the dotting of the eyes ceremony will take place to waken the Chinese Lions, before they lead a procession through the town centre. The ceremony will be conducted by the Mayor of Maidstone Cllr Faye Gooch alongside representatives from the local Chinese community and Gurvinder Sandher CEO of KECC.

    Gurvinder Sandher commented “It is a pleasure to be bringing back Chinese New Year celebrations to the County Town of Kent after a year’s break. I am very grateful to our community partners and Maidstone Borough Council for working with us on the celebrations and we look forward to hosting a fun filled event which will bring together the diverse communities of Maidstone.”

  • Hope Not Hate

    Hope Not Hate

    On Monday 10th January Gurvinder Sandher CEO of Kent Equality Council was invited to speak at Hope Not Hate’s online webinar and launch of their new Inclusive Events Guide which featured the work of KECC and its long standing partnership with Gravesham Borough Council.

    The report published by Hope Not Hate is a practitioner’s guide to public events and how such events can bring together different communities in a meaningful way that has a lasting effect. The report showcases the work done by Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Gravesham Borough Council as an example of best practice to building resilient and cohesive communities.

    Gurvinder spoke about the importance of being embedded in the local community, working in partnership, having a broad range of funders and getting a wide range of community partners involved in the respective events. The full report can be accessed via the link below:

    https://www.hopefultowns.co.uk/inclusive-events-guide

    Other speakers included former government minister John Denham who now is based at the Centre for English Identity and Politics, Sunder Katwala from the think tank British Future and Melanie Norris from Gravesham Borough Council.

    Gurvinder Sandher commented. “It was a pleasure to be invited to speak at the webinar and talk about the excellent work we are doing year in and year out in partnership with Gravesham Borough Council. It is important to not underestimate the powerful impact that inclusive community events have on strengthening community cohesion and society overall. I am even more proud that our work was used as prominent examples within the report and we hope that those looking to deliver inclusive events in the future now have a useful tool to do this. Many thanks to our colleagues at Hope Not Hate for their support and recognition and to Gravesham Borough Council for our ongoing partnership.”

  • Community and local authority partners welcome new Mosque administration

    Community and local authority partners welcome new Mosque administration

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council organised a meeting at the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association Mosque which saw local authority, charity and voluntary sectors partners attend on Friday 3rd December. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the new management committee to wider partners.

    Mr Bilal Farooq, the new Chairperson welcomed the guests including Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Lyn Milner to the meeting and introduced all in attendance to the new management committee for the Mosque. Other guests included representatives from Kent Police, Citizens Advise, Rethink Mental Illness and Gravesham Borough Council.

    Mr Farooq expressed that he was greatly enthused and excited to be working with the partners in attendance and stated that the committee had exciting plans to work with the other local communities of Gravesham as well as spearheading a female led women’s initiative around empowering women and girls.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of KECC commented, “The entire ethos of the work we do at KECC is around building and maintaining relationships and partnership working across the diverse communities of Kent regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexuality or religion. As such, we were proud to be able to arrange this important meeting between colleagues at the Gravesham and Dartford Muslim Association Mosque and local authority, charity and voluntary sectors partners. The most impactful and meaningful work occurs when we all work together towards a common shared goal. We welcome the new committee and wish Mr Farooq a fruitful and productive tenure as Chairperson. KECC have always had a positive relationship with the local Mosque and we look forward to future partnership working.”