Hyson green cultural festival 2015 annual report

Hyson Green Cultural Festival Management Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2015

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Mission Promotes Hyson Green and wider areas of Nottingham with interactive activities that bring different parts of the community together in fun and stimulating ways.

Vision To play a leading role in bringing people of Hyson Green together in a safe environment.

Values Serendipity

Artistic Enjoyment Creative Expression Community Integration Inclusiveness and Collaboration Skills enhancement and Entrepreneurship Excellence in Governance and Management

Table of Contents Mission ............................................................................................................... 2 Vision .................................................................................................................. 2 Values ................................................................................................................ 2 About Hyson Green Cultural Festival ................................................................. 3 Who is who ......................................................................................................... 4 Management Committee ............................................................................. 4 Chairperson’s Report .......................................................................................... 5 Secretary’s Report .............................................................................................. 6 2015 Year in Review .......................................................................................... 8 Lessons Learnt and Statics .............................................................................. 10 Specific actions – 2016 and beyond ............................................................. 11 Support needed ............................................................................................ 11 Partnerships and sponsors ............................................................................... 12 Financial Report ............................................................................................... 13 Income .......................................................................................................... 13 Expenditure ................................................................................................... 14 2016 Cultural Festival & Events Theme: Health ............................................... 15 Why health .................................................................................................... 15 Demographic: Ethnic groups ......................................................................... 15 Health and well being .................................................................................... 15 The complication ........................................................................................... 15 The solution .................................................................................................. 16 Statistics........................................................................................................ 17 Feedback / Information required from the Community .................................. 17 Main Sponsors and partners............................................................................. 18

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About Hyson Green Cultural Festival The inaugural Hyson Green Cultural Festival (HGCF) was held in 2014 to bring together the local communities in Hyson Green to share and enjoy their cultural diversity. The festival was free and attracted an estimated audience of 350 people over the Saturday afternoon. The great success of this first event in bringing many different people and groups together in a highly diverse area made HGCF win the best organised community award from Nottingham City Homes.

HGCF expanded in 2015 mainly due to the strong roots we have established with the local community. The funding from Near Neighbourhoods helped us carry out six events which took place before and after the festival giving the opportunity to engage with a broader range of individuals and families. These were: 1. Farm Visit Event 2. African Cultural Exhibition 3. Food Cultural Exhibition 4. Interfaith Sports Tournament 5. Black History Month 6. Sewing and Textiles workshop This year’s festival and activities have had cumulative attendance of 2,750 people throughout the year and helped us form new partnerships with over 26 nationalities living in the area. The activities not only attracted people from Nottingham City but people from the county and other countries, including international performers as well as sponsors and partners.

This was achieved by the management team, made up of 7 core members supported by 20 dedicated volunteers, all of whom contribute nearly over 960 hours a year to create the magic that magic that is the HGCF. This brings people together foresters community cohesion, increases local skills, competencies and confidence levels and generates economic impacts from operating and visitor expenditures.

The summer festival is becoming a signature event for many local communities.

Other workshops, training, exhibitions, sports and mentoring programs are playing a major role of making Hyson Green a thriving centre of excellence for embracing multiculturalism and diversity.

Penny Cooper For and on behalf of The Hyson Green Cultural Festival Team - 2015

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Who is who Management Committee

Name

Position

Veronica Barnes

Chair

Abdoulie Jah

Secretary

Frank Kamau

Treasurer

Michael James

Member

Penny Cooper

Member /Takes Minutes

Valentine Nkoyo

Member

Dr Boly Barry

Member Volunteers and Support Members

Abdullahi Nur Farouk Azam Irene Amandi Lekeisha Walters Lewis Wells Maggie Ndung’u Mandy Pride William Muriithi

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Chairperson’s Report The HGCF was established by 3 people from different backgrounds, Veronica, Abdoulie and Farouke meeting to eat their lunch at the Somalian Women Luncheon Club held at the Hyson Green Community Centre on Gregory Boulevard. It was during these weekly get-togethers that the HGCF was formed; the people who came to have their lunch came from different communities and backgrounds.

One of the three said, “wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could get all these people from these different communities to come together and share their culture”. That one idea set the festival in motion.

Planning and getting people together was no easy task. Our first task was getting an elected body together, people for general management and administrative roles. What can I say; it was a ‘day mare’.

We had many problems such as meeting areas, coordinating meetings, limited resources and few people to take on all the responsibilities. However, the motivation, commitment and vision of those involved bore results. We have since build strong relationships with each other and with the local people. Teamwork, partnerships and consultation with local groups has given us success. We have succeeded in our goal of ‘bringing individuals together’ If the festival is going to succeed, we must continue working together using the skills and abilities of people and communities in and around the Hyson Green area. We must dispel the negative idea of a ‘community of strangers’. We must build bridges, between age, racial ethnic, religious and other groupings.

Over the two years, we have can see the fruits of our labour. We endeavour to sustain this to make people work together and become more inclusive.

Hyson Green is one of the most diverse of communities in Nottingham, but can only become more cohesive if we use the talent within our diverse communities to build a community of unified people as opposed to a ‘community of strangers’. This is why HGVF MUST be supported to continue working in this area.

I would like to THANK our local Councillors and Funders, other Council officials and all the people who have contributed by giving their time, knowledge, expertise, professional know how and supported us in every possible way. Your input has added value to the success of the festivals and other HGCF activities.

I trust that people will continue working together towards the HGCF goal of “bringing people together” in an environment that is safe, peaceful and congenial to their wellbeing.

My sincere thanks and best wishes to my colleagues the management team for making it all possible.

Veronica E. Barnes Chair of Management Committee

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Secretary’s Report This year, the people of Hyson Green were up for the second edition of the annual HGCF at Forest Recreational Ground. This was a culmination of other events we held throughout the year in this area. Supported by the culture-loving Nottingham City Council, we bring local people together to showcase their cultural heritage and foster unity among people from diverse backgrounds. HGCF fosters unity among the Hyson Green and N7 residences and promotes Hyson green to the outside world.

This truly local event It helps showcase cultural diversity Hyson Green and the surrounding areas. It helps build peace, promote cultural identity, pride and community cohesion through various processes such as volunteering, training, planning, performance, display and experiencing of one’s own and other cultures and tradition.

The activities we carried out in 2015 brought together African, Asian, Caribbean, Eastern Europeans and local British people representing all faiths such as Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikhs and non-religious. We are very proud of the many different types of cultures displayed during our events.

We thank all the local people who supported us and attended the events. The very dedicated committee members, the ever present and highly diligent volunteers and the donors who share our vision and commitment of creating safe, happy and highly integrated lifestyles. We could not have done this without your support It is our sincere hope that as we move to year 3 – 2016 – you will join our team in one or many of the different roles. We call upon you all to join us and make this year yet another success. Opportunities exist in all aspects of the work including as volunteers, committee members, sponsors, funders, partners, performers, exhibitors, event organisers among others.

Thanks again and we look forward to welcoming you on board anytime this year.

Abdoulie Jah Secretary HGCF

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2015 Year in Review Activities 1. African Cultural Exhibition 2. Africa Day Events 3. European & Mediterranean Cultural 4. Food Cultural Exhibition 5. Hyson Green Cultural Festival 6. Interfaith Creative Media Exhibition 7. Interfaith Sports Tournament 8. Kenya Day in the Farm 9. Media Activities Group 10. Sewing Workshop in Hyson Green

Mkadawire and Kids Band Came from Denmark to entertain people @ HGCF

These events attracted over 767 people with the cultural festival attracting the largest number, over 530 in total. Events and activities included sports, sewing, competitive games, quizzes, food, arts, music, discussion and other community activities. There was also a visit to the farm where children enjoyed planting trees, seedlings, feeding the lambs, playing games in the farm and tractor rides.

The programmes brought people from various countries and faith groups living in Hyson Green in sharing and experiencing cultures. Some of the foods, sewing and art crafts represented included were Angolan, Jamaican, Ethiopian, Gambian, Nigerian, Kenyan, South African, Zimbabwean among others. The sewing groups brought women and girls of different ages to share skills and stories thereby interacting and engaging with one another and establishing linkages beyond the life of the events. The networks, partnerships and relationships established and developed among the attendees and those who supported these events have formed bonds beyond race, age, gender and religion. Groups of young and old, new arrival and indigenous, different ethnic groups and nationalities and interfaith groups have now much roomed to engage in this year’s events including sports, farm visit, art and craft, health and also to engage with other groups working in the area thereby widening cohesion.

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Examples of events throughout 2015

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Lessons Learnt and Statics Our collective work and many events helped us develop and widen engagement among the groups in the area. The process of bringing groups together, mainly diverse ethnic, racial, religious, age and historical groups taught us the need to 1. Work with group leaders and individuals who are actively involved in the communities.

2. Need for extensive marketing and developing new approaches that will help younger people top engage other than using old marketing models.

3. Need for training and supporting people who are often disengaged through funded and supported training schemes such community organising, confidence building, first aid, customer service and other skills and competencies necessary in community development and engagement.

4. The success of this work and feedback from over 313 people in the various activities (including interviews using recorded voices and discussions) found that: 94% - HGCF activities should go on.

Activities that involve local people and support skills and knowledge development for those who live locally should be supported.

“This makes children active and healthy. It is a very good way to have people working together”, Fatuma, A Gambian Parent “Nice to see bouncy castle helped the group earn some money. It is important to make people active, but far much better when such activities give the group some much needed money to keep it going”- Simon – British Community Organiser “Participating in events makes me interested in attending them” Cecil, Local resident

88% - HGCF should best offer events and not one off events.

Many events throughout the year are better than having one off events. They are the best way of developing and sustaining community cohesion “I had never met or spoken to anyone from Gambia, Somali or Ethiopia before attending the last two events. I cannot believe how many nationalities live in Hyson Green area. We need more of these events to make Hyson Green a home where neighbours speak to one another irrespective of where we come from” Romanian resident “I have been to 3 of HGCF events. Will love to attend many more in future”. Anonymous “Participating in events makes me interested in attending them” Aisha, 9, local resident

75% - Event not very well advertised How did you hear about the event and do you think marketing was well done?

“I was just passing by when I saw people and heard the music and decided to check it out.

There should be more inform people about these events.” Paul, Local resident “I got a leaflet through the door about the festival. But I am not aware about other activities. Why not use Facebook, local radios and social media to promote this good work?” Iten B “The groups should advertise better because I have never heard about them. I was informed about the Farm trip by my sister. Why not use local community groups, churches, shops and other organisations if this is done for local people” Jackie, Hyson Green resident

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5. There is need to develop a better strategy for running HGCF by: a. Getting more local people, especially young people, the unemployed and those in need of developing language and local skills to develop a database for marketing, partnerships and having a number of events each year. b. HGCF should source a budget to train and develop at these people to meet these goals. c. There is extensive work of organising and getting the event together which is plagued with lots of delays in organising and managing. There is hence need to develop a principle or strategy to create milestones to oversee each step and progression of the organising and execution of each event.

6. The need for better organisational structure and management of all materials relating to HGCF means that we need to get a working space where we can meet regularly and have access to files and documents in a more organised and structured manner. At the moment, the space provided by Mojatu Foundation suffices but there is need to purchase a: a. Filing cabinet for hard copy storage and develop a filing strategy b. Improve online and soft copy storage in the server and on the website c. Provide a budget to invest in improved filing, storage and organisation of documents and materials in hard and soft copy versions d. Budget for management and admin work – accounts, filing, printing, hosting, photography, documentation and media.

7. The planning and performances brought together a broad range of groups and individuals who are willing to engage with us in future. As such, HGCF needs to look at how best to increase the involvement in planning and delivery of future events by increasing participation of minority groups such as: a. Refugees and Asylum seekers b. Nationalities from Eastern Europe c. Hindus, Sikhs and non-religious faith groups d. Other local groups who were not equally represented in 2015

Specific actions – 2016 and beyond To implement the lessons learn and by adopting these approaches and models will help us in addressing the challenges identified in 2015 including 1. How to bringing people and groups together more organically for long term engagement with one another 2. Collecting more relevant statistics and information from local all the events we undertake 3. Working with local people in developing the activities to undertake, themes of each of these activities and ways in which to do these activities by working with local communities and partners identified 4. Theming the events to meet the needs of these groups

Support needed These steps and options will require HGCF to develop and implement better approaches for: 1. Extend funding activities to help finance these activities 2. Extend partnerships to get other forms of support in meeting the goals of these local groups and communities 3. Implement approaches that will improve penetration of impact for work undertaken in reaching these local communities 11

4. Improving the marketing process to ensure its timely and effective 5. Identifying ways to improve events implementation by improving: a. Hiring of venue, tables and other items b. Event management: Health, safety, security, children and insurance including after event cleaning c. Ways to sustain competence among members and volunteers

Partnerships and sponsors The success of 2015 HGCF and related work was as a result of many partnerships we have developed since 2014 and during the year. These include: Organisation

Role in partnership

Local councillors in Nottingham City

Funds venue and marketing

Mojatu Foundation

Funds, marketing, training, admin, working area, meeting room and event management

Blue Mountain Women Enterprise

Admin, marketing and events management

Hyson Green Youth Club

Meeting room and storage

ASDA

Meeting Room

Sharif and Sons Supermarket

Offered water and drinks

Medina Stores

Offered water and drinks

African Institute of Social Development

Health programmes and marketing

Insite Radio

Marketing

Eco centre Farm

Venue and event management

Nottingham City Homes

Funding

Nottingham University, Chinese Institute

Confucius Marketing and event management

Kenya Nottingham Welfare Association

Marketing and event management

OMA - Angola Women Association

Marketing and event management

Belong

Marketing and event management

NG7 Voices

Funding and marketing

Near neighbourhood

Funding

Refugee Forum

Funding and marketing

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Financial Report 2015 saw HGCF increase our income by 75% from about £6,000 in 2014 to £10,528 in 2015. Expenditure also increased by 42% from £6,750 in 2014 to £9,520 in 2015.

Successful marketing, committed fundraising and engagement with local communities to engage with the festival led to increased people paying for exhibition spaces and children paying for playing in the bouncy castle. The year was a great success in financial terms and we look forward to repeating this magic in the coming years.

Income In 2015, HGCF had an income of £10,528.05 made up of grants, donations and 488.05 from bouncy castles, tables, chairs and payment for exhibition spaces, see figure 1. None of these funds are recurring. They are all one-off and we need to reapply each year.

Figure 1: Income 2015: Grants, Donations and Other Sources

Near Neighbourhood Fund 488

250 250 3,600

300

Berridge Councillors Arboretum Councillors

500 Castle Cavendish 500

Mojatu Foundation Refugee Forum

525

Community Foundation 615

NG7 Radford & Park Councillors 1,000

Bouncy Castle, Tables & Chairs 1,500 1,000

NCH NG7 Voices

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Expenditure Figure 2: Expenditure 2015

The fund raising process proved to be hugely time consuming. Thanks to the committee in that they worked relentlessly in raising funds, meeting the goals and having a surplus of ÂŁ730 by the end of the year. We hope we will be able to meet these goals in 2016 to ensure effective community engagement is carried out and people celebrate their differences and cultural interests locally.

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies’ subject to the small company’s regime and with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective January 2015).

The trustees declare that they have approved the accounts above which were prepared and signed on behalf of the group by the management committee and the independent examiner.

Signed

Date 10th April 2016

Frank Kamau, Treasurer

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2016 Cultural Festival & Events Theme: Health Why health The 2016 HGCF main event will be held on 13 th August 2016, and similar to 2015, we will have a number of other smaller events which are now being organised and planned.

Title: “Healthy Me, Healthy Local Community” Demographic: Ethnic groups The large majority of people who live in Nottingham are White British. The first wave of migrants to Nottingham in contemporary times came from the Caribbean in the 1950s.

According to the 2011 Census, the proportion of BME ethnic groups in Nottingham (shire) is 35.6%. This group comprises of: 13.1% Asian/Asian British, 16.9% Black/Black British, 18.0% Mixed ethnic background and 29.8% other ethnic group (including people from Poland, Travellers and Romanians). The census found the BME population is significantly younger than the rest of the population.

Health and well being The data on the pattern of limiting long term illness (LLTI) which are considered to be determinants of a range of social and environmental conditions under which people live, highlight ethnic inequality in health and well- being. For instance, people of Indian and Chinese ethnicity show lower rates of LLTI than other groups, whilst the Pakistani and Black Caribbean groups are considerably worse than average.

In relation to age, for people aged 50 to 64, the Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups had over 60% with an LLTI compared with 34% of White British people. The statistic for the Indian group was 44.9%, over five times higher than the group’s statistic for 15 to 49 year olds (the ratio for White British is 2.9). For Black or Black British people the percentage was 46.5%.

The data for those aged 65, over 70% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi people have an LLTI, compared with 55.2% of White British people. For the Indian groups the rate is 58.8% and Black or Black British 62.1% (Nottingham City Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2013, p15-16).

The complication Black and minority ethnic people in Nottingham, particularly the established minorities, have historically faced huge challenges; it appears that the equality of opportunity and an end to discrimination have not yet been achieved. Whether in the labour market, healthcare or the criminal justice system, invariably, BAME communities are worst of for work, health, likely to be victims of crime and policing but some are doing well in education. The statistics show that health risks are much higher in BAME communities, but healthcare support is less frequently sought. While the communities are isolated in this way, the problem will persist and intensify.

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The solution What we hope to do with projects like BAME Health Outreach Self Help UK is detailed in the solutions below: Our aim is to create a framework of health outreach services that could be replicated across the country. We will do this by forging partnerships within the communities and with health professionals, using their insights and knowledge to create a service that works best for them.

We want to create ‘health champions’ who have an in-depth knowledge of certain health conditions, and also know first-hand how to engage with the communities. We have already found success through this initiative. In addition, we have seen the positive effects of establishing self-help groups so that people can discuss a shared experience in a way that is self-driven and sustainable beyond the service.

We have set up self-help groups for shared conditions and experience, for example diabetes, and helped these groups to obtain funding to manage their condition; some are using it to have yoga and chair based exercise, others go on walks and they also have healthy eating sessions.

The project is also able to be the bridge between health services and these self-help groups, by arranging for education programs to be delivered to them, specialist nurses visiting them to discuss medication around holidays which may include fasting, which can have serious effects on blood sugar levels. In turn they become self-sustaining with the help of the BAME project, who they can turn to for additional support.

We have held several health awareness days specific to different communities, started and supported self-help groups and successfully held a health road show that engaged with different faith centres within Nottingham city. We worked with City Care NHS team to provide blood pressure checks, BMI & body mot support, and diabetes checks and also had the support of Action for Blind to do needed eyes checks.

We have done five health stops as a pilot where we had between 50-100 attendees, on average 30 health checks completed at each stop. We are supporting a self-group at each stop so they can continue having healthy session on a regular basis and we will be there to be the bridge between them and health services. We hope to continue doing this and widening out the health road show to other faith and community centres, where we will form a partnership to make each stop successful and useful for the community we are engaging with.

Please see video links we have created during our project which also raise awareness on long term health conditions for the community, by the community.

Introducing the BAME project: BAME Health Outreach South Asian Diabetes Film: BAME Health Outreach African Diabetes Film: BAME Health Outreach Caribbean Community:

https://youtu.be/Pzm8P9xSDtg https://youtu.be/wQeTco_IvTE https://youtu.be/pcPJci4s2PQ https://youtu.be/3Fm1n1Unt9Y

Please also see link to more details regarding the health road shows: http://www.selfhelp.org.uk/news/1/article/BAMEroadshow/

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Statistics We were able to bring together multi-cultural community organisations, faith groups, refugees, asylum seekers, FGM survivors, and family togetherness throughout the year. We engaged with those attending to deliver education on issues such as FGM, BME, foods from differing communities, costumes of different countries, and so much more. Fun was had by all.  Outline the importance of this work:  Integration and reduced isolation  Reduce fears  Increased knowledge of what is happening  Opportunity to showcase their identity and express themselves thereby feeling part of the local communities – reduced alienation  People are able to see what is available in their local areas by being able to access resources and services by identifying with local people and groups – Reduce costs  Increased skills and knowledge of local people thereby engaging more widely – such as setting up own groups, volunteering in other things and transforming their knowledge and competencies – getting jobs, becoming long-term members of certain groups – BMW, Gambia welfare, Mojatu, NG7

Feedback / Information required from the Community This is a very important area of ensuring that the feedback is relevant, applicable and captures information at the best possible times.

In this respect, we need to improve questionnaire to include:  What the attendees took away from the events – HGCF / Health events / all other events  What will the attendees do about the information they take away?  Use technology and volunteers better and more effectively by using: o Video and photo documentation extensively o Video and audio research and feedback collection approaches o Getting partners and volunteers such as from Trent University, local media houses and other kind of people and organisations to support the project in the documentation and research processes.

Health Corner, Sponsorship and Core aspect of the 2016 HGCF will be delivered by: Velma Hamilton Health Outreach Worker (BAME) Ormiston House, 32-36 Pelham Street, Nottingham NG1 2EG E-mail: Velma.hamilton@selfhelp.org.uk Website: www.selfhelp.org.uk Mobile: 07854517638

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Main Sponsors and partners

Thank You All! A big THANK YOU to all of our sponsors, we could not have achieved our successes without your generous support.

c/o Hyson Green Youth Club Terrace Street, Hyson Green Nottingham NG7 6ER This report has been prepared and Compiled by Mojatu Foundation Team Supported by Velma Hamilton, from Self Help Nottingham

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