Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Tag: KKB Group

  • Gravesham South Asian Heritage Month Celebrations Brings Communities Together

    Gravesham South Asian Heritage Month Celebrations Brings Communities Together

    Gravesham South Asian Heritage Month Celebrations Brings Communities Together

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council supported Cohesion Plus in delivering an annual South Asian Heritage Month celebration in Gravesham on Tuesday 21st July. The celebration took place at The Studio in Woodville Halls and was a full house with some 150 members of the local community attending.

    There was a programme of short film screenings that showcased local community figures and grass roots organisations and the longstanding community work they have been doing over the years. The films were a continuation of Cohesion Plus produced series Big Stories Local Legends, a series that explores the lives of often unsung heroes within the community and the vast contribution they make to the lives around them.

    Civic guests included Deputy Lieutenant Gill Fargher and the Mayor of Gravesham, Cllr Alison Williams who addressed the audiences and spoke about the vast contributions the South Asian diaspora had made to the fabric of British society.

    One of the main parts of the evening was the presentation of the Dev Sharma MBE Community Awards which were presented to Jugjit Sian, Ejaz Aslam, Mala Singh and Cllr Gurdip Bunger for their many years of selfless volunteer work within the local community around sports, faith and community cohesion, demonstrating leadership, commitment and dedication through their work. KKB Group a local business who over recent years have done a lot of engagement and outreach work in the local community and supported different organisations and events were also recognised for their positive contribution.

    The awards are named in memory of Dev Sharma MBE, the former Chair of KECC whose contribution to community life continues to inspire efforts to recognise those who work quietly and consistently to support others.

    The celebration highlighted the strength and diversity of Gravesham’s South Asian communities and recognised the many individuals and organisations that continue to make a positive difference across the borough.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL, CEO of KECC, commented:

    “South Asian Heritage Month and celebrations like it such as Black History are not about dividing communities—they are about recognising the individuals whose hard work, dedication and commitment have made a lasting, positive impact on the people around them. By celebrating local champions on their own merits, we strengthen our shared sense of belonging, inspire future generations, and reinforce the values that make British society diverse, inclusive and united.”

  • 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.”

  • 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.”