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.

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.”

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.”