Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Tag: Cohesion Plus

  • 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.”

  • 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.”

  • Dartford Festival of Light Returns with a Bang!

    Dartford Festival of Light Returns with a Bang!

    The Dartford Festival of Light returned to the borough on 26th November and was organised by Cohesion Plus working in partnership with Dartford Borough Council and Kent Equality Cohesion Council. The event which normally runs in the borough annually last took place in 2019 and was subsequently paused in 2020 due to the pandemic. The aim of the festival was to celebrate what binds the communities together in Dartford through the values of local heroes, friendship and community.

    11 local schools and some 2000 people attended the festival which boasted street artists and live music. In its 11th year, the parade, which began in the High Street was led by Mayor of Dartford Cllr Rosanna Currans, Leader of Dartford Borough Council Cllr Jeremy Kite and Deputy Lord Lieutenant Kelvin Holford and made its way onto Market Street, along Market Place, down the High Street and finally making its way to Central Park where short speeches were made to the crowds. The evening climaxed in a dazzling fireworks display.

    Gurvinder Sandher, the Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus added, “We have all been starved of collective, community activity for so long. Therefore it’s been an absolute pleasure to be able to deliver the Dartford Festival of Light this year after a very trying and long 18 months. It was incredibly heart-warming to see so many people come out and support the festival despite the cold weather. The Dartford Festival of Light is a wonderful example of how such events can break down barriers, celebrating all that binds us together young or old, faith or no faith and urban or rural. Special thanks go to our event partners Dartford Borough Council whose support has allowed the festival of light to flourish and grow over the past decade.”

  • The Communities of Gravesham come out for the Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights

    The Communities of Gravesham come out for the Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights

    The diverse communities of Gravesham came out to support the return of the Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights on Friday 19th November. The event has not taken place since 2019 due to the pandemic and was delivered by Kent Equality Cohesion Council in partnership with Cohesion Plus and Gravesham Borough Council.

    The event proved to be one of the biggest to date as entertainment started in the town centre with pop up performances taking place across the High Street, Windmill Street, New Road and Community Square getting people into the Christmas spirit.

    Civic guests included The Mayor of Gravesham, Councillor Lyn Milner, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Bhargawa Vasudaven and local Councillors and representatives from various faith and community organisations who led the parade which included 13 local schools.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “It was a delight to see the communities of Gravesham come out and celebrate together again after such a long time. The whole ethos of our work is to promote unity, community cohesion, tolerance and shared British values and we are proud that this longstanding and popular event provides the platform to do this. Christmas is a special time for everyone regardless of faith, whether you celebrate or not. We are incredibly grateful to our partners for their continued support and we are proud that the Gravesham Festival of Lights was such a huge success given its absence last year.”

  • Communities Come Together For Black History Month

    Communities Come Together For Black History Month

    Wednesday 20th October saw the diverse communities of North Kent come out to celebrate Black History Month by attending a free screening of community led and made films at the Woodville Hall Theatre in Gravesham. Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Cohesion Plus, North Kent Caribbean and People Dem Collective delivered the in person Black History Month event since 2019.

    Supported by Kent County Council and Gravesham Borough Council, the event saw dignitaries and community members alike come together to view films around the themes of race, diversity and identity.

    Chief Constable of Kent Police Alan Pughsley QPM delivered the keynote speech of the evening and spoke at length about the extensive work that Kent Police were doing around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within the force as well the continued work around the recruitment scheme. He also spoke about the steps that the force were taking to instil confidence around the issue of violence against women and girls.

    The Chief went on to address the audience of over 150 attendees about his commitment to the diverse communities of Kent. He stated that he hoped the gesture he made when he took the knee during a peaceful memorial to mark the death of George Floyd at the hands of American police in 2019, showed his solidarity and commitment to equality within policing. Mr Pughsley was then presented with an award for outstanding support and service to diverse communities in Kent by event organisers Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of KECC and Michelle Bramble, Chair of the North Kent Caribbean Network.

    Local residents were also recognised for their outstanding work in their respective communities as they received awards presented by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant Bhargawa Vasudaven and Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Lyn Milner.

    The event was part of a series of taking place across Kent as part of Black History Month. Further activity will also be taking place in Margate and Canterbury over the coming week culminating in a screening of cult classic ‘Babylon’ at the Gulbenkian on Friday 29th October with a coach making its way from Gravesend.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of KECC commented, “It was an absolute pleasure to be able to deliver the first in person Black History Month celebrations here in North Kent for the first time since 2019. It is important that we use events like Black History Month to understand our shared history and heritage. It is vital to stress that Black History isn’t confined to just one month rather it is a yearlong recognition that Black history is in fact British history. We are incredibly grateful to our valued partner the North Kent Caribbean Network and I am immensely proud of what we have been able achieve during this time.”

  • Mela in Mote Park celebrates the diversity of the borough

    Mela in Mote Park celebrates the diversity of the borough

    Mela attendees turned out in large numbers with over 3,000 people attending the much loved Maidstone Community Mela in Mote Park on Sunday September 19th. The free community festival which celebrates music, food and dance from around the world was delivered by Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with the Maidstone Cultural Group, the Maidstone Mela Advisory Group and was produced by KECC’s sister organisation Cohesion Plus who specialize in large scale arts events. The Mela was funded by Arts Council England, Maidstone Borough Council and Unison.

    The stage programme offered an array of diverse talent showcasing various arts forms such as Samba music, Irish dance, Punjabi percussion as well as Grime Rap and Choir singing. Malayalee, Nepalese and other South West Indian cultures were also showcased through music, food and dance.

    Key partners such as Kent Police, Victim Support, Unison, Adult Education Service, Involve Kent and the Maidstone Dawn Patrol Rotary Club were also in attendance engaging with those present and off stage arts workshops were also available to children and young families.

    The Mayor of Maidstone Cllr Fay Gooch was in attendance along with the Deputy Lord Lieutenant Bill Cockcroft DL and Cllr Martin Round Chair of Economic Regeneration & Leisure Committee, they all spoke from the stage about how pleased they were to see the Mela back in Mote Park after a 6 year absence and the importance of having events like this in the borough.

    Gurvinder Sandher the Mela producer commented: “I have proudly been involved with the Mela since its inception back in 2003. The Mela has always been a wonderful way to engage with the culturally diverse communities of Maidstone, providing a valuable platform for diverse art forms and traders. I am even more proud to say that this year we were able to return to the birthplace of the Mela and thanks to the partnership with Maidstone Borough Council, Mote Park once again became the site for the event to take place. It is so gratifying to receive praise for the Mela from members of the community. For many audience members it was their first big outdoor event they had attended since the start of the pandemic which is a great testament to the appeal of the Mela. I would like to give special thanks to our key partners who attended and supported us in the lead up and on the day itself including Kent Police, Unison, Victim Support and Adult Education Service. Community events are that much more valuable and enriching when you have the buy in and support of local authority, statutory, community and charity sector partners. We look forward to next year’s event which we have already begun planning!”

  • Crawley Fusion Street Festival a hit!

    Crawley Fusion Street Festival a hit!

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council in partnership with Cohesion Plus and Crawley Borough Council delivered the first ever Crawley Fusion Street Festival which took place on Saturday 7th August across Memorial Gardens and Queens Square. The event aimed to generate footfall in public and retail spaces post lockdown and was a resounding success as hundreds of shoppers turned out to watch the festivities.

    The programme boasted a range of culturally diverse artists such as Phase 5 Steel Band, Celebrations Samba, Electric Cabaret Street Mimes and the Dancing Maharajas. Despite the on and off again rain, onlookers interacted with the artists, dancing and taking selfies.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of KECC commented, “The heart of our work is to bring communities together and celebrate what binds us together. The festival was a resounding success in that respect and we felt it absolutely necessary to bring people together in a safe and responsible way to mark our shared collective experience over the past 18 months and enjoy public spaces once again. I am incredibly grateful to Crawley Borough Council for their partnership on this event and look forward to putting on similar events in the near future, where we can all come together and champion unity.”

  • Tunbridge Wells Mela a Success Despite the Poor Weather

    Tunbridge Wells Mela a Success Despite the Poor Weather

    Despite the heavy rain and thunder over 1000 people attended the 15th Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival in Calverley Grounds on Sunday 25th July. The Mela was organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus and Kent Equality Cohesion Council supported by Arts Council England and Royal Tunbridge Wells Together.

    The Mayor of Tunbridge Wells Cllr Chris Woodward was also in attendance and thanked everyone for supporting the Mela which was now one of the highlights of the event calendar in Tunbridge Wells.

    Those who braved the poor weather saw a range of Kent based diverse acts on stage. Highlights included the Paul Dunton Orchestra and Sahrudaya West Kent Keralites who wooed everyone with their high energy performances, the ever popular Phase 5 Steel Band and Uzambezi African ensemble.

    Other highlights included G Town Talents who performed grime and rap. The event was climaxed by the Kings of Bhangra Four by Four who had everyone up and dancing in the midst of the rain.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented, “I am really proud of what we were able to achieve. The Tunbridge Wells Mela is a shining beacon of how music, food and dance can bring communities together and celebrate shared values. The popularity of the event can be seen by how many people came out in what was the worst weather in which we have delivered an outdoor event. I would like to thank everyone who worked with us to deliver the Mela and everyone who came and attended.”

  • Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival 2021

    Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival 2021

    The 15th Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival is set to return to Calverley Grounds on Sunday 25th July between 12.30pm and 6pm. Last taking place in 2019, the event will also see the return of community artists and food traders celebrating music, food and dance from around the world. The Mela is organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus and Kent Equality Cohesion Council supported by Arts Council England and Royal Tunbridge Wells Together.

    The programme boasts a range of culturally diverse artist with an international flavour such as The West Kent Keralites, Phase 5 Steel Band, Uzambezi and Four by Four Kings of Bhangra. The event will also see the return of the hugely popular Paul Dunton Orchestra and the first time appearance of headliners Midnight Soul Sisters who will be performing you all the Motown classics.

    Off stage activity will include Show Globes ‘Enchanted Flower Garden’, a mobile and interactive life size snow globe complete with a mythical nymph that you can take pictures with. There will also be a mouth-watering selection of food vendors on site with a selection of British and World themed dishes.

    Although lockdown restrictions will have been lifted by the 25th everyone attending will be asked to check in to the Track and Trace system, there will also be extra distance placed between food stands to avoid queues and overcrowding, and there will be hand sanitisers in place across the grounds.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council “The last 18 months have been difficult ones for us all. The whole ethos of the Mela Festival is to celebrate the local community and what binds us together, the importance of which has been underlined during the pandemic. I hope that the local community will support the event like they have in the past, a lot of hard work has gone into pulling this event together and we have designed the layout to ensure that everyone has a fun and safe day.”