Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Tag: Leader of Dartford Borough Council Cllr Jeremy Kite

  • 80th Anniversary VE Day Celebrations

    80th Anniversary VE Day Celebrations

    KECC supports Cohesion Plus and Dartford Borough in delivering 80th Anniversary VE Day Celebrations in Central Park

    KECC supported Cohesion Plus in delivering the 80th Anniversary VE Day celebrations working in partnership with Dartford Borough Council. The event which took place in Central Park on Sunday 18th May saw hundreds of local residents in attendance.

    Dignitaries in attendance included the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, The Lady Colgrain; Mayor of Dartford, Peter Whapshott; and the Leader of Dartford Borough Council, Cllr Jeremy Kite who addressed the crowds and shared their own words around what VE Day meant to them as well as the of coming together as a community.

    Community engagement was at the heart of the day, with free refreshments provided by the Scouts, as well as face painting and colouring workshops keeping younger visitors entertained. In addition, there was additional activity in the shape of live musical performances of wartime classics, costumed WW2 actors, and a life-sized replica of a Spitfire aircraft providing striking visuals for families and history enthusiasts alike. Attendees also explored a vintage fire engine, a bomb disposal demonstration, and interactive exhibitions spotlighting the vital contributions of soldiers from across the Commonwealth.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL, CEO of KECC commented,
    “The event was an incredible success and we are proud to have supported the festivities. VE Day serves as a vital reminder of all that was lost and gained through the selfless sacrifice of our soldiers across the nation as well as the Commonwealth. It was also an opportunity for communities to come together to celebrate all that brings us together as a nation.”

  • Windrush Celebrations take place across Gravesend, Dartford and Maidstone

    Windrush Celebrations take place across Gravesend, Dartford and Maidstone

    A week of activity took place across Gravesend, Dartford and Maidstone to celebrate Windrush Day and the 75th Anniversary of the arrival of the SSE Windrush. Organised and delivered by the North Kent Caribbean Network and supported by Cohesion Plus, Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Dartford Borough Council, Gravesham Dartford Borough Council and Kent County Council.

    The programme of events were launched by a flag raising and networking event in Dartford which was attended by Deputy Lieutenant Kelvin Holford and Leader of the Council Cllr Jeremy Kite as well as staff members from Dartford Borough Council and community members.

    This was followed by a community luncheon in Gravesham which saw community guests and senior staff from Gravesham Borough Council. The event was also an opportunity to showcase exhibition produced by the NKCN called ‘The Front Room’ which serves as a time capsule for what would have been a typical household for those who arrived from the Caribbean to the UK.

    Furthermore, a special Windrush event and flag raising ceremony took place on Thursday 22nd June at County Hall in Maidstone to mark 75 years since the arrival of the SSE Windrush to the UK in 1948. The event began the flag raising outside of Sessions House which was attended by partners, community and NKCN group members as well as KCC and Kent Police colleagues. The flag which was designed by a volunteer from NKCN, flew centre stage at the top of Sessions House and was flown for the remainder of the week to mark the national celebrations for Windrush 75.

    The flag raising was followed by a luncheon serving traditional Caribbean cuisine that was attended by civic guests including High Sheriff of Kent Nadra Ahmed and Chairman of Kent County Council Cllr Gary Cooke. Also in attendance were the Leader of KCC Cllr Roger Gough and Chief Superintendent Shaun White from Kent Police.

    The exhibition was presented in its entirety at County Hall and gave those in attendance the opportunity to interact to view it as well as talk with the Windrush generation from North Kent who were also on hand to talk about their experiences and challenges working, studying and living in the UK.

  • 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.”