Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Tag: Kings of Dhol

  • Dartford Festival of Light brings community together

    Dartford Festival of Light brings community together

    Dartford Festival of Light brings community together

    The Dartford Festival of Light, held on Friday 21 November, welcomed record numbers of local residents who turned out to celebrate despite the cold weather. A much-loved highlight in the town’s cultural calendar, the festival once again delivered an uplifting evening of colour, creativity, and community spirit.

    The Festival featured 14 local schools. In the weeks leading up to the event, pupils worked closely with Same Sky to design and create unique lanterns around the inspiring themes of unity, solidarity, and community. The lanterns illuminated Dartford Town Centre as families, friends, and neighbours walked together in celebration. They were joined in the parade by a number of Kent based acts who proved to be popular with the audience DDFK Brass Band, Bloco Fogo Samba, Kings of Dhol, and dynamic lit up Stilt Walkers.

    The parade climaxed in Central Park where a spectacular firework display took place following short speeches by the Leader of Dartford Borough Council Jeremy Kite MBE, Deputy Lieutenant of Kent Kelvin Holford, Deputy Mayor of Dartford Avtar Sandhu MBE and Jim Dixon MP.

    The Festival was delivered in partnership with Cohesion Plus and Dartford Borough Council and was supported by Arts Council England, KKB Group, and Uden Funeral Services.

    According to Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL, CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council “It is vital that events like the Festival of Light continue to take place as a means of bringing the diverse residents of Dartford together to celebrate what unities us a community and to celebrate our shared values. I am proud of what we have achieved working in partnership and am really grateful to the local schools for their ongoing support and participation in our work.”

  • Gravesend Community Celebrates Diwali with Joy and Togetherness

    Gravesend Community Celebrates Diwali with Joy and Togetherness

    Gravesend Community Celebrates Diwali with Joy and Togetherness

    Gravesend came alive with colour, music, and celebration on Friday 14th November as the community gathered to mark Diwali, the Festival of Lights. The event was organised by the Kent Equality Cohesion Council (KECC) in partnership with Cohesion Plus, and placed a special emphasis on engaging residents aged 65 and over.

    The celebration featured an exciting line-up of performances, including live music from Replay Music, energetic routines by the 4×4 Bhangra Group, and powerful drumming from the Kings of Dhol. The event aimed to bring people together to share in the spirit of Diwali while tackling issues of isolation among older members of the community.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL, CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council, said:

    “Diwali is a time to celebrate light, hope, and new beginnings, and it was heartwarming to see our community come together in that spirit. Events like this are so important, particularly for our older residents, many of whom have faced isolation in recent years. Providing opportunities for people to connect, celebrate, and feel valued is at the heart of what we do, and this event showed the real power of community cohesion in action.”

    The Kent Equality Cohesion Council continues to work across North Kent to promote equality, foster positive community relations, and celebrate diversity and cohesion through inclusive events and activities.

  • Gravesham Diwali Celebrations brings community together

    Gravesham Diwali Celebrations brings community together

    Gravesham Diwali Celebrations brings community together

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council supported by Cohesion Plus once again produced community celebrations for Diwali on Friday 8th November to mark the Festival of Light. The event which took place at Saint George’s Church Hall was attended by over 100 guests and saw a spectacular evening of music, food and dance.

    The aim of the event was to bring members of the local community together with a particular focus on elders who wouldn’t necessarily have the opportunity to celebrate in a social setting often due to isolation and ill-health.

    There was a short programme of entertainment provided by Four by Four Bhangra Youth Club Kings of Dhol and DJ Replay as well as a full Indian buffet dinner.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL, CEO of KECC commented, “We are so pleased to have been able to deliver Diwali celebrations once again in Gravesham celebrating the triumph of light over darkness. This year was extra special in that this event was particularly focused on our community elders, providing them an opportunity to come out and celebrate Diwali in a social setting. We are eternally grateful to everyone who took the time to support our work and we look forward to delivering more community celebrations in the future.”

  • Wrotham Festival of Light brings colour for another year

    Wrotham Festival of Light brings colour for another year

    Wrotham Festival of Light brings colour for another year

    The coming of another autumn marked the return of the annual and much loved Wrotham Festival of Light on Friday 11th October. The festival, which every year attracts hundreds of attendees from the local village and surrounding areas is now in its 11th year is still popular as ever.

    The event was organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus, Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Saint Georges Primary School and Same Sky Arts. It was supported by Arts Council England and Wrotham Parish Council.

    The village was transformed with an array of colourful light installations around the theme of wildlife which attendees were able to interact and take photos with. The main attraction was the vibrant lantern parade which featured musical acts such as the Kings of Dhol, internationally renowned Dhol drumming troupe who are experts in the percussion which hails from North India as well as Bloco Fogo Samba who brought the sounds of the Brazilian carnival to the celebrations.

    The crowds were also entertained by The Charlie Chaplin Show, a popular street act hailing from Covent Garden and usually performed on the South Bank circuit.

    The lantern parade was led by the Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling Cllr Steve Hammond and Deputy Lieutenant Louise Bryant and the Headteacher of Saint George’s Primary School Wrotham Elizabeth Rye. They were followed by hundreds of children parents and guardians as the parade made its way up from the Saint George’s Church to the cricket ground. Once at the cricket ground there was spectacular fireworks display provided by local business Phoenix Fireworks which drew loud applause from those in attendance.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “I am so proud of what we were able to achieve working in partnership. As a nation we have had a testing few months with the riots in the summer a recent memory. Events like this show what can be achieved when we all work together for the better good and celebrate what unites us rather than divides us. I am proud of how the Wrotham Festival of Light has developed over the years and how many local residents come out to support it every year regardless of age, background or faith.”

  • 20th Anniversary of Maidstone Mela sees Founder Member Remembered

    20th Anniversary of Maidstone Mela sees Founder Member Remembered

    Temperatures soared at the beloved Maidstone Community Mela in Mote Park on Sunday September 10th which celebrated 20 years of bringing communities together from across the borough and was supported by Arts Council England, Maidstone Borough Council and Unison South East.

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council and its predecessor North West Kent Racial Equality Council have been involved with the Mela since its inception in 2003 when it was founded by the former Mayor of Maidstone the late Morel D’Souza in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. He wanted to organise an event to celebrate the diversity of Maidstone bringing communities together. The Mela for the most part over this period has traditionally taken place on the second Sunday in September.

    The 20th anniversary of the Mela was marked with a special presentation which was arranged by the KECC CEO Gurvinder Sandher and featured the High Sheriff of Kent Nadra Ahmed, Deputy Lieutenant of Kent Brigadier Wood, Kent County Council Chairman Gary Cooke and Mayor of Maidstone Cllr Gordon Newton. A silver salver was presented to Karin D’Souza, the widow of Morel recognising his contribution and leadership to the Mela over many years.

    There was a 6 hour stage programme with an array of diverse artists cultures represented on and off stage. Highlights included Uzambezi traditional Zimbabwean singing and dance troupe, Kitka Bulgaria Dancers and Square Peg Arts an award winning arts organisation whose choir consists of young people and adults with SEND as well as local community groups including the Maidstone Nepalese Community Group, Kerala Culture Association and the Maidstone Malayalee Association.

    Further acts included the Kings of Dhol the UK’s leading Dhol ensemble, Jassi Sidhu international Bhangra Superstar and One Love Orchestra who wowed the crowd with their renditions of Reggae classics.

    CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL said: “We are grateful to the local community and all of our partners for their support over the past 20 years. I never envisaged in 2003 that we would still be delivering the Mela in 2023. Much credit needs to go to our community partners who have worked so hard alongside us each year to enable to Mela to take place and to celebrate the diversity and cohesion of Maidstone, our County town in Kent.’’

  • 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.”

  • Tunbridge Wells Mela 2022 a Huge Success

    Tunbridge Wells Mela 2022 a Huge Success

    The 16th Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival took place in Calverley Grounds on Sunday 24th July 2022 and saw thousands turn out to support. The Mela was organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus and Kent Equality Cohesion Council supported by Arts Council England and Royal Tunbridge Wells Together.

    Festival goers were able to enjoy a rich and culturally diverse artistic programme both on and off stage. Highlights included the Paul Dunton Orchestra and Sahrudaya West Kent Keralites who wooed everyone with their high energy performances, the ever popular Kings of Dhol, and Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band amongst many others.

    Other highlights included D-Bollywood, Bloco Fogo and Circus Raj. The event was climaxed with the One Love Orchestra who had everyone up and dancing to their renditions of classics by the king of reggae himself, Bob Marley. Deputy Lieutenant Georgie Warner was the Chief Guest.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE, 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 event’s success is underpinned by the many loyal festival attendees who turn out every year to support and enjoy the rich culturally diverse offering that the Mela provides. I would like to thank everyone who worked with us to deliver the Mela and everyone who came and attended.”