The Voice Newspaper - December 2023

DECEMBER, 2023 • ISSUE NO. 1949

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CHRISTMAS COMPETITION p28-29

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FOR XMAS

Man searches for African and Caribbean relatives for ten years

O

NE MAN’S decade-long quest to find his family in time for Christmas has reached a happy end.

Adrian Stone just had a single picture of his brother, taken in 1975. But after 10 years searching the world, he found his brother living in Birmingham.

Stone then took a DNA test which pointed to Ghana, but he found his Ghanaian folks in Leicestershire.

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Sober for Christmas Couple promote booze-free festivities p4-5 Room at the Inn for Meghan?

Dotun Adebayo imagines Xmas at the Palace

ROUNDUP NEWSPAPER

News, views, stories & videos THE 10 MOST POPULAR STORIES ON VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK

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This issue is 56 pages EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Paulette Simpson E. paulette.simpson@thevoice mediagroup.co.uk

The Voice says

Black Internationalism SINCE the Black Lives Matter protests, Black Britain has experienced a revival in the connection with our roots.

While the first generation of Windrush pioneers looked ‘back home’ to the Caribbean, the second generation were more focused on establishing a distinct Black British identity.

It feels like the mood has now come full circle, as a reconnection with the lands of our ancestors dovetails with a critique of racial oppression in the UK. Our feature (p20-21) follows historian Adrian Stone as he traced his family in Africa and the Caribbean in time for Christmas.

Christmas is a time for family, and the struggles of our families overseas are intricately bound up with the legacy of damage caused by the British empire and neo-colonialism. We’ve previously reported on the ‘Blaxit’ phenomenon of Black Britons exiting the UK to start a new life overseas.

Interest in reparations for historic enslavement and its legacy, and learning which institutions and families profited from it, are also part of this trend.

At this time of war, some are questioning why there has been so little attention on the conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia, where up to 600,000 brothers and sisters have been killed by bullets and famine.

They are asking why the deteriorating situation in Haiti is likewise going relatively unnoticed. Lyndon Mukasa writes about Haiti (p32) and the backlash against a US-backed plan to fly 1,000 Kenyan troops to the Caribbean island.

In Sudan, 9,000 civilians have been killed in the past six months, with another 2,000 killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, mainly by the ‘M23’ militia backed by Rwanda.

If we, as Black Britons, do not speak out about disasters befalling our people, who will?

As we go on personal journeys to trace our roots, it is ever more important to also remember the condition of the African diaspora across the globe.

And to research history, to see the connections between colonialism, neo-colonialism and present-day strife.

Black internationalism sees the links between systemic racism in the West and the world order.

So as we speak to our relatives in Africa and the Caribbean this Christmas, why not take some time to chat to them about strengthening links between communities across waters?

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Christmas Feature

Turkey, please — with a side of rice and peas!

For African and Caribbean families the traditional Christmas dinner often adds a hint of spice. By Leah Mahon

A

GOLDEN TURKEY filled with stuffing, crisp Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes and lashings of thick gravy and juicy cranberry sauce.

The traditional Christmas dinner has become a staple image during the festive season for millions on our supermarket ads, billboards and even our favourite festive movies.

According to research by Lottotland, roasted spuds got a seat at the head of the table after Brits voted it the most-loved Christmas dinner dish in 2022.

The Christmas dinner we all know and love today has also evolved over the centuries; from the Neotholic people who feasted on pig and cattle, to the Tudors who enjoyed Christmas pie made of pigeon, to the festive food we enjoy today.

But how have people of African and Caribbean heritage held onto their cultural foods amid a very white Christmas?

England was introduced to the aromatic spices from Africa and parts of India during the Spice Trade in the 1600s. However, it wouldn’t be till the 1970s when the first Caribbean take-away opened in Britain.

The Windrush generation and the many other migrants hailing from Commonwealth countries brought with them the vibrant and sometimes curious flavours from home.

Sharnade George, 32, tells The Voice her St Lucian heritage shows up in her traditional Christmas dinner every year.

Jamaican Black Cake

“There’s a dish that we have called bouyon and that’s kind of like a dish where we’ve got a little bit of meat, so maybe lamb.

“Then we have dumplings, red kidney beans, and it’s kind of like a stew. So, we would have this on the side of the Christmas dinner,” she says.

“We have rice and peas, jerk chicken, coleslaw, and then we kind of interlink the turkey sometimes, or the roast lamb, we’ve got plantain.”

Sharnade, pictured below, says “dasheen” also makes an appearance at Christmas. Originating from Africa, it found its way to many Caribbean islands during the slave trade. Dasheen can be root vegetables made up of green banana, breadfruit or sweet potato.

Elaine Warren, 53, is of Jamaican heritage and she says the food she prepares for her family over Christmas “tells a story”.

“We always have jerk chicken, marinated in spices and grilled to perfection. Curry goat is a must — it’s cooked slow ‘til tender. “ F o r sides, rice and peas are iconic, cooked with coconut milk, thyme and scallion. Black

FOOD OF LOVE: African and Caribbean families take inspiration from their heritage for their Christmas dinner (photo: Getty Images) cake, a dense rum-soaked fruitcake, is a holiday favourite too,” she tells The Voice.

For African and Caribbean families now, Christmas dinners are evolving again since the time of the Tudors, but in our own way.

Intercultural families among the Black diaspora are becoming more commonplace now as cultural stereotypes diminish,

Nigerian Jollof

although numbers are unclear of how much the ethnic groups have come together.

Sharnade, whose daughter is half-Nigerian, says that since embracing that side of her heritage she has now added jollof — rice seasoned with tomatoes, red peppers, chicken stock and maggi — as a new dish on her Christmas table.

However, she adds that she still takes inspiration from the other Caribbean islands.

“St Lucia is a small island so we have different dishes from other islands as well within our Christmas dinner. We have roti, a typical Trinidadian dish. We have roti with curry goat. Or we may have floats, we call them

Roti with curry goat

floats in St Lucia, but I know in other countries, they call them bakes.”

Elaine also looks to other islands for influence in her food.

“From Trinidad, we enjoy pastelles — meat-filled cornmeal parcels. Jamaica gave us sorrel, a ripe and spicy drink. These island dishes make our table feel more welcoming.

“Over time, we tweaked some classics to suit changing tastes.

Now we use lean meats and veggies in dishes like stewed chicken, making them healthier. And we offer plant-based pastelles or roti for anyone not into meat.

Variety is the spice of life,” she says.

Sharnade says that without

the food from her culture on the Christmas table, she would lose her “Blackness”.

“As a Black woman from the Caribbean, it’s part of the culture,” she says. “If you get rid of food, you get rid of an element of the culture. Food brings everyone together to bring memories — old memories and new memories.”

Elaine adds: “Keeping these dishes alive connects me to family history. The memories and love put into each recipe are passed on through generations.

“Our food is part of who we are — by sharing it every holiday, we honour our past and cultures. That’s what Christmas is all about for me.”

Frybake

4 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

News Feature

Why a sober Christmas is Alcohol became an issue for Ricci and Alisha. They are now helping others through their Black and Sober podcast. By Vic Motune

R

ICCI AND Alisha Williams had a relationship that most people who knew them would describe as strong and loving.

The thirty-something married couple from north-west London knew each other’s families as children and had been together for 16 years. However, their relationship was nearly derailed by a third party: alcohol.

During their years together, they had experienced the ups and downs of life that most long-term couples go through and their bond was stronger because of it.

But the social drinking that is often the backdrop for so many Britons to a family get-together, a meet-up with friends or a way to unwind after a stressful day gradually transformed into something that threatened to destroy the life they had built together.

MISSION

In a bid to save their marriage, the couple embarked on a journey of self-discovery that saw them emerge with a mission to help others experiencing similar challenges.

“When we were young we’d go out enjoying ourselves most weekends, go clubbing and we’d have a drink,” Alisha, a facilities manager, recalls. “After our first son was born we would drink at home occasionally. But after we had our second child and moved to a new home a few drinks at the weekend would always help me to unwind after all the stress involved.

“On a Friday evening I’d go out and think ‘this is my time,

TIME TO UNWIND: Ricci and Alisha would often have a few drinks at the weekend

I’m entitled to this. I’ve worked hard five days of the week, I’ve looked after the kids, now I’m going to let my hair down and have a few drinks. I’ll usually drink with friends.

“But I’d always go a little overboard and not know when to stop. And it would mess up my weekend because I’d be grumpy the next day, I’d be trying to manage the kids at the same time which was stressful and it just became a constant cycle for us.”

Ricci’s problems with alcohol began through work.

“I used to work in a garage.

And after we finished work and locked the cars away we’d stay behind, have a drink and we’d talk” he says. “Eventually things got to a point where I was having a drink every day after work. Even on the days when I wasn’t working I’d go to work just to participate in the drinking. We could be in the garage until 10 or 11 o’clock at night just having a good time.

“Alisha was worried about my drinking but I didn’t see anything wrong with it because I was working, our bills were being paid, our kids were fed, the house was clean.”

The first lockdown following the COVID-19 pandemic saw the couple’s alcohol consumption escalate.

“Lockdown was when the drinking ramped up,” Alisha recalls. “And it did for many others as well. We drank during the week, not just at weekends. My favourite would be old school Jamaican white rum like Wray and Nephew. In Ricci’s case it was Jack Daniels.”

By now Ricci was in a new

job, working as a quantity surveyor in the construction industry. It still involved after-work drinks with clients. He would often bring bottles of alcohol home to share with Alisha.

The drinking came at a price.

They were beginning to see the effects of social drinking in every aspect of their lives.

“Earlier this year, I realised I wasn’t enjoying drinking,” Alisha recalls. “I’d become very emotional and would argue with people after I’d had too much and I’d often black-out.

“The turning point was at Ricci’s friend’s wedding in March. I went from enjoying the celebration to waking up at the table and that’s when I realised I needed to stop. I grew up with an alcoholic dad and I didn’t want my kids to experience what I’d gone through.”

Alisha’s growing desire to quit alcohol and the realisation that drinking was causing a rift between them eventually led to her giving her husband a tough ultimatum.

For Ricci, it was a major turning point.

“There were times when I’d

arrive home smelling of alcohol and with a full bag full of bottles so we could drink at home.

Alisha was getting worried and told me I reminded her of her dad who was an alcoholic.

She said she’d found a local Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) chapter and if I didn’t attend I shouldn’t bother to think about coming home.”

He continues: “I felt disrespected. In my mind, I wasn’t an alcoholic. I didn’t need Alcoholics Anonymous, it was unnecessary.”

However he began to realise he had gone from someone who enjoyed a drink to someone who needed one.

“My family didn’t understand when Alisha would tell them I had a drink problem but that’s because I’d become such a pro at hiding it. However she was really good at spotting the signs because of what she went through with her dad so I had to evolve and change so that I could hide my drinking better.

“I could down half a bottle of whiskey and my mother wouldn’t even know. I’d say things like ‘I’m just going up-

In my mind, I wasn’t an alcoholic.

I didn’t need Alcoholics Anonymous stairs to the toilet’ and then I’d have a drink from a bottle I’d sneaked away in a cupboard or ‘I’m just going to sort out the boys’ room’ and then have a quick drink.”

Ricci attended his first AA meeting in April this year, stepping into, what was for him, the uncharted territory of alcohol recovery, was not easy.

“The perception I’d always had of Alcoholics Anonymous was that it was for homeless people you’d see begging on the street so when I arrived I was embarrassed and ashamed to be there and I sat at the back.

“During that first session I heard some heartbreaking stories of people who had lost

contact with their kids or people whose partners didn’t want to see them anymore. And I’m thinking ‘this isn’t me.’

“When asked to share my story I didn’t want to say anything. I felt uncomfortable and it didn’t help that there wasn’t anyone there from my background and after it ended, I had no intentions of going to another AA session.”

That first experience had planted a seed.

“The second week there was another Black person there and some Asian people. The Black member of the group greeted me at the start of the session and that helped me relax and feel at ease. I introduced myself to others in the group and participated a bit more.”

In the following weeks Ricci began looking forward to the sessions.

“For the two hours that I was with other members of the AA group they were my family because we could relate to each other. Don’t get me wrong, my family and friends were very supportive of me but they hadn’t gone through what I was going

DECEMBER 2023 THE VOICE

|

News Feature

the best gift to yourself

POSITIVE RESPONSE: Ricci and Alisha’s new podast, Black and Sober, launched last month

through,” he explains. “Hearing others talk openly share their stories of more severe alcoholism made me reflect on my own journey. Some of them had been sober for five, 10, and in some cases 20 years. And that made me think, ‘If they can do it, why can’t I?’ Ricci and Alisha have now been sober for six months and are excited about celebrating their first alcohol-free Christmas.

“It’s normal for me to have a shandy on Christmas morning,” says Ricci.“I’d be drinking throughout the day, not heavily but maybe a glass of brandy here or a champagne there. But I’m really looking forward to Christmas this year. We’re going to be around family and showing them how me and Alisha now are as a team and without any desire to drink alcohol.”

During the couple’s journey to sobriety, they noticed the lack of resources aimed at Black people who wanted to give up drinking. And this inspired Alisha to do something about it.

And this led to Alisha deciding to take action.

“Hearing how AA meetings helped Ricky inspired me.

I didn’t go to AA myself but I listened to a lot of podcasts about sobriety. When Ricci asked to listen to some of these I couldn’t find any from a Black man’s perspective. I was also surprised by the lack of representation for Black women and that gave me the idea to create a podcast to fill this gap. Although Ricci is a very private person he was on board with the idea straight away.”

FEEDBACK

Their new podcast, Black and Sober, launched last month. It shares personal stories and useful information for people in the Black community trying to give up alcohol.

Its impact was immediate.

“The feedback on our first episode was amazing,” says Alisha. “Friends, family, and a lot of people we didn’t know reached out.

“A London DJ who turned his life around after years of drinking was the guest on our second episode and that brought a huge positive response. It’s so

great to see the podcast resonate with so many people.”

The couple now hope that Black and Sober will provide an important platform for those in the community who want to give up alcohol.

Especially this Christmas, which is a time of excess drinking for many.

She added: “It’s important to keep talking about sobriety even after you’ve been sober for a long time. Things can happen in your life that can make you relapse and go back to drinking. There’s definitely a mental health aspect to alcoholism. People can use it as a way of avoiding raw emotions they might be feeling.

“I think my dad, for example, definitely had some sort of mental health issues and used alcohol to deal with them.

Finding ways to destress and live and enjoy life without alcohol is so important and that’s what we want Black and Sober to achieve.”

To listen to the Black and Sober podcast please visit: www.youtube.com/@Blacksoberpod

TASTE OF THE CARIBBEAN: OTC produces premium nonalcoholic drinks

Rise of Black-owned alcohol-free drinks

By Vic Motune

RECENT years have seen a growth in the number of Black-owned alcohol-free brands.

Among them is OTC (Original Taste of the Caribbean), founded in 2019 by London-based entrepreneur Sharon White, pictured, which produces premium non-alcoholic drinks based on traditional Caribbean flavours.

Its most popular products include still and sparkling sorrel, and still and sparkling ginger beer.

“I’ve definitely noticed

a rising demand for nonalcoholic drinks” she says.

“People are more conscious about what they put in their bodies. They want to avoid the dreaded hangover and are seeking out unique, fla-

vourful options. A big part of that is young people, millennials and Generation Z are deciding to drink less than previous generations.”

White created OTC to share the flavourful homemade drinks that were a key part of her upbringing.

She also wanted to create a brand that was rooted in the Black community.

“I’d always enjoyed drinks such as homemade ginger beer or sorrel growing up. So I had a vision for a brand that could sit in any Caribbean takeaway, was communityfocused and reinvest back into the community.”

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| THE VOICE

DECEMBER 2023

Darell J. Philip

Join the debate online: voice-online. co.uk/opinion

Values that still ring true The morals Jesus taught are as important now as they were over 2,000 years ago

W

HILE IN recent years there has been a waning decline in the teaching of religious education in schools with the same level of interest in the subject mirrored in society as a whole, Christmas remains one of the seasons in which many across the globe are reminded of the nativity and at its centre, the birth of Jesus Christ.

Although the country may not be as religious as it may have been in the past, the values that Jesus taught are as important now as they were over 2,000 years ago.

One such value he taught was that you should love your neighbour as yourself, and how true a statement is that for our time now as much as it was for those who heard it first hand as they sat at the feet of Jesus.

Taking into account some of the tragedies that have taken place this year alone, one would be quick to see that there has been a lot of love lost for our neighbours.

You probably need no reminding of 15-year-old Elianne Andam and 22-year-old Keelen Morris Wong — two young people whose lives were tragically taken in two separate, unrelated incidents through knife crime.

Then there is the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine which has claimed the lives of thousands of innocent civilians including women and children.

When the Bible makes mention of a time when the love of many will wax cold, there might be a strong case that such a time is here now.

It was not long ago that the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine saw many Ukrainian families take refuge in allied countries such as the UK. Ukrainian children who came to my school at that time barely spoke, let alone understood, a word of English. But over time, with compassion, support and friendliness from both their classmates and the staff who taught them, they moved on to

BE NICE TO OTHERS: Jesus rebuked his disciples for shooing away children

One value Jesus taught was that you should love your neighbour as yourself secondary school this year acquiring the language as if they had been born here.

With this year being the 75th anniversary of Windrush, I am reminded of my very own late grandmother, Ann ‘Rose’ Roberts nee Martin, born in 1934 in Montserrat who made the journey to England from the Caribbean Island of Antigua in 1960.

She told me she had left a good job at home along with friends and her children in pursuit of what she felt would be a better life for herself and her family.

KINDNESS

Yet to her dismay, she was welcomed to the sound of drumming accompanied with monkey chants which echoed for her to return to her country.

Added to this was her far from ideal work situation. The 10 shillings and 6 pence (the equivalent of £5) she earned from factory work would see £2 sent to her children whom she left behind in the Caribbean with the remaining £3 budgeted for her lunch, travel to and from work, shopping and rent, not to mention her bills too, leaving close to nothing left to spare.

Yet when my grandmother invited guests to her very modest abode, her kitchen cupboards and fridge were always full of food and drink that none would leave on an empty stomach.

When I asked my grandmother how she was able to stay in a country which failed

to welcome her, she told me that it was the Christian upbringing her mother gave her which taught her to show love and kindness to people of all cultures, nations and religions along with her faith in God that kept her strong and resolute in the face of adversity, values which she has passed down to myself and the rest of her remaining family.

When the disciples of Jesus were quick to shoo away a crowd of children who were approaching Jesus, they were rebuked and told that unless they had a child-like nature themselves they would not make it into heaven. Children and young people hold a very special place in the heart of Je-

Darell J. Philip is a teaching assistant, academic mentor and award-winning journalist.

sus. In another biblical passage, a hungry crowd of men, women and children sit all day to hear the teaching of Jesus.

five small loaves of bread and two small fish.

Without any indication of a fuss, the boy handed over

She told me she had left a good job at home in pursuit of a better life for herself and her family Sensing their weariness through hunger, Jesus told the disciples to feed them but they did not have any food to spare.

However, these same disciples who had tried to shoo away children pointed out a young lad among the crowd who had

his lunch to Jesus and after Jesus blessed it, he told his disciples to distribute it to the crowd. Over 5,000 people were fed that day with 12 baskets full of leftovers returned.

An act of compassion from Jesus coupled with an act

of generosity from the boy brought about a miracle that would be spoken about for many years to come.

Just as Jesus gave himself for humanity and the boy gave what he had to feed a hungry crowd, so too can we give something — our time, our gift or talent, a warm meal, a shelter or even a charitable donation to make a difference as we meet the needs of those in our community.

Christmas is not just about receiving, it’s also about giving.

It’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice.

May this Christmas be one where you and I can be blessed to be a blessing to those within our communities who need us most.

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8 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

L’Myah Sherae

Join the debate online: voice-online. co.uk/opinion

We must protect children from criminal exploitation

EASY TARGETS: County lines groups use young people to carry, store and sell drugs; inset below, L’Myah, centre, was one of the speakers at an event hosted at the House of Commons to highlight this growing problem (main photo: Getty Images)

Christmas offers the perfect opportunity for county lines groups to take advantage of vulnerable young people

W

HILST MANY of us will enjoy a much needed rest over the festive period, I think it’s really important we remember that not all have this luxury.

For loads of families, Christmas holidays can present an extremely stressful time, especially for parents on strict budgets and surviving below the poverty line.

There are concerns about how to scrape money together to buy presents and pay for holiday meals.

Then there are worries about lost wages for taking time off or child care costs if parents work while the children are at home.

There’s anxiety about the basic expenses, too. When schools or nurseries are closed, that also means children don’t have access to meals they typically get during the day.

In addition, at Christmas time and during holiday periods children can often feel more isolated and may require more support.

CONTROL

Growing financial stresses on families coupled with children having less access to education/ extracurricular activities can lead to children being more at risk from perpetrators looking to control and exploit them.

County lines groups, for example, get those who deal drugs in cities to establish networks in towns and rural areas, using vulnerable children and young people to carry, store and sell drugs.

Most readers will already be aware of the racism involved in some of the county lines policing strategies we see today.

A new Institute of Race Relations study found that the Home Office’s approach to

tackling county lines drug operations is based on unproven assumptions and “racialised tropes” that criminalise Black boys and young men.

The study also found that the policing strategy towards county lines stigmatised Black young people in a similar way to how the Metropolitan police’s discredited gang violence matrix database was found to be discriminatory.

What makes matters even worse is that not only are Black and minoritised children overidentified as “perpetrators”, but they are also significantly under-identified as victims.

They are often forced through youth justice services rather than supported as child victims of criminal exploitation and grooming, as highlighted in University of Bedfordshire research.

That is why my organisation, Enact Equality, recently hosted an event in collaboration with Fan Studios, to highlight how racism and structural inequalities often intersect with county lines, youth violence, and policy and policing approaches.

Fan Studios is the brainchild of Black British directors, actors and Grime pioneers Femi Oyeniran (Kidulthood) and Nicky “Slimting” Walker, and the event was hosted at the Houses of Parliament.

MOBO award-winning rapper Abra Cadabra was the guest speaker of the evening – hailing from the Broadwater Farm estate in Tottenham London.

Abra Cadabra weaved his lived personal experience into the discussion, to help deliver a powerful and impactful event.

Raising awareness about these issues is critical. But after events are over, and the discussions have settled, it’s equally as important to consider ways that we, ourselves, can work to better protect children from criminal exploitation. At least 27,000 people are involved in county lines, with14 to 17 are the age group targeted most often, however children as young as ten are targeted too.

Being able to recognise signs which may indicate that a child is being exploited by a county lines network is key. The NSPCC has stated that young people may use the following phrases

L’Myah Sherae is founder of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Race Equality in Education

to refer to county lines: • ‘Running a line’ • ‘Going OT/out there’ • ‘Going country’ • ‘Going cunch’ It’s clear safeguarding procedures are not protecting children and young people in the way they are meant to. What’s more, those involved in county lines may use the Christmas period to further target young people and children who are already isolated and vulnerable.

So I think it’s vital we not only celebrate and take part in festive activities during this holiday period, but that we also genuinely check in with our younger family members and loved ones, no matter what our ethnic background or income may be.

Any child, in any area, can be forced into criminal exploitation, and much more needs to be done to ensure that children are better protected and encouraged to reach their full potential.

Recognising the signs of exploitation THE NSPCC has provided a list to help parents, carers, or anyone who works with children and young people to recognise the signs that a child might be being exploited by a county lines network: • Frequently going missing from school, home or care • Travelling to locations, or being found in areas they have no obvious connections with, including seaside or market towns • Unwillingness to explain their whereabouts • Receiving excessive texts or phone calls at all hours of the day

• Acquiring money, clothes, accessories or mobile phones which they seem unable to account for • Having multiple mobile phone handsets or sim cards • Withdrawing or having sudden changes in personality, behaviour or the language they use • Having relationships with controlling or older individuals and groups • Unexplained injuries • Carrying weapons • Significant decline in school results or performance • Being isolated from peers or social networks

9 | THE VOICE JUNE 2022

“Your next trip to the toilet could save your life. If you’re sent a free NHS bowel cancer screening kit, you should complete it as soon as possible.”

Dr Austin, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon

The NHS bowel cancer screening kit can save your life.

You do it privately at home by following a few simple steps. Just a tiny sample detects signs of cancer before you notice anything wrong and most people get the all clear.

If you’re sent a kit, put it by the toilet. Don’t put it off. nhs.uk/bowel-screening

DECEMBER 2023

THE VOICE | 9

10 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

News Feature

Kinship key to community Black people are increasingly caring for others who are not their family. By Leah Mahon

B

LACK FAMILIES involved in kinship care are at the sharp end of living with disparities and inadequate services for their needs, according to one charity worker who is aiming to make a difference.

Johanna Bernard, 61, pictured inset, is a carer for her two grandchildren and the cofounder of Families in Harmony — a specialist charity supporting African and Caribbean families in kinship care since 2001.

For Black families, looking after loved ones in need has been an unofficial cultural norm for generations.

A Kinship carer, someone who is raising a child full-time who is not their birth child, needs to become common language in Black communities in addition to improved support.

The-mother-of-two tells The Voice that her own journey into kinship care began after losing her son to knife crime in 2008 which has gone on to inspire the work she does with countless families.

“There were a lot of challenges for her [my grandson’s mother] as a mother and she had him at the age of 18. Very early on, I realised that there were significant issues around his upbringing,” she said.

DUTY CALLS: For Black families, looking after loved ones in need has been an unofficial cultural norm for generations (photos: Getty Images)

Kinship care can be triggered from various issues in families “I contacted social services to say if there were any concerns that I would want to be the first port of call, they said to me that he was already known to them.

“Two years after meeting her, there was a significant incident that happened at her home, the police were called and the children were taken away — and that’s when I stepped in.”

Kinship care can be triggered from various issues in families and is often “sudden and instant”.

Families in Harmony work with families who have dealt with parents passing away to incarceration, to mental health issues and substance abuse.

According to the Family Rights Group, there are 113,690 children in kinship care in England and 6.1 per cent of those children are considered of Black British, Caribbean and African

LACKING SUPPORT: African and Caribbean families are not receiving the culturally nuanced help from social services

descent. A further 8.1 per cent are from mixed ethnic backgrounds.

Johanna says she’s seen firsthand how African and Caribbean families are not receiving the culturally nuanced support from social services to look after kinship children.

She says: “We have ECH plans (Education, Health and care)... where children clearly need additional support, they may have cognitive functioning issues, or they may have ADHD. “These need to be carried out by a social worker or the school.

Just putting forward families for this support, it’s a big challenge and a breakdown in trust.”

Bernard believes these fractured relationships between social services are a result of institutionalised racism and stigma, therefore Black families are already entering the process with scepticism.

All potential kinship carers must also complete an assessment form which Bernard called “Eurocentric” in its requirements for potential guardians.

“It precludes some of the natural cultural behaviours that we have as African Caribbean people. For example, during the assessment there could be a child and in some African fami-

lies, talking at the dinner table is not something that is acceptable… however, a social worker observing that may think the child was being neglected,” she explains.

In scenarios of a child speaking to an adult, they may avoid making eye contact as a form of respect and this could be interpreted as a child that is afraid.

“Over generational cycles, do we still have a little bit of that, in terms of how we mother our children, unconsciously or consciously?”

During the Windrush generation, many children were left behind in the Caribbean as their parents attempted to make a better life being sent. Known as “barrel children,” this generation can carry deep attachment

We need to understand the cultural behaviours and how to engage with Black families Bernard also says the kinship care system fails to understand how the legacy of slavery and migration show up in Black family structures, particularly for Caribbean families which could lead to harsher outcomes.

She says: “During slavery, when women’s babies were removed from them, we developed coping mechanisms in order to not be attached to our children.

Because we knew that these children were not going to stay with us for very long.

wounds as they were raised by grandparents, aunts and uncles, and in some cases older siblings Families in Harmony specialise in dealing with this generational trauma that can often be overlooked and misunderstood by culturally misinformed social services through workshops and peer support among other kinship families. The charity, the only of its kind servicing Black families, is continuing to campaign for long-term policy change in the kinship care sector.

Johanna says access to finan-

cial allowance to support kinship carers can be scarce if they take on loved ones without the involvement of social services as well as respite which would allow families emergency or temporary care.

Bernard, who remains as the kinship carer to her grandson, now 17, and her granddaughter, 13, says she wants to see more Black families engage in policy change in kinship care.

She adds: “We need to understand the cultural behaviours and how to engage with Black families, because many of the local authorities that we have worked with come knocking on the door and admit they’re not doing their best…only two per cent engage in research, but research informs policy change.”

Labour MP Andrew Gwynne said: “African and Caribbean families face particular issues when it comes to Kinship care.

“It is vital that the forthcoming Kinship Carers strategy acknowledges those issues and brings forwards steps to tackle them. Whether it’s on data collection or including African and Caribbean kinship carers in cocreating training and support groups that address those specific needs, more can and must be done.”

AUGUST 2023

Christmas Appeal

Scan the QR code to donate or visit tearfund.org/ nogoingback

to extreme poverty Let’s equip communities like Isaac’s to lift themselves out of extreme poverty with life-changing training.

This Christmas, let’s practise what we pray.

tearfund.org

Tearfund, 100 Church Road, Teddington, TW11 8QE, United Kingdom +44 (0)20 3906 3906 info@tearfund.org /Tearfund Registered office: Tearfund, 100 Church Road, Teddington, TW11 8QE. Registered in England: 994339. A company limited by guarantee. Registered Charity No. 265464 (England & Wales) Registered Charity No. SC037624 (Scotland) Photos: Peter Caton/Tearfund 1031-(1023)

THE VOICE |11

12 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Christmas Gifts

For the kids Little Omo The holidays is a great time for the family to battle it out with some fun games.

Desriee Asomuyide is the founder of Little Omo, which is an award-winning inclusive toy brand.

They have just launched two new products, an Afro Hairstyles Memory Game & Head Coverings Flashcards, which are designed to educate and ensure Black children feel seen and represented.These card games will make the perfect stocking filler for the little ones you love.

Head Coverings Flashcards: £17.99 Afro Hairstyles Memory Game: £18.99 Order from: www.littleomo.com

Buy Black this Christmas

The Voice’s ultimate Xmas gift guide. By Sinai Fleary

T

HERE’S ONLY a few weeks to go until the big day and if you are like most of us, you may still be looking for last minute gifts for family and friends. With spending in the run-up to Christmas expected to be in the millions, why

not consider buying Black this Christmas, so not only do you get the gifts you need, but also you give a Black-owned business your custom too.

Take a look at these fantastic gift suggestions for all of the family.

Books by Davina The holidays are great for getting cosy and snuggling up for story time with the little ones.

If you are looking for the perfect books, make sure you purchase titles from talented rhyming children’s author Davina Hamilton. Her series of gorgeous books not only feature Black children, but her stories empower and inspire them.

There are four books available, with three featuring Riley as the main character and one featuring Ella.The recommended age range for the books is between four and nine years old.

Price: Starts from £5.99 Order from: www.davinahamilton.com

For her The Chalk House The Chalk House was founded by architectturned-designer Malaika Carr.

The jewellery brand has a stunning range of earrings, necklaces and bracelets and these pieces will add a great pop of colour to any outfit this festive season.

Plus, if you are not sure what to pick for the wonderful woman in your life, you can purchase a gift card, so she can pick what she definitely loves from this amazing brand.

The Carnival Collection is inspired by Ms Carr’s heritage, and encapsulates the vibrancy, joy and playfulness of this magical season.

Prices: Start from £25; Nalla Earrings Price – £52; The Carnival Collection earrings – £48; Derin statement earrings – £95 Order from: www.thechalkhouse.com

DECEMBER 2023 THE VOICE

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Christmas Gifts For friends Kromanti Rum

Local Honey Man

Kromanti Rum is an award-winning rum that honours the true spirit of island life with its authentic mix of Caribbean herbs and spices.

Founded by father-daughter team Cashain and Danielle David, this rum not only oozes all the flavours of Christmas with nutmeg, cinnamon and tamarind but it also honours our ancestors.

This small-batch, signature blend is a family recipe, honouring the true spirit of the Caribbean.

So get your glasses ready, for the perfect rum to go with your Christmas dinner or to have at your New Year’s celebrations.

Price: £40 Order from: www.kromantirum.com

Local Honey Man is a Black-owned business founded by Curtis Thompson.

Their Christmas gift box has wrapped three unique, 100 per cent pure real honey jars from the UK for you to indulge in.

These 255g jars come directly from the beekeeper just the way nature intended and the honey is unpasteurised, cold extracted and unblended, so expect to see little bits of pollen, beautiful colouration, and wild flavours including cinnamon, ginger and turmeric.

This honey will be perfect to sweeten any porridge or hot drink during the colder mornings and evenings.

All gift jars will be wrapped in the brand new luxury gift packaging.

Price: £26.99 for three pack Christmas gift set. Single jars also available!

Order from: www.localhoneyman.co.uk

For him

For the home March Muses

Beardfluence Beardfluence is a Black-owned, international luxury beard care brand founded by Shabazz Shillingford. The brand uses the highest quality ingredients and scents including Argan Oil, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E and Almond Oils.

The products aim to make the special man in your life feel and look their best through self-care.

Everything they ship is gift presentation ready – so perfect for Christmas and no extra wrapping for you!

Prices: Start from £38; Day Oil 50ml – £38; Night Oil 100ml – £38; Kensington Set – £78 (includes two of their best-selling beard oils, a bamboo beard brush, beard comb and trimming scissors) Order from: www.beardfluence.com

March Muses was founded by Natalie Duvall and Alison Burton.

March Muses is the UK’s leading brand for diverse Christmas decorations.

From black angels to put at the top of your Christmas tree, to a Black Santa statue or nativity set, this brand has it all.

The ladies appeared on TV show Dragons’ Den in April 2022, and pitched their inclusive festive decorations brand and secured an impressive £50,000 investment.

Since then, the brand has expanded, including more dazzling products including wrapping paper, cards and even their popular mini Dutch Pot and pepper sauce Christmas tree decorations.

Finally, we have Christmas decorations that look like us!

Prices: Range from £3 to £40 Order from: www.marchmuses.co.uk

13

14 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Health

ADVERTORIAL

AT WORK: Bridgette Fraser

CROHN’S AND COLITIS AWARENESS: spot the signs of bowel disease

B

RIDGETTE FRASER is a Crohn’s & Colitis UK Nurse Specialist who works with patients at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital. This is her story.

“The first thing I should say is that people don’t like talking too much about bowels. I mean, I understand that – of course I do.

As I always say to my pa-

tients, it’s not exactly a dinner conversation. Who wants to sit around the table and start chatting about how many times they went to the loo that day?

But you know, the interesting thing is that when I tell people what I do in my work, they start to open up to me. I’ll explain some of the symptoms of Crohn’s and Colitis: blood in

When he told me it broke my heart. I told him: “Don’t suffer in silence. Always tell someone. If you tell us, we can help you.”

Bridgette Fraser

your poo, diarrhoea, fatigue, terrible tummy pain, and then all of a sudden we are having a whole chat about their bowels! And you know what? It feels very natural.

TABOOS

Even if it’s something they would never dream about doing with their own family, or in their culture, it’s OK because I’m

a stranger.

So they’ll say: “Well, you know, Bridgette, I’ve noticed something. I don’t think it’s quite right, but maybe it’s nothing.” Then we talk about it together and think about what to do next. It’s all about opening that door. That’s how you break down the taboos.

I did my nurse training in Jamaica and then I came over

DECEMBER 2023

THE VOICE | 15

Health

ADVERTORIAL

What are Crohn’s and Colitis?

There are more than half a million people in the UK living with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, the two main forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Crohn’s causes inflammation in your digestive system – so that can happen anywhere from your mouth to your bum. Meanwhile, in Colitis, the inflammation and ulcers are only in your colon, which is the last bit of your gut.

They’re lifelong conditions so there’s no cure, but there are lots of treatments available – including medicines and surgery.

Most of us experience tummy trouble from time to time, but Crohn’s and Colitis are about much more than just a “dodgy stomach”.

Here are some of the key symptoms to look out for:

• to have a poo urgently • needing diarrhoea – passing three or • more loose, watery poos a day up in the night to poo • waking unexplained weight loss • pain in your stomach or tummy • (abdomen) • tiredness that doesn’t go away with rest (fatigue) • other symptoms around your blood in your poo more than once

here in 2004. I worked in operating theatres and then moved to day surgery and endoscopy. I’ll admit that I really didn’t know much about Inflammatory Bowel Disease to start with, but once I found out more about Crohn’s and Colitis, I wanted to help as many patients as I could. That’s why I trained as an IBD Nurse Specialist.

AWARE

Crohn’s and Colitis are lifelong conditions. There is no cure, but there are lots of ways to live a really full and happy life. Inflammatory Bowel Disease doesn’t care who you are or where you’re from. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of the signs and the symptoms.

My patients are like family to me. I see them at all different stages of life – from little ones at school as young as about nine, right up to people in old age.

I really take the time to get to know them and what they’re dealing with. Some of them are so open they’ll tell you anything and really engage with you.

I will never forget I met this 14-year-old girl who was so intelligent, she was so on it. She had a whole folder full of her clinic notes and everything when she came to see me. I thought: “Wow – I wish some of my adult patients were so organised”.

MESSAGE

But then I had another patient who didn’t want to socialise with his friends because he was scared. He thought he wouldn’t be able to be away from a toilet.

He was worried about having an accident and felt sort of trapped.

He had just dealt with all of that on his own. Feeling isolated.

When he told me it broke my heart. I told him: “Don’t suffer in silence. Always tell someone. If you tell us we can help you.” And we did.

In this day and age we shouldn’t have people strug-

bum, like cracks (fissures) that don’t heal or abscesses that keep coming back.

Being told you’ve got Crohn’s or Colitis is life-changing, but it doesn’t mean you’ll always be ill. You may have long periods of time when you feel well because everything is under control and you’re in remission.

At other times, your symptoms my get worse, which is what’s

gling. Or who can’t go out. It’s just not right.

If you’re reading this and you’ve seen blood in your poo, or you have lots of diarrhoea that’s been going on a long time, or any of the other symptoms of Crohn’s or Colitis, my message to you is: don’t ignore what’s going on.

PERSISTENT

Going for a poo five or six times a day is not normal. Nor is getting up every day feeling so tired you can’t function. If you can’t go out with your friends because as soon as you eat anything you have to rush to the toilet - that’s not normal either.

You need to get yourself

called a “flare-up”.

If you are living with Crohn’s or Colitis, you might feel it’s hard to find the right words to talk to people about what you’re going through. That’s where Crohn’s & Colitis UK’s Talking Toolkit can help. It’s free and easy to download, and there are lots of tips to help make those tricky conversations a little easier.

checked out.

Don’t tell yourself: “It’s a dodgy tummy” or think it will just go away.

And don’t be afraid to go to the GP. You’re not bothering them. And you’re not wasting their time. You are important too.

Be persistent. If you know something isn’t right – don’t be fobbed off.

There’s no point burying your head in the sand and hoping it’ll go away because it won’t.

The sooner you get it sorted, the better.

Don’t be afraid of the diagnosis – because once you know what it is, you can get it treated.

And early treatment is what makes a difference to so many people. “

Just scan the QR Code with your phone’s camera, or head to www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/talk for more information.

“Even if you don’t want to think or talk about your bowels, it’s important to pay close attention to your toilet habits because if you leave things too late, your health is at real risk.

Our message is simple: if you have frequent diarrhoea, stomach pain or blood in your poo, don’t suffer in silence, or ignore your symptoms. There’s a handy symptom checker on our website which is a really good place to start. It takes 30 seconds to complete and it’ll help you make that first step towards talking to your doctor about what’s been going on.

We’ve also got lots of expert information to help you understand more about Crohn’s and Colitis, as well as tips for anyone who’s supporting a loved one or colleague with one of the conditions.”

Sarah Sleet CEO Crohn’s & Colitis UK

16 | THE VOICE

DECEMBER 2023

Dotun Adebayo

Join the debate online voice-online.co.uk/opinion

Rate him or hate him - you can’t ignore him!

Three Black Kings for Xmas

WARM WELCOME?: The three African Kings came bearing gifts

Will there be room at the inn (Sandringham) for Meghan and the King’s grandchildren... the ones of African descent?

T

HE KING has got a lot on his plate this Christmas, deciding whether or not to invite the Black branch of the family to join him and his missus for dinner at Sandringham on December 25.

Here’s the dilemma. If he invites Meghan he’s got to invite his son Harry. And if he invites his son Harry, his son William will get the hump because them two don’t like each other so it could end up being a punchup in Norfolk. But then if he doesn’t invite Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, then he doesn’t get to see his grandchildren, the ones of African descent.

Meanwhile three kings arrive at Heathrow. THREE kings.

“Er... excuse me gentlemen, may I have a look in your luggage?” Border Control demanded.

SUSPICIOUS

The officer had seen a thing or two in his day, but this was the first time he had witnessed three Black guys in fancy dress (crowns on their heads an’ all) coming through customs. There was clearly something suspicious about them. (Or were they part of a rap group?)

The three kings shrugged their shoulders and allowed the man to rummage through their belongings. They already knew that this was a country which penalised you for being African. Their visitors visas had been reduced from six months to three and they had to provide thousands of pounds each in bond to ensure they would not do a runner and stay on in Britain working cleaning floors for a pittance.

“Hello-hello...”

The customs man pulled out the cork from the bottle and sniffed. The bitter, sweet scent of incense rushed up his nostrils.

“Phuuouh!” he grimaced.

“That’s a bit strong, innit?

What d’you call that then?”

Shaka spoke first.

“Frankincense,” he said forcefully, his jaw muscles tensing as he spoke. “...From Africa.”

Unimpressed, the official turned his attention to Odumare’s rucksack.

“And what’s this,” he asked, pulling out another dark bottle and sniffing its content.

“Myrrh,” answered the oba, his flesh trembling with rage.

Like Shaka he couldn’t believe that this peasant dared to look him in the eye and address him — king of all his people — disrespectfully. But they had come from the East and were guests in a strange land where the customs were different. He would ignore it for now, but he would remember it in the event that the man ever came to his country.

“And what’s all this then?” the customs man asked, pulling a handful of freshly mined gold nuggets out of Asha’s rucksack.

“Oh, just rocks,” the Ashanti king replied calmly. Just rocks, he thought. Yes, at one time it really was just like rocks to his people. In those days people called his country the Gold Coast and there was more than enough for everyone.

But all that was a long time ago. Pirates came and hustled them and laughed all the way back to Europe with their ‘rocks’. Today, not even the most remote tribesman

considered gold nuggets to be rocks. Gold was gold and that was all there was to it.

The customs man was curious. He couldn’t figure out why this African was coming to England with a rucksack full of rocks, still encrusted with the dirt from the ground they had been dug out of.

Oh well, mine is not to question why, he decided af-

ter giving the Africans a long hard look. As far as he was concerned, Africans were a funny lot.

The sound of the front doorbell ringing woke Taiwo from her slumber. She had put Junior to bed earlier and then fallen asleep in front of the television.

“You’re not going to believe this,” Shola was saying with a wry smile as Taiwo opened the front door, “but these men have come all the way from Africa and say they’re looking for a newborn baby.”

Startled, Taiwo looked at her twin sister, her spitting image, then at the three African men dressed in traditional outfits with Shola on the doorstep.

“Wait a minute,” Taiwo said, “take it from the beginning. What’s all this about?”

Odumare spoke up.

He explained FESTIVE that they had travFRICTION: elled all the way Harry, Meghan from Africa followand William ing a certain star in

the sky, which the wise men of their countries had declared was a sign that a child was born who would one day lead his people out of mental slavery, out of economic bondage and out of self-destruction.

SHINING

A child who would save the endangered species and one day unite the peoples throughout the diaspora. They had followed the star all the way to London to offer their gifts to the newborn child. And the star had come to rest directly above their house.

The Yoruba oba pointed to a particular star in the Christmas sky, and Taiwo had to admit that it did seem to be shining brighter than all the other stars.

But she wasn’t convinced. This sort of thing really didn’t happen. Shaka smiled impressed.

“You are right to question, my child,” he said. “The one who asks questions doesn’t lose her way.”

Finally, Taiwo agreed. She invited her sister and the Africans in. After seating them in the living room, she went to the kitchen to fix up some refresh-

ments. Then she went to fetch the sleeping Junior from the nursery room. The moment she came in with Junior wrapped in blankets, cradled on her arm, the Africans knew their journey had come to an end. After completing their spiritual duties the three kings begged their leave.

“Remember,” said Odumare as they were going, “your failures in life come from not realising your nearness to success when you give up.”

Taiwo smiled and thanked him for his words of wisdom she seemed to understand. Horace stood on the doorstep with a puzzled look on his face.

“Remember also,” said Shaka, “there are four rungs on the ladder of success: plan purposefully, prepare prayerfully, proceed positively and pursue persistently.”

Taiwo smiled, thanked him.

Horace still looked puzzled.

“And finally,” said King Asha, “if you want to know the end, look to the beginning.”

With these final words, the three African kings made their way, finally disappearing in the distance.

DOTUN ADEBAYO, BRITAIN’S MOST CELEBRATED BLACK BROADCASTER, IS KNOWN AS THE KING OF THE NIGHTTIME AIRWAVES. ALL VIEWS HERE ARE HIS OWN. LISTEN TO HIM OVERNIGHT ON BBC 5 LIVE FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK MONDAY MORNINGS TO FRIDAY MORNINGS 1AM - 5AM, AND ON BBC RADIO LONDON EVERY SUNDAY 7PM - 10PM. FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER: @dotunadebayo

DECEMBER 2023 THE VOICE

DETERMINED: John Mussington and Jacklyn Frank outside the Supreme Court in London where the Privy Council is hearing their case; above, private security checkpoint on the road into Palmetto Point

Barbudans say they are being “ethnically cleansed” by developers who are seeking to turn their paradise into a millionaires’ playground. By Lester Holloway

B

Billions of US dollars-worth of development is said to have been invested, with around 400 luxury properties retailing at up to US$10 million each.

Former boxer Mike Tyson is believed to have pulled out of buying a property on the island over sympathy with Barbudans struggling against the developers.

Planning permission for the airport was granted retrospectively after work had already begun, and an environmental impact assessment has never been seen by locals or their lawyers, the court heard.

Barbudans fear they will be kicked off their island altogether as building work on luxury houses and mansions continues apace beside beaches with pristine white sand.

Dr Dorsett said: “Having an interest in the matter is not sufficient; it is about having ‘sufficient interest’ in the matter.”

But Lord Leggatt countered: “If someone living two miles away doesn’t have sufficient interest, who does? You seem to be arguing no-one [on the island] has a right to challenge.”

Dr Dorsett avoided the question, but asked the Lords: “Has the [East Caribbean Supreme] court got it so wrong that it warrants the intervention of this court [the Privy Council]?”

The Voice has heard supermodel Cindy Crawford has bought property on the island. Much of the land belongs to the Crown, and a lawyer for the appellants told The Voice a multi-millionaire has claimed he is building a property for Prince Harry and Meghan. The claim is yet to be verified.

Speaking outside the Supreme Court, Mussington said Barbudans were being “ethnically cleansed” off their land, and he feared locals might be pushed off the island permanently.

The Privy Council decision is expected early in 2024.

17

News Feature

Residents battle for island in London

ARBUDANS CLAIM they are being “ethnically cleansed” by developers seeking to turn their Caribbean island paradise into a playground for multimillionaires.

Around two dozen Barbudans packed out a London court recently to challenge an East Caribbean supreme court ruling that effectively no one on the island had the right to challenge the destruction.

Lawyers believe this is a test case with the potential to swing the balance in favour of locals across the Caribbean being denied access to their own beaches, including in Jamaica.

Five law lords, representing the Crown’s Privy Council, heard claims that Barbudans were being unfairly denied the right to challenge the construction of a private airport to serve the super-rich.

John Mussington, a local marine biologist, was visited by police after asking whether the destruction of 300 acres of previously untouched forest had a permit for construction work, the court heard.

UK lawyers for the Barbudans, working pro bono, reported intimidation from private security and police on a fact-finding visit to the island earlier this year.

Dr David Dorsett, representing the Barbudan Development Control Authority, the Antigua and Barbuda Airports Authority and the islands’ Attorney General, admitted there was no public consultation, but insisted this was lawful.

Lord Leggatt expressed exasperation that Mussington, from the Codrington village situated two miles away from the airport, was being denied the legal right to challenge the airport construction on grounds he did not have “sufficient interest” in the development.

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18 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Leah Brown

Join the debate online: voice-online. co.uk/opinion

Water is poisoning us and the crisis stinks of Brexit

PUBLIC SERVICE: Access to safe, affordable and reliable drinking water is a human right (photo: Getty Images)

Our tap water has more in common with the foamy rubbish collecting in our rivers

S

TOP PRESS. There are forever chemicals in our water and no one is doing anything about it?!

Remember the Coca-Cola scandal over Dasani in the early Noughties?

I’m loathe to quote Wikipedia but “On 18 March 2004, UK authorities found a batch [of Coca Cola-owned Dasani bottled water] was contaminated with levels of bromate, a suspected human carcinogen, in a concentration above the legal limit for sale, although the FSA announced there was ‘no immediate risk to public health’ from the contamination.”

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. They define “forever chemicals” as PFAS (Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances).

They published a report about this in April 2023. Seven months ago.

Honestly, we could have sewage in our drinking water and I’m not sure the current Secretary of State for Environmen-

tal, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Barclay, would even flinch.

I expect that he has filtered water on tap and an Arche Carbonator 3 (translation: a rich person’s Soda Stream).

I digress. Apparently it is okay for us to be ingesting Teflon (outlawed in 2019 but the particles will never leave us) and other carcinogens via our tap water.

RESEARCH

I hear you. I should pipe down.

But before you dismiss this, think about talcum powder.

Harmless right? The EU has buckets of research on the impact of these carcinogens over time.

“Tests have indicated that some PFAS cause effects such as raised cholesterol levels, weakened immune systems, kidney and testicular cancer and damage to the liver.”

And that’s just on humans.

An article by ChemTrust explains that PFAS can be toxic to both humans and wildlife and adds to the above list interference with the hormonal system,

STANDARDS SLIPPING: Proper toxicological data for water in the UK is lacking (photo: Getty Images)

as well as with the reproductive system and the development of foetuses. In fact, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has a lot to say about it. The UK? Not so much. 2023 Britain is settling for whatever comes out of our taps... because of Brexit.

Proper toxicological data is lacking. We aren’t required to uphold the same standards of purification as in Europe (being tightened further next year) and it’s one more way in which the British public will suffer unless you can afford Swiss bottled water by the gallon.

It’s almost as if we are resigned to this country going to hell in a handcart. But I think it’s time to put on the emergency brakes. Look at the fuss kicked up by Surfers against Sewage. They are fully funded, they have influential voices,

PFAS can be toxic to both humans and wildlife they are experienced campaigners. NOTHING HAS CHANGED. BBC’s Inside Science interviewed a range of people on the subject — the episode aired on BBC Radio 4 at the end of October.

I don’t know about you but I don’t want to drink my cleaning products. The micro plastics scandal is bad enough. But HSE’s report found that our tap water has more in common with the foamy rubbish collecting in our local rivers than

the refreshing taste of Evian.

We pay for our water. It is a public service. I’d go so far as to remind readers that access to safe, affordable, and reliable drinking water is a human right. It’s worth saying that obviously water quality in the Scottish Highlands is going to be markedly different to the water quality in Greater London, not to mention the complexities of being managed by independent providers.

This emerging debacle says much more than it should about the priorities of those who are responsible for ensuring the cleanliness of our waters.

Remember at the height of sewage discharges and shareholder dividend announcements when water companies were criticised for failing to invest in research and development? Remember when water

company owners accepted that things could be different now if such investments had been prioritised in the past?

The BBC reports that “the Royal Society of Chemistry is proposing that acceptable levels are reduced ten-fold and that all PFAS are tested for.”

The challenge? “Traditional water treatment approaches cannot remove PFAS — all they can do is dilute concentration.”

I haven’t seen calls on water authorities to take immediate action against forever chemicals. It’s time for OFWAT to step up. If I could, I would join every public meeting entitled “your water, your say” this autumn. Let me encourage you to make your local meeting a priority.

It’s time to interfere with the flow and disrupt the status quo.

Leah Brown is the founder of Broadstairs Consulting, a crisis advisory and mediation practice. She is a professional speaker, political commentator, podcast host, freelance writer and recovering corporate lawyer. All thoughts are her own. X/Twitter: @OnlyOneLeah; Instagram @seenheardspoken

DECEMBER 2023

THE VOICE |19

20 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

News Feature

Reunited for Christmas Historian finds brother after ten year search — and urges others to do the same. By Sinai Fleary

A

LEADING HISTORIAN is urging the Black community to look for long-lost family members after he was reunited with his brother after a ten-year search.

Adrian Stone is the founder of Own History, a UK-based genealogy service that specialises in helping people of Caribbean heritage find their ancestral roots from their family tree.

But for Stone, it was difficult for him to find information about his brother, because his father passed away in 1980, when he was just seven years old.

All he had to lead his search was a picture taken in 1975 of his brother as a toddler, which was given to him by his uncle, who said his brother’s mother was “white possibly of Italian descent”.

After an extensive ten-year search, he discovered his younger brother was living just three hours away in Birmingham.

The brothers now plan to spend Christmas together and want others searching for family members not to lose hope.

Stone told The Voice: “This Christmas we are sitting down and making plans to celebrate together.

“Christmas is all about coming together as family and we are catching up on lost years.”

Stone said he is the first Caribbean family member, his brother — who is mixed-race — has connected with as he was raised with the white side of his family.

Jon Paul Mazone admits the reunion was a bit of a shock, but he is embracing his new Caribbean identity.

Speaking to The Voice, he said: “When I was growing up,

WE ARE FAMILY: Main, Adrian and his relatives from the Paisley family; inset below, Adrian and Jon hug one another; below, Adrian says it is up to the Black community to research and discover the intricacies of the connections (photo: Carol Aka)

I was the only non-white one in my family. I grew up eating pie and mash and fish and chips and when I got to meet all my Jamaican roots it was an eye opener.”

Mazone revealed to The Voice, due to his upbringing in a “white background”, he had never heard of plantain.

However, since connecting with his Jamaican family, he’s proud to say that has all changed.

He said: “It has opened my eyes, when I go to Bristol I am fully immersed in Jamaican culture. It’s something that I have embraced and it has really changed my life.”

Mazone was first contacted by his brother who sent a lengthy Facebook message in 2021.

He said: “I clicked onto his Facebook page and the second I saw him, I thought ‘Oh my God! He looks like me.’ We have the same head shape.”

To begin his search, Stone used records, registers of births, spoke to old family friends and even looked in past newspa-

pers but didn’t have any luck.

He decided to log into his ancestry account to look through his uncle’s contacts and found a woman who shared a lot of DNA with him.

Initially, he thought a family member had a “secret child” and decided to message the young woman who replied: “My dad doesn’t know who his dad is.”

Stone told The Voice the person he actually found was his brother’s daughter — his half-

Stone said: “When we met we just connected instantly, and now we are super close. It was the most amazing reunion.”

Mazone said he has lots of similarities with his older brother, including having the same amount of children and even having the same front door number.

He added: “It’s really quite spooky actually.”

The reunion has answered many questions Mazone had

When we met we just connected instantly, and now we are super close. It was the most amazing reunion niece — who told him his brother was living in Birmingham.

He later sent a direct message on Facebook to Mazone, explaining who he was and that he had “good intentions” and genuinely wanted to get to know him.

According to Stone, his brother responded by saying “I can tell you are my brother because you have the same head shape as me.”

He added: “He is the light skinned version of me.”

The pair reunited for the first time at a family reunion last year in Bristol.

@thevoicenewspaper

growing up, and he now feels he is part of the community whenever he visits Bristol.

He said: “It is like everybody knew me, they all k n e w my story.”

@thevoicenews

Mazone only knew his father’s name but didn’t know him growing up and never thought of doing an ancestry or DNA test.

But now he would encourage others to take a leap of faith, because it can change your life.

The reunion has also had a positive impact on Mazone’s children, who are also embracing their Jamaican heritage.

Stone said his brother fits in well with the family and “it is like he was always there”.

Samantha Henry, Stone’s sister, sadly passed away in 2022, but did get to meet Mazone beforehand.

The brothers have formed a “close bond” over the last two years and have celebrated birthdays together.

But more importantly, they have been able to “unite our children” so the reunion will have a long-lasting legacy for the next generation of the family too.

While conducting research into his own family tree at The London Family History Centre and The National Archives, Stone quickly became addicted to “digging into records” and became the go-to person to provide support to others researching their fam-

voicenews

ily history. He started his own genealogy company, Own History, which he founded in 2016 and described his work as a “calling from the ancestors”.

Stone said what makes his work different is he finds “living family” members.

The historian lives in Herne Hill, south London, and has traced people back to plantations and to the present day.

He says he has even traced relatives who were “living on his doorstep”.

Stone said the Black community is inter-linked and it is up to the community to research and discover the intricacies of the connections.

His family tree and extensive research work is not going unnoticed. His work is currently being displayed in the Science Museum, which he described as “an honour”.

His research was inspired by his mother, and he said it was a dream come true to bring his mum to see the display.

In 2008, when his mother became unwell, that “birthed his genealogy journey” and he wanted “to find out who she was.”

Stone describes his mother — who has now recovered from her illness — as the “matriarch and nucleus” of his family.

But insists the “uncertainty” made him question who he really is and who his mother is.

A trip to Jamaica for the first

www.voice-online.co.uk

DECEMBER 2023 THE VOICE

| 21

News Feature time in 2002 gave him a “sense of home” but it wasn’t enough.

Despite knowing his Caribbean roots, which can be traced back to Kellits in Clarendon, Jamaica, he yearned to know more.

In 2018, Stone did a DNA test to find out which part of Africa his ancestors were from.

Sharing the results with The Voice, he revealed: “I’m 99 per cent African and one per cent Irish, and that is due to the horrors of slavery.”

Stone said the results give more insight into your genetic makeup, and said the more DNA you share with someone “the closer the family relationship”.

He said: “I’ve found living cousins, who share DNA with me and they were born in Ghana from Kumasi and the Ashanti tribe.”

Stone messaged the cousin in question, and was shocked to discover they were living in the UK. He added: “I was thinking I had to go back to Ghana to find my Ghanaian family, but they were living in Leicestershire.”

That cousin was Christel, who was born in Ghana and grew up in Germany but later came to the UK to further her education.

Stone said: “There is a massive disconnection there between Africans and Caribbeans,

but we are their long-lost cousins. My Ghanaian family saw me as a long-lost cousin and arranged to meet me last April.”

Recalling the meeting, he said: “I knocked on the door and as soon as the door was opened it was just absolute love and embracement and it felt like I had found my way home.”

Christel described the discovery as “very interesting”.

She said: “Initially, I didn’t believe in the ancestry test that they were accurate.”

She said she was then contacted by Stone, who told her they had a DNA match.

ENSLAVED

Stone also matches DNA with Christel’s mother, Twumasewaa, who is from the Ashanti tribe in the town of Offinso, near Kumasi, Ghana.

Christel said: “We share greatgreat-great-great grandparents from the past, so that is how we are related.”

Christel said the process was upsetting as she learned that one of her ancestors was enslaved during the slave trade and taken to the Caribbean.

Christel told The Voice she would encourage others to do ancestry tests and find out where they are from, even those who believe they are just from one country.

She said: “I used to think I was one hundred per cent Ghanaian, but when I did the test it revealed I was 49 per cent from Ghana and Benin, and the rest was from the Ivory Coast and Togo.”

Christel is planning to travel to Ghana with Stone next year to explore the country and meet more relatives.

Stone said discovering more of his family has empowered him and helped him have a true sense of his identity. He said: “It’s making me think I need to change my surname and embrace my true African tribe.”

He added: “For many years, we’ve been displaced and removed, and we have embraced the culture here, but we don’t know our true roots.”

Beaming with a smile, Stone said: “I can truly say I know who I am.”

He has also shared his journey with his own children, who can now share with their African school friends that they, too, have family in Ghana.

Stone hopes his story and work sparks conversations around dinner tables this festive season that will encourage other Black families to go on their own ancestral research.

Stone’s work can be found at the Science Museum in the Who Am I? exhibition

POIGNANT: Above, Adrian and Jon at the grave of their father; left, Adrian with his Ghanaian relatives, Christel and Twumasewaa

22 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Black History

ADVERTORIAL

WORKING TOWARDS A MORE

Members of the Global Majority Network, event attendees and hosts at Porchester Hall.

A night for celebrating Black Excellence

Last month we had the opportunity to celebrate women in the community as part of our Black History Month celebration. On Thursday 2 November at Porchester Hall, the Global Majority Network held a celebration event called ‘A Night of Celebrating Black Excellence - Saluting our Sisters’ that brought together staff and members of the community for a night of food, dancing and performances including; singers Shola Ama and Heather Small, Poetess Jess, a dance performance and comedy from comedian Shazia Mirza. The event was attended by 150 staff and residents whose contribution we were pleased to recognise as part of Black History Month. We will aim to continue to highlight the contributions and achievements of our residents and staff as we prepare for the new year.

Our Youth Council celebrates Black History Month Celebration of Black Execellence event hosted by Eddie Nestor and Juliet Alexander

As part of their Black History Month celebration, The Westminster Youth Council’s held its inaugural Black History Month event “Saluting Our Sisters”.

During the evening we heard from Youth Council members who reflected on the

women who had influenced them. Oonae, a Youth Council Member said: The evening’s atmosphere was undeniably empowering and motivating. Engaging discussions and activities reinforced the message that Black History Month should serve as a springboard for year-round action. We heard from inspiring speakers such as Joshua Brown Smith who captured the essence of what Black youth can achieve and their potential to be agents of change.

Attendees were encouraged to uplift others, challenge preconceived biases, and step out of their comfort zones.

The success of the evening wouldn’t have been possible without the exceptional

organisational skills and dedication of the Westminster Youth Council. Their hard work and commitment were evident in every aspect of the event, from the thoughtfully curated program to the seamless execution.

Their contributions made the evening, serving as a shining example of what passionate young leaders can achieve when they come together with a shared purpose.

The Westminster Youth Council is eager to continue this important work, making a lasting impact on our community.

Find out more about our Youth Council: www.westminster.gov.uk/about-council/ youth-council

DECEMBER 2023 THE VOICE | 23

Black History

ADVERTORIAL

INCLUSIVE WESTMINSTER Disability History Month

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OVER THE last year, the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team at Westminster City Council has been working with colleagues in the ABLE Staff Network and the HR team to raise awareness of disability at work and ensure that Westminster City Council is a more inclusive place to work.

The team want to foster an environment where people with disabilities are included, feel empowered to be themselves and have access to the right support and the necessary adjustments to enable them to thrive at work.

When we talk about disability, we consider this broadly and it relates to an individual’s physical ability, neurodiversity, mental health, other hidden disabilities and / or chronic health condition.

We have heard from our staff that we need to make disability inclusion a priority and put more focus on physical and digital accessibility as well as supporting staff who are neurodiverse. We want to make sure that people coming in to work at Westminster council are supported.

One staff member who has dyslexia, dyspraxia and rheumatoid arthritis said: “Once the diagnosis came through, I had great help from my coach, brilliant support from my line manager who was on the ball

trying to get equipment in place.

One thing I can say is the council hasn’t held back in getting the funding to get me the equipment I need.”

Councillor Gillian Arrindell, Lead Member - Air Quality & Disability Champion said: “I am working to ensure that all services, resources and information provided by the council are accessible to all residents. I believe that it is important that we acknowledge the history of the struggle for equality and human rights, of those who live with disabilities and that we continue to work towards removing all obstacles that impede on their ability to live their lives to the full.”

“It is also important that we make ourselves aware of the difficulties that some of our residents experience in their everyday lives. This will better enable us to make the changes and adaptations required. This why we are currently involved in improving accessibility to all our leisure centres, reviewing our websites and incorporating feedback from our resident consultations into our planning decisions, amongst many other measures.”

Find out more: www. westminster.gov.uk/aboutcouncil/transparency/ our-workforce#disabilityconfident

‘During the month (16 November – 16 December) the ABLE Staff Network and EDI team will be hosting a series of talks on adjustments and how People Leaders can have discussions with team members about disability. We will also be hearing from Shani Dhanda, Disability Inclusion & Accessibility Specialist, Social Entrepreneur and Broadcaster. Dhanda will be sharing her experiences as a South Asian woman who experiences disability.’

Councillor Gillian Arrindell, Lead Member for Air Quality and Disability

Saluting our Sisters

As part of our campaign, we asked for nominations from the community so we could highlight the women making a difference: “I’d like to nominate Reanna Johnson, our colleague from the Digital & Innovation team.

Reanna is a Digital Business Apprentice who continually exudes positive energy and a can-do attitude that makes our team shine. She is a quick learner who always goes above and beyond, and I’d want to see her efforts recognised. She also enjoys baking and was a great contestant in our baking competition earlier this year!”

Nominated by Anna Gomolka

“As well as being a teacher in the post 16 department at Westminster Special School (a special school for autistic children) We are proud of one of our longstanding staff members, Pamela Williams, on publishing her debut novel in 2023, titled ‘A Trace of Sun’, published by Legend Publishers.”

Nominated by Julie Ely

“I would like to salute Angela Singhate, a local woman who for over 10 years has been supporting her community; a champion in helping and finding solutions, especially for Women.

“Director of Tell It Parents Network she deserves a round of applause for her hard work, especially throughout the Covid pandemic.”

Nominated by Cecilia John-Charles

Members of the Youth Council at the Black History Month event

Reanna Johnson

Pamela Williams

Angela Singhate

24 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Mental Health

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ESPITE its importance, mental health is often overlooked in discussions about the effects of healthcare disparities on Black communities.

And it’s not just that the issue is overlooked by policy-makers.

Although Black Britons experience mental ill-health at the same rates as people from other communities, there are significant barriers that prevent them from accessing the care they need when they do speak up.

According to The Voice’s recent Black British Voices (BBV) survey, 81 per cent of the 11,000 people who were questioned expressed a lack of trust in the mental health system’s capacity to satisfy their community’s needs.

Eighty-seven per cent of respondents answered either ‘definitely’ or ‘somewhat’ yes when asked the question of whether they ‘feel there is a problem with misdiagnosis, over-medication, or unfair treatment towards Black people in the provision of mental health care in the UK’.

Previous research by the charity Mind found Black people are 40 per cent more likely to access mental health treatment through the criminal justice system which further fuels mistrust.

The results of the BBV survey would seem to indicate that not much has changed for Black people in the mental health system after the tragic death of David ‘Rocky’ Bennett in 1998.

A 2004 independent inquiry into the treatment that Bennett received described the NHS, and particularly its mental health services, as institutionally racist, stating that Black and minority ethnic communities weren’t receiving the service they deserved.

Black mental health campaigners have claimed for several years that the NHS has been slow to adopt culturally competent mental health care and have championed its effectiveness.

However, the NHS is beginning to acknowledge the need for change. A landmark independent repoort published last month found NHS psychotherapy and talking therapy services need better tailoring to meet the needs of Black and minority ethnic groups.

Significant barriers are still preventing Black Britons from accessing the care they need.

By Vic Motune

ENDING WHITE SUPREMACY IN MENTAL HEALTH

The comprehensive report, Ethnic Inequalities in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), by the NHS Race & Health Observatory and the Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH) analysed ten years of anonymised patient data.

It found that people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds have experienced poorer access to, and outcomes from, NHS talking therapies. Over this period, compared to white British groups, they are less likely to access services and tend to wait longer for assessment and to access treatments.

The research noted that poor outcomes can be tackled and even disappear when access is improved, and culturally sensitive Author therapy is provided. and mental It calls on commissioners, health clinicians, and healthcare therapist organisations to address ethnic Jarell Bempong health inequalities. This can be done by improving resources and training to enhance understanding of mental health inequality, and by recruiting culturally sensitive and ethnically diverse therapists.

Launched in 2008, the NHS’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services were rebranded in January 2023 as the ‘NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression’.

“For far too long we have known that people from minoritised ethnic groups don’t get the mental healthcare they need”, says Dr Lade Smith

Ariel BreauxTorres, Head of Race Equity at Mind

81 %

of respondents expressed a lack of trust in the David ‘Rocky’ Bennett mental health system’s capacity to White Talking Therapy Can’t Think in Black welcomes the emphasis satisfy their on culturally sensitive approaches to delivering effective mental community’s needs. health care to Black patients who CBE, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists responding to the report’s findings.

“This review confirms that despite some improvements, it remains that access, experience and outcomes of talking therapies absolutely must get better.

“There is progress, particularly for people from Black African backgrounds, if they can get into therapy, but getting therapy in the first place continues to be difficult.

“This review provides clear recommendations about how to build on the improvements seen. I hope that decision-makers, system leaders and practitioners will act on these findings.”

Author and mental health therapist Jarell Bempong, author of the recently published book

need support and addressing inequalities in service delivery.

However, if this approach is to be effective, Bempong believes it is essential to address the training of mental health professionals.

“White-led talking therapy often fails Black people because the people delivering it often lack cultural empathy due to societal power dynamics and privilege,” he says.

“I struggled to find a therapist who understood my cultural experiences. This lack of culturally competent care leads many Black individuals to only ever accessing mental health treatment through the criminal justice system, resulting in worse outcomes.”

Bempong continues: “The problems with how mental health professionals are trained stem from a curriculum with Eurocentric

origins, which excludes diverse perspectives.

“Modern psychology was shaped in an era of white supremacy, neglecting Black experiences. We need to integrate culturally relevant approaches to make therapy inclusive and relevant for Black and minority people.”

While the NHS Race & Health Observatory report found a number of areas that needed improving to help Black people better access mental health care, it also highlighted areas of good practice, improvements, and examples of effective support from Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations and community partners.

Over the last decade many of these organisations have launched innovative treatment programmes aimed at providing Black people facing ill-health with help they need.

These initiatives place cultural knowledge at the heart of patient care in an effort to create an

environment that encourages open communication.

Developing culturally appropriate mental health services and collaborating with community organisations is at the heart of the work Mind does in a bid to improve Black people’s access to appropriate mental health care.

The creation of culturally sensitive treatment programmes and partnerships with Black-led community organisations are at the heart of mental health charity Mind’s initiatives to increase Black people’s access to effective treatment.

Among the programmes it has recently launched is Bayo, a collaborative project with the Ubele Initiative, Black Thrive Haringey, Young Minds and the National Emergencies Trust, which focuses on the ways in which young Black people can improve their mental well-being.

“One of the things we’re most proud of is our partnership work,” says Ariel Breaux-Torres, Head of Race Equity at Mind.

“I think that’s something that really encompasses the way that the mental health system needs to be working with the Black community.

“Doing things in partnership and co-producing projects helps to amplify the voices of those that are most central to the issues. We only need to be there as a support because the knowledge about how things can improve already exists within the community.”

DECEMBER, 2023 THE VOICE | 25

News Feature

Leonard transformed lives Tributes flow for hero Leonard Johnson who served community LEADER: Leonard on the streets (left), and welcoming Prince Charles to Stonebridge

H

EARTFELT TRIBUTES have been paid to a local hero for his part in setting up a landmark community centre that transformed the lives of hundreds of Black people.

Leonard Johnson, who passed away at the age of 67, was one of the key founding members of the Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre in Brent during the late 1980s.

The father-of-two’s life-long service came amid attempts to stop the deprived area from experiencing the same violent race uprisings across the UK that had gripped areas like Brixton and Toxteth.

In acknowledging his life-long service, The Voice can exclusively

work is still seen even today and is often credited for giving employment in the area a needed boost.

“I got married last year and the day I met my now father-inlaw, he didn’t know that Leonard Johnson was my dad. He said, ‘Oh my God, Leonard Johnson is your dad? My first job in IT, my dad got me that job when no one else was hiring.’ He’s [my dad] is the reason he’s in IT now and he feels like he owes my dad alot.”

STORIES

Leonard Jr says the stories of his dad’s good deeds throughout his life are “endless” amongst the community.

Syreeta Johnson, 48, says their

“He encouraged people to aim higher and believe there are no limits” reveal that the community hero will be honoured with a blue plaque on the historical site.

The multi-million pound centre, once an old derelict bus depot, became known to generations for facilitating a safe space for Black people to turn to for education, sport and to learn new skills when opportunities were scarce.

TALENTS

Famous faces including Premier League footballer Raheem Sterling and star of stage and screen, actor Ray Fearon are said to credit the community centre for giving them the opportunity to hone their talents.

Leonard Johnson Jr, 38, told The Voice the legacy of his dad’s

dad’s work was rooted in bettering the lives of Black people and showing them they could achieve anything in a time when racial discrimination blighted their progress.

“We’ve got stories of guys who got them their first passports, dad took them on their first experience to Switzerland, to learn about what was going on outside of the community because he wanted them to have different experiences,” she told The Voice.

“Many people have said they’ve started businesses, or that was where [the Bridge Park Centre] they first learned about entrepreneurship, and how to become independent leaders. He always encouraged them to aim higher and to not think that they were limited to being on the streets. There was a bigger world out there.”

26 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Young People Young Black Britons believe their future prospects are being blighted by circumstances beyond their control. By Leah Mahon

T

HE LIVES of young Black Britons stand to be impacted at every stage of their development and progress in British society According to the Black British Voices Project (BBVP), young people growing up in the UK today felt their future prospects were set to be unprogressive because of higher powers and regimented policies beyond their circumstance and control.

Just under 500 respondents under the age of 25 completed the nationwide survey. It found that they believed racism would affect their future life prospects in Britain.

For millions of Black British young people across the country how life takes form for them begins from education right through to their first job.

In March 2021, the Government published a report titled, Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, which famously denied the existence of institutional racism. The findings, dubbed the “Sewage Report,” was chaired

by Lord Tony Sewell. His findings were accused of “gaslighting” Black people up and down the country.

A 2020 report found

95%

of young Black people had heard and witnessed the use of racist language at school It comes at a time when antiBlack racism for young people in British schools has skyrocketed.

In February 2023, a Black girl was filmed on Snapchat being physically attacked; her braids pulled from her scalp and racial abuse hurled at her.

In 2022, it emerged that a 15-year-old Black girl, known only as Child Q, was strip-searched by Met officers on school premises while menstruating because of false allegations she smelt of cannabis.

A 2020 survey found 95 per cent of young Black people report that they have heard and witnessed the

YOUNG IMPACTED

BY HIGHER POWERS

use of racist language at school and 49 per cent of young Black people felt that racism was the biggest barrier to attaining success in school, according to the YMCA. A debate on tackling racism in schools was held at the House of Commons in March 2023, calling for all state-funded schools in England to have an anti-bullying and behaviour policy and to comply with the Equality Act 2010.

It also called to “foster good relationships” among people with and without protected characteristics.

Gillian Keegan, Secretary of State for Education, previously pledged to eradicate racism for young people in further education.

The former Minister of Apprenticeship and Skills, however, was blasted for criticising the teaching of white privilege as “fact” in schools instead of as a debate, leaving many to doubt her commitment for racial equality for young people.

A Department for Education spokesperson told The Voice that under the Equality Act 2010 it makes it “unlawful to discriminate against pupils on the basis of their race,” and guidance for how schools should fulfil their duties is outlined in the Act. “Statutory teacher standards are

also clear that teachers should be attentive to the needs of all pupils.

“Schools should have measures in place to prevent all forms of bullying, including racism and discrimination. In the event that an incident occurs, swift and decisive action should be taken to resolve it.

“Head teachers and governing bodies are responsible for making decisions about how best to educate staff on their school’s responsibilities for safeguarding and child protection.”

The Public Sector Equality Duty helps schools and colleges to focus on key issues of concern and how to improve pupil and student outcomes, including those at risk of issues such as sexual violence, homophobic, biphobic or transphobic bullying or racial discrimination.

To further challenge racism in schools, the Department of Education publishes information, guidance and support for teachers and school leaders on how to challenge radical views, including racist views on the

Lord Tony Sewell

Educate Against Hate website.

Away from schools, the BBV project revealed that 90 per cent of Black British young people expected to still face racism as adults. Before leaving home, they anticipated for their lives to become more difficult in higher education and the workplace.

In a post-Covid era, young people and Black Britons suffered the worst in its aftermath.

Government statistics showed Black people were the second most likely group to be unemployed between January-December 2022.

According to BBV, 93 per cent of young Black people don’t feel supported by the Government in the challenges they face. While 87 per cent do not feel as if businesses and employers are doing enough to support them.

A 2023 Empowering Youth for the Future of Work report

Gillian Keegan

“Head teachers and governing bodies are responsible for making decisions about how best to educate staff on their school’s responsibilities for safeguarding and child protection.”

– A Department for Education spokesperson

by the All-Parliamentary Group for Youth Affairs, recommended the Government to future proof approach to training and education, creating a statutory duty for young people to receive work experience in schools and investment in services supporting young people’s mental health.

However, the report fails to outline plans to support Black young people in this transitional period and have no clear plans for how they will include this demographic in their work.

Ceri Finnegan, Secretariat to the Youth Affairs APPG, said: “The APPG for Youth Affairs is open to everyone and does include young Black people who kindly attend our parliamentary events and share their views, which are incredibly informative for MPs and other stakeholders in attendance.

“The events are arranged

by YMCA England & Wales alongside BYC. The recent inquiry we had 28 National organisations submit evidence and 16 organisations spoke at the oral evidence sessions. We also had an open invite which we shared on Twitter and online for everyone to submit their evidence which is shared on Twitter.”

DECEMBER 2023 THE VOICE

Cynthia Davis

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27

Join the debate online: voice-online. co.uk/opinion

From buzzword to action Diversity and Inclusion agenda has devalued workplace equity. Businesses need to understand Black workers are not a commodity

O

VER THE past few years, Diversity and Inclusion has fast become a must-have, not just a nice-to-have.

But just as quickly, Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) has made the ill-fated descent into buzzword territory. The impact has been missing from a lot of the promises.

Time and time again, I speak with prospective clients who just want to hire “more Black people” or just want to hire “more women”. The thing is — it doesn’t work like that.

If your company is full of a lot of the same type of faces and lacks diversity, there is probably a reason why. And maybe the diverse candidates are right to stay away…

We’re not a commodity you can gain when it would suit your representation to do so.

Likely, there are roadblocks in your recruitment processes that ultimately mean a candidate from a minority background won’t get the job, or they won’t even apply to begin with.

AUTHENTIC

As a Black woman with 20 years of senior recruitment experience, I’ve gained some insight into these flawed processes. I’ve got horror stories, but I’ve also got a lot of best practice advice to those with genuine intentions to attract a more diverse pool of candidates.

Warning: they are not quick fixes and are designed for companies ready to make an authentic change.

Attracting diverse talent — not just the type of people you went to school with — starts with a company’s public face.

Think website, social media, job ads.

A huge amount of people will self-disqualify at this stage if what they see doesn’t line up with expectations, or if they think they might not be ac-

cepted in the environment. It can be something as simple as non-inclusive language used in the job ad, or a website that doesn’t communicate the right values.

What’s the first thing you do when applying for a job? Probably visit their website, right?

Don’t underestimate a job seeker’s ability to see through empty promises and vague D&I commitments.

Organisations need to demonstrate a genuine investment in equality, diversity and inclusion both internally in the workplace culture, and externally to customers and clients.

Even if you’re early on in your D&I journey and don’t have the diversity you’d like just yet, being transparent about your progress demonstrates accountability and a genuine desire to change.

Another must is highlighting the inclusive policies and staff benefits you offer as a company. Employees expect more than just a pay cheque from their employer nowadays and they’re being much more selective in their place of work according to flexible working policies, healthcare, etc. And no, a “competitive salary” isn’t a perk — that’s why we all have jobs in the first place.

Having thoughtful policies displayed clearly on your website in areas such as anti-bullying, menopause, mental health demonstrates to potential applicants that you are invested in a healthy and safe workplace environment.

Next, social media. We’re at an interesting place with business presence online — a website is accepted as a must, and most might have a Facebook page, and maybe an Instagram with something posted once a month.

But in this digital-first world, businesses don’t always take full advantage of their brand presence online. Twenty-one

GENUINE INVESTMENT: Employers are urged to highlight the inclusive policies and staff benefits their company offers

Cultivate platforms across multiple social medias per cent of consumers are more likely to buy from brands that they can reach on social media, and two-thirds of small businesses even said it was a more important marketing tool than their website.

My advice is to cultivate platforms across multiple social medias to engage with diverse communities that might favour LinkedIn over Facebook, or X (Twitter) over Instagram for instance.

As an aspiring entrepreneur just starting out, LinkedIn per-

sonally for me was so important to my career journey; it’s where I found my community of likeminded people.

And today, as part of our inclusive recruitment campaigns it is paramount to extend our reach of people — in fact LinkedIn is growing faster than ever.

However, we also have thoughtful and tailored presences on Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok. When I say thoughtful, I mean not just throwing out a Black History Month post in October and not following up on it throughout the year. Demonstrate your values consistently and show tangible action behind your post to avoid being seen as tokenistic in your efforts.

While your website and social media are important to warm up potential candidates, the job advert is where passive interest turns into an active candidate.

I’ve seen some truly awful adverts in my time… and no,

the answer isn’t just to stick a standard ‘diversity statement’ in there and proceed as normal.

Generally accepted best practice now is to not include “down for after work pub” in the person specification and avoid gendered language. However, you can’t just stop there.

CRITERIA

Endless lists of ‘essential’ and ‘desirable’ criteria is immediately off-putting for a whole host of people. We advocate for omitting the ‘desirable’ criteria to avoid diverse candidates selfdisqualifying and keeping the talent pool wider.

The ‘essential’ criteria should also be kept lean. Research shows that women, for example, are less likely to apply for jobs unless they feel that they meet the majority of the criteria.

Let’s face it, we learn most of our role on the job, so focus on the potential of a candidate

more than what they’ve done in the past.

Length of experience and the types of companies they have worked at before is not strictly relevant. Focussing on skills rather than experience — and taking into account transferable skills — will widen the talent pool and attract more diversity.

But this is only half the battle.

Through the audits we carry out of organisation’s recruitment processes, I see time and time again that after achieving good diversity stats in the application stage, this plummeted in selection stages.

They must practice what you preach, and interviews, assessments, and decision-making can be riddled with bias.

Ensuring diverse and inclusive recruitment processes is always an ongoing and everevolving journey. We highly recommend engaging a D&I expert to act as your critical friend on this journey.

Cynthia V Davis CBE is a Black British entrepreneur, employment expert and diversity advocate. She is CEO and Founder of Diversifying Group, a D&I services organisation, and co-Founder of Diversifying Jobs, job boards for social change.

28 | THE VOICE DECEMBER, 2023

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THE VOICE | 29

COMPETITIONS

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30

| THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Midlands News

By Veron Graham

Black breasts for Black women Sistas win fight for skin-coloured prosthetic breasts for those who undergo mastectomies

F

OLLOWING A campaign fuelled by the distress caused by seeing white prosthetic breast on a young Black woman who had a double mastectomy, a Midlands-based cancer charity has donated its first batch of prostheses for women of colour who have undergone a mastectomy.

Around 80 ‘softies’ have been donated to the Breast Unit at Birmingham’s City Hospital by the Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer (LFBC) charity.

Now, women of colour receiving treatment locally will be able to select a product for their appropriate skin tone when being fitted with a permanent silicone prosthesis for wearing in their bra, approximately six to eight weeks post-surgery.

However, flexibility is offered to the patients: some women

use a ‘softie’ temporarily before reconstructive surgery, while others wear one before using a permanent silicone prosthesis.

Helen Taylor, a breast care nurse at City Hospital, said: “It’s fantastic that we are now able to offer women softies in a range of colours.

“Previously these were unavailable to us, as they were only available in beige. Even though the softies are only temporary, it will enhance the patient experience and make a difference to how women feel after surgery.

Having a mastectomy can have a psychological and emotional impact on your life. It can be from how you wear your clothes, to going out and about.

We want women to feel good and well about themselves and gain back their confidence.

We are very grateful to Ladies

COMPASSIONATE CARE FOR ALL: Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer co-founder Veronica Kumeta (second left) and board member Joan Blaney (fourth right) and former patient Dee Mattoo (second right) with Breast Unit nurses at City Hospital in Birmingham Fighting Breast Cancer for their donation of these prosthetics.”

Veronica Kumeta, co-founder of the charity, added: “It’s important that women are offered a soft prosthesis that matches their skin tone as we want to give women their confidence back after going through a cancer diagnosis and then a mastectomy. Having the option of a softie to match their skin tone is an important step in their journey to feel well again.

AFFORDABLE

“The staff at City Hospital’s Breast Unit work incredibly hard to deliver compassionate care to women going through cancer so it was only right that our first batch of softies was donated to the Hospital.

“We are working with the company Sew with Holly to

create this more affordable product and we hope that going forward we can supply them to other NHS trusts in the area.”

According to Cancer Research UK, breast cancer claimed the lives of some 11,499 women in the UK between 2016-2018, a period in which nearly 56,000 new cases emerged nationally — equating to one new diagnosis every 10 minutes.

While the vast majority of those are women, males, typically over 60, comprise close to 500 of new diagnoses annually.

According to Breast Cancer Now, survival rates are improving: as much as doubling over the last 40 years from improved treatment, care and earlier detection.

While some experts claim patients from “ethnically diverse backgrounds,” including

Black and mixed race, experience lower incidence rates, this is tempered by disparities in screening, stage and age of diagnoses, care, treatment and survival outcomes.

LFBC’s other co-founder is the late Sue Macmaster who was later diagnosed with the condition. Inspired by a mutual friend of hers and Veronica’s — Carol Knaggs, who has also since lost her battle with cancer — their legacy lives on through the outreach, fundraising and community care provided by LFBC. Now supporting hundreds of women, its supporters include Lord Digby Jones, former director general of the Confederation of British Industry, M6toll Drive for Charity and the Jamaican High Commission.

The William Wilson Turner Foundation has played a lead-

ing role in raising the lack of diversity in prosthesis provision as an issue and developing its production.

Since its inception, LFBC has raised more than £1.5 million for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Trust’s Cancer Unit, which has been put towards providing cutting edge medical equipment and a ‘centre of excellence’.

IMPACT

It has also turned its attention to address the impact the condition has on patients’ younger friends and relatives, by commissioning Goodbye to Cansie Cancer, an animated book which unpacks the condition in child-friendly language and imagery.

For more information about its work, visit lfbc.org.uk

Apply for slice of £9m community fund

WINNING: British star Ojie Edoburun won gold alongside his team in the 4 x 100m Relay at Birmingham’s 2022 Commonwealth Games

WEST MIDLANDS community groups, charities, not-for-profit organisations, schools and colleges have been invited to bid for a share of the £9 million Inclusive Communities Fund — the biggest amount of legacy money to be given out in public grants stemming from last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The money is being made available for the benefit of local people after the Government agreed to invest the £70 million Games underspend back into the region.

Aiming to get local people more physically and mentally active, grants of between £500 and £300,000 are available for projects that will ensure the positive and long-lasting legacy from last summer’s Games is felt right across the region. These could include improvements to local facilities, grassroots sports, community, arts and cultural events, and major projects. To be successful, applicants need to mirror the Fund’s goal of

bringing people together, improving health and wellbeing, helping the region to grow, and putting the region on the map.

“The Inclusive Communities Fund is a one-off opportunity to make positive changes to our communities for the benefit of many generations,” said Cllr Kerrie Carmichael, the WMCA’s portfolio lead for inclusive communities, and leader of Sandwell Council.

“It will make a significant contribution to the combined authority’s commitment to addressing disparities and inequalities that sadly we know exist across the region by improving physical assets and fostering community connections that will ensure people have the best opportunity to thrive in the places where they live and work.”

Tina Costello, chief executive of the Heart of England Community Foundation, said: “We are thrilled to be delivering the Inclusive Communities Fund, working alongside

the West Midlands Combined Authority and United By 2022 to make a real impact on our communities. This fund represents a fantastic opportunity to create positive, lasting change and we look forward to supporting local organisations in their efforts to make a meaningful difference across the West Midlands and Warwickshire.”

Nicola Turner, chief executive of United by 2022, said: “We are excited to be partnered with the Heart of England Community Foundation and the West Midlands Combined Authority, to support local communities to access the new Inclusive Communities Fund. We want to offer communities that are traditionally overlooked and under-served, an opportunity to successfully apply for a slice of the Commonwealth Games Legacy funding.”

For more, search for Inclusive Communities Fund at wmca.org.uk

DECEBMER 2023 THE VOICE |

31

Midlands News NOT ALONE: People young and old are quietly suffering with hidden conditions including autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia — something that Kevin McKenzie, pictured below, wants to change (pictures: Getty Images, John Starns)

Making a difference to those needing support

Disability campaigner Keith McKenzie hopes to boost the public’s perception of non-visible disabilities

A

DISABILITY awareness campaigner Keith McKenzie is hopeful his critique of the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) plans to reform work capability assessments takes greater account of the individual needs of people with hidden disabilities.

Birmingham-based McKenzie, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome as a university student in his 30s, has not permitted the condition to prevent his development as a graphic designer and campaigner. He has gone on to spearhead a series of awareness projects over the last 20 years to help improve the public perception of hidden conditions including Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia, Dyspraxia

and Social Anxiety. After submitting his reports to DWP as part of the consultation period which ended on October 31, McKenzie spoke with The Voice about his latest quest.

VG: Why have you taken this step?

KM: The documents I have published (and sent to DWP) are aimed at providing objective solutions to make sure the correct and appropriate approach is made related to opportunities for people with a variety of disabilities that are visual and non-visible. My objective is to ensure these people are given positive encouragement to access the right opportunities that fits their talents and positive attributes, and receive reasonable allowances.

The government documents

asserts types of work to benefit physical mental health wellbeing and financial security.

However, this contradicts the experiences of many, like me, especially if facing bullying, discrimination and controlling abuse.

According to The Institute of Leadership & Management, working environments are not inclusive: the majority of diagnosed autistics, dyspraxics and dyscalculics reported that people in their workplaces behave in ways that exclude them, with just under half of dyslexics and people who have ADHD/ ADD having similar experiences.

A serious point that gets in the way for disabilities is

stigma including pressuring people to mask their difficulties but if pushed beyond their coping mechanisms then a person with disability or related difficulties could be liable for breaching health and safety guidelines.

VG: What is the overall outcome you are hoping for?

KM: I hope to see more balanced and objective insight used with suggestions related to disabilities and opportunities considered instead of generalised ap-

proaches being made, with individuals that have neurological difficulties and invisible disabilities better represented. This is a response to inappropriate and stigmatising language on previous consultation documents related to those who are not blind, deaf or with physical disabilities.

Joined-up thinking is needed in every part of society to remove barriers to maintaining opportunities (for the disabled) that will help address issues like disability hate crime, ableism and barriers to mental health support.

This does not just apply to government departments or public authorities but also to communities and businesses as well, this approach needs to be widened to include education, training, enterprise start-up, accessing life coaches and mentoring.

VG: How could a change in approach affect people in your situation or who have had similar diagnoses?

KM: This will depend on how much the front-line staff (conducting the assessments) are aware of neurodiversity and the unique talents (of those they are assessing). As I face a lot of discrimination in accessing support for enterprise start-ups, I hope my suggestions will break the negative obstacles which harmed my opportunities in the past.

(The documents) will hopefully not only fill the gaps on topics and matters that I feel are not addressed, but also enable employers, public service staff and support organisations to do more which will enable all people with disabilities to embrace opportunities.

If you have a story for the East or West Midlands, call/text Veron Graham on 07954 572 988, email veronpgraham@gmail.com, or find him on Facebook, LinkedIn and X

32 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Lyndon Mukasa Eye on the Diaspora

Join the debate online voice-online.co.uk/opinion

Kenya the ‘Blackface of US imperialism’ in Haiti

H

OPE FOR Haiti continues to be elusive as the Caribbean country finds itself engulfed in a horrific security crisis.

Following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021

by Colombian mercenaries, a huge power vacuum has opened up which has been filled by over 200 gangs, 100 of which have taken over the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince.

To compound the problem further, earlier in the year the terms of Haiti’s last remaining senators expired, leaving the country without elected government officials.

This all occurred as a hurricane of devastating catastrophes all hit the country at once.

Half of all Haitians are in desperate need of aid as the country is currently struggling with the worst famine in its history, cholera outbreaks, fuel shortages and another economic crisis that all intersect to tear the country apart.

Various gangs have taken over parts of the country and completely overwhelmed the Haitian police force. An estimated two million people now live in areas under gang control.

Over 195,000 people have been internally displaced. Reports have indicated that over 2,400 people have been killed this year and between July 1 and September 30, 2023, over

As Haiti teeters on the brink, US-backed moves to send 1,000 Kenyan troops to the Caribbean nation are condemned

1,239 murders have occurred compared to 577 in the same period last year.

From July to September, 701 people have been kidnapped, and 388 people have been lynched for alleged membership in gangs between April and September, as Haitians are increasingly taking matters in to their own hands as frustration builds up with the ineffectiveness of the government and police force.

CATASTROPHIC

For over a year, the Haitian government, led by the widely unpopular acting president Ariel Henry, has been calling on the United Nations and United States to send assistance to the weakened government.

Up until recently, most countries have been reluctant to intervene, with previous attempts by the United States and Brazil widely being unpopular and in many cases catastrophic for the beleaguered country.

After months of the United Nations putting out a request among member states to set up and lead a security mission to Haiti, an unlikely country has

TALKS: US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris host a meeting with members of the Congressional Black Caucus

offered its assistance. The East African country of Kenya under President William Ruto has offered to provide a task force of over 1,000 troops to tackle the security situation in the Caribbean country.

This will mark the first deployment of international security forces to Haiti in nearly 20 years.

The proposal for intervention received 13 votes, with China and Russia abstaining, and the resolution drafted by the United States and Ecuador.

This resolution proposes that Kenyan officers would be able to remain in Haiti for up to a year from January 2024 with a review in nine months. US President Biden has pledged over US$100 million to fund the mission.

President Ruto has cited Kenya’s commitment to Pan Africanism as the ideological and moral reason for intervening in Haiti.

The Kenyan president also cited Kenya’s history of peacekeeping missions in Somalia, Kosovo, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as credentials for why the East African nation can and should intervene in Haiti.

The move has been welcomed by the United States, the EU and the United Nations which are all reluctant to commit security forces.

As the series of coups across West Africa and the Sahel have shown, there is growing resistance across Africa and the diaspora against Western intervention missions, and this is no different among Haitians in the Caribbean.

However, among Kenyans — and especially amongst Haitians — there is great suspicion behind what is motivating an African country to launch an intervention in a Caribbean country, the first of its kind in modern history. Some Kenyans feel that Ruto

UNREST ON THE STREETS: Police search the area during an attack by armed gangs in the Carrefour Feuille neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, last November (photos: Getty Images) made the decision unilaterally in what is seen as a “back door deal with the United Nations”.

The move to send security forces to Haiti has been controversial among many Kenyans with the Kenyan High Court barring the deployment for up to two weeks.

The Interior Minister of Kenya appeared before a national assembly committee to argue against the deployment.

Many Africans in the diaspora and Kenyans are concerned that sending Kenyan security forces to a country that is relatively unknown to them compared to their immediate East and Central African region is risky.

Even though Caribbean countries such as the Bahamas, Jamaica and Antigua and Barbuda have pledged to send additional security forces, these pledges have not been ratified and there is a concern that Ruto has committed 1,000 Kenyan officers to a dangerous and unnecessary mission.

Activists such as Guerline Jozef argue that, geopoliticallyspeaking, the security operation is more of a strategy by the United States to use other countries to conduct overseas mis-

Lyndon Mukasa is a writer and researcher. He studied International Development at the London School of Economics.

sions to serve its interests while avoiding the stigma and label of imperialism.

Jozef argues that many Haitians see this as the United States using Kenya as Blackface to enact its agenda.

Haitians are generally tired of foreigners coming in to run their country. Between 2004 and 2017, the UN had sent over 5,000 troops from Brazil who notably attacked supporters of the recently exiled Aristide.

CHOLERA

In 2010, following the devastating earthquake, UN-backed troops were responsible for a cholera outbreak due to troops defecating in clean water sources used by Haitians leading to the deaths of over 10,000 Haitians and outbreaks continue to this day.

UN-backed interventions during this period have been responsible for a series of extrajudicial murders, rape and sexual violence against women and children.

This is of particular concern for Haitians because there have been reports of Kenyan troops stationed in Somalia being accused of various human rights

violations of which Ruto has not addressed. In addition, Kenyan troops have been known to open fire on demonstrators in Kenya, and there are questions about how adequate their training will be for ensuring that the dignity and human rights of Haitians is respected.

Many Haitians believe these Kenyan security forces will serve the same purpose as the Brazilian forces 19 years ago, which is to protect certain multinational assets from increasing instability while not doing anything to protect and improve the lives of the Haitian people.

While there are some Kenyans and Haitans who welcome any sort of intervention to help a country that has suffered so much, it is understandable there are concerns about this intervention. There are still many questions to consider such as why has the African Union not given weight to Kenya’s PanAfrican intervention.

Haiti does need help but is it getting the assistance that Haitians want, or is this the latest in a long history of exploitation that will leave the country trapped in the same cycle of poverty and underdevelopment?

DECEMBER 2023

Have you thought about growing your family through adoption?

There are currently many children of black African & Caribbean and mixed black heritage waiting for a permanent family they can identify with. These children often wait the longest to be adopted.

We encourage you to come forward if you are from a black or dual heritage African or Caribbean background and are interested in parenting a child through adoption. If you live within the M25 area, come along to our Adoption Information Evening

WHERE: Community House, South Street, Bromley, BR1 1RH WHEN: Thursday 8 February 2024. 5.30-7pm To learn more about adoption and register, scan the QR code or visit coramadoption.org.uk/adoption-events

You can also contact our Outreach Ambassador Jennifer at Jennifer.Kwakye1@coram.org.uk Tel: 07523 039628

THE VOICE |33

34 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

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By Rodney speakers, performances, relevance to the meaning culture & justice and globHinds and the moderated al social justice scholar, “Black Britishness”, to best and panel take many expect sessions featuring stock of its achievements public intellectual and RSENAL central to interhim to be STARLET an Arsenal visiting professor of generational the Europea and challenges. The kayo Saka Bu- so doing, resurgence. leading sosymn Champio has regularly Saka became In it would experts. posium will inspire partic- cial justice at Newcasshown his Participants est player the young be the making nships that ing youngability on in Premier reception. will have the opporI have seen ipants, provoke thought, tle University; Ms Sheryl of him, and field of play, the to both League history nothing this score and displaying but he is lost for words The youngster tunity to celebrate change my and catalyse progress, Nwosu, a public speaknow his mental was to assist in season to as he saw mind. a north have to receive resilience toughness. letters of support er, senior barrister a wall of blackness and being creating a forum that and “The ovation at the hateful hurtful message from fans ini- a returned to given to Saka The 20-yearand leading defence when Black in Britain now tiates and facilitates Arsenal’s he and s after 87 training old, who con- barristers of three Jadon have that me, Marcus and beyond these versations across ground after London Colney 25 Bedford players subjecte was one received.

Black Row, “I knew instantly his internatio line racist exertions times, to identify and and an advocate communities locally, during the abuse followingd to onnal that the kind of re- on summer. ability to score I was about articulate their shared issues of race at the their inhate gionally, nationally to receive in England and Bar; is a sad shootout and that ’s penalty and disparate chal- Secretary Lonnie Bunch. and Mr Andy Mundyreality that internationally. defeat your platforms has bounced to Italy at Euro 2020, Castle, a documentary lenges, and to determine “This symposium makes “Oh my are not doing powerful a gosh,” was stop these major contribution by touted to play back in style and enough to future-facing strategies filmmaker, producer action before his initial messages. illuis London and in minating rederby – a Gunners returna massive role as “There is he started a setting designed how expanding through the record previous the held by no place “We believe that change director, Managing Directo ulreading hate messages for racism Cesc Fabrega our knowledge about Saka, who to former glories. ly minutes timately strengthen of any kind of support.

“How do or this starts with a conversation tor of DocHearts Films.

Black s.

Co-organiser Sheryl scored and in football Now former for his exploits I even area an community personal assist say or of During UK Black History Nwosu provided in any society.” will help all and professional thank you London as his team in the north this? Can I just and through the amplifi star turned Spurs and Stoke said: “We’re here, for pick see that the histories vals Tottenha beat arch - Month, October City know derby said all you networks. pundit, Garth and 2019, the we’re embedded ri- said of cation of the voices needed to it home?” he added.it all up and take m about his Crooks, here, less three began experiences of black London derby, in the recent north Saka performance.”

Mature beyond to collabo- through history, Britheard’, said Simon After his play against after his standout looks back culture, Cane, rate on convening Euro trauma, ons are both the story dis disto his the of a been nothing Executive Director, Black and contribution; buildthere has prodigy was keen his years, the after his penalty arch rivals: “I said UCL people and a nation.” but for others suffer the Culture. “This is a critical Britons to engage in and ing and solidifying institu- “There are few things as miss in the On the openingsupport for Saka. not to abuse final of critically assess the signif- tions, day of the He said: “To he had received. conversation about son, Brentford and the very fabric important and as nec- For seathe social the icance of their continuing informafans gave essary as the need media platunique cul- of a society that future that we want to him a rous- forms @instagram to tion about speakers, we can cre- ture, heritage @twitter @facebook I don’t better understand and identity. sometimes forget ate, a future where the performers, want any Black The goal became that history, sponsors child or adult the impact and lives are valued as to gal- we have, should we much vanise Black want the and registration please Contemporary chalBritons, to it, the ultimate stake as any other, a future in, i.e. lenges that acclaim their visit the events website space in the its future. This symposium faced by black Britons,’, said Smithsonian at www.blackbritainbeyond.org.uk.

› MAY APR2023

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36 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

News Feature

Scientist pays homage to Egyptian icon Imhotep

S

CIENTIST AND DJ Dr Mark Richards credits ancient Egyptian Imhotep as his inspiration for taking his physics career to the next level.

Physician, musician, and astronomer Imhotep, who lived in Nubia, southern Egypt, over 4,500 years ago, invented the first step pyramids.

Dr Richards insists Imhotep, who served under pharaoh Djoser as his high priest, is proof that Black people made huge strides in science “from the very start”.

These historical achievements stand in stark contrast to the present day, in which there are officially no Black chemistry or physics professors in the UK. Dr Richards, physics lecturer at Imperial College London, is on a mission to change this and has helped drive forward a Royal Society fellowship scheme to take Black postgraduates to the next level.

“I read about Imhotep when I was doing my PhD and when I read about this guy doing all these things, even though it was from 4,500 years ago, it’s quite clear that we’ve been involved in science from the very beginning”, Dr Richards, pictured below, told The Voice.

Founder of The Blackett Lab Family, a network of Black scientists, Dr Richards also DJs under the name DJ Kemist.

“I was an undergraduate chemist, but for a long time people just assumed I was a ‘street chemist’”, he laughs. “But no, I’m actually a chemist!”

He added: “We are natural scientists in many ways. Even on the music side, I’ve done workshops around how sound system innovation has worked its way into modern PA systems now.

“It was sound system culture that innovated it. Even sound effects in music, like the foghorns and the sirens.

“In Hip Hop culture there’s also been lots of technical innovation, like the crossfader on a mixer to mix from one disk to another, which was developed

by Grandmaster Flash, and he did electronics at high school.

Now every mixer has a crossfader.

“The slip-mat is the same sort of thing, to reduce friction so you can scratch and mix records etcetera; that was developed again by Grandmaster Flash.

Physics lecturer on a mission to boost the numbers of Black STEM academics. By Lester Holloway

We do create; we just don’t seem to own much of what we create “His mum was a seamstress, and he got the right type of material and put starch on it to make it more slippery… but what we’re not so good at is saying ‘ah this is a novel idea, let me get this patented so that when everyone else adopts it we make the money from it.’ As a community, we do innovate, we do create; we just don’t seem to own much of what we create.”

In 2021, the Royal Society released a study of Black academics in STEM subjects over

a ten-year period, which found that white students were twice as likely as Black students to graduate with first class honours.

Black students were also three times more likely than white students to pick up a third-class degree.

The degree results contrast with the fact these Black students had got similar grades as their white counterparts to study the courses in the first place.

Dr Richards, who was on the Royal Society working group that led the study, commented: “As a scientist, if you’re expecting one result and you’re always getting another result which is consistently below what you’re expecting, then you know that there’s some kind of systemic bias in the system. They’d call it a systemic bias if it was an experiment.

“That bias is not there because Black students are genetically disposed to under-performing, so it must be something.

“There is higher attrition rate as you go through the pipeline; the more you go into these elite spaces, the less likely you are to see yourselves in those spaces.”

According to the Higher Education Statistics Authority there are no Black chemistry or physics professors in Britain, however Dr Richards says there are a couple.

However, the figures are rounded down to zero when numbers are less than five to avoid people being identified.

The Royal Society initiative

INSPIRATIONS: Imhotep, who lived in Egypt over 4,500 years ago, invented the first step pyramids; left, Grandmaster Flash, who studied electronics at high school, developed the crossfader

aims to tackle these disparities by offering five fellowships per year worth £680,000 per recipient, which will allow them to establish their own research teams.

Dr Richards paid homage to African American professor James ‘Jim’ Sylvester Gates, an expert in string theory physics — the study of subatomic string particles holding the universe together — for using west African Adinkra symbols in his work, to ensure the footprint of

historical African advances lives on. He added: “It was Marcus Garvey who said nearly a hundred years ago: ‘To parents, you must teach the higher developments of science in your homes, for with science and religion is our only hope of withstanding the evil designs of modern materialism.’

“Now if you look at where we are today, if we think about the role that science and technology plays increasingly in pretty

much every aspect of our lives, if we are not part of that conversation, then we’ll just end up becoming consumers or slaves to technology, and that’s it.

“It’s almost like another form of slavery, technological slavery, with things imposed on us and we have no real idea of what it’s really doing.

“But if we are part of that conversation, we can at least stand a chance of doing what’s good for us.”

DECEMBER 2023

THE VOICE |37

38 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Sadé Thomas

Join the debate online voice-online.co.uk/opinion

The Gospel Truth

Gospel artists don’t get their props UK musicians do not receive the recognition and appreciation they deserve from the industry

F

OR ANY artist, it goes a long way for their music to not only be listened to but to be celebrated and acknowledged.

That is why for most artists, their fans aren’t just consumers of their music but are vital members of their supportive system. However, despite the crucial part that fans play in the success and celebration of an artist, it goes without saying that artists highly value the recognition and appreciation of their peers and the industry.

Although it is stating the obvious, the biggest industry nod artists can get is receiving a Grammy and with there being five gospel sub-categories most prestigious of music award ceremonies, for international gospel artists, this is just a way in which their handwork and dedication is ignored.

The impact of international gospel musicians and artists, specifically Brit-

ish artists being snubbed year after year at US award shows does not just show a lack of geographic diversity in their nomination lists and awardees, but it also points to a bigger question — which is how can these artists have longevity without little industry support?

When we look at the average US-based gospel artist and the average UK gospel artist, the distinctions are clear, the likelihood for the US based to make a comfortable ( and for many artists excessive) way of living is far greater than their British counterparts.

This industry supports and helps to create legends. When you think of gospel music, names such as the Clark sisters, Kirk Franklin and CeCe Winans immediately pop into your head because

RECOGNITION: Kirk Franklin has won a host of Grammys (photos: Getty Images

DEBATE: Rick Ross

not only is their music inspiring, uplifting and empowering, but they also have increased visibility via awards ceremonies like the Grammys and other big players in the industry.

In fairness, it should be expected that the US award shows dedicate a large proportion of their nominations to home-grown talent but if British awards shows like the MOBO awards and Premier Gospel awards can consistently

shine a light on international gospel artists, so can American award shows.

Overall, while gospel artists and musicians create music of this genre because they are driven by their faith, critics and peers within the industry need to have a more diverse approach to ensure that when it comes to gospel music we acknowledge, as the Bible demands, all ‘nations, tongue and tribe’ so that everyone feels celebrated and supported.

LCGC at the Royal Albert Hall FEELING FESTIVE? Whether you are or are not, what can help to put people in the Christmas spirit is the joy that is Christmas carols.

With that being said, London Community Gospel Choir (LCGC), who have recently celebrated their 40th anniversary, will be ending the year holding a concert at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday December 19.

Expect an evening full of seasonal fun and surprise guests, all with influence by the traditional Gospel sound. Not

only will audiences be entertained by the spiritfilled vocalists, but they will also be treated to live music from both Heritage orchestra and the skilled London Community Gospel Choir band.

To join LCGC on what is promised to be a night full seasonal joy and cheer, visit the Royal Albert Hall website for more details at https://www. royalalberthall.com/ or scan here the QR code.

It promises to be a night to remember.

SEASONAL PRAISE: The London Community Gospel Choir in action

Hip hop warning

IF YOU follow hip hop, then you would be aware that New Orleans Christian rapper Dee-1 has recently been causing a stir for his comments on some hip hop music and artists including Rick Ross and Jim Jones.

Calling them ‘D.Gs’, which stands for disappointing grown ups, he explains that choosing to have lyrical content focusing on violent themes glamourises these acts without showcasing the negative impact this type of decision-making can cause.

There is no doubt that this debate regarding whether lyrics containing violence are more harmful than helpful will be ongoing, but it is not unreasonable to be challenged by the art they choose to put out there.

DECEMBER 2023

THE VOICE |39

Christmas at the

Royal Albert Hall

Thu 7 Dec Gospel Messiah

Tue 19 Dec London Community Gospel Choir at Christmas

Use exclusive code VOICE20 for £20 tickets Book online at royalalberthall.com RAH-LCGC-Messiah-340x268-thevoice.indd 1

13/11/2023 14:46:37

40 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Muyiwa Olarewaju

Nothing But Truth and Light

Join the debate online voice-online.co.uk/opinion

Grief, hope and unity

COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER: A candlelit vigil is held at Whitgift Shopping Centre in Croydon for Elianne Andam, below, who was stabbed to death on October 4; inset left, Stormzy was among those to attend the vigil (photos: Getty Images/ PA Images)

Emotional farewell for Elianne Andam

I

N THE heart of London, a city often bustling with the energy of life, a sombre note echoed as friends, family and a community came together to remember the life of Elianne Andam.

The tragic loss of this vibrant 15-year-old girl sent shockwaves through the community.

But amidst the sorrow, a powerful display of unity, love and hope emerged.

Elianne’s story, reported by Premier Gospel News, captures the essence of a life cut short and the impact it had on those who knew her.

As Stormzy and other UK gospel artists like myself performed, our music became a poignant backdrop to the collective grief, and the celebration of a life that touched many.

In the face of such a tragedy, it’s natural to question the fragility of life.

Proverbs 27:1 reminds us: Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

Elianne’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the unpredictable nature of life and the importance of cherishing each moment.

The emotional farewell, documented by the newspapers, spoke volumes about the impact Elianne had on her community.

humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

These verses, though written centuries ago, offer a timeless source of solace. In the face of tragedy, finding refuge in faith Family and friends paid their re- and community can provide spects in a manner both unique strength beyond measure.

The funeral procession was and touching. The white carriage drawn by pink horses became a a striking tribute that reflected symbol of both innocence and not only the sorrow of goodbye celebration, a poignant tribute but also the celebration of Elito a life filled with promise and anne’s life.

It echoes the sentiment potential.

Psalm 118:6-9 resonates deep- in Proverbs 14:11: The house ly in such moments of sorrow: of the wicked will be destroyed, The Lord is with me; I will not but the tent of the upright be afraid. What can mere mortals will flourish. In the face of do to me? The Lord is with me; darkness, the community’s he is my helper. I look in triumph display of unity and support on my enemies. It is better to take was a testament to the refuge in the Lord than to trust in strength that can emerge from

PROMISE

even the most challenging circumstances.

As we reflect on Elianne’s life and the community’s response, it’s essential to draw inspiration from the way they embraced both the pain of loss and the celebration of a life

well-lived. Grieving is a journey, and it’s unique for each individual.

However, the communal expression of grief and remembrance seen in Elianne’s farewell serves as a testament to the healing power of unity and shared love.

In moments of tragedy, the human spirit often finds solace in coming together, sharing stories, and finding strength in community.

The performances by Stormzy at the memorial reception event exemplify the healing power of music

find the strength to face the pain

the courage to celeIn the face ofbratelosstheandbeautiful memories left behind. of tragedy, As we remember Elianne finding refuge Andam, let us also reflect on the lessons her life and the comin faith gives munity’s response have imparted. In the face of tragedy, the us strength unity of a community can beand art. These mediums have a unique ability to express the depth of human emotion and serve as a collective expression of grief and hope.

In the Christian faith, the concept of unity and support during times of loss is deeply rooted.

Psalm 34:18 reassures us: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. In this closeness, we

Muyiwa Olarewaju OBE is Station Director at Premier Gospel Radio, a TV & Radio Broadcaster, and Principal of gospel group Muyiwa & Riversongz

come a powerful source of strength.

The white carriage drawn by pink horses symbolises not only the departure of a beloved soul but the enduring spirit of a community that stands together in grief and in hope.

May Elianne’s memory be a reminder to cherish every moment, hold our loved ones close, and find solace in the support of those around us.

Lifestyle Tynah Matembe talks money matters p42

Davina Hamilton is doing books for OUR kids p50

FOR BLACK BOYS …

Ryan Calais Cameron p46

Baby Cham and Bounty Killer head to the UK p51

42 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Lifestyle

Make money resolutions MoneyMatiX visionary Tynah Matembe on how to be financially savvy in the new year

T

YNAH MATEMBE, the visionary behind MoneyMatiX and the engaging host of the Grow Your Money podcast, is passionate about changing the financial landscape of people’s lives.

With the cost-of-living crisis causing us all to tighten our belts, Lifestyle asked her to share her top strategies for ushering in 2024 with financial savviness.

Overindulgence often leads to financial setbacks that can take months or even years to rectify. As we head into the festive season, we should ask ourselves two questions with every purchase this Christmas: 1. How long did it take me to earn the money I am about to spend?

2. Is what I buy worth the temporary holiday extravagance?

I always say that giving is about more than the price tag.

It is about the joy shared and the cherished memories created, so while your children and family may not remember all the gifts and knick-knacks they receive, your wallet will undoubtedly shrink from the purchases if you overspend this Christmas.

TIME FOR A RESET: Tynah Matembe says January offers a natural opportunity to take a fresh look at your financial situation

MINDSET

As human beings, we tend to spend far faster than it takes us to earn money or pay off our debts.

To get into the right mindset in December and see the year ahead as a unique opportunity, reset a blank canvas for 2024 and a new chance to paint a brighter financial future.

Whatever your situation, January offers a natural opportunity to take a fresh look at things; it’s the perfect time to make your money resolutions. Please look at these tips to transform how you think about and manage your money in the New Year.

Voice your money resolutions: 1. Your money resolutions are the seeds of your financial garden. You can make them personal and rooted in your aspirations so they can lead you to financial freedom. But it takes more than just having these resolutions in your mind. You need to bring them to life and turn them into tangible goals.

2. Start by thinking about what financial success means to you.

Is it a comfortable retirement?

Financial independence? Owning your own home? Or the ability to support a cause you care about? Clarifying your aspirations will pave the way for more straightforward resolutions.

Writing down and defining your goals will help you to take the steps to achieve them. Be specific. Avoid vague statements such as ‘pay off debt’ or ‘spend less money’.

What exactly are your money goals/resolutions?

Good examples might be: You want to save three to six months of living expenses in a readily accessible account for unexpected expenses; resolve to pay off high-interest debt, such as credit cards or loans, to achieve financial freedom; develop a side business or invest in income-generating assets to diversify income streams – an ‘extra income’.

3.Your journey to financial success begins with saying your money resolutions. Share

“Start by thinking about what financial success means to you” them with someone you trust, or even record them yourself.

Communicating your intentions brings them to life, making them tangible and possible.

Check out and get a copy of The Ultimate Money Journal at www.moneymatix.com.

Practical tips for nurturing financial growth Now let’s look at some practical strategies for nurturing your money resolutions and turning them into actionable steps 1. Budget brilliance: A budget is a financial plan that shows you how much money you have coming in and what you are doing with it, i.e. income [coming in] and expenses [going out].

@thevoicenewspaper

To change your relationship with money, give every amount of money that comes into your life a fourfold purpose: spend (up to 70 per cent), save (at least 10 per cent), invest (at least 10 per cent), give (at least 10 per cent). This holistic approach will allow you to create a balanced and purposeful approach to your finances, and your money will not only serve your current needs but also secure your future and positively impact the world around you. The Ultimate Money Journal delves deeper into mastering financial insight.

2. Debt elimination: Tackle high-interest debt systematically. Consider consolidating or renegotiating to reduce the burden and accelerate your journey to financial freedom. To fund this, look for ways to earn while you spend: Cashback sites such as www. jamdoughnut.com and www. topcashback.co.uk offer returns on purchases that you can use to tackle debt.

@thevoicenews

3. Investment intuition: Educate yourself about investment opportunities. Start small and diversify your portfolio, considering low-risk options such as investment trusts or ETFs alongside more ambitious ventures such as shares or property.

STABILITY

To fund this, consider making small changes to your money that can have a big impact. Opting for a home-cooked lunch instead of eating out could save you £880 a year. Skipping your daily trip to the coffee shop could save you £605 a year towards your investment resolution.

4. Emergency empowerment: Build an emergency fund. Life is unpredictable, and having a financial safety net provides stability in unforeseen circumstances. Wondering how to get there?

Why not embrace Dry January for financial gain. Consider a year without alcohol; you could save £787 a year and get health-

voicenews

ier. Put this towards your money resolution or emergency fund.

5. Continue to learn: Commit to the ongoing pursuit of financial knowledge. Keep up to date with market trends, investment strategies and growth opportunities. Think about your children, too; teach them about money.

Next year, MoneyMatiX will be running exciting Youth Money Camps, which I have designed to inspire and equip young people with the skills and knowledge to increase entrepreneurial thinking and financial literacy.

Head to www.moneymatix.com and register your child. Let’s give the gift of a financially empowered future.

Look out for Tynah’s upcoming column in The Voice Newspa-

per and listen to her Grow Your

Money podcast on Spotify and all the major platforms for ongoing financial advice. Here’s the link https://linktr.ee/growyourmoneypodcast

www.voice-online.co.uk

DECEMBER 2023

Health

T

THE VOICE | 43

ADVERTORIAL

Spike

HE NHS will visit thousands of people in England’s lung cancer hotspots with giant inflatable lungs this month, to raise awareness of potential cancer symptoms and help catch cancer earlier.

The Let’s Talk Lung Cancer roadshow, run between NHS England and Roy Castle Lung Foundation, kicks off as new survey data reveals that just under two in five (39%) Black respondents would see their GP if they had a cough for three weeks or more.

Giant lung roadshow tours England to encourage Black community to act on early lung cancer symptoms While one in five (20%) Black individuals surveyed believe that lung cancer only affects smokers.

Almost 2 in 3 (64%) Black survey respondents also believed that or were unsure whether lung cancer only affects a small amount of people every year in England, when in fact it’s the leading cause of cancer deaths in the UK. As a 49-year-old non-smoker with a healthy lifestyle, Spike was shocked to be diagnosed with lung cancer.

‘There was just something that didn’t feel right to me – I was constantly tired and had an ache across my shoulders – so I went to my GP. It never crossed my mind that it could be lung cancer.

I thought that just affected older, white people and smokers.’

Diagnosing lung cancer early dramatically increases people’s chances of survival – those diagnosed at stages one or two are nearly 20 times more likely to survive for five years or more than those whose cancer is caught at later stages. As such, Spike wants to encourage more people to come forward if they have symptoms.

He said: ‘It can be scary to think

about cancer, but it’s more frightening to leave it longer than you need to and miss out on vital treatment that could save your life. If you’ve had a cough for three weeks or more, please get it checked for your own peace of mind.’

As part of the roadshow, specialist teams of volunteers will assist the campaign to educate the public and help catch more cancers early. Thousands of people are expected to see the giant

be on hand to talk to members of the public and encourage those with suspected symptoms to visit their GP as soon as possible.

This comes as survey data also shows that just over 2 in 5 (44%) Black people surveyed would visit their GP if they had a chest infection that kept coming back, and only a little over a third would do the same if they had a loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss (35%), which are lesser-known signs of lung cancer.

“It troubles me that so many people in the Black community aren’t aware of how common lung cancer is” inflatable lungs in communities across the country – including supermarkets, shopping centres and local high streets – with the public urged to get checked if they have signs and symptoms.

The inflatable organs allow visitors to observe and learn about typical lung structures, lung health, and the effects of smoking. Community engagement teams and volunteers will

Clinical Lead, Dr. Seun Bakare, said: ‘It troubles me that so many people in the Black community aren’t aware of how common lung cancer is.

You don’t have to fit a certain profile – it can

happen to anyone, unfortunately.

Going out and raising awareness through this campaign is vital in making sure that people understand the symptoms – such as a cough that lasts three weeks or more – and reassuring them that the best course of action is to get medical advice. The earlier you come forward, the better your chances.’

Chief Executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, Paula Chadwick, said: “It is staggering that so many of those surveyed still do not know how prevalent lung cancer is.

We believe this stems from a reluctance, even aversion, to talking about lung cancer, and that is largely because of its links to smoking and associated stigma.

“That’s why these events are so important. They give us the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with people who may not realise they are at risk, who may not recognise potential symptoms or could feel unable to act on them.

“If we can help just one person get diagnosed earlier when lung cancer can be treated more easily, then that is worth doing”.

The roadshow will travel

around the country throughout the month of November – Lung Cancer Awareness Month – as part of the NHS Help Us, Help You campaign. The roadshow aims to begin conversations about the illness and its symptoms. The NHS’s Help Us, Help You lung cancer campaign focuses specifically on raising awareness of the key symptom of

lung cancer – a cough that lasts for three weeks or more. While it might seem like nothing serious, if it is cancer, finding it early means it’s more treatable and can save lives. The campaign will encourage those who have this symptom to contact their GP practice and remind the public that the NHS wants to see them.

LUNG CANCER SYMPTOMS

In addition to the symptom of a cough for three weeks or more, other symptoms of lung cancer include:

• Chest infections that keep coming back • Coughing up blood • A long-standing cough that gets worse • An ache or pain when breathing or coughing • Persistent breathlessness • Persistent tiredness or lack of energy • Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss.

To find out more please visit: nhs.uk/cancersymptoms

44 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Lifestyle

Cinderella lands in Brixton

Join Sindi-Ella in this reimagined version of the classic fairy tale full of music and veg! By Joel Campbell

W

RITER DANUSIA Samal is imploring the community to come out and acknowledge the “tough year” in which many have been “hard-hit by all manner of challenges” by engaging in the Brixton House retelling of the classic fairy tale, Cinderella.

Samal, who is also an actress and jazz singer, was speaking ahead of the Christmas show set to run at the south London venue until December 31.

Forget the glass slipper or the pumpkin carriage this Christmas; join Sindi-Ella in this reimagined tale of Cinderella full of magic, music… and homegrown vegetables.

Just like her Dad, Brixton’s most beloved greengrocer, Sindi-Ella will do anything to keep the family business open including growing her own produce. It’s a welcome distraction from the turbulence of growing up and grieving the loss of her father, not that Sindi wants to talk about that.

Stuck with her bougie stepmum and her south London hating stepsister, Sindi’s only got her trusty ‘Delphy’ plant to talk to. Until a chance meeting with Charmz, Brixton’s biggest influencer, sparks something unexpected.

Charmz is sick of living their life online and is looking for a meaningful connection. What better way than to host a party?

When Sindi and Charmz meet, the spark is immediate. But with trouble brewing at home, can

“I’m so excited about working with this theatre and this company” Sindi make it to the ball? Perhaps her loyal house plants can help?

Full of beats to dance to, songs to sing along to, and bars to make you go “Oi!”, this retelling of Cinderella is a local story – a tale of overcoming loss with the help of friendship, family, and community spirit.

The cast includes West End stars Alex Thomas-Smith and Julene Robinson, Jesse Bateson, Yanexi Enriquez and the prolific Ray Emmet Brown.

Samal said: “Cinderella (or Sindi-Ella) is a love letter to Brixton with music, love, and magic at its core.

“It’s been a tough year. We’ve been hard-hit by all manner of challenges. This show is about coming together to acknowledge that, and also celebrate how communities collaborate to conquer them.

“We are brilliant, resilient, and filled with imagination. I’m so excited about working with this theatre and this company on Cinderella – making a Christmas show filled with fun, and rebellious spirit.”

Brixton House, Ruth Hawkins, Head of Programming and Producing, enthused: “This

FILLED WITH FUN: The show, which is set in the heart of the community, is on at Brixton House until December 31

revamped, retold musical take on Cinderella is our second inhouse produced family Christmas show since we opened in 2022, so we are thrilled, with its creative team, to be able to stage this classic tale at Brixton

House, spinning and transforming it to reflect the energy and community around us, a story truly set in the heart of our community exploring some key issues that affect us in our daily lives.”

Venue: Brixton House, 385 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8GL Dates: Until Dec 31, 2023; Times: 6pm or 7.30pm, matinees 11am or 1.30pm – please see website for specific

dates Schools performances: December 4, 6, 11 & 13– times vary please see website.

Schools tickets from £12; Tickets: £15 - £44 Recommended age: 7+ Duration: 90 mins

‘Tis the season to immerse yourself in some Christmas magic Wishmas: A Fantastical Christmas Adventure is London’s new, ultimate festive experience Opening for a strictly limited season at London’s Old Bauble Factory, underneath Waterloo station this winter, Wishmas is a 60-minute, fully immersive walk-through, which will run until January 7, 2024.

Asked what audiences can expect from Wishmas, Creative Director Elgiva Field says: “It all begins with the festive spirit, wherever that burns bright, an Old Bauble Factory emerges, a signal that Wishmas is near.

“Hidden in its depths is a portal that leads to the enchanted realm of Wishmas. Looking after wishes is a complex operation and it starts with a Sorting Office.

“You arrive at this secret dispatch – where robins arrive with the world’s wishes, stored safely in their red bauble breasts – and the Wishkeeper attendant readies those baubles for

safe transportation to Wishmas. You’ll board a specially chartered conveyance that will whisk you and the wishes on your journey to Wishmas. We are filling the space with fun and festive experiential installations that bring the world of Wishmas to life.

“Audiences will flow from one space to the next, each room a playful contrast to the previous one, all inventively inspired by the Christmas canon. Discover where your wishes go and why robins are so important to Christmas.”

Wishmas - London’s Ultimate Festive Season Adventure Date: Until January 7, 2024 Venue: Old Bauble Factory, 1 Launcelot Street, London, SE1 7AD www.wishmas.co.uk

New CBeebies Panto coming to UK Cinemas from December This year’s CBeebies Panto Robin Hood will be available in cinemas opening widely across the UK and Ireland on December 1.

and runs throughout the festive period until January 7, 2024.

This adaptation of the traditional story will see Robin Hood and his Merry Band protecting Sherwood Forest and its animal inhabitants from the Sheriff of Nottingham, who has a very naughty plan to destroy the wood of its riches for her own benefit. The cast includes Rhys Stephenson, Maddie Moate and Justin Fletcher.

Hansel and Gretel @ Shakespeare’s Globe Director Nick Bagnall describes this production as “a tale that places the family and hope at the heart of it”.

The boy’s name was Hansel. The girl’s name was Gretel. The dad was a woodcutter. The mum was a bread maker. In the rubble of their war-torn village, the woodcutting dad and the breadmaking mum decide that the only chance they have to give their children a safer life is to lead them – and leave them – in the woods.

A beautifully epic new version of The Brothers Grimm’s fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel, by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, transforms the Globe.

Hansel and Gretel opens on December 8 in the Globe Theatre,

Jack and The Beanstalk @ Stratford East Welcome to Splatford! Jack lives here with his cow, Winnie The Moo, and his mum, Milky Linda. The town is home to a magical marsh full of healing mud. But there’s a BIG problem: Giant Belch. He dominates Splatford from the sky – stealing the mud, charging outrageous rents and polluting the air with his burps and farts!

The full cast includes Lucy Frederick as Flesh Creep, Max Gill as Bill, Savanna Jeffrey as Winnie the Moo, Nathan Kiley as the dame, Milky Linda, Eli London as Ensemble, Billy Lynch as Junior, Nikhil Singh Rai as Jack and Jamie Tait as Ensemble.

Jack and the Beanstalk plays at Stratford East until January 6, 2024.

Check out voice-online.co.uk for more Christmas listings.

DECEMBER 2023 THE VOICE

Lifestyle

Time to get your skates on...

MAGICAL SETTING: Glide at Battersea Power Station (photo: Brendan Bell)

Where to go and what to watch over the festive season

I

T’S CHRISTMAS, so that means ice skating, right? Get your skates on peeps, the organisers of Glide at Battersea Power Station, brought to you by the IMG team behind the highly acclaimed Natural History Museum Ice Rink, are promising to be even more enchanting and magical in its second year.

Glide at Battersea Power Station features not just one, but three interconnecting ice rinks, uniquely

shaped to provide skaters of all levels with ample space and time to showcase their skills.

Whether visitors are planning a picture-perfect date night, eager to test their blades with fellow skating enthusiasts, or enjoying a family outing with little ones supported by penguin skate aids, the rink caters to all, promising an unforgettable experience. For more info check: glidebatterseapowerstation.co.uk spirit of Christmas. Set in St Alfege Church in Greenwich, the concert features the extraordinary talent of renowned musical artist Mica Paris, accompanied by a powerful choir of ten gifted gospel singers and a dynamic four-piece band.

Brilliant Black British History extended until next year (January 28) So you want to keep things a bit more cultural over the Xmas holidays? Ok, Lifestyle has got you covered.

Brilliant Black British History is a captivating exploration of Black British history.

Based on the children’s book

by Atinuke and illustrations by Kingsley Nebechi, families and history enthusiasts can learn about key and complex historical topics such as world wars, slavery, the Industrial Revolution, the Windrush era, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

This free exhibition, in partnership with Bloomsbury Publishing (UK), has now been extended to January.

Location: Black Cultural Archives, 1 Windrush Square, Brixton SW2 1EF Opening Times: Thursdays to Saturdays: 10:00–18:00; Sundays: 12:00 –17:00

Candy Cane Lane Prime Video Eddie Murphy stars in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest.

After Chris (Murphy) inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper (Jillian Bell) to better his chances of winning, she casts a magic spell that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life, and wreaks havoc on the whole town.

For those that want to stay at home: We get it, some of you just want to chill out at home, nothing is going to get you out there in these streets.

So, make sure you make a note of these:

Mica Paris A Gospel Christmas: Coming Christmas on Sky Arts, Freeview channel 37 & NOW Mica Paris A Gospel Christmas is a heartwarming and soulstirring gospel concert bringing the community together in the

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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – coming December on Sky Cinema & NOW Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People.

The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan Christmas Special - Channel 4 Last year, Jason Manford, Danny and Dani Dyer, Marvin Humes, Sophie Willan and Samson Kayo graced the Mo Gilligan show with their presence for the festive special and the Lifestyle team don’t mind admitting we were in stitches.

Let’s have it right, the show is always a win, but extra fun seems to be had at this time of year. Tune in, we will.

46 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Lifestyle

‘When it comes to my work, I’m stubborn’

KEEP BELIEVING: Ryan Calais Cameron’s For Black Boys has received widespread critical and public acclaim (photo: Johan Persson); below, the production is a world of music, movement, storytelling and verse (photos: Ali Wright)

Ryan Calais Cameron was turned down by everyone but he’s had the last laugh as For Black Boys returns to the West End in 2024. By Joel Campbell

F

OR RYAN Calais Cameron, Christmas this year will definitely be a time to relax and be with family.

Fairly soon, he won’t have any time to spend with them at all following the announcement that his award-winning production, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy, returns to London for another West End run next year.

When Lifestyle sat down with Cameron, a playwright and the Nouveau Riche Artistic Director, the news adds to a busy tenyear period for the 35-year-old since the seed of an idea for the production was first conceived in the wake of the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2013.

He’s a determined figure whose frustrations with not seeing the type of content he wanted to be a part of led him to hone his own writing talent and ever since. He’s been making waves, sticking steadfastly to the mission of being the change he wanted to see.

“I was a young actor at that time and I had just come into the industry. I was working and making a bit of money but I wouldn’t have considered myself an artist back then, I considered myself an actor.

“I feel like I was a frustrated

actor because I had no creative output.”

He added: “I was working, but I was working doing similar roles. It got to the point where I could see a lot of my contemporaries were flying over the pond to America and they were encouraging me to come too, as they were playing anything out there. I was like, ‘that’s cool, but how come I have to uproot everything and leave just to do that?’.

“I asked myself what it was I needed at that time and I needed people writing the type of stories that I wanted to be in.

“I’m not the kind of person to complain about things, it’s not what I do, so I grabbed a couple of friends and said let’s come together and create a company.

Instead of being frustrated we can just do some stuff with the limited resources and money that we have.”

The desire to create saw his team produce Queens of Sheba, which premiered at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and New Diorama, won Edinburgh Untapped Award, The Stage Edinburgh Award and an Offie Award for Best Performance Piece. It’s since toured the UK and was revived twice at Soho Theatre before its recently announced run at Chelsea Fac-

tory, New York. His dedication to creating a lane in the UK has been hailed with almost every piece of work he has touched.

With For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy, however, Cameron has raised the bar.

Inspired by Ntozake Shange’s seminal work For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf, For Black Boys... is located on the threshold of joyful fantasy and brutal reality: a world of music, movement, storytelling and verse – where six men clash and connect in a desperate bid for survival.

JOURNEY

Father figures and fashion tips.

Lost loves and jollof rice. African empires and illicit sex. Good days and bad days. Six young Black men meet for group therapy, and let their hearts – and imaginations – run wild.

“I’ve written four plays that have come out before For Black Boys... but the idea for For Black Boys... was the first idea I ever had to create,” Cameron shared, detailing the journey of pulling it all together.

He added: “When I first conceived the idea it was a case of

@thevoicenewspaper

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy Garrick Theatre, 2 Charing Cross Rd, WC2H 0HH First Performance February 29, 2024 until May 4, 2024 https://nimaxtheatres. com/shows/for-blackboys-garrick/ saying, ‘ok, I need there to be poetry and I need there to be dance, I need there to be movement but I’m not versed in those things so over the ten years, I’ve read as much poetry as I can, so that when I wrote the production, I felt like a poet. I didn’t want to feel like an outsider.

“I was honing my skills and a lot of the skills came from writing other pieces.”

He continued: “It’s interesting because when I first spoke about this ten years ago when it was called Timbuktu, I was like, yeah, this is going to the West End and the only thing that has changed since then is that at the time, people thought I was mad.

“Now people are with it but at that time, no one was at the West End. “When it got there, it was one of two things for me, it was ‘this is absolutely crazy’, but also, it was this is what I wanted,

@thevoicenews

and this is why I worked so hard, this was why I had to create a company that cut out all the middle-men that would tell me no.

“When it comes to my work, I’m stubborn, even to the point of ignorance, I’m like, this is going on regardless.

“Everybody turned me down, even the people that are riding with me now, they all turned me down at some point, but for me it was a case of having a shared belief that I had something to say and there were people that needed to hear it.”

At the 2022 Black British Theatre Awards 2022, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy won the Best Production Play Award and Best Director Award [co-director]; at The Stage Debut Awards 2022 the ensemble were joint-winners of Best Performer in a Play.

The play, which was nominated for Best New Play and Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the 2023 Olivier Awards, sold out its original run at the New Diorama Theatre, its subsequent transfer to the Royal Court Theatre and its initial West End run at the Apollo Theatre.

The production has received widespread critical and public acclaim garnering notable fans such as John Boyega, David Harewood, Daniel Kaluuya, Beverley Knight, Rapman, Stormzy and Letitia Wright.

Nica Burns, theatre producer and co-owner of the Nimax Theatres group, enthused: “For Black Boys… is the most ex-

voicenews

traordinary piece of theatre balancing pain and heartbreak with joy and laughter. Responding to audiences who have rollercoasted it to this fourth production, we are delighted to give everyone another chance to join the conversation.”

Cameron knows life is about to change again for him in the build up to the start of the nineweek run. Before that, however, he’s going to embrace the festive down time.

THRILLED

“Normally we’re driving about as everyone wants to see the kids and then we’re tired but this year we’ll do Christmas at my house with the family, cut up the turkey and relax.

“What I liked about the lockdown period was that on Christmas Day we got to take a nap and I think that was my best Christmas of the last decade.”

He said: “I am thrilled by the prospect of For Black Boys… gracing the stage once more, delivering a compelling and thought-provoking narrative that has deeply resonated with both audiences and critics.

“It is truly humbling to witness how this production has also propelled the careers of the first remarkable actors who breathed life into these characters. Observing their excellence on renowned stages and in high-profile projects is a source of immense pride.”

Watch the full interview with Ryan Calais Cameron on our website: voice-online.co.uk

www.voice-online.co.uk

DECEMBER 2023

S O U T HWA RK FREE FO R M E M B ER S

THE VOICE |47

48 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Lifestyle

Take a ride into history Lead actor David Oyelowo showcases one of the most astonishing stories to come out of 1800s America with six-part series, Lawmen: Bass Reeves

ATTENTION TO DETAIL: Lead star David Oyelowo as slave-turned-lawmaker Bass Reeves (all photos: Paramount+)

T

HE TRUTH is, where the life and legacy of Bass Reeves is concerned, we’ll never know the whole truth.

The roll out of the Lawmen: Bass Reeves story on Paramount+ is in large part down to lead actor David Oyelowo’s determination to bring the hidden and fragmented narrative to life.

But like many of the heroic stories of the mid- to late-1800s, the facts were not always properly recorded and many of the intricate details have been lost, forever.

Prior to the start of the six episode series hitting our screens, writer, executive producer and showrunner, Chad Feehan, said: “Our story explores the lawman, the husband, the father; it begins with enslavement and carries through Reconstruction to the first cruel whispers of Jim Crow; it contains

some of the well-known tales, some of the untold tales and a fair share of fictional tales that fill-in the in-between.”

An insight into the depths that the vast and production team went to in order to ‘fill-in the inbetween’ can be appreciated when you consider the fact that no one is alive to say this is how Reeves did or didn’t sound.

“That’s a tricky task in itself as there are no recordings from that far back,” said Oyelowo.

“We have transcripts of how Bass spoke from court records, but you’re having to build the way he might have spoken from scratch through exhaustive research.”

This attention to detail ran right through the whole process.

An anchor of Bass Reeves is his wife Jennie, portrayed

by Lauren E. Banks. Exploring the long life Reeves shared with Jennie up until her death

in 1896 revealed a woman who was strong and determined in very unsettling times in America.

Banks embraced the role with reverence. “I have an uncle who, for him, Bass Reeves was a hero. Once I got the script and

freedom as newly emancipated, formerly enslaved people.

“I think there are places that this show takes your imagination to that you never imagine anywhere else.”

In a marriage that lasted over

“It’s important to see a Black man that literally walks off of a plantation into the unknown, creating a life for himself” read about his life and then dug into the books and everything, I became really enamored with his life and everyone that surrounded him,” said Banks.

“When you tell that story in this particular era of post-Civil War going into Reconstruction, you get to discover what it is for people to define freedom for themselves, freedom as settlers,

@thevoicenewspaper

30 years, Bass and Jennie have “known each other the longest of anybody in their lives,” explained Banks.

“Bass and Jennie are very much soulmates, like spiritually tied in that way. So, she knows what he’s thinking. She knows what failure looks like without him having to physicalise it.

“I think what we get to realise

@thevoicenews

is the determination of a mother and a determination of a person who is going to protect their family by any means necessary.

She is married to Bass Reeves, so she can do that.”

Although there may be tension at times between husband and wife, Banks commends Reeves’ journey: “It’s really important to see that as a man, as a Black man, and a family man, that literally walks off of a plantation into the unknown, creating a life for himself is so important to see and have illustrated on screen.”

Away from the Reeves family those who have watched the series will know that Billy Crow, portrayed by actor Forrest Goodluck, is one of the more affable and endearing characters.

The series embodies so many voices that reflect the diverse communities it represents that challenge norms and narra-

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tives that have been historically taught throughout the years.

Sharing his thoughts on why Crow was so well received and an important part of the story; Goodluck enthused: “I think why I love Billy Crow is he believes in the fallacy of the West.

“What I think is really funny about Billy Crow is he is this Native character who believes in that. He looks up to Bass Reeves and any cowboy and anybody who has money, has guns, has women, and he just loves that. He wants to be that.”

Goodluck hopes “audiences see what a Black led show can do because it’s so cool. Redefining narratives of what people think the building of America was, because it really was built on the backs of Black and Brown people and Native people, and it’s all on Native land.

“Seeing stories that are able to establish a sort of myth of the

www.voice-online.co.uk

DECEMBER 2023

THE VOICE | 49

Lifestyle West, but then also build on real themes of what actually happened will educate and entertain people. But at the end of the day, I think if people think Bass Reeves was a badass, that’s about all we can ask for.”

Of course he was a badass — unfortunately we’ll just never know how badass he really was.

In social and economic context, Oyelowo was not surprised that Reeves’ story was not told on film.

“Incredibly prominent actors have tried to tell this story, Black actors, and have not been able to,” said Oyelowo.

“I’ve been part of telling quite a few historical narratives and still today there remains a resistance, especially to the ones that have power in their potency as it pertains to Black people.”

Even following the success of Selma (2014) in which Oyelowo played Martin Luter King Jr.,

it would take time to bring this dream to life. Oyelowo added: “Back in 2014, you had to come to terms that if you had a historical Black piece like this, you would receive a fraction of the budget that other similar projects would receive.”.

Several years later, Oyelowo presented the idea to his colleague David Glasser, who worked with him on The Butler.

Glasser then brought it to Taylor Sheridan who was immediately on board, believing this was a story that needed to be told.

“It’s one of those stories that you think you know about, and then you go down this rabbit hole of research that continues to pull you in,” Glasser said.

Working together, the three workshopped the project from a feature length film into its current format as an anthology series.

While the Civil War had ended

and the nation was in a period of Reconstruction, the attitudes and behaviors of much of the country remained the same.

As a result, in addition to being a lawman in the most dangerous part of the country, Reeves would have faced discrimination at every level.

With the demise of Reconstruction in 1877, Reeves would face an emboldened effort by the Ku Klux Klan and other individuals and groups who continued to undermine the Black community. A force for good that should never be forgotten, this six episode series does the legacy good service. All involved can feel rightly proud.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves is streaming on Paramount+ Sundays. David Oyelowo, Chad Feehan, Forrest Goodluck and Lauren E. Banks were speaking before the SAG-AFTRA strike

FAMILY MAN: David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves with Lauren E. Banks as wife Jennie in the new series following the birth of of their son

The finer details are important when it comes to authenticity PROOF IS IN THE PICTURE: Main, far left, David Oyelowo and Lauren E. Banks as Bass Reeves and his wife, Jennie on the porch of their farm home; inset left, Reeves pictured during his enslavement and conscription in the Civil War

A DISTINCT element of Lawmen: Bass Reeves is the attention to detail, writes Joel Campbell.

A misrepresentation often seen that Chad Feehan and David Oyelowo were eager to correct was history’s depiction of a lack of integration between white, African American and Native American races and cultures in Indian Territory.

Feehan stated: “Our mission was to explore the authentic human connection of every race in the show.”

To accomplish this task, Feehan recruited Mo Brings Plenty (Yellowstone) as the show’s American Indian Affairs Coordinator.

“If you look back at the true history, you’re gonna see American Indian folks in many aspects helping everyone that has ever come into this country,” says Mo Brings Plenty.

Another significant aspect was where the series was shot. Authenticity had to come through with every shot. Feehan did not want any crew members to shy away from the opportunity to engulf themselves in learning about the Seminole, Choctaw and Creek cultures like Reeves himself did while living among them.

As Feehan puts it, he wanted to “shed a light on Bass Reeves’ tremendous life by capturing the truth”.

Protecting the authenticity of the people and accurately representing their stories was of paramount importance to all involved in the series.

One of Feehan’s goals during the pre-production process was to ensure there was no loss of historical authenticity in the project. They did a fantastic job.

50 | THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Lifestyle

‘If you want it, you will find it’

KEEPING THE FAITH: Davina Hamilton has now released three books in total; inset below, with boxes of her literary creations

Journalist-turned-author Davina Hamilton tells Joel Campbell that representation in books is improving — albeit very slowly

A

UTHOR DAVINA Hamilton agrees with the notion that the publishing industry is still dragging its feet where the representation of Black children in literature is concerned, but is adamant that isn’t an excuse for the Black community not to search for and support independent writers who are ticking all the right boxes.

Having released Riley Finds His Beat earlier this year, Lifestyle caught up with the former journalist to get her thoughts on where the industry finds itself in 2023. Her first book, Riley Can Be Anything, was released in 2018. She has since released Riley Knows He Can and Ella Has A Plan.

“Traditionalists say that Black books don’t exist — but that’s not the reality” With her own literary contributions swelling the options on offer for those who want their children to see others like themselves when reading, Hamilton gave her views on the current state of the industry.

“I think it’s slowly, slowly getting better,” she said.

“I think, for me, when I began my journey, I do feel that there were fewer (representative books) on the market but I am also a firm believer that seek and you shall find.

“So, the notion that there is poor representation for children of colour in the world of children’s literature is true,

without a doubt. It’s a fact.

“But I do think that if you want something, you will seek it out and I also think that perhaps, some of the traditionalists are used to looking down certain avenues and if they walk into a book shop and they don’t see a Black book, that means that there are no Black books and that’s just not the reality.

“If you go online and put in specific searches for what you are looking for, you will find things out there and that’s why I have always been a real ardent champion for independent authors as well, like myself.

“I think sometimes we get so caught up with the debate about the publishing industry and what they are doing or not doing in terms of representation of our children, but there are so many authors out there who have circumnavigated that and put things out themselves.

“I think that is where we should be looking to. We should be looking to support those authors and those books because they are out there.

“So I think on that level, things have improved because there are people who have decided to do it themselves.”

A rhythmic (and riveting)

rhyming tale, Riley Finds His Beat teaches children that, when learning something new, ‘practise, patience and perseverance’ are the keys to success.

EXCITED

Excited by the way it has been received Hamilton enthused: “It feels like it was a long time coming because the last book I wrote came out in 2020 which was actually a slight deviation from the Riley series, it was the first Ella book, the first one with a girl as the protagonist, it was Ella Has A Plan.

“Obviously we know how 2020 panned out so after that trying to get the next book out felt slow. It was moving but with

everything that was going on, it’s been a long time coming but here we are now.”

She continued: “Riley Finds His Beat follows my young school boy protagonist which, is Riley, and this time around his mission is to try and learn a new beat on the drums and he’s struggling, really struggling.

“His mum played the drums when she was in high school so she is trying to teach him as her father used to teach her when she was younger so she is trying to pass on the skill.

“However, Riley is not getting it. He practises after school, he’s trying his best but it’s just not coming together.

“So his mum keeps giving

him the message that if he continue to practise he’ll be sublime but nothing will happen before it is time.

“It’s really a message about patience, it’s about practise and it’s about perseverance.

“I’m really delighted that the reviews have been really encouraging.

“I think people like the fact that it’s not the type of story where he practised once and then he got it, it’s not that type of story. You see him struggling and I think a lot of people can identify with that, not just children, adults as well.”

Check out all of Davina Hamilton’s books at davinahamilton. com

Sara gives back to community by funding new writing bursary AWARD-WINNING author Sara Collins is funding a creative writing bursary to encourage aspiring Black British Caribbean writers to pursue their passion.

Collins completed her Master of Studies in Creative Writing at the Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) in 2016, graduating with distinction.

Within three years, her stunning debut novel The Confessions of Frannie Langton had won the 2019 Costa First Novel Award.

The Gothic story of a young Jamaican enslaved woman who is taken to 1800s London, the novel was subsequently adapted into a glittering, starstudded ITV series.

On the heels of her success, Sara — who was born in Jamaica and grew up in the Cayman Islands — wants to offer aspiring writers from a Black British Caribbean background the opportunity to pursue their literary passions too.

“The MSt in Creative Writing at ICE was the first door I opened towards becoming a novelist,” she said.

“Since I graduated, I’ve been thinking about doing what I can to give back.”

Starting in 2024, the new Joy Brandon Bursary will offer substantial financial assistance to one deserving Black British Caribbean student embarking on a part-time, two-year Master of Studies programme in either Creative Writing or Writing for Performance at ICE. ICE will match Sara’s generous donation, drawing from the James Stuart Endowment Fund — named after the pio-

@thevoicenewspaper

neer who founded ICE 150 years ago to help widen access to education for adult learners. This will mean that two students stand to receive substantial support towards pursuing their creative writing passions.

The bursary will cover over 80 per cent of the total course fees, and the successful applicants will contribute £3,200 per year to enrol on one of two world-class University of Cambridge courses in autumn 2024; these inspirational programmes are both taught in short intensive blocks so they are accessible to learners in full- or parttime employment.

“The degree can help to provide

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voicenews

a framework for getting the writing done,” explained Collins, who worked as a lawyer for 17 years before enrolling at ICE. “It is a good way of carving out time and space that you can protect from the other demands on your time.

“What’s exciting to me is that, for people who’ve had to suppress their dreams of writing to focus on work or family or other responsibilities, this bursary will give them room to write,” she said.

To find out more about the Joy Brandon Bursary, visit ice.cam.ac.uk/ bursary-application

www.voice-online.co.uk

DECEMBER 2023 THE VOICE

This is Brukout!

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51

by Seani B

Going beyond the call

Bounty Killer and Baby Cham touch down in UK after launch of Time Bomb EP

T

ICK TICK TICK BOOM! It had been a long 15 years of the clock ticking since Bounty Killer last touched down on UK soil and when he landed it was definitely with a loud BOOM! It was early October when he leaked online he had regained his UK visa, and this created a whirlwind of speculation over whether the General is coming to the UK do a show.

Was the visa being granted perfect timing or planned as he and his long-time collaborator Baby Cham had just released their brand new Time Bomb EP produced by the legendary hitmaker Dave Kelly?

This trio has been leaving their mark on dancehall since the mid 1990s with a string of hit songs and riddims.

Showtime, Joyride and the Bruk Out riddim are just a few of the masterpieces that have been a staple part of dancehall history.

But it was the 1999 Bug Riddim and the collaboration between the two for Another Level that was the inception for the EP and this legendary UK Promo Tour.

Yep! Promo Tour! Who does that in 2024? Who comes to the UK not to make a bag of money and go home paid up? Not Rodney Price. He made it very clear to me that this was about the EP and not any shows or dubplates for that matter.

Baby Cham and Bounty Killer left no stone unturned to reinforce the message of their Time Bomb EP. If you’re a fan of dancehall it’s pretty impossible to mistake the sonic wizardry of Kelly and this project embodies all of what we loved, but with a modern twist.

Time Bomb is a perfect mix of “authentic” dancehall, but with elements of how the “Yutes” are expressing themselves with “Trap” interpretation into Jamaican music.

On first listen you would think this is so simple. But to create simplicity and leave so much room for the artists to express themselves is not the easiest thing to do. For me this is the signature sound of Dave, Rodney and Damian.

For the project the three escaped to a secluded location

“Nothing was too big or too small for the pair as they honoured interviews on their two-week tour” in the Bahamas for a month to zone in and focus to record with no distractions. The entire process was documented for a YouTube film My Brother’s Keeper showing the behindthe-scenes process of what this trio go through to make the hits they have been serving up of the years.

The fly-on-the-wall documentary set the standard of what to expect when it comes to the attitude of promoting their music.

The hunger Cham and Killer displayed was as if they both did not have a catalogue and careers to match.

They spoke to all the usual tastemakers on BBC 1Xtra, Capital Xtra and Kiss, but also dug deeper and took it to the streets like back in the day.

DESIRE

In this new era of social media, many standards that were a given have been left behind. If your numbers or platform don’t have weight then it’s hard to get a look in to get a interview.

I remember a time when an artist would be in the UK and they would be on every pirate radio station and maybe even turning up at your local Caribbean takeaway, too.

The desire to be among the people in the community has been taken over by having to be associated with the biggest platforms and brands.

What I witnessed on this promo tour was the complete opposite, the duo wanted to be among the real people. After they announced their arrival on my weekly 1Xtra radio show, they left central London and ended up in a round robin on Wembley High Road. The next day social media was on

DANCEHALL LEGENDS: Bounty Killer, right, aka Rodney Price, with Baby Cham, aka Damian Beckett fire with footage of the two in the streets taking pictures with all. The Time Bomb takeover was not exclusive to just London, as Birmingham, Liverpool and other smaller cities felt their presence. To my surprise the poor people governor informed me that this was his first time in Manchester aka Galchester

when he was hosted by my up north colleague Dr C for an interview in his front room!

Nothing was too big or too small for the pair as they honoured interviews on their twoweek tour.

I love the fact that egos were in check as they knew that a concerted effort has to made

by all who is involved in Caribbean music. The truth is our music streaming numbers are not as powerful as the influence.

Rather than complain and judge others they have led and shown an example of how it can be approached.

Did it work? Yes, the Ghetto Story singer told me. “We were

on the top of the charts while in the streets promoting.”

While the world is getting more used in working remotely, Bounty Killer left me with some choice words about why he thinks radio and being in people’s faces is still so important to him in true rhyming style…

“The internet, is not as intimate!”

52

| THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

TOP SPORTS COVERAGE 24/7 VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK/SPORT

OF SPORT NEWSPAPER

Building foundations Raheem Sterling meets first four recipients of scholarships funded by his charity. By Rodney Hinds

C

HELSEA AND England star Raheem Sterling has met with the first four recipients of scholarships funded by the Raheem Sterling Foundation.

These scholarships mark a significant step in the partnership between the University of Manchester and King’s College London, initiated in April of this year.

The Raheem Sterling Foundation has made a commitment to grant 14 scholarships over the next three years to young individuals of Black, African, and Caribbean heritage. This initiative aims to facilitate their enrolment at these prestigious universities.

This partnership between the Raheem Sterling Foundation and the universities intends to help address the attainment gap experienced by Black British students, promote social mobility, and support equal access to higher education.

Sterling met with the scholarship recipients, attentively listening to their stories and aspirations for the future. He stressed the transformative power of education, encouraging the students to remain dedicated to their goals and strive for their potential.

Reflecting on the meeting, he said: “I’m honoured to have met these exceptional young people

as they begin their journey with the University of Manchester and King’s College London.

“Education is essential for change, and through the Foundation, we want to create a lasting impact on the lives of all scholarship recipients.

“We will be supporting them through their studies, their future careers, and look forward to following their progress over the coming years.”

The scholarships cover tuition fees, accommodation expenses, and other essential educational costs, removing financial barriers that may hinder these students’ academic journeys.

A scholarship recipient studying at University of Manchester said: “Meeting Raheem Sterling and the Foundation team was a privilege and I had such a great time. He was down to earth and showed real interest in my education and life.

“Meeting him gave me the encouragement that I have an important contribution to make to society and a greater purpose than myself.

STAR QUALITY: Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring for Chelsea; left, Michael Bankole, Research Fellow, Centre for British Politics and Government at King’s, Raheem and Sam DeCanio, Senior Lecturer, Department of Political Economy at King’s (photos: Getty Images/Playmaker)

“The scholarship has definitely been very beneficial as it has eliminated the debt burden of attending university, placed me in good stead for the future, and has allowed me to allocate a huge amount of time to Law, which is a rigorous course.

“One key thing that stood out

to me is that Raheem had a willingness to invest into my future through supporting my studies.

“For that reason I want to say I am very thankful and honoured.

Raheem Sterling and the Foundation, I hope this investment will produce great returns!”

A scholarship recipient studying at King’s added: “I am incredibly grateful to be receiving this scholarship, it has added

more reason to keep striving in my academic endeavours at King’s.

“This money is going to be used to further my learning and to support myself through my undergraduate course.

“Raheem and everyone involved in the foundation have been very welcoming and I intend to make the most out of this wonderful opportunity.”

The Raheem Sterling Foundation, in its ongoing commitment to creating positive change, continues to invest in education, foster creativity, and advance social mobility initiatives within various communities.

The Foundation is unwavering in its dedication to empowering the next generation and strives to build a brighter and more equitable future for all.

Asante named as 2023 inductee in WSL’s Hall of Fame

By Rodney Hinds

HIGHLY respected Anita Asante has been inducted into the Barclays Women’s Super League Hall of Fame for 2023.

The FA and lead partner Barclays also announce that Jill Scott MBE and Ellen White MBE were also inducted.

The trio were standout figures during their respective professional careers in England and contributed hugely to the growth of the women’s and girls’ game.

Anita helped set the foundations of the women’s game in England prior to the creation of the Barclays Women’s

Super League, with a trophy laden spell at Arsenal throughout the noughties, and made 47 appearances in the division’s current guise for Chelsea and Aston Villa.

All three inductees were officially unveiled at a special event at the National Football Museum in Manchester recently which saw those at the heart of women’s football – clubs, media, partners, and league representatives – come together to celebrate the greatness of the Barclays Women’s Super League.

The evening follows on from the collaboration announced between the National Football Museum and Barclays

WSL earlier this season to increase the representation of women’s football memorabilia at the venue.

White, Scott and Asante’s inductions were decided by the Barclays WSL Hall of Fame selection panel, which features prominent former players, coaches, and officials from the women’s game, as well as journalists and members of FA staff.

The inductees join an illustrious group of individuals who have been recognised for their huge contributions and achievements at the highest level of the women’s game, including Emma Hayes, Karen Carney MBE and Kelly Smith amongst others.

HIGHLY RESPECTED: Anita Asante has contributed hugely to the growth of the women’s game

DECEMBER 2023 THE VOICE

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Sport

Breaking down barriers

SHARED MISSION: Main, left, members of the Foundation at Aston Martin’s HQ; inset below, Aleto Foundation CEO David Villa-Clarke and Aston Martin’s Martin Whitmarsh

Aleto Foundation and Aston Martin aim for more diverse future in motorsport. By Rodney Hinds

I

T PROMISES to be a happy festive period and a positive new year for members of the Aleto Foundation.

Recently, members of the Foundation, with a penchant for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, were guests of one of motorsport’s foremost teams as the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team and Aleto Foundation Mentorship Programme alliance was launched.

The nine-month mentoring journey forms part of Aston Martin’s shared mission with the Aleto Foundation to make motorsport accessible to all young people, regardless of

their background. Combining the expertise and resources of both organisations, this comprehensive programme included a Leadership Masterclass at the AMRTC, interactive workshops, and a one-week work experience at the AMRTC, aiming to provide the young people with the necessary tools, guidance, and opportunities to thrive within the motorsport industry.

Together with Aleto, Aston Martin are committed to increasing diversity and participation in motorsport and technology, particularly among ethnic minority youth.

Aleto’s visionary CEO David

Villa-Clarke said: “Our partners are authentic in their ambition to improve social mobility in the UK. “Meeting Martin Whitmarsh and the Aston Martin F1 Team, hearing about their ambitions to have the best team in F1 and to open pathways for young people from under represented and minority backgrounds, is music to my ears.

“Looking forward to the leadership programme. Great work by the Aleto Foundation team in pulling together a professional programme.

“Big thanks to Debbie Wall and Rob Bloom for their efforts in bringing this to fruition.”

Buatsi-Azeez title eliminator rescheduled

By Milton Boyce

‘EXCITED’: Joshua Buatsi in action

THE WBA world title final eliminator clash between number one and number two world-ranked lightheavyweights Joshua Buatsi and Dan Azeez has been rescheduled for Saturday February 3.

Buatsi (17-0, 3 KOs) and Azeez (20-0, 13 KOs) were set to meet on October 21 at The O2 but a back injury suffered by Azeez in his final training session forced the postponement of their all-British showdown. The rescheduled contest will now take place at The

OVO Arena Wembley due to a lack of available dates at The O2.

With a new date set, the friends turned rivals are now back in full training ahead of one of the most anticipated fights in British boxing as the undefeated Londoners prepare to go toe-to-toe with bragging rights and a shot at the WBA world light-heavyweight title on the line.

BOXXER founder and CEO, Ben Shalom, said: “We’re delighted to be back in the capital on February 3 for Joshua Buatsi vs Dan Azeez.

“It’s a fight everyone is looking

forward to following the disappointment of the postponement in October. We wanted to get the fight back on as soon as possible.

“Unfortunately, the only available date at The O2 was January 13, which would leave Dan Azeez without his coach for his biggest fight, so we’ve secured the next available date, which is February 3rd at The OVO Arena Wembley.

“It’s another fantastic addition to our 2024 schedule. We’re starting the year with a bang.

“Both men are hungrier than ever and can’t wait to get in the

ring. With London bragging rights and a world title opportunity up for grabs, it’s a fight you do not want to miss.”

Buatsi said: “I’m excited to get a new date locked in. There’s definitely some unfinished business. The delay has only made me more determined. It’s a very important fight.

“There is too much on the line for me to contemplate anything other than victory. On February 3, I’m going to show why I am the number one in the division. It’s my time to shine!”

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THE VOICE DECEMBER 2023

Sport MEMORIES TO LAST A LIFETIME: Soft Life Ski’s trip to Chamonix in France last March proved popular; inset below, a group selfie

Good vibes on the slopes

I

T WOULD be fair to say that things are going positively downhill for Soft Life Ski (SLS).

The Black skiing group have quickly cemented a burgeoning reputation as they look to encourage members of the community to take to the slopes.

For a long time, winter activities such as skiing have been seen as highly exclusive and reserved for a specific demographic. But SLS are changing that view!

Their trip to Hemsedal in Norway next March has seen hundreds of people book their tickets already.

Participants will embrace more than just a ski festival.

It will be a unique celebration that merges the exhilaration of skiing with a profound love for music. They have curated an extraordinary experience that promises attendees unforgettable moments and memories that will last a lifetime.

The visionary men behind SLS, Emmanuel Ojo, Kendrick Fordjour and Edmund Antwi spoke to Voice of Sport about their philosophy and ambitions.

RH: How did the organisation start and why?

Emmanuel: Soft Life Ski started in 2022. We were a group of six people that went out skiing for the first time. We had a friend who found a random group deal on one of those

Black skiing group Soft Life Ski are making winter sports open to all. By Rodney Hinds travel package apps in a really nice French resort. We had no idea what to pack, what to bring and whatnot.

However, we flew out there, six of us, and we just had one of the most amazing times we’ve ever had. Seeing the mountains was so beautiful, learning the ski slopes. The lack of knowledge was something that was holding us back and also holding our friends back. There were all these misconceptions about the sport and the activities, and even the locations.

We were definitely the only Black people on those mountains, and also the only young people and we were surrounded by loads of kids who were wizards!

After learning all of that, we asked on our social media, ‘who would want to come skiing with us next time?’ We added a video of the trip, and were then just swamped with loads of messages and support.

wanted to make things happen, make this a reality, and just increase it on a bigger scale.

What we did was push out stuff on our socials and I think our first TikTok went viral, so we knew that this was something that people wanted.

A lot of Black people are skiing right now and we want to transcend anything that has been done before.

We want to go beyond the standard ski trips, so we came together and defined what it was we wanted to do, and that was to sort of have a balance between skiing and our culture and bring it to the slopes.

We then said, ‘what does that look like?’

We all decided that it looked like a festival. So, from there, we branded our festival, made our decks, we reached out to different organisations, and we said, ‘Okay, this is going to happen now, let’s get serious.’

RH: How pleasantly surprised were you by the interest and momentum in SLS? Ed: We got a lot of great feedback in March 2023 after a trip. We enjoyed it and we really

RH: How do you handle a group made up of differing skiing abilities?

Ed: The majority of our March 2024 trip is going to be beginners. We have a lot of solo travellers too. We try

to crush any nerves by saying, ‘when you come on our trip, you will learn how to ski, you will learn how to snowboard, whatever you want, you choose.’

It is a 21 and overs trip in March. The demographic of our group is around 60 per cent women and 40 per cent men, and we want to cater towards the former, given the fact they’re the majority and the men that are coming on the trip are generally happy with whatever’s happening as long as it’s a good time.

However, we’ve got a lot of people from 24 all the way to 30-32. So that’s what’s happening on this trip, and we think it’s just going to continue.

We have created a package that allows you to just pay your money, catch a flight, and you’re there. We’re focusing on

an urban, Black Afro-Caribbean culture and community and bringing that to the slopes, but all demographics are welcome!

RH: How exciting is it to see some of your creative ideas come to fruition?

Kendrick: I missed out on the March trip unfortunately, due to work and I was so gutted. I already had it in mind that I was going to get a drone, in order to create content for myself, with my ability to create stories.

I saw that the team was forming, and it was becoming more of a serious machine. I was keeping tabs on it, just watching everything that was happening.

I knew when I joined the team that we were always going to sell out quickly for anything in the future.

I just felt that we were building the right machine. We have brought people in in the right way, latched on to the things of the community.

We are making things really fun and showing that the experience in itself isn’t only attached to the bourgeoisie, it’s something that any of us can experience as we are tapping into more spaces, and we are expanding the culture beyond what we’ve actually imagined.

I think maybe a couple of years ago, people would never have imagined an Afrobeats festival, with skiing, in another country.

RH: What levels can SLS reach in the future?

Ed: I think it’s just about increasing the awareness, having that inclusivity and diversity in skiing, and it becoming a norm within our culture and our society.

That’s more important for me because going places where you don’t feel welcomed isn’t a great feeling.

We want to have that embedded within the culture so that rather than saying, skiing isn’t for Black people, they’re saying, when are we going skiing?

Kendrick: Accessibility is a huge thing in terms of actually bringing it to the culture and bringing it to the masses. We want to be an entry point and work with 7,000 to 8,000 people, those are the sorts of numbers that we dream of in the future.

We also understand that we need to have a good relationship with brands and sponsors, who generally want to make their brands known to everybody on a global scale.

Away from that, I want a young boy or girl from Peckham see Soft Life Ski videos, and then think, ‘okay, when I get older, I know I’m going to go to on a trip with Soft Life Ski.’ Emmanuel: I think we can go on to be a global brand because skiing allows you to see the world in a sense.

Visit: www.softlifeski.com

DECEMBER 2023 THE VOICE

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55

Sport

‘More than just sports’ COMMUNITY SPIRIT: Nana Badu, founder and CEO of BADU Sports, encourages youngsters to get involved with what he has to offer

The aim of BADU Sports is to truly contribute to communities and improve the quality of life for all.

By Lyle-Anthony Golding “

B

ADU IS an opportunity to zoom out and think about a world that is so much bigger than I’m just yourself — it’s an opportunity to learn from so many people, but also learn from just living a life of impact.”

Twenty-two-year-old Mercy Okutubo just recently completed her Master’s degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and has been working at the BADU Group for just over half a year.

When The Voice sat down with Mercy and Nana Badu, founder and CEO of BADU Sports, Mercy’s perspective on why young people should join, was poignant.

“I’d say come to BADU because it’s a great place to build a foundation on a life bigger than just you and a life that you can feed into the next generation and make sure that they don’t have to go through the same struggles you have,” she says.

BADU provides unmatched assistance to local systems, families, and educational institutions intending to improve the quality of life for all generations.

They offer curriculum support to schools and students of all ages and skill levels. All BADU students benefit from the engaging and enjoyable sessions their seasoned instructors and coaches are known for providing.

BADU employs a first-rate, reliable, and inclusive sports program to engage the younger generation. Some of the best athletes in the nation have come out of the program, and the sessions are both accessible and enjoyable.

The organisation is split into five services. BADU schools, sports, mentoring, community and creatives. These subsections all offer unique programs and initiatives aimed at empowering the next generation in multiple facets of life.

Nana spoke more about the inspiration behind starting BADU as well as their insistence on providing community

DEVELOPING NEW SKILLS: While BADU Sports does focus on sports, it also focuses on schools, mentoring, community and creatives

“We’re always looking at the complex aspects that our community needs” building through more than just sports.

He emphasised: “We’re always looking at the different complex aspects that our community needs to start to have a true change and deep impact within it.

“We do this through three core pillars.

Sports and physical activity is one, community and place-making being another and then the final bit is about mentoring, education and workforce development.”

BADU clarified that sports were an essential vehicle for personal development. Because of the platform sports can give young people to feel scared and experience failure, it can allow young people to see the value of inclusion and cooperation to turn failure into success.

“If the goal is for us to win, then we’ll have to collectively work together and put our differences aside to get to that point,” he said.

“It’s about cultivating a mindset in our young people that no matter what the media or anyone says about them, their power is in their collective working or understanding themselves. Whether it’s utilising the skills of everyone in your team, or working intrinsically to develop yourself and be an asset to that team.”

The passion of BADU was tangible.

During the interview we spoke about his background, being Ghanaian by birth and moving to the UK, sport was one

of the main avenues of expression for him. He highlighted loving the freedom of expression and creativity sport offered coupled with being part of a network or community and helping those around him. The values that he expressed are the same ones that can be seen at the core of the BADU Way. “I love working with people and this organisation. My job is to sit alongside Mercy and get her to teach me. She’s gonna be the legacy.

“Eighty per cent of our team are below 24, they’re part of the leadership aspect, operations or events and planning.

There are people in the organisation who are in decision-making spaces. Yes, they’ve had mentoring from myself, but they’ve also mentored me.”

The results also speak for themselves.

The BADU Way has built partnerships with Nike, Loughborough University,

and Norwich City FC, helped over 1,000 families during their COVID campaign; as well as seen 80 per cent of their 2020 cohort receive unconditional offers to Russell Group Universities.

Their commitment to nurturing the next generation of young minds and their holistic development is truly commendable and is seen not only in their outreach but in their youthful constitution as well.

The BADU community’s next upcoming project is their annual That Moment When Christmas campaign. They aim to raise £10,000 to provide 350 underserved families with food and present hampers this festive season.

They are currently welcoming donations and volunteers, and those wanting to aid in this campaign can visit @badusports on Instagram and follow the links in their bio.

If you prefer in person, the BADU Community is located on Hackney Bridge, with volunteers there always willing to have a conversation about service and how people can get on board.

Every year, BADU Mentoring offers a mentee program for young people aged 14-18, where 60 persons will gain access to academic support, career events, and networking opportunities.

The BADU Sports group offers a variety of classes aimed at different age groups.

From football and athletics to swimming and basketball; there’s a class for everyone. Those interested can follow the link below to view and book sessions at badusports.classforkids.io/

If you’d like to learn more about the BADU Way, their initiatives, and their goals, visit thebaduway.com

DECEMBER 2023

THE VOICE |57

Right now, good things are happening at Cavan Bakery Cavan Bakery is now making more artisan bread and cakes, more efficiently, with new premises and equipment that we helped finance.

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