Inside THIS MONTH
Fight for justice Is freedom beckoning for the UK’s ‘Forever Prisoners?’ p10
ROUNDUP NEWSPAPER
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This issue is 48 pages EDITOR Vic Motune E. vic.motune@thevoicemedia group.co.uk
CORPORATE AFFAIRS & COMMUNICATIONS Paula Dyke E. paula@thevoicemedia group.co.uk
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Paulette Simpson E. paulette.simpson@thevoice mediagroup.co.uk
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The Voice says Benjamin Zephaniah: Literary revolutionary who transcended all boundaries LAST MONTH, the world bid a sad farewell to Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah, a creative giant whose books, poetry and television broadcasts not only entertained and inspired millions but also won him admiration for providing a voice to marginalised communities. Tributes poured in from around the world, acknowledging the poet as a hero, a revolutionary, and a voice for the oppressed. The impact of his work reached far and wide, across generations and cultural divides. Celebrated for his poetry, Zephaniah’s skill with words went beyond writing great poems. He created anthems that celebrated people’s ability and power to resist injustice and inequality. His vast body of work — which included novels, plays, children’s books, memoirs, and television acting — resonated with millions of people throughout the world. Not only did he have a huge effect on poetry and literature, he served as a catalyst for people to consider thinking about issues from the perspective of people from underrepresented communities and challenging inaccurate mainstream narratives. Despite being born into a working-class family, struggling with dyslexia and leaving school early, his poems found a place in the GCSE English curriculum, breaking down barriers and inspiring generations. Zephaniah eventually became a professor of poetry. The fact that so many academic honours were bestowed on him is a testament to his resilience and determination. He also found success as a musician and an actor, starring in the top-rated show Peaky Blinders. But despite his success he remained a tireless campaigner whose criticisms of the establishment were more than words, they were demands for change. Zephaniah’s rejection of the traditional trappings of recognition such as his decision to reject an OBE awarded to him in 2003, spoke volumes about his principles. He rejected an honour based on the idea of “empire”, and in so doing he became a celebrated figure of protest against the enduring effects of colonialism. Instead, he embraced honours that allowed him to impart knowledge and wisdom, such as becoming a professor of creative writing at Brunel University. In this edition, we pay tribute to Benjamin Zephaniah and publish his last ever interview with Voice journalist Richard Sudan. During the interview, he talked about spirituality, his life’s journey and the impact of his work. Although the sadness that many feel at his passing is profound, his legacy will live on through his words. They are still with us, waiting to encourage or console us and ignite a sense of joy when we need lifting. Rest in Power Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah.
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JANUARY 2024 THE VOICE
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Benjamin Zephaniah 1958-2023 December 1985
The poet dubbed “The people’s laureate” also found success as a playwright. He was a recipient of the BBC Young Playwright’s Award
May 1989
In 1989, Benjamin was nominated for Oxford Professor of Poetry. He went on to receive numerous honorary doctorates from several English universities
His legacy will live on
MILLIONS of people across the world were saddened by the June 1983 passing of Dr Benjamin Benjamin Zephaniah’s debut album Rasta featured the first Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah recording by The Wailers since the last month. death of Bob Marley, as well as a A brilliant performance poet tribute to political prisoner Nelson Mandela who went on to become who also championed the South Africa’s president Black community, his books and poetry touched the lives The big interview of people across the world. FEBRUARY 2022 THE VOICE | 3
Zephaniah: ‘This government is turning into a dictatorship’ The celebrated poet talks politics, mental health and spirituality. By Richard Sudan
T
HERE’S no doubt Benjamin Zephaniah is one of the most loved and respected poets in the country with a career spanning decades. You probably read his work in school, or saw him speaking up for social justice at countless protests. In recent years, he became a professor at Brunel University, teaching writing poetry for performance. Flick on the TV and you might catch him on Netflix’s Peaky Blinders or on Sky’s spoken word platform Life and Rhymes. When asked to reflect on the last year or so, in typical Benjamin fashion he begins by talking about others, not himself. “To the people struggling, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s easy to feel isolated. We must be more socially and politically aware and invest in mental health services. Don’t be afraid to speak up. You should fix the roof when the sun is shining,” he said. “So many people and my friends were suffering with mental health issues, and the people supporting them were often struggling themselves too. It was nice to see people clapping for the NHS, but people were really suffering. I realised I’m one of the lucky ones” If Benjamin is fortuitous, his success as a poet over the years is certainly not down to luck. He has remained consistent, always using his platform to speak about injustice racial and social issues culminating in the remarkable feat of
To those people who are struggling, don’t be afraid to seek help seeing his Life and Rhymes poetry show, platformed on Sky TV. Not only that, but the show won a Bafta. “It’s great to see there is an appetite for poetry out there. I’m really not into prizes, but some of the stuff on TV now is not just show business. Winning the award shows that people are deeper than that” As ever, though, Benjamin is less philosophical and damning in his critique of politics, something which affects us all, whether we want to be ‘political’ or not.
ADDICTS
“The government has apparently announced a ‘War on Drugs’. But it’s macho posturing, appealing to people who think all drug addicts are horrible people and what we need to do is fight them. Actually, we need to treat them, listen to them. It’s a medical condition. “And this policing bill – it’s an attack on our civil liberties. It’s our basic right to be able to protest, and the government wants to take that away from us. The government is divorced from people, but worried about people. They want to control them and tell them what to do. Going down this road ends up in a dictatorship.” Both Benjamin and I are Windrush descendants. Like so many, he knows the
STAR: Benjamin on stage (photo: David Corio/Redferns)
path the new borders bill could take us down. “The idea that you can take away my passport and nationality is terrifying. You can’t make people stateless. It really shows you how ruthless these people are. The bill is appeasing people who are scared of foreigners.” Speaking up against the lies and racism used to attack foreigners is something Benjamin is known for, passionately having often defended immigrants on the BBC’s Question Time. “They want to blame foreigners for all the problems, as if the border is sacred. One thing this country needs and has always needed is an exchange of people coming in and out, free to move – it keeps us going. The bill is appealing to the lowest in our society” We shift gears from talking about leadership, or lack of it, in UK politics to a figure who was undoubtedly the epitome of leadership – Desmond Tutu, who recently passed. “For a high-ranking Christian, Desmond Tutu made clear that Christianity is not just about sitting down and blessing people that are good Christians. He talked about, and advocated, for all people’s rights, not just black people. Hearing a man of his stature speak like that was very inspiring.” Beyond leadership, it’s clear Benjamin also views Tutu as something of a trailblazer, especially when institutions like the Church and others are often accused of being out of touch from the communities who support them. Tutu “Desmond showed us that Christianity can remain relevant in the world, if we care about all people. That’s a wonderful legacy and example to leave behind.” One of the things that some religious leaders stand accused of is promoting falsehoods around COVID and the public health crisis it exposed. “An idea, sometimes pushed
February 2022
WORDS OF WISDOM: Respected poet Benjamin Zephaniah (photo: Getty Images) by spiritual or natural people and people of faiths, is that science is bad. If not for science you wouldn’t get on a plane and have technology. It’s improved our lives. “Back in the day, science was done with white men in white coats who were remote, but now we have black and educated people in science who have our interest at heart. It doesn’t mean they are perfect, but with science you do the research and tests and put the findings out there to be challenged. That’s a good thing.” No doubt too, that while social media is often invaluable, in the midst of the pandemic there’s been a downside. “Certain things can hold us back if we let them. Simply going to social media for your news and falling into the echo
chamber of people that agree with you, is one of them. Do the research and think for yourselves.
CRITICALLY
“Thinking critically doesn’t mean just listening to the people you agree with. You must go further. I would prefer to have questions that can’t be answered, than answers that can’t be questioned.” When I first met Benjamin more than a decade ago, we talked about the need for black and minority ethnic political representation. It’s improved. But it’s also clear that we need the right representation in politics. “It’s been painted with black and brown faces but many of them maintain the status quo.
The system’s failed. The political parties of this country have made me a revolutionary. It’s their fault, they’ve shown me how impotent they are. “I want to be put out of a job as a radical poet and be a Rasta comedian, but I have so much work to do first. I am pleased, though, when I see so many young people now rallying around issues, because there’s a lot more awareness now, and hope. We need that.” There’s an anecdote I can’t fit into this article, but I’ll say this, having known Benjamin for a few years. You’re as likely to see him by himself chatting to a homeless person in Leicester Square, as you are on Peaky Blinders. He’s the people’s poet. He’s one of our best. He cares. Give him his flowers while he’s still here.
The acclaimed writer was never one to shy away from criticising government policies if he felt they were unjust as he did in this February 2022 interview with Voice journalist Richard Sudan
He was passionate about the need to create a fairer and more equal world for everyone. His legacy will live on in those who were inspired by him. Here we pay tribute to Benjamin’s amazing life and achievements through the pages of The Voice over the years.
February 1998
In February 1998, the acclaimed poet sat down with Voice journalist Tony Snow to talk about his life, work and forthcoming novel
December 2003
In December 2003, the poet famously turned down an OBE from the Queen saying that the honour reminded him of the slavery associated with the British Empire. His action prompted criticism from the then-Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality Sir Trevor Phillips. Here, in this Voice article, he responds to Phillips
November 1999
In November 1999, a ward at St Bernard’s hospital in west London was named after Benjamin in recognition of his work
4 | THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
Benjamin Zephaniah 1958-2023
‘I don’t think I am
In this, his poignant last interview, given just before he sadly passed last month, Benjamin Zephaniah talks to The Voice’s Richard Sudan about his life and work and what he hopes his legacy will be
“
I
’M NOT really scared. Most people think how am I going to die? But I know those questions already now. So I’m not worried about dying. I’m worried about the people I’ll leave behind.” Even towards the end, Benjamin Zephaniah always put others first. He even called me at midnight, after I’d visited him, to make sure I’d arrived back to London (when he should’ve been resting). But, that was Benjamin. He’d requested a final interview a few days prior. We didn’t know then, he’d lose the ability to speak the next day. But that’s how it went. As ever though, and regardless of the challenges in his life at the time, which were significant, during our final conversation Benjamin was as animated and enthusiastic about his love of poetry, people and life as ever. He’s never wavered from his mission, and can now rest, knowing that he’s inspired so many others to follow in his footsteps. We often hear that word thrown around a lot — inspiration — but with Benjamin, his poetry really has raised generations of poets, writers, artists and activists. I know many of them. I count myself amongst them. As he once told me many years ago, “we are all a part of the poet-tree”, a powerful lesson which stayed with me ever since. His life of poetry and music has taken him to all corners
ACTOR: With wife Qian at the opening night performance of Peaky Blinders: The Rise at the Camden Garrison in July 2022 of the world. But while many become seduced by the privileges and trappings of fame and success, Benjamin always stayed true to his roots. He never viewed himself as different from us, but always as one of us. The true people’s poet in every sense of the world. “Wherever I go and whatever I do, I tell myself that Benjamin Zephaniah is just a workingclass street poet from Birmingham trying to defend workingclass people, who got a bit lucky with his poetry. That’s all,” he explains candidly before adding: “I don’t think I’m anything special.” The last remark is ironic. It’s precisely because Benjamin remained humble and true to his craft that millions of people all over the world absolutely do view him as a very special voice cut from a different cloth.
ON STAGE: Benjamin performing in the Big Red Tent at Womad, Charlton Park, July 2017
Talent is common; it’s what we do with the gift that counts. Not many poets can say they performed for Nelson Mandela, recorded a Free South Africa tribute with the Wailers, were named among Britain’s best post-war poets, rejected an OBE, while winning a BAFTA while holding down a professorship. Benjamin was also awarded at least 16 honorary doctorates by institutions including the University of North London, Staffordshire University, just to name a few. It’s a path littered with so many achievements that it’s hard to go beyond scratching the surface. A true highlight reel would require much more than the pages of this article. For Benjamin, however, all that he’s achieved is not just a testament to his talent — though his talent is undeniable — but the power of poetry, and the necessity of an artform which has always challenged conventional boundaries. “Good poetry doesn’t care what you look like, what you dress like and doesn’t care what country you come from,” he says. “The oral tradition is still alive. People still want to speak for themselves and tell their truths. “The Matrix and the powers that be, are telling people that they don’t have any power that they’re not listened to. Poetry says the opposite. Poetry says you’re all powerful. Poetry says we want to listen to you. Poetry says what do you want Yugoslavia, where his LP Rasta to say?” reached number one. He describes a “sea of heads”, a huge crowd of hundreds or more, If ever there was a testament hanging on his every word, to this, it can be found in what another experience giving the Benjamin describes as some of young Benjamin an underhis most memorable perfor- standing of the power of his mances, which saw him grace pen, and voice. If poetry can inspire and stages and connect with people in lands he never imagined uplift, it also has the power to quite literally save lives. Over possible. “I think Papua New Guinea the years I’ve spoken to several was one,” he explains. “It was people who credit Benjamin’s really interesting. I just didn’t work, with one way or another think there’d be a connection. lifting them from a dark place. But that’s the way I think about He may never have known I’ve poetry and music. Once you spoken to those people, and put it in the public domain you tells me another similar story have no idea where it’s going underscoring the importance of connection. to go.” “I’ve got a poem called HurtHe has a similar tale to tell about performing in former ing World,” he tells me. “I was
CONNECTION
on a TV programme once. And it was the first time a woman came up to me and said she was going to take her own life, and then that poem came on television, and she changed her mind.” Benjamin continued: “My first novel Face is about a boy who had his face burnt off and had to face going back to school with a different face. And a lot of people, especially women, understood that.” He reminds me too of his arguably most powerful pieces. I know what he’s going to say on this one, before he tells me. “I knew Dis Policeman kicking me to Death was going to have an impact. I knew it. I didn’t know if it was a song or poem. But I knew people would listen.”
And listen they did. There’s a powerful video of this poem which captures Benjamin at his most brilliant. Filmed decades ago, in 1983, the young Zephaniah delivers a blasting critique of police brutality to a largely White audience with a power, sincerity and urgency which stuns the audience. Young Zephaniah had a dream, while performing in community centres and churches, and even police stations. But while he’s never ever ‘sold out’ or ‘mellowed’ from activism, at the same time following his move to London in his 20s he was able to branch out and reach all sorts of audiences all over the world. He became known for his advocacy of animal rights, as he
JANUARY 2024 THE VOICE
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Benjamin Zephaniah 1958-2023
anything special’
LEGENDS: Benjamin attends the grand opening of new exhibition Bob Marley: One Love Experience at The Saatchi Gallery in February 2022; below, his life of poetry and music took him to all corners of the world. Here he plays with children at Chenjiagou primary school in China’s Henan Province, May 2012 (all photos: Getty Images)
Wherever I go and whatever I do, I tell myself that Benjamin Zephaniah is just a working-class street poet trying to defend working-class people. Who got a bit lucky with his poetry has for calling for the end of the monarchy, and denouncing police brutality. But through all of this there’s one group of people holding a special place in Benjamin’s heart — children and young people. Kids from all over the world have connected with his poetry and stories. While Benjamin could never have children of his own — something he was always open about and received much respect for talking about — he’s
influenced and impacted the lives of more young people than most. They matter to him and have always been his priority. “We give young people too much work to do in a way. They have to navigate their way around the internet as well as the real world” he says. “They have opinions on really sophisticated problems that most adults take a lifetime to come to terms with. They then become adults and they lose their child-
like qualities, but those qualities are really important.” He still identifies with Rasta, because “however I got here whatever I think, Rasta was the main driver”. Benjamin’s philosophy on life has broadened over the years and through his travels. This is, after all, a man who spent six years living in China, to follow his love of martial arts, to end up teaching martial arts to children while also
writing books there. He’s seen much of the physical world as we know it, but what does he think is beyond it? A question all of us have pondered at one time or another. “The fire is still there but I’ve changed spiritually. I believe in God without religion. I think religion has given God a bad name. I used to believe that there’s a religious way. There’s a path and we have to choose it and walk it. Now I believe there are different paths and people get to God by different means.” Zephaniah has left a legacy that will stand the test of time. And he has a clear idea of what he wants it to be. “I want my legacy to be one of love. Love for everybody and every living thing. Human or an-
imal. I think the love inside us is not turned on enough. We need love between people and countries. It’s hard to bomb a country if people you love are there.”
PRINCIPLED
The tributes people have given him speak for themselves. He’s a man who didn’t just talk the talk but walked it. He stood for something and was always principled. He was and is loved by so many. While Benjamin might be gone physically, he’s left a mark on the world like no other. He tells me that he’s done the things he wanted to do with his life and feels satisfied. As tough as it was to see my friend fight as hard as he did in his final days,
to know he had fulfilled his ambitions is a great comfort. How many of us will get to say that? “I always used to get up every day amazed to be alive,” he says towards the end. “I don’t do birthdays, weddings; I don’t have these dates in my head. I’ve always thought every day is special as long as I’m alive. And now, I’m so glad I did that.” Benjamin meant so much to so many of us. Personally, I wouldn’t be who I am today without him. Of that I have no doubt. So as much as we mourn the loss of our brother, by equal measure we celebrate the life and rhymes of a revolutionary legend and a good man who loved people. We were incredibly lucky to have him for 65 years.
6 | THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
News Feature
Going back to our roots
SISTER ACT: Anna and Victoria Agyekum, founders of OnPoint Property (photo: OnPoint Property); inset left, sales professional Kami Enniful decided to buy property in Ghana so that her son could better connect with his cultural roots
Sisters Anna and Victoria Agyekum are helping a growing number of Black Britons relocate to Ghana. By Vic Motune
F
OR SALES professional Kami Enniful the decision to buy a property in Ghana transcended the conventional realms of real estate investment. Although buying a one-bedroom flat in the West African country has proved a good financial investment for her, the move was about preserving a cultural legacy that reflected her heritage. “Growing up my mum always instilled in us the importance of our Ghanaian heritage so that we would always have that connection” she recalls. “My son was born here in the UK so he’s not as connected to that heritage as I was. So we talk all the time with him about having a home in Ghana, so it’s instilled in him that he has a stake there. “When we visited Ghana with him he was shocked to see how many people there were that looked like him in positions of authority, something that he didn’t often see in the UK. Now he really loves visiting Ghana.” She continues: “I think owning a property in Africa is a really important way for Black people in the diaspora to feel more connected to their cultural roots.” Enniful is not alone. In recent years, there has been a notable rise in the number of Black Britons contemplating either a life-changing move to Ghana or investing there. In 2018, Ghana’s president Nana Akufo-Addo launched The Year of Return (TYOR) to commemorate 400 years since the first enslaved people were brought from Africa to Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. TYOR welcomed 1.5 million tourists and generated a staggering 1.9 billion dollars in revenue as a result from Year of Return activities. Ghana is believed to be the number one destination for African-Americans and diaspora Africans in 2019. The country’s real estate market is booming. According to a number of reports, foreign investments in the country’s real market have
surged and the country has risen to global prominence following the success of its footballers and Afrobeats music stars. Experts say that the growing trend of Black people relocating to the continent is being driven by factors such as the pursuit of a better quality of life, improved education for their children and the failure of the government to address systemic racism. Academic and human rights activist Dr Ulysses Burley III coined the term Blaxit to describe the trend sparked by TYOR. However, relocating to another country is no easy task. There are many obstacles to overcome, not least of which are the complexities of buying a home and finding somewhere to live. Enniful was supported in her home-buying journey by London-based property entrepreneurs Anna and Victoria Agyekum. The duo launched their company OnPoint Property with the aim of helping those who had made up their minds to relocate. “We weren’t able to go back to Ghana after Covid but Anna and Victoria were really helpful in providing me with updates, travelling back and forth sending videos of the property we wanted to buy, making sure everything was legit, and speaking to the team onsite. You often hear stories about people trying to buy property in Ghana where it doesn’t work out but Anna and Victoria made us feel more relaxed.” It was the problems faced by people like Enniful that inspired the sisters to start a business. Anna, with 23 years experience in real estate, honed her expertise in construction, property management, and rentals, working on a number of large development during a 15-year spell with a Battersea property tycoon. Victoria has worked in property for 15 years specialising in interior management and operations. Initially, the aim behind OnPoint Property when it launched in 2015 was to manage com-
mercial properties for landlords. However, it wasn’t long before they discovered a gap in the market. “As we were growing up and then later developing our own careers, we watched our parents build their home in Ghana and I think seeing this helped fuel our passion for property. But we found that because people knew we worked in property they would approach us and tell us about how they had tried to buy property in Ghana but had lost a lot of money. We kept hearing these stories day in, day out whether it was at church or family gatherings. And we thought, ‘we need to do something about this’. “People would tell us that
they had sent money back home to Ghana to build a house but they had nothing to show for it, or that the land they had bought had been sold ten times over,” Victoria continues. “We thought ‘how can people be getting burnt so severely?’ It was heartbreaking.”
HERITAGE
After several months laying the groundwork and doing market research, OnPoint successfully helped several people through the property buying process. But with hundreds of enquiries and requests for help pouring in, they had to figure out a way to scale up the number of people they can help. That led to the launch of their event the Ghana
Property and Lifestyle Expo. The most recent expo, held in west London in November last year, attracted nearly a thousand visitors interested in relocating to the West African country as well as real estate professionals, investors, and property developers. The event not only focused on property but aimed to showcase Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, cuisine and lifestyle, which have seen it hailed as one of the best places in Africa to invest. “Basically we gathered all the industry experts, lawyers, and reputable developers, the whole property-buying ecosystem in one room,” says Anna. “At our first event we had 300 people through the door. The following AFRICA BECKONS: The Ghana Property and Lifestyle Expo showcased property and lifestyle opportunities in the West African country (photo: OnePoint Property)
year over 700 people attended. During Covid we had to move the event online but we still had over 1,000 people log in from across the globe, so there was definitely a demand.” And she says she expects that demand to continue growing. “We have noticed an influx of clients from Caribbean and African-Americans who want to reconnect with their ancestral roots. I think there are a number of reasons for this. Black families are considering moving back to Africa to seek the untapped opportunities that the continent has to offer. They also want to live a better lifestyle and to raise their families in an environment where they are not judged on their race.” Now, the two entrepreneurs are looking to replicate the success of their service in other parts of the continent. “The continent is not just about Ghana,” says Victoria. “We want to open up to other countries. Ghana has had a success story through its Year of Return initiative. But no doubt others will make an appeal to their diasporas to return home. There are some amazing property opportunities on the continent where people can really maximise their investments. So, we are excited and looking into one or two countries at the moment.”
JANUARY 2024 THE VOICE
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HREE BRITISH entrepreneurs have been featured in a global top 50 list of the most innovative and inspirational Black leaders in the technology industry. The list, published by leading digital media brand UrbanGeekz, features categories such as Venture Capital; Software; FinTech; AI and Machine Learning, Digital Media; Food, Climate and Health; Business-to-Consumer and Community Builders. The UrbanGeekz 50 list was selected and curated by the news site’s editorial team. However, to broaden the selection process UrbanGeekz involved well-respected Black tech leaders such as Ollen Douglass, Managing Partner at Motley Fool Ventures. The majority of honourees on the UrbanGeekz 50 list are African American, but three standout Black Britons who have been featured are angel investor Andy Ayim MBE, Oliver KentBraham, co-founder and co-CEO of insurance firm Marshmallow, and Izzy Obeng, who launched Foundervine which aims to accelerate the growth of entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds.’ Black British IT entrepreneurs have made significant strides in recent years, while facing obstacles such as a lack of access to capital. However, several support networks and accelerators have emerged aimed at enabling UKbased tech entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds to scale their businesses. In 2021, Britain also got its first Black-owned unicorns (a company valued at $1 billion or more) when Zepz (formerly World Remit) raised £218 million ($292m) and Marshmallow raised £62 million ($85m), taking them to valuations of $5 billion and $1.25 billion respectively. Kent-Braham started Marshmallow to breathe new life into insurance and disrupt the way things are done. While working with a major insurer in the UK, he became aware of the inherent inefficiencies in traditional insurers
and the lack of customer-centric options for UK consumers. Together with his identical twin brother, Alexander, the British-Jamaican founders launched the company in 2017. Marshmallow helps hundreds of thousands of UK newcomers get a fairer deal on their car insurance every year. It specialises in offering products for those who struggle to get the right cover from more traditional providers, including young male drivers and those on temporary visas. Obeng is at the forefront of helping underrepresented groups get more visibility in the predominantly White and male tech industry. The 27-year-old founder uses her voice to promote not only her startup, Foundervine, but to equip entrepreneurs with the tools they need to scale. Currently, more than 330 entrepreneurs have started new businesses with the help of Foundervine since its founding in 2018. The program has helped over 5,000 leaders build new skills. Foundervine has partnered with world-leading institutions such as Barclays Bank, Lloyds Banking Group, Sainsbury’s, Amazon, PwC and WeWork. Ayim is a UK-based angel investor, celebrated entrepreneur, and product manager who is on a mission to level the playing field in angel investing. He attended Brunel University, London, where he obtained a B.Sc. (Hons) in Business & Management (Accounting). He currently runs The Angel Investing School, where he trains professionals from all backgrounds on investing in the next generation of diverse founders. With as little as £1,000, busy professionals across Europe can learn how to invest in startups, so they can create wealth. Kunbi Tinuoye, founder and CEO of UrbanGeekz, said: “It’s an honour and privilege to curate this list celebrating Black excellence across the innovation economy. Our goal is to profile and celebrate visionaries making an impact, breaking boundaries, and inspiring others to do better.”
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News
Tech’s leading lights
British entrepreneurs celebrated in global top 50 list of innovative Black leaders. By Vic Motune
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HIGHLIGHTING VISIONARIES: Left to right, Andy Ayim, Izzy Obeng and Oliver KentBraham; above, UrbanGeekz’s Kunbi Tinuoye
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8 | THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
News Feature
Giving our children hope
TOUGH START IN LIFE: Ricky Diaghe, who goes by the stage name Ric Flo, continues to make music for other young care leavers; inset left, Diaghe with Dee Payler, the foster mum who helped support his talent for music
After a traumatic upbringing Ricky Diaghe now helps other young people who have been through the foster care system. By Leah Mahon
I
T WAS while living in the seaside town of Bournemouth in the mid-1990s that Ricky Diaghe slowly realised the White foster family entrusted to look after him were racist. The musician, now 37, had a happy childhood growing up in Hackney, east London, with his mum and his sisters. However, at the age of eight, he recalls a conversation with his mum that would change his life. “Basically she asked me ‘do you want to live in another part of London or Bournemouth?’ Little did I know how much my life would change by picking Bournemouth,” he tells The Voice. “Looking back I’m not really sure if it was a choice to be honest.” Diaghe was one of the thousands of Nigerian children who were put into unofficial private care with White foster families in a practice known as “farming” between 1955 and 1995. He said his mum, like many other West African parents at the time, made the decision to have foster parents take care of him so he could have a better life because she worked “around the clock, 9-5 and all-nighters”. However, for Diaghe, the new family entrusted to look after him lived in one of the poorest areas of Bournemouth and turned his life into a nightmare. “I remember playing Super Mario. All of a sudden, my foster parents, who were probably about 23 or 24, started arguing between themselves. They were kind of a dysfunctional couple anyway. But if I looked like I was having fun, my foster mum would kind of take it out on me. I remember her saying: ‘What you looking at you little Black b*****d? Go up to your room’”. Diaghe also recalls his foster mum regularly racially abusing him by using the n-word and would often force-feed him, an action which he believes was aimed at instilling fear. As a young child, he says there was never anything he
did that caused it, but he always “happened to be there when they were arguing”. “Growing up in Bournemouth, there were certain words that were the norm without realising it,” Diaghe says. “People would say are you going to the P*** shop down the road, or you go into the c****s down the road, like it was just like normal conversation. It was just racist without them even consciously thinking about it.” Ricky Diaghe also recalls dealing with racism in school and often felt like an outsider as one of the only few Black children there, one of which was his sister who grew up with another White foster family. His mum visited every few months to see him and give his carers money. Being from a Nigerian background, he says she was strict with discipline which meant he was often afraid to speak up about the abuse he was enduring. In the UK, nearly 70,000 children live with almost 55,000 foster families, according to The Fostering Network. While it’s unclear just how many Black children are looked after by White foster families in Britain, research shows that Black children often wait longer to be assigned to a foster family and to find adoptive parents. For Diaghe, his love of music became a form of escape. During the 90s, when rap music was becoming a huge part of popular youth culture, he was already a talented rapper. He recalls how he performed one of Will Smith’s hit songs at his school talent show and won. He also noticed how being good at music or sports changed the way people viewed him. As well as his success in music, Diaghe’s home life with his White foster family would improve following a visit from his social worker who could see he was “closed and withdrawn”. He feels lucky he was able to leave this family after a year and a half without saying anything.
Diaghe would go on to live with three other White foster families around Bournemouth before finding his fourth and final one at the age of 12 when he was fostered by Dee and Rod Payler. It was to prove a very happy experience. Speaking about them he describes them as “family to me to this day”. He says they were big supporters of his passion for music even taking him to talent shows to perform. Emma Fincham, a Fostering Consultant at CoramBAAF (British Association for Adoption and Fostering), told The Voice that there is a detailed matching process that children and potential foster families go through to
find a good fit. Foster families undergo assessments that are focused on asking culturally and racially tailored questions. However, it doesn’t always guarantee a good match. “We’ve got a huge shortage of foster carers across England and across the UK. What happens in reality is that a child’s social worker and a fostering service will absolutely want to get the match right,” she said. “But the reality is, sometimes it’s literally down to which foster family is available, which foster family has space, a bedroom available for a child.” She continues: “Lots of people will be honest and say, I’m going to need some support with that [culturally nuanced support].
How is your fostering service going to help me to make sure that I get it right for this child? I would say many, many foster carers come with that approach. They feel like they’re open to learning, or they’re already trying to learn about other cultures or they have some experience, but they’re acutely aware that they might know about one particular African country and culture but that doesn’t equate to all the others and so on.” Fincham adds that despite the vast numbers of Black children waiting for a foster home, there’s an equally severe lack of Black foster families available to care for them. Soon after starting university and living independently for
DREAMING BIG: The rapper (white T-shirt) at a youth camp when he was a teenager
the first time Diaghe later had a mental breakdown, something he believes was an accumulation of the turbulent years he endured in foster care and seeing his mum for the first time in years. He eventually spent time in a mental health facility. Diaghe, known by his stage name Ric Flo, is now happily married and living in Brighton. He continues to make music as an outlet for himself and for other young care leavers like himself through his record label Mantra Music and the charity he founded called Elevated Youth. However, his talents have also seen him perform at Glastonbury and the Lovebox festival. Looking back on his time in foster care, Diaghe says that he still believes transracial fostering can be a success, but adds that it is important to be “compassionate and attentive”. “Even if it’s just planting a seed with a book or with music like my foster parents did. They didn’t give me a Fela Kuti CD, but they just tried to understand a child’s culture or the foods I might like. If those things are in place, it’ll be educational for the parents if they’re not Black and it will make the young person feel more at home.”
JANUARY 2024
THE VOICE | 9
Health
ADVERTORIAL
NHS 111 is an easy and convenient way to get urgent help for a wide range of health problems from the comfort of your own home
I
F YOU need urgent medical help this winter but you’re not sure where to go, use NHS 111. NHS 111 can assess and direct you to the most appropriate local service, including your GP practice, pharmacy or nearest urgent treatment centre. And if needed, it can arrange a call back from a nurse doctor or paramedic. NHS 111 is an easy and convenient way to get urgent help for a wide range of health problems from the comfort of your own home. It’s a free service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can call 111, go online or use the NHS App. If you need help in another language, call 111 and ask for an interpreter. Gloria had some mild stomach pains after a family meal, so she called 111 for advice. ‘I was asked a few questions, to make sure I didn’t need to go to A&E, and then a nurse called me back to give me further advice. She told me to drink lots
of water and get some over the counter medication for an upset stomach. I felt much better by the following day and the whole experience was easy.’ Patrick noticed a rash on his arm, so he used 111 on the NHS App for advice. ‘Using the NHS App to contact 111 was simple. After answering a few questions, I was advised to go to an urgent treatment centre to get checked out. There’s one just round the corner from me, so I went there and was seen by a doctor who prescribed me some cream. I had a good experience of NHS 111 – there’s also the NHS 111 website, which I think I’d try next time as well as it looks straightforward to use.’
Whether you choose to call, go online at 111.nhs.uk or use the NHS App, 111 will get you to the help you need. And no matter how you choose to use NHS 111, your information will always be kept confidential.
Use 111 If you need urgent medical help but you’re not sure where to go, use 111 to get assessed and directed to the right place for you. Call, go online or use the NHS App.
10 | THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
News Feature
Victim says it’s time to free the ‘forever prisoners’ Psychological damage of those effectively serving a life sentence, without being given life, is unacceptable. By Richard Sudan
I
N 2007, Andrew Morris was convicted of five charges after a domestic incident that he regrets, but in which nobody was physically harmed. He would have expected to get a maximum tariff of five years but ended up serving 12 long years in prison before being eventually released in 2019 — and he says he would still be behind bars if he had not challenged the system. “When I got the sentence nobody was able to explain to me exactly what it meant, be that probation, lawyers, or prison staff,” he told The Voice. “It took me about three years to wrap my head around it. There were times when I wanted to end my life because I thought I would never get out of prison.” The psychological damage of those effectively serving a life sentence, without actually having been given life, is palpable. Many of those locked up with no date for freedom in sight, and some have died behind bars having given up hope. Now that is set to change. Hundreds of offenders released on licence but who could be recalled to prison at any time, are to have their sentences removed as part of new plans by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). Controversial imprisonment for public protection sentences (IPP) were first introduced in 2007 under then Home Secretary David Blunkett as a means of protecting the public from dangerous offenders. The measures were scrapped in 2012 after ministers agreed that indeterminate sentences were unjust. Blunkett has since admitted he ‘got it wrong’. Offenders sentenced prior to 2012, however, remained behind bars, while those released on indefinite licence faced the ever-present possibility of being
When I got the sentence nobody was able to explain to me what it meant recalled to prison for potentially non-criminal behaviour. Now, according to the MOJ, new changes to the Victims and Prisoner Bill mean that offenders will be able to apply to the Parole Board to have sentences terminated three years after being released, rather than 10. As the move will apply retrospectively, it means that around 1,800 prisoners will automatically have their sentences removed once the legislation takes effect. “(Justice Secretary) Alex Chalk is to be somewhat commended because he’s gone further than any of his predecessors with the exception of Ken Clarke who essentially got them taken off the statute books in 2012. But I don’t think it goes far enough,” said Morris, left, reacting to the news. “There are people right now — and I was talking to one of them last night who was recalled 16 months ago. There was no further offence. He didn’t go to court or anything like that, and he’ll now be kicked back into the realms of obscurity because he’ll have to potentially wait the full five years as opposed to his initial release which was in 2016 which would have meant he’s coming up now to having his license removed.” Morris himself could also technically be recalled despite the fact he formerly worked for the
TIME FOR ACTION: Campaigners say prisoners and their families are having to endure the ongoing effects of a system that was acknowledged many years ago as being deeply flawed; below, former Home Secretary David Blunkett (main photo: Getty Images) MOJ, a situation which for many would highlight the absurdity of IPP sentencing. Despite employing him, the IPP measures meant he was also seen by the MOJ as a potential threat to public safety. If and when IPP prisoners, described by some campaigners as ‘forever prisoners’, are released on licence, Morris believes many are at the mercy of a system in which the odds are often stacked against them. The threat of recall to prison remains a constant threat and looming possibility. “People in our situation, just having an allegation against you, generates an arrest even if there’s no further charge,” he said. “If you come up against a suspicious probation officer, you could find yourself back in the system even if that probation officer later thinks they made a mistake. Once you’re back, you have to then go through the system and back to the Parole Board.” Morris, like many other human rights campaigners and family members of those with an IPP sentence, is mindful of the long-term impact of the system.
If released, the threat of a potential return to prison can become a form of psychological torture for those fortunate enough to be released. Human rights campaigners argue that the current system effectively punishes prisoners twice for crimes committed which can have a devastating impact, not just on them but their families. Morris was able to fight his case and eventually secure a release date which otherwise might have been years later. Other prisoners, who have
been less able to campaign for a definite release and advocate for their rights, remain vulnerable. “It’s like walking on eggshells in a minefield,” said Morris. “It’s so precarious. If I’m driving down the road and I see police, for a second my heart flutters and I think have I done anything wrong? I know I haven’t. It’s so easy for a probation officer to believe the accuser but not the accused.” Following news of the changes to IPP prisoner sentences, the parliamentary Justice Committee
said in statement that although the move was welcome it did not go far enough. In a September 2022 report, the committee described IPP sentences as “irredeemably flawed”. There is also a growing awareness that the move disproportionately affects people from Black and minority ethnic communities. Statistics published in June 2022 found that of the almost 1,500 men and women prisoners in the UK serving sentences with no end date, 22 per cent were recorded as being non-white. Morris says he will continue to raise awareness about the issue in the hope that further progress can be made. For him, it is unacceptable that prisoners and their families are having to endure the ongoing effects of a system acknowledged many years ago as deeply flawed. “I’m amazed that a lawyer somewhere hasn’t created some kind of class action, if that’s what you call it, in this country, of all IPP prisoners who have been suffering, to create a test case that says ‘hang on a minute, this can’t be right’.”
JANUARY 2024
EAP
THE VOICE | 11
ADVERTORIAL
Employment Advocacy Project
IMPORTANT PUBLIC NOTICE! If we are to change things in this world it’s important, that we all can, and do play a part in influencing the decisions made by politicians on our behalf. We can do this by ensuring that we are registered to vote at all elections (local and national), join a political party (or even set up your own if you can’t find one to join whose manifesto you like), and join a trade union. Quite simply you can’t complain if you’re unhappy with decisions that others make that impact on you if you’re not involved.
What’s stopping you from getting involved? You have two choices, register to Vote for both local elections and the general election or don’t register to vote. In the democratic process, the power of your voice is directly tied to your active participation. Failure to register to vote means relinquishing your influence over crucial decisions, such as the selection of your local councillor or Member of Parliament (MP), who serves as your elected representative in Westminster. Once these representatives are elected, your ability to shape their decisions hinges on your proactive engagement. Make your concerns and views known to them, as your impact on the political landscape depends on your informed participation. Dissatisfaction with decisions made by local councillors or MPs can be addressed at the next election. Your vote has the potential to usher in change by supporting alternative candidates. We strongly advocate for civic engagement by encouraging individuals to join political parties and actively participate in the political process.
Consider taking a step further by contemplating candidacy for councillorship or parliamentary representation in upcoming local or general elections, which are slated for no later than January 2025. For those in the workforce or self-employed, joining a trade union is a recommended avenue for advocacy. Active involvement in a trade union can amplify your collective voice, ensuring that your interests are championed within your respective industry. The essence of democracy lies in active participation, and each individual has the potential to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of governance.
Find the right union for you. When a group of workers act and speak together, their employer has to listen, that’s how unions make things better at work. So why not find out which union is the right one for you? get a group of mates together in your workplace and join a union. More than 5.5 million people are in a union – including nurses, checkout assistants, lorry drivers to airline pilots. Unions help workers get together, stop people from being treated unfairly, and get a better deal from their employers.
Isn’t it time you joined a union? Things to note:
• Some unions may have restrictions on who can join. This is usually because they repre sent people in specialist jobs.
• Generally, unions can’t help people with a problem that happened before they joined the union.
• To help you decide which trade union to join visit: www.tuc.org.uk
At the Employment and Advocacy Project, (based in Wakefield but working UK-wide) our vision encompasses a world where each individual is empowered to lead a life marked by personal choices, encompassing the freedom to determine their family dynamics, lifestyle, gender, and sexuality. We envision a society where people can live without the spectre of fear, oppression, torture, or poverty, with access to essential services such as free healthcare, welfare support, pensions, and education. Our commitment extends to ensuring equal employment opportunities, affordable housing, the right to join trade unions and political parties, and the freedom to embrace or reject religious beliefs. Above all, we strive for a society free from social class distinctions and discrimination, where individuals can own property and pursue their aspirations without hindrance. Please feel free to contact us if you require any free information or assistance to help you register to vote, join a political party, or join a trade union.
• You have a legal right to join a union.
It’s illegal for an employer to disadvantage you because you are a union member.
ADDRESS: 13 Upper York Street, Wakefield, WFI 3LQ
EMAIL: employmentandadvocacyproject@gmail.com
12 | THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
News Feature
Transforming young lives Retired teacher Juliet Coley helps Ghanaian primary school students become published authors. By Vic Motune
I
T’S OFTEN been said that great teachers don’t just share knowledge. Their influence extends beyond the classroom, shaping lives, instilling a lifelong love of learning and motivating each student to reach their full potential. Juliet Coley from Hackney, east London, exemplifies the type of transformative influence a teacher can wield. The retired senior deputy headteacher recently travelled to Ghana to work with 19 children on a project that turned them all into published authors. Coley worked with pupils aged nine to 12 from the Deacons Academy Foundation School of Excellence in Accra, initially to help them with their learning during the worldwide pandemic in 2020. Deacons Academy headteacher Janet Obiri-Yeboah asked Coley, right, to help her pupils with their literacy and literature learning. Obiri-Yeboah, a former librarian at City and Islington College who decided to open a school in her native Ghana in 2013, explains: “When the pandemic came I was fearful that my children would academically fall behind. I knew Juliet had retired from teaching due to ill health so all I had to do was convince her to help the children.” Coley, an award-winning
teacher with over 20 years of experience, had only recently retired due to health reasons. However she immediately agreed to help. “I left teaching in September 2019 following a heart attack, quadruple bypass surgery and bowel cancer,” Coley recalls. “But Janet contacted me some months later when the pandemic struck. She was worried that the children at her school would fall behind academically. So when she asked me to help a school in Africa I couldn’t say no.” Coley overcame the obstacles of physical distance with the help of technology. Twice a week she would hold classes on Zoom helping her pupils with literacy and reading and evaluating stories with them. But when one of the pupils she worked with asked her if she could help them to write a book Coley, herself a published author, says the question sparked an idea in her mind. “I was teaching an English lesson on rhyme and I was using one of the books I’ve written, Crayven the Nyamming Jancro, about a feral Jamaican bird to illustrate a point. A discussion then followed about my career as an author and publisher, It was then that one of the students Nana, who wanted to be an author, asked if I could help the children to write their
IN PRINT: The finished book produced by the pupils
INSPIRATION: Juliet Coley and the Deacons Academy pupils with their medals of achievement; below, the young authors from Deacons Academy holding a copy of their book (photos: Juliet Coley)
They were so proud when they spoke about their contribution to the book and were able to point at the pictures of themselves on the cover own book. I thought this was a great idea.” She began the process of brainstorming ideas by getting the children to conduct research on the country they called home — Ghana. The award-winning teacher encouraged them to investigate the West African country’s rich culture and heritage to find subjects to write about. Among the topics they decided to produce a book about were Ghana’s history, its resources, some of its most famous people and even UK personalities who Juliet taught of Ghanaian heritage such as former Arsenal footballer Emmanuel Frimpong and Nana Rogues, a Hackney-based songwriter and producer for Canadian rap superstar Drake. Undaunted by the financial challenges of bringing a book to life, she decided to set up a crowdfunding campaign to help pay for production costs such as design and printing. Eventually over £1,600 was raised. Nearly three years after she
began working with the pupils the book, an anthology called Deacons Ghana: the place we live, learn and love, was complete. The impact of Coley’s work went way beyond the original goal of improving the children’s literacy skills. Through the process of research, collaborative writing, and the eventual publication of the book, the children not only gained valuable knowledge but new-found confidence and self-esteem after becoming published authors at a young age. “The way they spoke was more confident. Their attitudes were positive and they were so proud when they spoke about their contribution to the book as coauthors and were able to point at the pictures of themselves which are on its front cover.” Following publication Coley was invited to Ghana for a special book launch ceremony to mark the children’s achievement. The event was attended by Mercy Naa-Oyoo Quartey, the
National Literacy Trainer and Content Developer, Juliet Wiafe, President of Early Childhood in Ghana, and Enoch Gyethah, the Director of Ghana National Association Council of Private schools (GNACOPS). Quartey was full of praise for the project that enabled children of primary school age to become published authors.
EMOTIONAL
In recognition of her work with the Deacons pupils, Coley was made the patron of the school and awarded a Citation of Honor for her leadership and support with both staff and students. “Meeting the children was surreal,” Coley recalls. “These were children I communicated with twice a week on Zoom. But seeing them in the flesh, being able to read, laugh, play and hug them was emotional. It was like meeting celebrities who you have watched on television. When I walked into their classrooms for the first time, they were in shock and open-mouthed. And they
were exactly the same when they saw their book for the first time. Witnessing that moment was a massive highlight. All children were given a special medal for their achievement which they wore all day with pride.” Coley revealed plans to continue working with Deacons Academy in an effort to support its staff and pupils. “One main area of concern for me is the state of the school library, so in October I decided to set up a fundraiser with three young authors that I work with through my publishing company, Romeo Bremmer, Oneicia John-Baptiste and Sheldon Barrett. The aim of the fundraiser is to decorate and fully resource the library.” She continues: “We hit the £1,500 target in two days. To date we have raised £2,000 which will help paint the space and lay new floors. Now the young authors are organising a series of sponsored events for 2024 which will help provide funds to buy new books.”
JANUARY 2024 THE VOICE
| 13
News
Fashion with a message
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NEW T-SHIRT range aimed at empowering people who find themselves stopped and searched by the police has been launched in Brixton, south London. The range was produced by fashion brand Legalitees in response to community-led research which found people often don’t know their rights when stopped and searched. It is also aimed at addressing the disproportionate impact the policy has on young people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds. The T-shirts display simplified versions of stop and search rights, strategically positioned upside down for immediate readability. Complementing this, Legalitees is launching its website, which includes access and links to education resources around stop and search rights. They also feature designs by four different artists including Ishmael Lartey, Sam Lawson, Danna Michelly, Quiñones Rodriguez and Kells Hayward. The Legalitees initiative was created in a partnership between
T-shirts empower people when they need to know their rights the most. By Vic Motune Hijinks, a collective of creatives, and Centric, a community-led organisation based in Lambeth and Southwark, south London. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with people and artists in both boroughs about their experiences of stop and search, which were then turned into art. According to government statistics Black people are four times more likely to be stopped and searched than their White counterparts, and mixed-race people are nearly twice as likely to be stopped. All the profits from the sale of the T-shirt range, called Edition 1: Stop and Search, will go to fund Centric to support its work which is focused on empowering local people to tackle the problems they face through, research, activism and innovation. Tamryn Kerr and Marc Al-
lenby, Co-Founders and Chief Creative Officers of Legalitees, said: “Creativity has the power to connect communities and make real tangible change and that’s exactly what this brand is designed to do. Throughout history, people have fought for us to have the civil rights that we have today and it’s important that we continue to protect them.” Matty Amartey, a Centric team member, said: “Stop and search isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a constant threat that defines people’s daily lives. The colour of my skin, the clothes I wear, or even how I speak shouldn’t dictate whether I’m allowed to carry out my life without being under suspicion. “It’s underscored by racism, plain and simple, and that’s not a world I want for my kids. I want to share my story, so peo-
40 years of Black British Lives as told by Britain’s only National Black newspaper
POWER: T-shirts show simplified versions of stop and search rights ple don’t have to be afraid, and have their rights to hand when it matters most.” Muhammed Rauf, Director of Business Development at Centric, said: “In Brixton, the complex history of stop and search intertwines with the lived expe-
riences of its current residents. Legalitees art delves into the tensions of injustice and police misconduct, which comes to a head in the police’s power to stop and search. Rauf added: “The experiences of the communities we work
with are rooted in Lambeth and Southwark but their message of ‘human rights, right now’, resonates across the UK and the world. We want these T-shirts to amplify voices and empower people when they need to know their rights the most.”
SCAN HERE
To purchase your copy simply scan the QR code or visit: www.voice-online.co.uk
14 | THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
Black In Business
ADVERTORIAL
The Power of TV Enables Blackowned Businesses to Flourish
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esigned by Channel 4 in partnership with Lloyds Bank, the Black In Business initiative launched in May 2023 to help Black-owned businesses prosper. With £500,000 worth of TV advertising on offer across five beneficiaries, the creation of their own commercials and a six-month tailored marketing and mentorship package powered by DOES, competition was fierce. The support though doesn’t end there. An additional five shortlisted businesses were chosen from over 1,000 applications and will receive the Rising Stars Grant and support provided by Jamii, worth £3,000. These shortlisted businesses will also get a tailored one-to-one consultation session to help boost their growth. Finally, all applicants have been offered access to a series of Black In Business live masterclasses, the Lloyds Bank Black Entrepreneurs programme and the DOES Black Business Community. The masterclasses cover a range of essential topics including finance, supply chain resilience and exporting, sustainable growth principles and how to create a community-driven brand.
Striving for a level playing field
The 2022 Black. British. In Business and Proud report from the Black Business Network and Lloyds Bank helped bring many of the challenges facing Black entrepreneurs to the fore, including: • 84% of Black business owners have been negatively discriminated against in their past entrepreneurial efforts • Only 3 in 10 Black business owners will approach banks for finance • 49% of Black entrepreneurs say they need PR and marketing support Elyn Corfield, CEO, Business and Commercial Banking, Lloyds Bank, said: “We passionately believe that all businesses should have the same opportunities to succeed as each other, but we recognise through what Black business communities are telling us that there’s still much work to do to create an equitable landscape.” Channel 4’s Black In Business initiative is just one of several ongoing programmes and partnerships Lloyds Bank is spearheading to provide new opportunities for
Black entrepreneurs. But why are these so important?
Bringing ambition to life
A further study from Channel 4 and Clear Channel reveals how Black and Multi-ethnic entrepreneurs have a strong and robust entrepreneurial spirit despite the challenges they face, such as those outlined above. For example, out of the 500-plus business owners surveyed, almost half (46%) felt they could always run a successful business vs just 29% of White entrepreneurs. There was also a significant difference in the number of people who always wanted to be their own boss – 71% vs. 54% of White respondents. And it’s a desire that’s prevalent in the younger population with almost two-thirds (62%) of Black and Multi-ethnic entrepreneurs starting their businesses under the age of 30. In addition, the level of those who were teenage founders was 1 in 8, more than twice that of White business owners. Lydia Amoah is CEO at BACKLIGHT, a cultural change agency that partnered on the report, and is keen to see more Black entrepreneurs given the opportunity to prosper. “We are immensely ambitious, resourceful, resilient, innovative, and creative, already helping our economy thrive. Our research demonstrates that we can contribute billions to the UK economy and beyond when given equal opportunities and openings,” she said. While the final decision has been made in regard to the beneficiaries, it’s only the beginning of a longer process for them and all the other applicants. With more Black business role models to aspire to, it’s hoped this initiative will have a lasting impact on individuals and communities all across the country.
looking for businesses who are aligned with Channel 4’s vision of creating change, disrupting an industry, being community focused and having a purpose bigger than the product, and our beneficiaries definitely live up to these principles. The initiative has been a truly inspiring, meaningful and impactful journey! As the brains behind this Channel 4 initiative and the Chair of Judges for the final stage, I’ve been blown away by the level of Black British Business talent that exists within the UK, am super proud of the five beneficiaries and look forward to supporting many more Black-owned businesses embark upon their TV advertising journey. .”
THESE QUALITIES, AND MORE WERE EVIDENT IN THE FIVE BUSINESSES: • Dalgety Teas • The Gym Kitchen • LØCI • TreasureTress • The Turmeric Co.
Black In Business is also supported by Jamii, an online marketplace for Black-owned businesses. Browse the Jamii marketplace, for more brilliant Black businesses: lovejamii.com For more information about the Channel 4 initiative visit: channel4.com/blackinbusiness/ For more information on how Lloyds Bank are supporting Black-owned businesses, visit: lloydsbank.com/blackbusinesses
Introducing the inspirational beneficiaries
Over 1,000 applicants were whittled down to a shortlist of 10 businesses by a rigorous review process. The final stage involved a judging panel including representatives from Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank, and prominent Black entrepreneurs Claudine Reid MBE and Dino Myers-Lamptey, choosing the five main beneficiaries. Channel 4’s AV Manager Maria St Louis commented: “We were
Lloyds Bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under Registration Number 119278.
JANUARY 2024
THE VOICE | 15
Black In Business
ADVERTORIAL
of TV advertising on Channel 4 when it airs in early 2024. These include driving education and awareness of the products’ benefits, securing more distribution channels and launching new marketing initiatives off the back of the ad campaign.
MINDSET Left-Thomas Robson-Kanu, Founder & CEO, The Turmeric Co., with his father Rechi Kanu, Innovation Director and Co-Founder, The Turmeric Co.
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s a young professional footballer trying to overcome career-threatening knee injuries, Thomas Robson-Kanu was almost out of options. Having had surgery and ongoing unpleasant side effects from prescription medication, he hit the local library with his father, Rechi, to research natural alternatives. Thomas firmly believes in the Hippocrates quote: “Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food.” After looking into foods and spices from different cultures, Rechi created an elixir from turmeric root and other raw functional ingredients.
How The Turmeric Co. is Breaking New Ground Channel 4 in partnership with Lloyds Bank ‘Less than 1% of supermarket brands have Black or Multi-ethnic founders’
THE RECIPE
Many people have helped Thomas along the way, but none more so than Rechi, who’s still playing a vital role in the business. “He was the one who ferried me everywhere for football training and games. He also toiled away in the kitchen to create the blend and then made it for me every three or four days for a decade. So when you talk about heroes, that level of commitment and consistency is humbling for me as a son,” he reflects. After buying an alternative shot from a supermarket in the summer of 2016, Thomas realised the high fruit juice content and less than 1% turmeric meant it wasn’t the fresh and functional product he was used to. It was a refreshing drink rather than one with any health benefits. Through reading numerous
plement reduced an inflammation blood marker and subjective muscle soreness in elite male footballers following match-play.
CUSTOMERS studies into the spice’s properties, it became apparent there was a huge gap in the market for an effective unprocessed alternative. Discussions with manufacturers resulted in Thomas and Rechi being told making such a natural product at scale was unviable. So, they spent the next two years developing their kitchen recipe to produce in large quantities themselves at a bespoke facility. In 2018, The Turmeric Co. launched as a direct-to-consumer brand. They were soon inundated with customer testimonials
that reflected the experiences of Thomas and his friends/family members who’d benefitted from the original recipe. The business needed more than delighted customers, though. Working with a research partner at Nottingham University, they conducted the first clinical trial to examine the anti-inflammatory properties of their turmeric shots in professional footballers. The results were published in May 2023. One of the key findings was that twice-daily consumption of a turmeric sup-
Educating more people and organisations about the clinical backing is an ongoing process. However, The Turmeric Co. now partners with over 20 elite sports teams across the UK, including Brentford FC and Everton FC. “Inclusivity and diversity are such an important aspect of the world today. Less than 1% of supermarket brands have Black or Multi-ethnic founders. Initiatives like this allow brands and individuals a platform to raise awareness and create opportunities. I think it’s brilliant,” Thomas says. The Turmeric Co. also con-
ducted in-depth customer research to shape its marketing and advertising. It uncovered people are buying for four reasons - immunity support, pain relief, energy support and performance. This knowledge helped get the shots into 400 Sainsbury’s stores and online in October 2023 - the firm’s first foray into retail. The marketing launch gained over 1 million impressions, which boosted brand awareness, but Thomas wants to highlight the lack of Black-owned brands in the supermarkets. While various reports have outlined the challenges faced by Black entrepreneurs in the UK, he believes the Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank initiative is a massive step in the right direction. Plans are already in place to capitalise on the £100,000 worth
Beneficiaries also get a six-month mentoring programme from DOES, which Thomas is sure will upskill the people in the business and further develop them as a team. Topics covered include supply chain resilience, marketing and sustainable growth principles. Thomas knows that opening doors requires the right mindset. He stresses the importance of not shying away in life and business, even if people think they don’t belong in a certain space as a Black or Multi-ethnic entrepreneur. “The CEOs of multi-million pound businesses are just people. It’s vital to know that whatever you want to achieve is down to you. The only barriers are the ones you create for yourself. There’s an opportunity to impact the statistics and be the change you want to see,” he states. Black In Business is also supported by Jamii, an online marketplace for Black-Owned businesses. Browse the Jamii marketplace, for more brilliant Black businesses: lovejamii.com For more information on how Lloyds Bank are supporting Black-owned businesses, visit: lloydsbank.com/ blackbusinesses
Lloyds Bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under Registration Number 119278.
16 | THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
Black In Business
ADVERTORIAL NHS as well as diabetes and blood pressure charities. The tea cartons have a QR code to educate and encourage more Black people to donate blood and help others with rare blood types.
MOMENTUM
Mark’s somewhat unconventional path has taught him so much, and he has advice for other Black entrepreneurs who are starting out. “It’s important to be determined, focused and make work as fun as possible. People should enjoy what they’re doing and be passionate about the niche they’ve carved out”, he says. While there have been many business successes to date, Mark’s philosophy is not to rest on a job well done but to keep building momentum to take Dalgety Teas to the next level - and it’s working. From importing one loose-leaf tea from Guyana to Brixton, the business now produces 36 herbal varieties, which are available online and in 16 countries worldwide. However, there’s always room to grow, and Mark’s grasping the Black in Business opportunity with both hands. Mark Dalgety, Founder at Dalgety Teas
F
ounding a herbal tea business wasn’t on the agenda for Mark Dalgety after graduating with an engineering degree. Born in London and brought up in Guyana, his journey has been fruitful, culminating this year in becoming one of the five beneficiaries of the Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank Black In Business initiative. There’s a well-known proverb, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” and for Mark Dalgety and his herbal tea business, that couldn’t be more true. The origins of Dalgety Teas can be traced back to Brixton Market in 1993. Mark had very little money and was looking for a way to make more. A conversation with a trader who wanted to source Cerassie/Corilla tea bush from the Caribbean saw him book a flight to Guyana on his credit card, the country he grew up in. After making £8,000 from that one order and realising there was a gap in the market, the idea to develop it into a business was born. With a lack of 100% natural herbal teas being readily available in the UK, orders soon began to pour in. Mark invested the profits into transforming from loose-leaf packets to conventional teabags, and Dalgety Teas was ready to scale up.
AWARENESS
Growing a business on a shoestring budget is no mean feat. However, Mark’s enthusiasm meant he covered many miles in ‘analogue mode’ as he calls it, visiting local markets, ethnic shops,
How Dalgety Teas Has Gone Global From Its Community Roots Mark with Local Farmers 2022
church fairs and carnivals. In those fledgling days, wordof-mouth was the most cost-effective way to build awareness and a repeat customer base. Mark started selling close to home in South London before targeting independent shops within the M25, then towns and cities with high ethnic populations, including Birmingham and Luton. As the sole initial distributor, Mark stayed in B&Bs nationwide, knocking on the doors of 50 shops per day. Slowly but surely he established a network of customers across the country, and it wasn’t long before he made the deci-
sion to outsource distribution to wholesalers. This enabled him to focus on other parts of the business, such as setting up a dedicated factory and new product development.
TACTIC
When trying to get Dalgety Teas stocked in the multiples, Mark took a novel approach. He wrote to individual supermarket managers with a product sample, asking them to recommend it to their buyer. This tactic resulted in 11 managers out of 15 responding positively and landing a threemonth trial listing in Tesco’s
‘World Foods’ section. You’ll find them in over 3,000 independent stores throughout the UK and three major supermarkets - Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. Beyond the UK, Dalgety Teas are available in Africa, South Korea, the US, and the Caribbean. Online customers have ordered from all over the planet, including Afghanistan and China, demonstrating opportunities for further global growth. Dalgety Teas has been an ethical business from day one. While Corporate Social Responsibility wasn’t talked about much when it began, community remains
one of its core pillars. Mark’s seen first-hand how buying tea from lots of small producers in the Caribbean, and now Africa, can transform underprivileged people’s lives. Supporting others through his business still motivates him today. “You realise the difference you’re making to people. For example, parents are able to send their kids to school or improve their homes. Selling the product is helping hundreds of small farmers and their families across the Caribbean and Africa, which is a major driver for me,” Mark states. They’ve also worked with the
BENEFITING
As one of the five beneficiaries, Dalgety Teas will receive advertising on Channel 4 worth £100,000 airing in early 2024 and the creation of their own bespoke TV ad. In addition, each Black-owned business gets a six-month tailored marketing and mentorship package powered by DOES, which Mark is already benefiting from. “Most of my journey to date has been on the outside looking in. A direct mentorship with people who have experience and data behind them has been great for me. It’s helping me formalise my structure to take the business to a truly global level,” he concludes. Black In Business is also supported by Jamii, an online marketplace for Black-owned businesses. Browse the Jamii marketplace, for more brilliant Black businesses: lovejamii.com For more information on how Lloyds Bank are supporting Black-owned businesses, visit: lloydsbank.com/ blackbusinesses
Lloyds Bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under Registration Number 119278.
JANUARY 2024
THE VOICE | 17
Black In Business
ADVERTORIAL
The Gym Kitchen: Finding the Strength to Overcome Obstacles Channel 4 in partnership with Lloyds Bank
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The Gym Kitchen is one of five successful beneficiaries of the Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank Black In Business initiative, receiving a package including a bespoke TV advertisement, £100k of advertising on Channel 4 and six months of bespoke mentorship to support growth. As a Black entrepreneur from East London, Segun Akinwoleola’s path has been a rollercoaster ride, but he’s defied the odds to build a flourishing food brand and has exciting plans for the future. Read why resilience has been vital in its founder’s journey. Segun’s initial spark came from frustration at the lack of accessible, affordable, healthy, and, most importantly tasty, supermarket ready meals. In 2016, he noted the rise in sports nutrition, meal prep shoppers and more people leaving supermarkets to buy healthier options elsewhere, so he knew there was a space that could be filled. The first step was to validate his concept, so Segun stood outside gyms and fitness centres and asked people what they thought. After receiving positive feedback, he sourced suppliers for the initial meal range that was macronutrient-counted, affordable and convenient without compromising on flavour. With a sales background and negotiating experience with buyers at leading retailers for brands including John Frieda and Revlon, Segun was in a strong position when he branched out with his own products.
CHALLENGES
And after four years of hard work and embarking on one of his biggest challenges to date, Segun hit a huge milestone, securing a listing in Asda. The Gym Kitchen’s products hit the shelves in early 2020, but unfortunately the thrill was soon cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. “I spent four years trying to get the product onto the shelves only to have it come off three months after launching. It was such a crazy time for us. But the good thing was they saw how the products were bringing in a new type of shopper so they backed it to return after six
Segun Akinwoleola, Founder at The Gym Kitchen months,” Segun states. Since that initial setback, the business has flourished. The Gym Kitchen has expanded its product range and retail customer base, selling desserts, fresh and frozen ready meals, high-protein pizzas and pouches with grains and lentils. As well as Asda, you’ll find them in the Coop, Morrisons, Ocado and Tesco, with more supermarkets in the pipeline. Segun admits he doesn’t stop to reflect on his successes despite winning Great Taste and Co-op
about his personal journey. “The Gym Kitchen is prominent in supermarkets, and I’ve found people want to hear the story behind it. I use my experiences about persistence and creating the brand to share more on ethnic diversity within retail, which has been great to do,” he says. His passion and determination saw him through many moments, but brings into sharp focus the underrepresentation of Black-owned brands, which is an issue that still needs to be addressed. This is backed up by
“Initiatives like this are incredible. I never thought I’d be doing a TV ad so soon on this journey” Pioneering Product awards. “It’s always that go-go-go mindset that kicks in and having to stay one step ahead, for example on new product development, or educating customers about the goodness in the products, so yes I’m pretty bad at stopping to celebrate,” he mentions. Segun has also been asked to speak at Tesco and share more
research from Add Psalt, a brand accelerator focused on increasing diversity in the consumer goods sector. They found that only two or three brands out of thousands on the supermarket shelves are Black-owned. “Initiatives like this are incredible. I never thought I’d be doing a TV ad so soon on this journey. It’s going to help with our reach,
portray ourselves as a bigger brand and test what resonates with our target audience.” Being told he was one of five beneficiaries of the Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank Black In Business initiative made a holiday with his wife all the sweeter. They were browsing a market in Rhodes when Segun got the phone call, which allowed him a rare chance to celebrate. Understanding one of the most significant challenges facing Black entrepreneurs is the lack of financial support in the early stages. Many people can’t rely on family and friends, and in 2022, Black founders received only 1% of all venture capital funds in the UK. This is why he feels greater support must be available for other Black entrepreneurs to follow in his footsteps. Segun plans to hire two new employees in sales and marketing soon. He also hopes the
knock-on benefits of having £100,000 worth of TV advertising on Channel 4 will allow The Gym Kitchen to explore new European export markets.
VISION
He’s also benefiting from the marketing and mentoring support, seeing this as essential as he strives to improve the brand’s marketing and better understand trading in different countries and currencies. “I want to create a household name across the UK with a lifestyle element, so not just products, but advice, apps and potentially physical shops,” he says. So watch this space as The Gym Kitchen goes from strength to strength, and look out for them on your TV screens in 2024. Black In Business is also supported by Jamii, an online
marketplace for Black-owned businesses. Browse the Jamii marketplace, for more brilliant Black businesses: lovejamii.com For more information on how Lloyds Bank are supporting Black-owned businesses, visit: lloydsbank.com/ blackbusinesses
Lloyds Bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under Registration Number 119278.
18
| THE VOICE
JANUARY 2024
Dotun Adebayo
Join the debate online voice-online.co.uk/opinion
Rate him or hate him - you can’t ignore him!
Dear Black England... Can Jude, Bukayo and Marcus win the Euros and give all Black Britons the right to say WE won it? Of course they can!
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HE YEAR coming up is a massive one for us. Arguably the most important year for Black Britons ever. I don’t need to tell you why, but I will. Firstly, can Labour rely on its ‘Black wall’ to stay solid (64 per cent voted for the party in the 2019 election) or will the Diane Abbott factor chip away at it? Also will ‘colourgate’ be a royal stain that the King cannot remove. And of course there’s that Bob Marley film coming soon. Will it turn our beloved brother Bob into a canonised St Bob of Nine Miles without being catholic? But the main reason why this is likely to be the most important year for Black Britons since the arrival of the Windrush, is that England is going to win the Euros.
REJOICE
There seems little doubt about it, and all we need is for the winner to be scored by Jude Bellingham so that the whole of Black Britain can rejoice and remind the country for the next 50 years that it was WE wot won it. After all, the Cockneys still go on about West Ham winning the World Cup in 1966. That’s coming up to 60 years and they still claim it because it was the last international trophy that any of the UK nations has won. Bobby Moore of West Ham was of course captain. Martin Peters of West Ham had the silky skills and Geoff Hurst (of West Ham) scored the winner. So we can’t argue with West Ham fans when they say it was their club that won the World Cup for England at Wembley against West Germany in 1966. Fast forward 55 years and it was WE wot lost it. Or at least WE took the blame for it. When Bukayo Saka, Jordan Sancho and Marcus Rashford each missed their penalties in the last
Euros final at Wembley Stadium three years ago we all prepared ourselves for the inevitable racism that was coming, that is always lurking under the surface of football fandom. And when the abuse came, aimed at our Black Lions, all we could do was sit there and take it and voice our support for the three young men. Now they have a chance to redeem themselves. They have a chance to put things right not just for themselves but for all of us. I cannot overestimate the importance of a winning performance from all of England’s Black players in giving us Black people in this country the right to say WE won it. I don’t think it will shut the racists up for ever and ever and ever. But even the opportunity to be able to use WE WON THE CUP as an argument to slap them crazy baldheads down will give us a great deal of satisfaction. Not to talk of tying us umbilically to the greater British public. It would be the pleasure that I have been waiting to sing for nearly 60 years:
‘IT’S US THAT WON IT!’: A Euro 2024 victory for a diverse England team with the likes of Jude Bellingham playing could give the Black community bragging rights argues Dotun Adebayo
I cannot overestimate the importance of a winning performance from all of England’s We won the cup, we won the cup Black players in giving us Black people in Ee eye addio we won the cup How sweet that sound that this country the right to say WE won it
could save a wretched of the earth like me. Our Black Lions have of course learned a lot since the penalty shootout in that Euros final against Italy. Bukayo Saka is a better player since then (and, believe me, coming from Tottenham, it gives me great pain to say so). And although Marcus Rashford, under Erik Ten Hag as the Manchester United coach, is a shadow of the mercurial talent that he once was, I am still hoping he will turn things around by the summer and be a crucial part of the England squad. Jadon Sancho, I’m afraid, won’t be there when Germany host the tournament this year. But that’s okay, England have
crucially got probably the best footballer in the world this season, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, on its side and he is one of our own:
keep us smiling for years. Smiling more and for longer than we even did when Obama became the first Black president of the USA. So:
He’s one of our own He’s one of our own Jude Bellingham — he’s one of our own
Come on England Come on England Come on England
Should Bellingham score the winner in the Euros final, I am confident that it will make a significant impact on the way our Black boys, in particular, are regarded in this country because as you know, football is a religion in Britain and to have the patron saints of the sport be Black will
I can’t hear us singing God Save The King when the national anthem is played at the Euros though. Not after the ‘colourgate’ allegations that have made the royal family look out of date, out of touch and out of colour. Like you, I don’t know who said what to who about the colour of Meghan Markle’s son
with Prince Harry. But someone definitely said something. Quite apart from the King keeping a dignified silence about the matter, there’s nothing dignified about the accusations and such an accusation demands a response. Silence is no response to accusations of racism.
LAWSUIT
If somebody accused me of racism I would respond most vigorously and probably follow it with a lawsuit. I would prove my innocence with every sinew of my being because that’s the kind of accusation that doesn’t go away if it is not nipped in the bud and early. And if it
doesn’t go away, it remains to be seen how Black Britons will regard the monarch from here on in. And as far as the Labour Party is concerned, why should they worry about our ‘Black wall’ vote when it is not in jeopardy. The ‘red wall’ is what stands between Keir Starmer and the keys to 10 Downing Street and that is where all his efforts are being focused at the moment. The irony is that Diane Abbott, who symbolises so much for being one of the gang of four who spearheaded the advent of Black MPs in 1987, is now an electoral liability to her party under Keir Starmer, whereas 36 years later she represented the political change that saved Labour. And poor Bob Marley. Hollywood is soon to release the movie they’ve made about him and once the film is out that will be the Bob Marley that is etched into history. The real Bob Marley may be laid to rest.
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
JANUARY 2024 THE VOICE
| 19
Health
Making time for ‘me time’
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FTER THE festive season many see the start of New Year as the chance for a fresh start. This is a time that will see people make resolutions such as joining a gym, spending time with family, relaxing more, or reducing consumption of junk food, changes that will help them better nurture themselves or improve their mental health. However, setting goals that are unrealistic or unachievable in a set time frame is a common theme for those setting New Year’s resolutions. Several research studies show that many of those who make New Year’s resolutions have given up or lost interest by February. Nevertheless, taking action to reduce the stress involved with regular long working hours, lack of sleep or eating processed foods is an essential part of maintaining a healthy mind and body. People who say they are too busy to look after their physical or mental health are the ones most often at risk of experiencing a range of stress-related ill-
HEALTHY MIND AND BODY: When you take the time to nurture yourself, you are much better placed to tap into the intuitive guidance that we all need (photo: Getty Images)
Why nurturing yourself is so important. By Chuka Menkiti nesses, obesity, depression and anxiety. Another benefit is that when you take the time to nurture yourself, you are much better placed to tap into the intuitive guidance that we all need, every day, to help us deal with some of the challenges that life often throws up. To help you get started with enhancing your physical and mental health in 2024 here are five quick tips you can use. Create a support network While close friends are important, it is also a good idea to reach out to others who may be facing similar challenges or pursuing the same goals as you. Creating a network can provide support with issues you may be struggling with. Create time for rest Allow time for quiet rest and relaxation. Create a space you can
escape to where there are few distractions or noise. This could be a place where you can read or meditate uninterrupted or you can go a walk in a local park. Carving out these moments of quiet solitude can give you the opportunity to unwind, clear your mind, and reflect on whatever challenge you may be facing. Set realistic exercise goals Rather than setting lofty and intimidating objectives, focus on creating an achievable exercise plan that aligns with your current fitness level, schedule and the type of exercise you might enjoy. This might involve incorporating daily walks into your routine, trying new fitness classes, or dedicating a specific time each week to exercise. By breaking down the goal into manageable steps, you not only make it more attainable but also enhance the likelihood of sticking with it.
Specsavers stores are owned and run by opticians, audiologists and local partners. So, you’ll be in expert hands every time you visit.
Jude and Mukesh
Reduce social media time If you want more time for yourself each day, then it’s worth setting small achievable goals to reduce your time on social media. You might start with something like allocating specified times of the day for social media or creating specific times in your schedule when you won’t use any technology. Reducing screen
Optician, local partner and owners
time can lead to less social media relayed anxiety, a better attention span and a heightened awareness of the real world beyond the digital landscape. Create an achievable goal for healthy eating Make small, manageable adjustments, like eating more fruits and vegetables or cutting down
on processed foods, rather than trying to overhaul your whole diet all at once. The chances of sustaining a healthy, well-balanced diet over time are higher when the objective is broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks. And incorporating mindful eating practices can help with your digestion, and energy levels.
20
| THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
News Feature
Conceived by rape A woman used her DNA to convict her father of historic sexual abuse. Now, her harrowing story will be told in a major new podcast. By Sinai Fleary
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N BIRMINGHAM during the 1970s, a 13-year-old Black girl became the victim of a heinous crime, one which would change British law forever decades later. The schoolgirl was asked to babysit for a family friend and when she arrived at the house, she was shocked to find the children’s father at the house. The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was told by the older man to go upstairs to a bedroom and take her clothes off. According to later court reports, she told him: “I don’t want you to do this.” But he simply replied: “Do not say anything.” The 13-year-old girl was then raped. As a result of the traumatic attack, the victim discovered she was pregnant. She desperately tried to hide her growing stomach and continued to attend school. But later found the courage to tell her parents and authorities who the father was and that he had raped her. According to the vic-
tim, her account was “brushed under the carpet” by everyone and no further action was ever taken. This had a devastating impact on her life and for decades, she blamed herself. The schoolgirl was put in a mother and baby unit and at 14 gave birth to her daughter. When the baby was just a few days old, she was placed in foster care and later adopted when she was just seven months. The baby, only known as Daisy, was transracially adopted into a white family and lived in an area with very little ethnic diversity.
TRAUMATIC
When Daisy turned 18, her adoptive father, encouraged her to try and obtain her adoption records, which is when she made a horrifying discovery. Daisy discovered she was conceived when her 13-year-old mother was raped by a “family friend” who was 28 at the time. She was hesitant about contacting her birth mother as she didn’t want to be a painful re-
I’d like to see real change in how we see victims and how perpetrators face justice minder of the attack. But in the mid-1990s, she was able to find her. She describes the reunion as “complex and traumatic”. The relationship between the pair has been strained ever since. According to Daisy, even though the brutal circumstances in which she was conceived was written several times in her social services records, with the name and address of her birth father also listed, no action was ever taken against him. It left her birth mother, who is from a Black British workingclass family, feeling let down by the system that was meant to protect her. In 2011, when the historic allegations of sexual abuse against TV presenter Jimmy Savile hit national headlines, this prompted Daisy to consider
prosecuting her father for what he did to her mother. “I did extensive research to try and find him, so he wouldn’t be a risk to other children” she says. In 2014, she says she approached West Midlands Police and asked them to use her files and her DNA to pursue a “victimless prosecution”, without a statement from her birth mother, but was told this was not possible as she was not the victim. Frustrated with the response, Daisy took matters into her own hands and did the unimaginable thing of tracking down her birth father. She made the brave decision to turn up at his house and met him for approximately 40 minutes. She recalls the meeting as “bizarre”. “As I was leaving his home, I
saw a photograph of a schoolgirl on his wall and immediately got chills throughout my body,” she recalls. “I thought ‘who is protecting this little girl?’” In 2021, Daisy, who was by then in her mid-40s, came forward and used her DNA to help convict her birth father, Cavel Bennett, of the historical rape of her birth mother in what is believed to be the first case of its kind in UK legal history. During the landmark case, Bennett had tried to deny paternity of Daisy, but the DNA evidence provided by his daughter helped convict him of the sickening crime he committed more than 40 years ago. Following a three-day trial at Birmingham Crown Court in 2021, the jury took less than two hours to find Bennett guilty. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison and will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life. During the trial Daisy read out her victim impact statement which she shared with The Voice. Part of it said: “I am more
than evidence, I am more than a witness, I am more than a ‘product’ of rape. I am not your shame and I will not carry the shame and horror of what you chose to do. “Because you chose to rape a child I have sacrificed much to pursue justice and for rape conceived people like myself to be seen & heard. We are not our fathers’ sins, we are not rape babies, we are not the ‘rape clause’ for benefits, we are not ‘the bad seed’. “Because you chose to rape a child I have had to fight to be recognised as a victim of your crime to try and spare my birth mother from having to testify.”
DAISY’S LAW
In January 2023, because of her tireless campaigning for children born of rape to be officially recognised as victims in Britain, the government announced plans to amend its forthcoming Victim Bill. Under the proposed amendment plans, children conceived
JANUARY 2024 THE VOICE
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21
News Feature TIRELESS CAMPAIGN: Following her father’s conviction, Daisy has campaigned for children born of rape to be officially recognised as crime victims (photo: Getty Images); inset below, Daisy has shared her story in a new podcast, The Second Victim: Daisy’s Story
Black British women who are changing the law OVER THE last few years, grassroots campaigns led by Black women have aimed to change British law, to better protect Black abuse victims. On March 31, 2014, Valerie Forde was tragically murdered along with her baby daughter Jahzara by her ex-partner. In the weeks leading up to the murder, he had threatened to burn down their house with everyone inside. Ms Forde reported this to police, but it was recorded as a threat to property rather than a threat to life. Valerie’s Law, named after the late Ms Forde, is calling for specialist and culturally appropriate mandatory training for all police and other government
through rape will be entitled to support from criminal justice agencies such as the police and courts in England and Wales. In the previous Victims Bill, the lack of explicit reference to people born as a result of rape in the Victims’ Code made it difficult for them to claim support and entitlements such as being provided with information about their case. That has all changed thanks to Daisy’s campaigning with the Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ). However, she wants to see changes to the law globally and revealed to The Voice, she is
VIOLENT: The murder of Valerie Forde led to calls for ‘Valerie’s Law’ agencies that support black women affected by domestic abuse and gender-based violence. The campaign has been pushed forward by Sistah Space, a specialist
considering taking Daisy’s Law to Jamaica. She says: “I want Daisy’s Law to be international, whether it is for children born from rape in conflict, or children born from rape in domestic situations like myself. “I’d like there to be a real change in terms of law, and how we see the victims and how perpetrators face justice.” She is now focused on campaigning for adequate support for everyone impacted when a child is born from rape, including the child, the mother and the professionals.
PODCAST
domestic abuse charity for women of African and Caribbean heritage. The charity’s campaign attracted support from celebrities like FKA twigs and Sir Lewis Hamilton and their Valerie’s Law petition gathered over 106,000 signatures and was debated in Parliament in 2022. Alongside the Centre for Women’s Justice, Daisy has also been part of campaigns to change the law so that women and children who are victims of domestic violence are better protected. Thanks to her efforts amendments to the forthcoming Victims Bill will mean that people born as a result of rape will be able to better access support from the police and other agencies.
Daisy has now told her story in an explosive new podcast series The Second Victim: Daisy’s Story which follows the remarkable journey, as she recounts her life as a transracial adoptee born from child rape. Across eight episodes, The Second Victim follows Daisy’s journey as she fights injustice — not just for her mother, but for herself and other children born under the same circumstances. Daisy hopes her new podcast, available on Audible, will help similar victims suffering in silence within the Black com-
munity to know “they are not alone.” “It felt that a podcast is the right medium to tell all aspects of my story, whilst keeping my birth mother anonymous and keeping my anonymity” she says. “I never really hear stories about Black women, Black women in care, you don’t hear them.” She says the enforced anonymity surrounding her puts her “in a place where it can be easy not to hear me, not to see me.” Daisy believes that what happened to her birth mother and her has led to “intergenerational trauma”. She hopes that by sharing her story first-hand in
the podcast, other victims feel “validated and know they are not alone.” In The Second Victim: Daisy’s Story, which is told in the first person, she shares what it was like growing up as the only Black child in her community and reveals the alienation and loss of identity that sadly overshadowed her childhood. She says being adopted by a white family meant there was “no genetic mirror” and this totally “transformed the person who I was supposed to be”. “I wasn’t brought up as a Black child, my parents were not told the importance of race,” she says. “My adoptive parents were never told about the value of things such as skin and hair care, or making sure there were Black role models in the family and how to deal with racism. I had to do all of that learning for herself. “There are no years to make up for that, for being taken from your culture and the nuances of everyday culture I missed out on. My roots are Jamaican and I am so proud of who I am but it has taken a fight. “It has taken a huge amount of trauma and it has taken me sacrificing relationships with my birth family and my adop-
tive family, to do what I had to do. But becoming the person I am today, it’s been worth it.” She says that telling her story has also empowered her. “I’ve found my Jamaican roots! I am a completely different person from when I started this podcast a year ago. This podcast has been transformative in terms of how I see myself as a Black woman that was taken from the Black community. But I’ve still been able to find my roots and dignity and identity.” Daisy hopes the podcast will be an important “tool for learning” for the community, professionals, adoptees and adoptive parents. The Second Victim is Audible’s first release as part of its multi-podcast deal with Raw, the production studio behind hit series Three Identical Strangers and The Tinder Swindler. Deborah Dudgeon, Executive Producer, Raw Podcasts, said: “Working with Daisy to tell her story has been a real privilege — we’re incredibly proud of The Second Victim.” The Second Victim: Daisy’s Story, is available to listen to on Audible now.
22 | THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
News Feature
Long-lost ‘brothers’ UK rapper finds stranger who saved his life 17 years ago. EXCLUSIVE By Sinai Fleary
A
POPULAR UK rapper has told how he finally met the Good Samaritan who saved his life after being shot 17 years ago. Okiemute Akpogheneta, who is best known by his stage name, Ox Monica’s Son, was shot multiple times at The Arches Club in Reading in 2006. His attacker fired five bullets into his chest and shoulder while he was in the nightclub’s foyer. At the time, Akpogheneta, from Shepherd’s Bush, west London, was co-managing a well-known rap group who were due to perform at The Arches that night. The medics who treated him in hospital said he almost certainly would have died had it not been for a passer-by who acted immediately to save his life by giving him CPR. He says the memories of the attack have haunted him to this day. However, he had always wondered about how much he owed to the person who saved his life. Speaking exclusively to The Voice, he says he recalls seeing someone forcibly pushing a member of his group, and going over to try to stop what was quickly escalating into a violent altercation between his musicians and another group of men. According to media reports at the time, a group of men had been refused entry into the jampacked club but managed to force their way into the venue. “I didn’t want them getting in trouble because we hadn’t even performed yet. I went over there to try and stop the fight,” he says. However, despite his efforts the fight escalated. Akpogheneta remembers being in a room near the entrance of the venue, trying to calm his group down, before being shot. “This kid came in there on his own, he was looking around the room, he scanned the room and got to me.” Akpogheneta says he tried to get to the gunman “before he could manage to pull anything out” but didn’t realise he already had a gun in his hand. Multiple shots were fired. The last thing he remembers is seeing a wooden podium and “diving behind it” and seeing his cream-coloured top turn red as he lay bleeding in the venue.
He asked someone to help pull him back into the room where he was so he could get help. Now drifting in and out of consciousness, all he remembers is hearing “loads of Reading accents” and seeing people taking their jackets off and someone shouting “take your jacket off!” Akpogheneta was given lifesaving CPR by Sinclair Jeffrey, who, incidentally, is also a rapper and youth worker from east Reading. Sinclair was hosting the event that evening. The men had never met before. Jeffrey was on stage when he heard the shots. He waited a few minutes before trying to leave, but on his way out he saw a trail of blood. He followed the trail, where
FRIENDS FOR LIFE: Rapper Ox Monica’s Son, real name Okiemute Akpogheneta, left, recently met Sinclair Jeffrey, right, for the first time; below, Jeffrey, who performs under the stage name Jekyll Hyde and Seek, and Ox in action
Ox took this big deep breath and squeezed my hand he saw Akpogheneta lying on the floor and bleeding. Straight away, he began giving him First Aid using people’s coats to apply pressure on the gunshot wounds. “We had to turn him on his back and saw that blood was coming from his back and I put a cloth on the wound and put him down,” he recalls. But at that point, Akpogheneta lost consciousness, and those in the room left because they thought he had died. Jeffrey says he panicked and started singing a nursery rhyme. That is when Akpogheneta suddenly opened his eyes and “came back to life”. In that moment, Jeffrey recalls firmly grabbing his hand and saying: “Bruv’ what have you got to live for?” Akpogheneta replied: “Yeah, I got a daughter to live for.” Strangely, he didn’t have a daughter yet — his daughter was actually born three years later. This is something which still puzzles Akpogheneta himself. But he believes it was God who was telling him in that moment he would become a father in the future and should fight to stay alive. “Ox took this big deep breath
and squeezed my hand until paramedics arrived,” Jeffrey says. He recalls the last time he saw Akpogheneta was being lifted into an ambulance on a stretcher and always wondered happened to him. “All I could picture was his face, and it was the face of him dying,” he tells The Voice. “I remember looking at Ox’s face and him looking at me, and it was like the life in his face just faded out and the light in his eyes just went dim.” Sinclair says that what he witnessed that night stuck in his mind for years, leading to him having nightmares and keep waking up in cold sweats. “After what happened that
night I ended up having a mental breakdown. I desperately wanted to know how he was.” Three men were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection to the incident but no charges were ever brought against them. Akpogheneta says he decided not to press charges and needed to move on from the shooting for his own wellbeing. “I made a decision at the time that I wasn’t going to go down the revenge route,” he says. Over the years, he has become a community leader, mentoring young people and working at community events while building a promising music career. Jeffrey knew Akpogheneta
had survived the shooting, but felt he needed to see him recovered and in good health to help with his own healing process. Just a few weeks before Christmas 2022 a mutual friend told him Akpogheneta was on Instagram. He toyed with the idea of getting in touch but hesitated, fearful about the memories it might bring up. However, he says he was brought to tears as he scrolled through the rapper’s page and saw posts about him finding Christ, promoting his music and doing various community and youth-led projects. In January last year, Jeffrey finally decided to DM Akpogheneta him on Instagram
and told him who he was. “We spoke, we cried on the phone together, we rapped together,” he recalls. The men promised to keep in touch and finally met for the first time in November. It was an emotional reunion. Jeffrey, who performs under the stage name Jekyll Hyde and Seek, travelled to London to film a music video and asked the man whose life he saved to make a guest appearance to which Akpogheneta agreed. “Ox sent me his location and when I pulled up outside and saw his face, I was just so happy,” he says. “To see his face in front of me, gave me a warm feeling inside, and it took over the other image in my head that I had of him. When he came up to me, I saw how strong he looked, maybe that’s the reason why his mum called him Ox, because he is strong like an Ox.” He adds: “I no longer have that image of him that I had before of him lying on the floor, I have the image of him smiling, he’s alive, he’s rapping.” For Akpogheneta, meeting Jeffrey has also been a profound experience. “I knew I died, but he just confirmed it,” he says. “Seeing Continued on page 29
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Know the signs of a heart attack
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Professor Nick Linker National Clinical Director for Heart Disease, NHS England
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n England, the annual incidence of hospital admissions due to heart attacks surpasses 80,000 cases, with a survival rate of 7 out of every 10 patients. However, this success rate can be elevated to 94% - over 9 out of 10 individuals - for those who promptly reach hospital and receive the appropriate medical intervention. While chest pain remains the most recognizable symptom, it’s crucial to acknowledge that heart attacks can manifest in various, less conspicuous ways. These symptoms may include shortness of breath, dizziness, a sense of unease, or an overwhelming feeling of anxiety. Professor Nick Linker,
consultant cardiologist and National Clinical Director for Heart Disease, NHS England said “People who are experiencing a heart attack often describe it as a sensation of squeezing or tightness across the chest along with other symptoms such as sweating, nausea or a sense of unease” “It can be easy to dismiss the early signs of heart attack as they don’t always feel severe, but it is never too early to dial 999 and describe your symptoms – the faster you act, the better the chance of a full recovery”.
‘I didn’t want to make a fuss’ When senior nursing lecturer Jaye Ryan, 56, from Wolverhampton, had a heart attack last year, she had no idea what had happened to her. It was an ordinary Sunday in February. Our son was home for the weekend and was watching football with my husband, so I went to wash my hair. As I wrapped the towel round my hair and stood up I was hit by the most horrendous chest pain going right through to my back, into my shoulder blades, jaw and neck. I stumbled to the bedroom but the pain was
so intense I couldn’t lie down and my arms felt loose and floppy. All I could think was if the pain didn’t stop I was going to die. I felt short of breath and I could hardly speak, much less call out for help – and I didn’t want to make a fuss and spoil the family weekend. After six or seven minutes the pain faded and after lying down for a while I went downstairs. Jason said, “Are you all right?” and I said, “I think so – I had a horrendous pain in my chest.” He said, “What, like a heart attack?” and immediately we both said “nah” as I was really fit, did spin classes three or four times a week, we ate healthily and I was full of energy. The next morning, despite an awful ache in my chest,
Jaye Ryan
I drove to work. I felt out of breath and getting up two flights of stairs was hard work, and when my colleague arrived I told her what had happened. She was concerned about my heart, so she sent me off to A&E.
‘I stumbled to the bedroom but the pain was so intense I couldn’t lie down and my arms felt loose and floppy’ I had quite a few tests at the hospital, but it wasn’t until after having an extensive ECG did it became clear that I was having a heart attack. I was completely shocked by this, because I was not only physically fit, but I also
had no pre-existing heart health problems and there was no history of heart issues in my family. Today, I’m still on a slowphased return to work and I am currently working from home, convening an online MSc Nursing module. I would urge anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation to dial 999, without hesitation. Women are often full of excuses as to why their needs come last but with chest pain, they need to put themselves first and call 999. If the pain causes you to fear for your life, as I did when it first happened, then it has the potential to become a life-threatening event and you need to be checked by healthcare professionals. Women can be their own worst enemy because they often consider others before themselves: their children, their partner, their jobs – the list goes on. And even though I am a nurse I needed to be urged to dial 999. New or unexplained symptoms that cause chest pain in various locations, such as the arm, neck, jaw and back between the shoulder blades need to be checked out and that means calling 999.
GENERAL SIGNS TO BE AWARE OF: The initial signs of a heart attack can vary, with the most common including chest tightness, a feeling of unease, and a sense that something isn’t
quite right. These early symptoms don’t always feel severe, and it can be tempting to dismiss them. However, it’s essential to remember that it’s never too early to call 999 and describe your symptoms.
It should be noted that heart attack symptoms may include:
• Chest pain – a feeling of pressure, heaviness, tightness, or squeezing across your chest
• Pain in other parts of the
body – it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms (usually the left arm, but it can affect both arms), jaw, neck, back, and tummy.
• Feeling lightheaded or dizzy • Sweating • Shortness of breath • feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
• An overwhelming feeling of anxiety (similar to a panic attack)
• Coughing or wheezing
While chest pain can be intense in many cases, some individuals may only experience mild pain akin to indigestion. The most common symptom of a heart attack is chest pain however symptoms vary from person to person. For more information, please visit: nhs.uk/heartattack
24
| THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
Feature
T
Racial equality leaders say institutional policy change is the route to Black people feeling safe in their identity By Leah Mahon
HOW CAN WE GET BLACK BRITS TO FEEL MORE BRITISH?
HE recent Black British Voices (BBV) survey revealed that just one in ten of the 11,000 Black Britons who took part said they were proud to call themselves British. The results highlighted the fact that many members of the African and Caribbean diaspora still deal with a deeply personal struggle of claiming a dual identity of the birthplace of their ancestors while living in a country that carries the legacy of colonialism and slavery. The results also revealed the negative feelings not just around the idea of Britishness, and the tangled history of Empire that still looms over it, but also that of “Englishness”, which is seemingly now being claimed by the far-right. “The ‘ambivalent’ sense of belonging that Black British people continue to feel is unsurprising given that people feel alienated by the very institutions that are vested with the power to shape and define ‘Britishness,” says Shabna Begum, CEO of the Runnymede Trust. She says that Black people often have to deal with attacks on their sense of identity and belonging in different aspects of British life, According to Begum, recent stories about members of the Royal family allegedly discussing “anxieties over complexion “ to the abuse faced by Black professional footballers all create a negative
Just
One in ten
respondents said they were proud to call themselves British. impression in the collective consciousness of the Black community. Begum also claims that the government knowingly pursue “policies that disproportionately harm Black communities” which only exacerbate a sense of not belonging. “In every sphere of British public life, Black people’s sense of belonging remains contingent and unassured” she says. In September 2023, the Runnymede Trust published a hard-hitting manifesto to challenge the government’s work in decolonising establishments and improving racial equality in the UK. The 14-page report set out
recommendations including helping communities of colour amid the cost of living crisis, protecting political rights and eradicating inequalities in education and healthcare. It argued that “policies that promote racial justice are policies that create a fairer society for all”. The Runnymede report followed the 2021 publication of a report by the governmentbacked Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, which infamously denied the existence of institutional racism. Former Voice columnist Dr Tony Sewell who chaired the commission was accused of “gaslighting” Black people across the country. Dubbed “The Sewage Report” its findings painted a stark picture of Black Britons as being overly sensitive to racial inequality following a summer that witnessed Black Lives Matter protests across Britain and the world. Jeremy Crook, Chief Executive of the Race Equality Foundation, agrees that for Black people to proudly call themselves British, the government needs to begin “dismantling the barriers that hinder the lives of so many Black individuals”. “Black people face disparities at almost every stage of life - from schooling and education, to
“We can only truly belong if we have the means with which to build and sustain healthy, thriving communities” – Shabna Begum, CEO of the Runnymede Trust
The recent Black British Voices survey found that just one in ten Black Britons were proud to call themselves British employment, healthcare, criminal justice, housing, and beyond,” he says. “Policy change is integral to improving many of these systems which are systemically racist. But for change to occur on a national scale, the government must wholeheartedly commit to implementing the countless recommendations we have seen from a range of comprehensive reviews on race and ethnicity in Britain in the past.” Crooks said the Equality Act 2010 needs to be strengthened and the government must work closely
with Black communities to create legislative transformation. Choosing to call oneself British remains a deeply personal and multifaceted journey for many Black Britons with no absolutely clear definition for what this means for members of the African and Caribbean diaspora. However, Begum adds that with a renewed interest in the role that colonialism, Empire and slavery played in Britain’s past, the work that needs to be done in encouraging more Black people to see themselves as British has to move “ just an emotional attachment” and rooted itself in clearly thought out policies. “We can only truly belong if we have the means with which to build and sustain healthy, thriving communities” she says. “Therefore, our politics needs to address the wealth and power inequalities that are rooted in these historical injustices. “Through our work, we seek to equip communities and decision makers with the tools to build a Britain in which we can all feel valued, lead fulfilling lives, and share a common sense of belonging.”
JANUARY 2023
THE VOICE | 31
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26
| THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
Midlands News
By Veron Graham
Borough appoints Gabriel as new Chief Executive T
HE NEW year will see a new chief installed in the Staffordshire town of Tamworth, when Stephen Gabriel, pictured above, moves from senior housing roles in Birmingham to become Tamworth Borough Council’s new Chief Executive. Commenting on his appointment, which was granted unanimously in a full council meeting recently, Gabriel said: “I’m delighted to be appointed as the next Chief Executive of Tamworth Borough Council. I be-
Incoming CEO has strong track record of public service delivery lieve passionately in local government and its role in creating conditions for people and places to thrive. I’m looking forward to working with the leader of the council, council members, our leadership team, staff and wider stakeholders to deliver the ambitions and priorities for Tamworth.”
The incoming CEO will arrive in Tamworth with a strong track record of public service delivery with a specialist background in social housing both in local government and in the wider social housing sector. Gabriel is currently Director of Housing Management with Birmingham City Council and
Board Member of Trident Housing Association. The authority’s acting leader, Thomas Jay, commented: “I’m delighted to welcome Stephen Gabriel as Tamworth Borough Council’s new Chief Executive. Stephen was unanimously agreed as the preferred candidate from our cross-party committee of councillors following a competitive recruitment process where all candidates showed a high level of leadership skill and competency. I’m looking forward to working with Stephen,
as we continue to work drive forward our ambitions for Tamworth. Gabriel will take over from current chief executive, Andrew Barratt, who is retiring at the end of March 2024 after a 28 year local government career, and 20 years with Tamworth Borough Council, to which Jay commented: “I also want to thank Andrew Barratt, our current Chief Executive, for his dedication and leadership as Chief Executive over the past five years, those years have been
particularly challenging with the covid pandemic and now cost-of-living crisis. The recommendation to appoint Stephen was made by a cross-party committee of councillors following a recruitment process.” Gabriel, who will assume his new position on April 1, was also honoured by his predecessor, Andrew Barratt who said: “It was heartening to see the calibre of candidates who applied for this position, and I wish Stephen continued success as our Chief Executive.”
JN Group hosts engagement evening
JN GROUP’S senior leadership hosted a well-received engagement meeting with existing and potential members at The Cap Centre in Smethwick, just outside Birmingham recently. An estimated 150 people braved the evening cold for the event, prefaced by an opening prayer by local church leader Bishop Wilton Powell. The meeting included a whistle-stop tour through the company’s storied history since its inception in 1874 up to the present day. AT THE HELM: JN Group CEO, Guests were updated on current serthe Honourable Earl Jarrett vices, UK branches, corporate social re-
sponsibility successes plus new products, including a forthcoming app as part of its expanding digital offerings. With Group CEO, the Honourable Earl Jarrett at the helm, attendees were also given a useful update on developments in Jamaica: its economic recovery, falling unemployment, improving healthcare provision and infrastructure, also government commitments to build tens of thousands of new homes and tackle illegal settlements. Some of the issues that Jamaica is grappling with were also covered, including violent crime, fraud, the rising
incidence of road traffic accidents and the development of a national identity card. The panel — which included Paul Noble (CEO, JN Bank UK), Horace Hines (General Manager, JN Money Services), Paulette Simpson (Deputy CEO, JN Group) and Elizabeth Jones (Chair, JN Group) — also featured immigration and asylum law specialist Cordella BartStewart OBE who spoke on reparations and Jamaica’s progression to becoming a republic. The evening was rounded off by an engaging Q&A session which saw the grow-
ing crowd quiz the panel on a variety of concerns, including the provision of faceto-face appointments, especially for the vulnerable, and the Bank’s attempts to engage with prospective new customers. “It was a really interesting evening,” said Jamaican-born Basil Clarke, 67, who attended with a friend. “It’s important to have events like this, especially in a time when everything is going online and remote. Money is a touchy subject for everyone in this economy, so the more we can get to hear from the leaders, the more assurance people will have in the products and services being offered.”
JANUARY 2024 THE VOICE
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27
Midlands News
Black Country swimmer Karnell’s making a splash THUMBS UP: Karnell in the pool at Sandwell Aquatics Centre (photo: Swim England)
Oldbury star strikes gold twice at regional championships
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NEWLY CROWNED Black Country swimming champion who has struck gold twice in his local pool has been lauded by a senior leader at his local council. Oldbury’s Karnell Nunes-Smith, 19, right, set two personal bests in Swim England’s Regional Winter Championships in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events, clocking up 27.22 and 1:00.71 respectively at Sandwell’s Aquatics Centre. Commenting on his victory, Karnell told the media: “It was great competing at Sandwell Aquatics Centre, as it’s my local pool. The atmosphere was amazing, and I can’t wait to go back there and compete again.” Karnell — a member at the Orion Swimming Club in Edgbaston, Birmingham — is sup-
ported by Sandwell’s Gifted and Talented programme, an initiative which supports local aspiring sportspeople who have shown potential to graduate from competitions at regional and up to national and international stages. Last year was a banner one for Karnell, In February 2023, while competing for England in Dubai, he won gold in the 50m breaststroke and was narrowly beaten into second place by the short-course world record holder in the 100m event. He also qualified for the finals of both the British Swimming Championships in April and the British Summer National Championships in July, as well as breaking two national records at the national ESSA Inter-Divisional Championships, where he represented the West Midlands. This
successful run saw him finish the long-course season ranked as number one in the West Midlands and eighth in England for 50m breaststroke. He added: “The programme has helped to support me over the past few
years, which I am grateful for. I hope that I can continue getting faster and go on to represent my country at a major championship at some point in the near future.” Sandwell Council’s Cabinet
Member for Leisure and Tourism, Councillor Charn Singh Padda, said: “Karnell is an exceptionally talented individual and should be very proud of his achievements. We are certainly very proud of him in Sandwell.
It is wonderful to know that the council has been able to support him in his success through the Gifted and Talented programme and that he has been able to use our world-class Aquatics Centre to facilitate these achievements.”
NEWS IN BRIEF CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
A RENEWED call for nominations has been made in the quest to appoint the Lord Lieutenant’s Young Active Citizen Award for the West Midlands. Set up to celebrate young people who have shown “extraordinary impact on the community in which they live and impacting on the cultural life of the region,” this year’s theme is ‘The Spirit of the Commonwealth’, – in an attempt to capitalise on the legacy of the Commonwealth Games, hosted by the Second City in 2022. The Award aims to bring people, groups and communities together across our cities and region, embracing the Commonwealth values of humanity, equality and diversity in everything they do. It is divided into three age categories: up to 11s, 12-18s and 19-25, as of September 1, 2023. The judges are looking for nominees who are making a difference in their community as demonstrated by how they are using their skills to build and strengthen local communities, improved diversity, understanding and reconciliation, overcome personal barriers,
helped others to do so or to access opportunities in their community. To nominate, complete the form on The Young Active Citizen section at wmlieutenancy.org/what-is-the-young-active-citizenaward/. Submissions should also include up to 500 words in a supporting statement. Entries close on February 9, 2024, the winners will be announced on March 14, 2024, with presentations made at Birmingham Hippodrome a month later, followed by an invitation for the winners to enjoy afternoon tea at the House of Lords next July.
THEATRE MAKING MEMORIES
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre has renewed its efforts to support those living with dementia and their families, including those from diverse communities. Earlier this year, it added singer Sofie Anné to its roster to perform soul and Motown classics for clients for whom Black music evokes fond memories. The venue has established The Grand Theatre Memory Café, inviting local people to enjoy live music from ages gone by, reconnecting those affected to improved physical
and emotional wellbeing. Provided free of charge, its success has led to attendees becoming reliant on the service, prompting the theatre’s call for donations to continue providing the service. A theatre spokesperson said: “For many people with dementia, music therapy has been shown to improve their thinking, feeling, perception, mood and behaviour and is often used as part of a care plan. Expanding our established dementia cafés to reach a further 2,500 people in Wolverhampton will allow us to support more Wolverhampton residents, including communities who are often at higher risk of a diagnosis and overlooked by current provisions in place in the area.” Plans also exist to offer transport services and musical instruments for patrons to use during musical sessions. Dementia has become one of the most important health and care issues facing the world. In the UK, the number of people with dementia is estimated at around 944,000 and worldwide cases are set to triple by 2050. Evidence suggests people with dementia can’t access the support they need to live
well after diagnosis. Since 2015, its prevalence across all ages in Wolverhampton has outstripped incidence in the county and the country.
YOUNG TALENT RECOGNISED
The inaugural Building The Future Awards, aiming to recognise and value 18 to 35 year-olds in the construction industry, held its inaugural event at Villa Park, Birmingham, recently. Also aiming to celebrate achievements, bridge the skills gap, and foster collaboration within the sector, the event was supported by West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council Sharon Thompson, with sponsorship coming from the local authority and South and City College. Co-founder Zoe Bennett said: “The Building The Future Awards were founded with the vision of recognising and valuing the young talent shaping the future of construction. It’s heartening to see the gratitude expressed by the winners, truly embodying the spirit of the awards.”
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
28 | THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
Muyiwa Olarewaju
Nothing But Truth and Light
Join the debate online voice-online.co.uk/opinion
Let this new year be a time to come together The wisdom found in the Bible shows why it’s so important that we are never alone
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S THE last remnants of the festive season and lights twinkle away, a new year unfolds, bringing with it a fresh perspective on the enduring importance of community. In a world often marked by fast-paced individualism, the warmth of community becomes a guiding light, especially as we transition from the jubilant holiday season to the contemplative month of January. Let us draw insights from modern perspectives and timeless wisdom found in the Bible. The article The Importance of Community by Dee Marques articulates how a sense of community fosters well-being and fulfilment. It highlights that belonging to a community provides a support network, reducing feelings of isolation and offering a space for shared experiences. This rings particularly true during the festive season, and continues to hold significance well into the new year. There is a lot of research done in which the author delves into the multi-faceted aspects of community life. Underlining the positive impact of community engagement on mental health and social well-being emphasises the reciprocal nature of community, where individuals both contribute to and benefit from the collective. The wisdom found in Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 aligns seamlessly with these insights. It says: “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labour: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. However, pity anyone who falls and has no one to help him or her up. In addition, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. Nevertheless, how can
one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” These verses remind us of the strength and resilience found in unity. Just as a cord of three strands is not easily broken, a community united in purpose and care stands strong against the challenges life may present. In 1 Corinthians 12:12–20, the Apostle Paul uses the metaphor of the body to illustrate the interconnectedness and importance of each member within a community. “Just as a body, though one has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” This metaphor beautifully encapsulates the idea that each individual within a community brings unique gifts and strengths, contributing to the health and vitality of the whole. As we move into this new year, these verses prompt reflection on the collective strength found in diverse talents and perspectives. Psalm 133:1 further emphasises the beauty and significance of unity, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” This verse echoes the sentiment that there is a particular goodness, a unique joy, when individuals come together in harmony. This verse invites us to embody unity in our communities, not just during the festive season but also as a continual practice in our daily lives. Some may ask ‘why is community especially important as we step into another year through the corridors of January?’ Well, it allows us to share joy and celebration. The festive season may be behind us, but
TOGETHERNESS: The start of a new year is a great time to keep in mind the unity and support that come from fostering a sense of community
Being part of a community magnifies celebrations, whether it is setting goals together or sharing the journey of navigating the winter blues the new year is an opportunity for renewed connections. Being part of a community magnifies celebrations, whether it is setting goals together, supporting each other’s resolutions, or simply sharing the journey of navigating the winter blues, except of course if you live in sunny Africa or the Caribbean. There is also no better place to get support in times of need.
Just as Ecclesiastes suggests, having someone to help us up when we fall is invaluable. The new year, though joyous, can also be challenging for some. Whether it is grief, loneliness, or financial struggles with the cost of living crisis we are going through, a supportive community provides a safety net. The beauty of fostering strong connections can never be
overstated. The new year is about reconnecting with loved ones, with the broader community, and with the spirit of giving. Engaging in community activities, volunteering, or participating in local events enhances this sense of connection. Our connections allow us the opportunity to see and hear one another. The diversity of gifts and talents shines brightly in those times. Each individual within a community has unique gifts and talents to offer, contributing to a vibrant and enriching collective experience. Ultimately, it is the Season of Compassion. The celebrations of a new year very quickly ring hollow if they do not revolve around themes of compassion,
Muyiwa Olarewaju OBE is Station Director at Premier Gospel Radio, a TV & Radio Broadcaster, and Principal of gospel group Muyiwa & Riversongz
generosity, and love. Being part of a community allows us to collectively embody these virtues, creating a ripple effect that extends into every waking day. As we step into the new opportunities and challenges that 2024 could bring, let us not only embrace the external festivities but also internalise the essence of togetherness. Community, as both modern research and timeless scriptures affirm, is a source of strength, joy, and support. As we come together in unity, let the warmth of community infuse our January with a deeper, more profound meaning, recognising that the heart of unity beats strongest when it resonates harmoniously with others.
JANUARY 2024 THE VOICE
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News Feature
‘That’s my brother for life, I love him’
Continued from page 22
the joy in his face because I’m alive, that makes me happy.” Following the shooting, Akpogheneta developed a strong relationship with God and believes Jeffrey was “sent on that day to save my life”. “The fact that he didn’t know me, he had no reason to step in like he did. I can’t thank him enough, my family want to meet him. There’s so much that I want to do for him, that I am going to do for him, whether he likes it or not. I’ve got a new brother! That’s my brother for life, I love him.” Jeffrey is now calling for CPR and First Aid training to be made mandatory in all schools across the UK. He first learnt CPR when he was 17 while studying to become a youth worker. At first he didn’t want to learn it because he thought he was “never going to get to use it”. But a week after finishing his course, an elderly aunt collapsed at a family party and he used First Aid to save her life. Two weeks later Jeffrey used his CPR training to save Akpogheneta. On the night he was shot Akpogheneta was given five pints of blood and had several operations to remove bullets from one of his lungs. He describes his recovery as
“on-going”. In 2019, he had his last operation and had a disk taken out of his lower back, which was replaced with a metal cage, which gave him “a new lease of life.” However, as well the physical scars on his body, the traumatic incident has left him with mental scars. Akpogheneta was sectioned twice after suffering from PTSD and depression, which he says was linked to the incident and the extensive list of pain-relief medication he was prescribed. He reveals he had five different types of counselling, but it was a form of therapy called “Re-living” that he began in 2016, which helped to get him back on the path to good mental health. The rapper, a proud father and now mental health advocate, believes he survived that day for a reason to help others and be the best father he can be to his daughter. He said: “Not enough people talk about it. I know people that have been sectioned but they have kept it a secret because of the stigma associated with it. People are filled with shame that nobody wants to look bad.” “How can we all get better and learn if we don’t share our mistakes? That is the only way we grow.”
LIFESAVER: Sinclair Jeffrey during a recent interview with BBC Radio Berkshire
GUIDANCE: Ox Monica’s Son, seated, centre, during one of the community talks JANUARY 20 he gives to young people
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| THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
Sadé Thomas
Join the debate online voice-online.co.uk/opinion
The Gospel Truth
Faith in Labour: Shining a light on Black church UK’s major opposition is hoping to strengthen its relationship with the Black community in a bid to build a better Britain
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HROUGHOUT ITS history, we have seen time and time again how the Black church has helped to shape society for the better. Through activism or providing various methods of social welfare for society’s most vulnerable, the Black church has been a pillar of strength and support for many communities. With this in mind, Darrell Redmond, newly recruited as the National Organiser for ‘Faith in Labour’, speaks to The Voice about the significance of the Black church in the UK and Labour’s work to strengthen its relationships with the Black church to better support their surrounding communities. Sadé: Congratulations on your appointment as the National Organiser for Faith In Labour. Considering it is a brand new post, can you tell us a bit more about the work you are doing? DR: Thank you, Sadé. The role will involve engaging with Black Majority Churches (BMCs) across the country to raise the profile of using their power to vote and increase engagement in civil society through community-based programmes and services. To maximise this engagement, I will also collaborate with organisations that are a voice for BMCs, including the National Church Leaders Forum (NCLF), the Council for Black Churches, and the Faith In Action group in the West Midlands. A key outcome for me will be ensuring that young African and Caribbean heritage people who couldn’t vote in 2019,
CATCHY CHORUS: Deitrick Haddon keeps us all hopeful (photo Getty Images)
and who now form part of a group of around four million young people who are now 18 or over, are registered to use their vote in the 2024 elections. Obviously my aim is that they will register to vote for Labour, but I do not take that for granted. Sadé: What part do you think Black Majority Churches play in our society? DR: For decades, I have seen so many community services that have made a significant contribution to society. For example, training and skills, housing, day care, supporting inmates and ex-offenders to reduce recidivism rates is just a fraction of that contribution. I do, however, still believe there are more skills and expertise that BMCs can contribute, and if this contribution is to become even more strategic
Track of the month: Deitrick Haddon’s One Day MY TOP tune of the month has to be Deitrick Haddon’s latest release, One Day. The track begins with a bagpipe sound and immediately commands the listener’s attention. The catchy chorus reminds us to keep hopeful, despite the challenges that we face in the world and to keep
it has to be on a joined-up national scale. Sadé: Have you personally been positively influenced by BMCs? DR: The short answer is yes,
TAKING CONTROL: Darrell Redmond is the new National Organiser for ‘Faith in Labour’
our focus on God who has a redemptive plan for all of creation. While the musicality clearly displays the excellence typically found in Gospel music, the instrument of Deitrick Haddon’s vocals are a masterclass and confirm his place as one of Gospel’s finest singers of our time.
definitely! I owe any professional success to the BMC. My father and mother took me to a BMC from when I was two months old. As a junior, I have fond memories of attending youth camps, concerts, and conventions at the Brighton Conference Centre. If I remember rightly, I was even given the opportunity to sing at Brighton as a 12-yearold! I gained my baseline skills for public speaking, leading, managing, and resilience through the BMC. Sadé: Why is it important for political leaders to work with BMCs? DR: BMCs are a component for the positive lens to the Black community. They are not perfect, but they are an excellent demonstration of
The song treats us with impressive backing vocals adding to the single’s anthem sound leaving listeners dancing, uplifted and encouraged. Listen to Deitrick Haddon’s One Day on all streaming platforms and digital stores.
Black contribution to British society. Among its members, you will find doctors, lawyers, accountants, strategic thinkers, barristers, bankers, teachers, school leaders, media leaders, directors, musical talent, the list goes on and on. Political leaders have an opportunity to develop reform and renewal for communities through the strategic engagement and contributions of BMCs in a way never adopted by corporate Britain. From my conversations with forums that are a voice for this community, it is clear that the BMCs see themselves as contributors to designing policy, not just being consulted on what has already been agreed.
Sadé: How can Black church leaders get involved? DR: Firstly, all Black leaders have a role to play in ensuring its members are using their voice to vote. If you preach the Bible, you will see that at its core there is politics, whether it’s Joseph in the Old Testament as a deputy prime minister or Herod as a ruler. Secondly, I can see the merit in coherent support for the organisations that are a voice for BMCs, and this may include funding them where they have clear objectives and a vision for a wider Britain. For more information on Faith in Labour and how to engage with their work, visit https://goodfaith. org.uk/
JANUARY 2023
THE VOICE | 31
32 | THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
Lyndon Mukasa Eye on the Diaspora
Join the debate online voice-online.co.uk/opinion
The forgotten conflict Why tensions between Rwanda and the DRC could tear the African continent apart
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HILE MUCH of the world’s media is preoccupied with the Israeli invasion and genocide of Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a dispute nearly 30 years in the making has been fomenting in Central Africa that threatens to boil over and engulf the continent if a resolution is not reached. Over the last few years, the relationship between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been fraught with tension due to security issues. The DRC government has accused Rwanda of arming and supporting the insurgent group M23 in its efforts to control the mineral-rich Eastern Congolese provinces that border Rwanda. From the Rwandan government’s perspective, security is at the heart of its agenda at the DRC border, and political leaders there have in turn accused the DRC government of arming and supporting the anti-Tutsi group FDLR which threatens the Rwandan border. This conflict highlights longstanding security issues that have spilled over the borders of both countries and the conflict is escalating. Since late 2022 this has led to an alleged proxy conflict that has resulted in the deaths, sexual violence, torture and displacement of millions of people in the region. This conflict is now in danger of moving into its next phase of open and total war. In December, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi compared Rwandan President Paul Kagame to Hitler and accused the Rwandan President of having
PROTEST: Congolese demonstrators in Goma, eastern DRC, attempt to cross the border to Rwanda whom they accused of supporting the M23 rebels (photo: Getty Images); inset, Paul Kagame has been accused by Congolese leaders of having expansionist ambitions in the Congo
expansionist ambitions in the Congo. To understand why this conflict is so important we have to understand what happened in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda Conflict spreading past the border In 1997, the Hutu-led groups responsible for the Rwandan genocide fled Rwanda to the neighbouring DRC after the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) led by Kagame pushed them out and ended the genocide of the Tutsi ethnic group. This, however, pushed Hutu insurgency into the Eastern Congo, creating conflict and displacement in the region. Many Congolese feel that Kagame’s RPF pushed armed groups into the country which has contributed to the deteriorating security situation in a country that was already embroiled in conflicts with various rebel groups. Some believe that Rwanda, along with its ally Uganda, want the DRC to be inundated with insurgency to make it easier to steal its natural resources. This view is informed by memories of the first and second Congo wars (from 1996 to 1997) and (from 1998 to 2003) in which Rwanda along with other African states such as Uganda, Burundi, Angola, Sudan and Eritrea led an invasion of the DRC on grounds of containing the threat of the Hutu militia to the Rwandan state. By 2003 the war had come to an end as a peace agreement was signed. The Congo wars (often referred to as the Great War of Africa) led to countless atrocities, millions of deaths,
and many people being displaced. The persistence of conflict in the Eastern Congo Despite the formal end of the war, conflict persisted in the eastern Congo region near the border with Rwanda as many different armed groups became concentrated, particularly in the Ituri province and North and South Kivu. One of these groups in the region is the Tutsi-led National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), which signed a peace agreement with the DRC government in 2009. However, in 2012 some former CNDP members broke away after arguing that the peace treaty was not being honoured by the DRC government which consisted of the reintegration of former rebels in the army. This led to the founding of the March 23rd Movement (M23) which launched a huge attack in the Eastern Congo, displacing over 100,000 people and capturing the regional capital of Goma. The M23 claim to defend the security of ethnic Tutsis living in the Eastern Congo. The M23 was pushed
out of the DRC in 2013 by the Congolese army and UN forces. However, by 2022 the M23 would launch a new attack in North Kivu. For nearly two years martial law implemented by DRC president Felix Tshisekedi has led to a suppression of freedoms and human rights in order to restore order and security in the Eastern Congolese provinces. Rwandan involvement in Congolese insurgency This would cause a further deterioration in Rwandan/ Congolese relations since the government of the DRC has accused Rwanda of supporting M23 and their terrorist attacks. The Rwandan government has denied supporting M23 and argues that the DRC has been arming and supporting the FDLR for years. However, UN experts claim that they have strong evidence that the Rwandan Government does in fact support M23 and has sent troops to support the group. From the Rwandan government’s perspective, they have accused the Congolese of sup-
Lyndon Mukasa is a writer and researcher. He studied International Development at the London School of Economics.
porting the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). Kagame has argued that there is a media bias when it comes to the coverage of this conflict with a lack of attention being given to the Congolese support of the FDLR and its threat to Rwandan peace and security. The UN has reported some evidence that shows that sections of the Congolese army have supported militia groups like the FDLR, sometimes even fighting alongside them. However, the UN has also reported that the Rwandan military’s objectives in the DRC is to reinforce M23 by providing troops and material and to use them to secure control over mine sites, gain political influence and destroy the FDLR. According to Human Rights Watch, there have been a string of atrocities committed by the FDLR who have attacked Congolese citizens accused of supporting M23. Could this result in a third Congo War? This is the closest that both African countries have come to war since the 1990s, but
could conflict really spiral into another devastating war? As it stands, the M23 have taken over several towns in the North Kivu Province in 2023. This has fuelled the antiRwanda rhetoric of Mr Tshisekedi. However, 2023 was an election year for the DRC and it is possible that the increase in dangerous rhetoric by Mr Tshisekedi is motivated in part by a desire to drum up support in his leadership bid. On the other hand, several East African forces, along with the UN, have joined in pushing back against the M23. There was a ceasefire earlier in 2023, however this was broken after Rwanda fired at a Congolese fighter plane that flew over its airspace. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) offered to send an intervention force in the lead up to the DRC elections in December, demonstrating the desire among most of the DRC’s neighbours to not repeat the Great African Wars of the 1990s. Time will tell if this proves effective, but 2024 will be an important year for security and peace in Central Africa.
JANUARY 2024 THE VOICE
Asari St Hill
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33
Join the debate online voice-online.co.uk/opinion
Business and Wealth
It pays to do your research
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HE RECENT Black British Voices (BBV) report highlighted the fact that although there was a significant growth in support for Black-led businesses over the last few years, they also face several challenges that affect their ability to grow and become profitable. It’s important to acknowledge that Black businesses are not uniquely linked to failure. Growing and developing a successful, profitable business is tough. Most businesses in the UK do not survive their first three years. According to recent statistics from Nerd Wallet, 20 per cent of UK businesses fail in their first year and 60 per cent in three years. The number one reason for business failure is running out of cash (cashflow) or failure to raise new capital or finance. As The Voice’s BBV report showed, the barriers to obtaining access to finance have long been a pain point for Black entrepreneurs. But this doesn’t represent the whole story. The UK Black Entrepreneur Report (2021) highlights some positive trends. It revealed that nearly 50 per cent of the Black African Caribbean Diaspora entrepreneurs it surveyed were still trading after five years, and 48.55 per cent sustained businesses more than five years. Similarly, the Black British Voices Survey illustrates that ‘equipping Black entrepreneurs for success’ is something many of our community wants to see. We have good quality and experienced business mentors in our community and a range of programmes on offer, all by Black business leaders. You only have to Google search, look at Facebook, or join the wide range of Black business-led WhatsApp groups to see the amount of support fellow Black business owners are offering to help grow and develop our businesses. And there are definitely re-
There’s plenty of support out there for Black-led businesses
INVESTOR: Steven Bartlett sources and sources of knowledge and expertise that Black entrepreneurs can turn to to help them maximise cashflow and access more capital. In my experience as a business coach, Black entrepreneurs who are seeking investment often write business plans that don’t have enough detail which include a clear marketing strategy and cashflow forecast. I also find that another common problem is not doing enough market research in order to identify the market opportunities and a target customer profile. The lack of information in these areas often undermines a business loan application. If you are an entrepreneur and are realistic about getting a business loan from the banks or a government scheme, hiring an experienced business coach can help you fill these vital gaps. There are other sources of help. A brilliant opportunity is available from Black Business Recommendation. For 2024 they are again offering Black entrepreneurs an interest-free business development loan of £10,000, via a competition. If you run a tech business that has high growth potential, there are number of Black-
owned venture capitalists that have emerged in the last few years that you can approach. These include Brixton-based Black Seed. They have stated: “Our five-year vision is backing 30 Black-led start-ups from the Black Seed programme by 2026 across the UK.” There is also Flight Fund founded by Dragons’ Den member and Diary of a CEO podcast host Steven Bartlett. He has said that Flight Fund is “particularly focused on inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs and creators from a BAME background”. Impact X Capital is a Black-owned venture capital firm headed by successful serial entrepreneur and author Eric Collins. As well as improving the product or service that you provide and the technical knowledge that goes into achieving this, I strongly believe that entrepreneurs should continually focus on developing their business knowledge and skills. One of the biggest mistakes any business owner can make, is believing that technical expertise will simply translate into business success. Just read The E-Myth Revisited – Why Most Businesses Fail and What to do About It by Michael Gerber to really understand this concept. Gerber says that systemising your business is the best way to leverage your time and that of your team to maximise growth, without just working harder or longer hours. If you would like business advice from Asari St.Hill – ActionCOACH Business Coach and Founder of the Black Business Club, you can contact him: via https://blackbusinessclub.org/
Top tips for expanding in 2024
1. Develop clear business and personal goals for the year ahead 2. Get support from someone like a business coach to develop your 12-month cashflow forecast 3. Identify your target market with a plan that is as detailed as you can make it 4. Develop at least five marketing strategies that will get you in front of that target
market. One should include networking with people who can get you introductions to people in your target market 5. Join a Black Business forum 6. Keep reading and learning! Read books like Instant Cashflow by Bradley Sugars and The Diary of a CEO – The 33 Laws of Business & Life by Steven Bartlett
GROWTH: Although access to finance has long been a pain point for Black businesses, there are plenty of resources available where entrepreneurs can get the help they need, says Asari St Hill
MA BLACK BRITISH MA BLACK BRITISH MA BLACK BRITISH LITERATURE LITERATURE LITERATURE Department of English and Creative Writing in association Department of English and Creative Writing in association with the Centre for Caribbean and Diaspora Studies with the Centre for Caribbean and Diaspora Studies Department of English and Creative Writing in association with the Centre for Caribbean and Diaspora Studies
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Goldsmiths’ pioneering Masters, co-founded byProfessor Professor Joan Anim-Addo Goldsmiths’ pioneering Masters, co-foundedin in 2014 2014 by Joan Anim-Addo Goldsmiths’ pioneering Masters, co-founded in 2014 by Professor Joan Anim-Addo and Professor Deirdre Osborne, offers youaahistoricised historicised engagement withwith the field and Professor Deirdre Osborne, offers you engagement the field Professor Deirdre Osborne, offers yousense: a historicised engagement with the field Black British Literature in broadest its broadest tracing diasporic and aesthetic of Blackofand British Literature in its sense: tracing diasporic and aesthetic of Black British Literature in its broadestinsense: tracing diasporic and aesthetic investigating a wide spectrum poetics and performance, and drawing routes,routes, investigating a wide spectrum ininpoetics and performance, and drawing routes, wide spectrum poetics and performance, and drawing upon theinvestigating expertise ofaliterary and drama specialists. upon the expertise of literary and drama specialists. upon the expertise of literary and drama specialists. A world first. Nowhere else in the world
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Dr King, its vision DrNicole NicoleTaught King,who who share its vision Collaborative. byshare Professor Deirdre and andco-teach co-teachmodules. modules. Osborne, Dr Marl’Ene Edwin and well-established research profiles Dr Nicole King, whomore: share its vision with publications and track records in To email Osborne(d.osborne@gold.ac.uk) (d.osborne@gold.ac.uk) Tofind findout outmore: email Professor Professor Osborne and co-teach modules.co-ordinator, convening public events in the field. ororpostgraduate Joana Rodriques Rodriques(j.rodriques@gold.ac.uk) (j.rodriques@gold.ac.uk) postgraduate co-ordinator, Joana
To find www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-black-british-literature out more: email Professor Osborne (d.osborne@gold.ac.uk) www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-black-british-literature or postgraduate co-ordinator, Joana Rodriques (j.rodriques@gold.ac.uk)
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| THE VOICE
JANUARY 2024
Darell J. Philip
Join the debate online: voice-online. co.uk/opinion
Teachers deserve respect A year on after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry, Ofsted must make drastic reforms to the way they inspect our schools
I
T WAS this time last year, on January 8, 2023, that Ruth Perry, headteacher of Caversham Primary School in Reading, took her own life after the downgrading of her school by an Ofsted inspection from Outstanding to Inadequate. For Perry, who had been headteacher for 13 years and herself a former pupil of the school, the lack of compassion and care she received during the inspection in November 2022 were contributory factors leading to her suicide, as determined by a coroner’s report at the conclusion of a five-day inquest into Perry’s death. The deterioration in Perry’s mental health was not helped by the fact she was not permitted to share the result of the school inspection until Ofsted’s release of the official report took its toll on her, with colleagues admitting they had never seen the headteacher in such a condition during her 13-year career as leader of the school. For many school leaders, outgoing Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman’s promise of one-day training for inspectors on dealing with anxiety, and knowing when to pause inspections do not go far enough in addressing the pressures such inspections place on school leaders and their colleagues. Having experienced an Ofsted inspection in my school last year, I know how pressuring such a process can be. When I was selected and requested by a member of my senior leadership team to speak with one of the inspectors, I calmly agreed. Inside I was a bag of nerves, not knowing what to expect but I also didn’t want to let our school or myself down. Some of my colleagues who represented a cross-section of the school’s staff in terms of age, gender and race, joined me in conversation with the inspector who questioned us on our individual job roles, the school’s safe-
guarding procedures and what the relationships within the school community were like. The initial fears we had about the process were suddenly alleviated through the opportunity we had to talk together in a calm group setting, filling in any gaps where necessary and adding to points that were raised during discussions about our work in bringing out the best in the children we had been called to educate. The end of our school inspection did come as a relief and weight off our shoulders but also with a favourable result in which we were given an Outstanding grade. However, this did not negate the pressure we experienced going through the inspection process itself. The scrutiny Perry faced which impacted on her mental health is one which is often faced by Black and minority ethnic teachers. A report by the charity Education Support released last year, Mental Health and Wellbeing of Ethnic Minority Teachers, found that while stress is a normal part of being a teacher regardless of ethnicity, it was teachers from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds who had to combat the additional impact of racist experiences. Teaching professionals from these backgrounds who took part in the survey called for much wider equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) training to create more inclusive cultures. Commenting on the report, Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said: “The experiences of being overworked and undervalued are unfortunately common across the teaching profession, regardless of ethnicity. However, it is clear from this report and from what our Black members tell us, that being from a minority ethnic background adds an additional layer of racist and racial-
PRESSURES: While stress is a normal part of being a teacher regardless of ethnicity, it was teachers from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds who had to combat the additional impact of racist experiences
Teachers from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds had to combat the additional impact of racist experiences ist experiences in the workplace which are further undermining teacher’s dignity and morale. “Black teachers commonly face additional barriers to pay and career progression, as well as overt and covert racism and discrimination in their daily working lives.” Addressing the Government’s seeming lack of response to these issues, Roach said: “This failure to act is exacerbating the serious problems with the recruitment and retention of Black teachers in the profession and undermining the basic entitlement of all workers to be treated with respect and dignity.” For Ofsted and the Govern-
Darell J. Philip is a teaching assistant, academic mentor and award-winning journalist.
ment, lessons must definitely be learned and they must be learned quickly. Radical changes and reform must be introduced in the ways in which schools are inspected. And the issues faced by Black teachers such as the experience of racism while doing their jobs, the gaps in pay, lack of career progression and the mental health challenges they often face must be addressed. Doing so will make it better for all of us involved in education. On a side note, I could not end this column without paying tribute to the late Professor Benjamin Zephaniah, pictured, an influential author, poet and
performer who sadly passed away aged 65 last month. While some may remember him as the one who rejected the OBE for its use of the word ‘Empire’ in its name which he refused to have associations with, many others, among them children, young people and those within the education sector, best remember him for his outstanding legacy of work which brought some most welcome change and diversity to the national curriculum and literature canon within the UK. His Christmas themed poem, Talking Turkeys, and novel Windrush Child, loosely based upon his own childhood experiences, remain hugely popular works within schools across
the country including my own. Having had the personal privilege to interview Zephaniah on several occasions as well as have him, alongside East End legend Jack Petchey, present my certificate during my University graduation ceremony at the Barbican Centre in 2003, I can personally attest to how humane, influential and astoundingly cool he was and that while sadly his physical presence may no longer be here with us, we can say that he lives on in spirit through his work and for those of us who have encountered it, we are better people for having done so. Rest in peace Benjamin Zephaniah, 1958-2023.
Lifestyle Tynah Matembe talks money in the new year p36
Have you been to Anguilla? Book it this year! p40
IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR! 24 to watch in 2024 p38
Top reads for your bookshelf this winter p43
| THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
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Lifestyle
Invest in your kids’ future success
Tynah Matembe offers exciting ways to build your children’s financial knowledge
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T’S ALREADY 2024 folks! It’s a great time to make resolutions to foster positive change, and in the midst of our resolutions and aspirations, let’s not overlook one crucial aspect – equipping our children with financial literacy. Money is often an afterthought, but integrating financial education into our children’s lives is an investment in their future success, and guess what? It doesn’t have to be boring. Here are some exciting ways to weave financial wisdom into your goals and your child’s journey to 2024! The key to instilling good money habits is leading by example. Children learn best through observation and imitation. Demonstrating responsible financial practices and discussing your goal-setting process can have a significant impact on their attitudes towards money. So here goes;
Build a foundation of financial understanding: adventures in goal setting “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Introduce your children to financial concepts through relatable, everyday experiences. Start by involving them in simple money conversations during shopping trips and by giving them an allowance. This practical involvement will lay the foundation for understanding the value of money and teach them its uses and limits. You will naturally sharpen their financial acumen as you model responsible
spending and openly discuss budgeting decisions. Take it a step further Set savings goals together, such as for a special toy or family outing. Create a visual savings goal chart or, better yet, a savings jar for that dream toy or trip. Let them decorate it however they like – stickers, paint, glitter galore! Then, set achievable goals together. For example, saving a certain amount of their pocket money each week. Remember to celebrate mile-
“Engage your children in fun, interactive money games” stones along the way – small victories deserve big high-fives! This will build patience and lay the foundation for wise decisions. If you give them pocket money, If you give them an allowance, use it to emphasise the importance of responsibility. Linking their goals to their pocket money will create a correlation between good money management and foster a sense of responsibility and resourcefulness. Turn education into engaging activities: money talks Have you ever noticed how children soak up information like sponges when it’s fun? Engage your children in fun, interactive
money games. Turn money lessons into playtime. Start with the basics – introduce coins and notes, explain their values and play “shop” at home. Give them fake money to “buy” toys or snacks. It’s handson learning at its best. As they get older, take the game up a notch by involving them in reallife shopping trips. Give them a budget and let them make choices – it’s a crash course in decision-making and budgeting. Gamify it Give your child a small amount of money and challenge them to find a way to double it or make it grow over a period of time. This could include investing a portion, starting a minibusiness or finding creative ways to save. Remember to reward positive behaviour and successes. Create a family catchphrase for each time they win the challenge Well done, good and faithful child. You have been faithful with a little; I will reward you with more”. Then, raise the stakes by giving them more significant amounts and more complex challenges. Cultivate generosity and empathy: cheerful giving Acts of charity and kindness are very valuable, so encourage your child to set aside some of their money for donations or to help those in need. Have them write down all the charitable activities they want to do in 2024 and how they will fund them. This will build com-
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ROLE MODEL: Tynah Matembe says the key to instilling good money habits is leading by example
passion and a sense of community. And here’s a secret weapon: MoneyMatiX Youth Money Camps! Based on the virtues of discipline, prudence and generosity, these camps turn money lessons into unforgettable experiences. Teaching kids about money isn’t just about pounds and pennies, it’s about instilling lifelong financial confidence. If you’re near one, sign your kids up for a MoneyMatiX Youth Money Camp in 2024 and increase their financial literacy.
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Ultimately, young people need good role models, and these camps will give them a foundation for making sound money decisions, using entrepreneurship as a practical learning ground. At the same time, they will have access to great role models and mentors who can reinforce and complement the lessons you teach them at home. Your enthusiasm and the learning opportunities you provide will undoubtedly rub off on them. And give them the skills
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to succeed in the long term. So here’s to raising moneysavvy, goal-oriented, financially confident kids. Ready to take the leap? This 2024, pledge to equip your children with invaluable financial skills by encouraging proactive involvement in financial decisions, using interactive learning experiences, and enrolling them in the MoneyMatiX Youth Money Camp. Together, let’s shape a generation equipped for financial success.
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Lifestyle
24 to watch in 2024 Joel Campbell is predicting a big year ahead for this talented line-up Sam Allison
At one stage in his life he was a match official and a firefighter, but now Sam Allison is the first Black referee in the Premier League for 15 years. If that doesn’t qualify him as one to watch then nothing will. Having played the game at a decent level himself, Sam said he was ready for the pressure and scrutiny that comes with being a top flight referee, let alone a Black one. His attitude makes sense because let’s face it, in terms of pressure, running about a football pitch and running into burning buildings really doesn’t compare.
DJ NBK
We all love a bit of piano here and there and this young lady is no different. What is different, however, is the way she puts it all together. The self proclaimed ‘combination queen’ has a whole heap of go to mixes that have ravers in a headlock, losing their mind. A bubbly character, there’s no limit to how far she can take this. Piano is, after all, a global movement.
Rebekah Reid
Rebekah Reid is a vibrant and versatile violinist, composer and loop pedal artist, specialising in jazz/classical repertoire and improvisation. Alongside solo performing, Rebekah tours the UK and international stages extensively with orchestras, jazz ensembles and pop bands, including with Soul II Soul on their 2022 UK tour, Stormzy at the 2023 Brit Awards, the Chineke Orchestra on their recent North America Tour, and BBC Proms and Celeste at the Mercury Awards 2021. She is simply top tier and you should know about her.
Sherece Rainford
A British-Jamaican who is acutely aware of the lack of presence of Caribbean art in the art world, Rainford felt called to create a platform that would both uplift the Caribbean art niche from a social and commercial standpoint and educate the wider industry and stakeholders, thereby highlighting our shared human experience through the artists’ narratives. As a business consultant with over 15 years’ experience and a previous lecturer and programme lead at University College London (UCL), for their Innovation & Entrepreneurship Programme ‘Bright Ideas’, Sherece brings a wealth of business, marketing and PR knowledge and experience to how she runs Gallery OCA. Big year ahead for this young lady.
Ola Ince
There’s an intensity about Ola that comes through in her work. The director was busy over the festive period as she delivered Cinderella at the Brixton House and the new year sees her grafting on the much anticipated Othello which will be showing at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. According to Ince, the production will be ‘illuminating this story of race, misogyny, and patriarchy and one of Shakespeare’s most famous characters in a new
Mega
If you haven’t been watching her already, then this is your cue to do just that. Few artists move the Lifestyle and Entertainment editor as soon as their music is put on. That was the case with Mega. She lost her voice (see full interview on the Voice website), but she has very much found it again and her latest projects are fantastic, an indictment of her wonderful talent.
way’. Presenting classics in ways we’ve not anticipated is kinda what she does best. Don’t forget her name.
Jayne Doherty
One of the good things about The Voice having close dialogue with the community is knowing what’s about to come. This young lady is a health and social impact entrepreneur, board trustee for two nonprofits, successful property investor and developer, youth mentor, gender equity ambassador, and philanthropist. Doherty has made significant contributions to social initiatives, including providing clean water for over 20,000 people in villages across Ghana, and organising outreaches for the homeless in central London.
Gwamz
Gwamz – real name NathanPierre Gyamfi – has not long turned 22, but it already feels as if he’s lived several different lives. He made an early name for himself in football trialling with Brentford before computers and web design became his passion, but by his second year of university, he’d become disenchanted with the education and its system, and now, at the time when he would have been graduating, he’s struck gold in the
music game signing to Sony Music, RCA Records UK. There are echoes of grime and rap’s influence in his slow-and-low delivery, but it’s Afrobeats, Afro Swing and R&B that inspired him the most.
Madison
This Bermuda-born artist has it all in front of her. Managed by some astute individuals, it’s only a matter of time before this raw talent leaves an indelible mark on the industry. Her debut track, Death Row, was received well and she continues to build her fanbase at what is the embryonic stage of her career. Pay attention because the rise will be quick.
M1onTheBeat
M1onTheBeat’s long-awaited solo project finally dropped last year, a defining moment for the producer, who in his career thus far has continuously elevated Black music in the UK to a new plateau. The mixtape was a testament to his dedication to music and himself since the age of 16 and sees him embrace his creative process in its fullest form. His ‘main aim for this tape’ was to put a face to his name. He’s done that now and with the respect he has garnered in the game over the last few years, 2024 could be the year he experiences another significant breakthrough.
Sahara Ashanti
All good snappers have to cut their teeth across a variety of areas before they settle down on a particular niche. Not so Sahara Ashanti. Sahara’s photography showcases her diverse range of styles, from capturing the energy and excitement of live performances in concerts and theater productions, to showcasing the intensity
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Lifestyle and emotions of sports events. Her work has been featured in exhibitions and publications, earning both critical acclaim and an increasing number of admirers. Looking for someone to capture what you need? Then look no further than Sahara.
Daniels Dunia
It’s the accuracy for us here at Lifestyle. This young man has been hitting the ball right out of the park where his comedy sketches are concerned. An actor and definitely a funny one, Daniels Dunia can be found on X, TikTok and Instagram. In a time when sketches can border on the crass, this young man has found a tone that is simply hilarious.
Shaka Henry
The founder and owner of Rep Dat TV, Shaka is on a mission to enable creators to get their work out to market without the red tape a lot of wanna be TV professionals encounter. The last few years for the platform have been a growth phase and with fundamentals firmly in place there is no reason for budding creatives and businessmen and women who have a vision not to connect.
Aurie Styla
This man’s standup tour, The Aurator, is a must-attend event. He’s not new to this comedy thing and has well and truly cut his teeth in an industry that breaks spirits and souls, so be prepared for a show that delivers with bells on. Check out the Respectfully Comedy podcast, which covers current news and entertainment. However, anything said after the words ‘Respectfully,’ is fair game, and all takes are welcome.
Shakes
If you didn’t take in the 2023 Hip Hop Awards Cypher, go and do that now. That was the intro for a lot of the world to Shakes. Still only 16, his talent is a bar raiser. Few at his age have command of the mic,
the good in the likes of Depop, Afterpay, Maybelline and MoreYoga and has been featured on ITV’s Lorraine, Channel 5’s How do they Really Do It and has hosted segment’s on Breakfast Television in Canada. 2023 saw her land a Precious Award for Creative Business of the Year. Something tells us the next 12 months are going to be busy for this young lady.
Jude Bellingham
Not too many players make an instant impression at the biggest club in the world, Real Madrid. Jude Bellingham has been that player. By the first week of December, Bellingham had scored his 16th goal in 18 games for the Spanish giants. Just before the festive period, the West Midlands ‘baller was crowned the 2023 Golden Boy, the award given by sports journalists to the best player in football under the age of 21 over the past calendar year. The new year could see the former Birmingham City midfielder help England to success at Euro 2024. lyrical prowess and a stage presence that all bodes for an exciting future. Putting such shine on him at this stage can be counterproductive, but somehow we feel the pressure will allow this diamond to shine even more. To the elders around him, guidance is key, but so far, so very, very good.
Kiosa Sukami
We love what this young award-winning British-Congolese writer and director is all about. If you saw what he did with London Podcast Studios in only a couple of years, it’s easy to understand how he has garnered the success he has throughout his career. We reckon 2024 is going to be an exciting one for this young man.
Jords
Hardcore fans of this artist may well be reading this and thinking, but Jords has been one to watch. Fair play. For those just cottoning on, however, go download his album Dirt in the Diamond to get a feel for what he has to offer. His MOBO nomination for Video of the Year should be a dead cert.
Konyikeh
Last year saw Konyikeh release her stunning five-track debut EP, Litany. Of Cameroonian and Jamaican heritage, Konyikeh started to play the violin aged seven, latterly alongside classical singing and piano. For those who didn’t know the artist
Aggy
became a music scholar at a prestigious school in west London, then on Saturdays she would go to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where, for ten years, she would play violin, piano, perform in the orchestra and chamber choir, alongside learning music theory. The talent has been nurtured, she has delivered but yet she’s still not a household name. That changes this year.
Mychelle
2023 saw Mychelle drop not one but two EPs. This year she drops an album. Set for release in the first quarter of 2024, Mychelle has already been in the studio with the likes of Bastian Langbaek, Dom Valentino, Fred Cox and Paris-based electronic producer Blackdoe. The east London singer, songwriter and guitarist is a special talent and if your playlist doesn’t include her work or you haven’t heard of her before reading this, consider yourself put on notice.
Shakaila Forbes-Bell
In 2016, Shakaila became the first Black person in the world to earn a master’s degree in fashion psychology. Her research surrounded the underrepresentation of Black models in fashion media, its impact on consumer behaviour and the self-concept of young Black women. A fashion psychologist and author of the best-selling book Big Dress Energy: How Fashion Psychology Can Transform Your Wardrobe and Your Confidence, she’s worked with the great and
A well connected individual, Aggy is everywhere. Photographers that are able to place themselves in the mix collating timeless content will always find themselves in demand. He may have wanted to stay behind the camera, he’s humble like that, but Lifestyle are putting him out there so everyone knows who the man is behind the snaps and footage that make it onto your timeline. The only way is up for this young man.
Subira Jones
By her own admission Subira used to be a ‘high functioning stress addict who had become so accustomed to being in survival mode’. On a mission to ensure that doesn’t happen to you, the ‘Burnout Coach’ aims to help us rethink our approach to stress. Jones, aka ‘The Corporate Hippie’, created The Burnout Free Lifestyle to regain her health and elevate her life from surviving, to living and now thriving. She works with firms and institutions across industries delivering virtual talks, 121 and group coaching, empowering professionals to take back their personal power so they can create solutions to their life stresses.
Samuel Etienne
A UK-based reporter and producer working in television, radio and online media for Bloomberg News, you might see this face popping up on your social media timeline talking about all things money! He’s gone from strength to strength since transitioning to journalism. Later this year, Lifestyle will sit down with this young man to bring you the backstory. A truly talented individual and most definitely one to watch.
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Lifestyle
Travel SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE: Explore your surroundings during your getaway to Anguilla, including the shipwreck at Sandy Ground
It’s all going on in Anguilla
If this stunning territory wasn’t on the list of potential vacays for 2024, it will be soon. By Joel Campbell
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ELL THE truth, Anguilla is that British Overseas Territory you never considered visiting, right? Let’s change that in 2024. Unless you have family there, it’s understandable why you might not even have heard of the small Eastern Caribbean island, which up until now has been a hotspot for American visitors, due to the closer proximity. Representatives from the island however, want us in the UK to know that they have everything we require from a top tier Caribbean holiday. Across the island, there is a flurry of investment by resorts, hotels and villas in expanded amenities and experiences, and by airlines forging new partner-
ships to ease access from the UK. With the island’s original and iconic luxury hotel, Malliouhana, pictured below, celebrating its 40th anniversary, as well as the Anguilla Summer Festival, aka: Carnival, turning 50 years old, this year is an ideal time to visit. Renowned for its powderwhite beaches, turquoise waters and culinary scene helmed by some of the Caribbean’s most talented chefs, Anguilla, like most of the region has adjusted well since lockdown ended. Attractions included, Aurora Anguilla, located on beautiful Rendezvous Bay. The new Entertainment Park opened in late 2023, complete with world-class tennis centre, pickleball courts, climbing wall,
Amazing accommodation
beach volleyball, clay bocce and basketball courts, a ninehole mini golf course, and a stunning family-friendly pool complex. Elsewhere on the resort, accommodations feature spacious suites, multi-bedroom villas and estate home options in the resort’s Merrywing Bay area, perfect for larger families or groups travelling together.
scious, the new properties will be fully powered by solar energy and include rainwater collection, water treatment and filtration systems. ÀNI’s two existing villas overlooking Little Bay are also set to be joined by an additional 15-suite estate on Shoal Bay Beach. For the foodies among us, have no fear, the island’s reputation as one of the ultimate culinary destination in the Caribbean remains unchallenged. For those who want to go a litThe third annual Anguilla Cutle more high end and secure linary Experience (ACE) wil take a more personal, secluded explace from May 23-26, where inperience, later this year Kokoon ternational guest chefs will work Villas, a private enclave of 6 twoalongside local chefs across and three-bedroomed homes four days of parties, dinners, overlooking the Caribbean Sea barbecues and tastings at variand the hills of Saint Maarten, ous resorts and restaurants. will be available to hire. Anguilla’s grande dame, For the sustainability-conMalliouhana, celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2024. A new wine programme is on offer, led by James B e a r d a w a r d winning sommeStunning white beaches lier, Shelley pool uil tranq ana’s Malliouh Lindgren, offering ele-
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vated wine experiences at each of Malliouhana’s signature dining concepts. Local restaurants continue to be among the most popular dining spots. Tasty’s POV, overlooking Sandy Ground and led by chef Dale Carty, has expanded its menu to include sushi, alongside his signature menu using the finest fresh and local ingredients and flavours served in colourful and traditional Caribbean surroundings.
FESTIVALS
OK, so you see how this is going, right? You’ve picked where you’re staying, made sure the family/ partner/team/group/squad are sorted for entertainment and relaxation, found the right spots to get great food, now, it’s time to party!! In addition to the return of ACE in May 2024, a host of established annual festivals will be taking place in 2024. Island legend Bankie Banx will be bringing Moonsplash music festival back to the iconic Dune Preserve beach bar from March 22 – 24. The lineup is yet to be confirmed, but with the likes of Maxi Priest, the FAB 5 Band and Big Mountain among recent headliners, it’s sure to be
another memorable weekend. The island will be celebrating 50 years of carnival with Summer Festival 2024, taking place from August 1 – 11. It’s said to be a kaleidoscope of colour for ten solid days of non-stop festivities ranging from the J’Ouvert parade set to a soundtrack of soca music, to the spectacular Parade of Troupes, calypso competitions, beach barbecues and the Miss Anguilla pageant. Ok, I hear you: “How do I get there?” Here’s how... ANGUILLA is accessible from the UK via BA or Virgin Atlantic on services to Antigua, followed by a short inter-island flight transfer to Anguilla. An alternative route is with KLM/Air France via Amsterdam/Paris to St Maarten (SXM), followed by a short boat transfer or flight. Last year, Anguilla Air Services announced it will operate scheduled flights between Antigua and Anguilla three times per week. AAS began operating return flights between Anguilla and Antigua on Tuesday, Friday, which is set to continue until April.
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Lifestyle
Travel
Turks and Caicos? It’s the ultimate tropical getaway Thanks to new direct flights, these islands are more accessible than ever, says Joel Campbell
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T’S BEEN a holiday destination experienced by a handful of lucky ones, who kept it all to themselves. But clearly, where the Turks & Caicos Islands is concerned, the secret is out. Since the lockdowns ended and the appetite for travel slowly returned, Turks & Caicos Islands have seen an increase in visitor interest which has been the envy of the Caribbean region. Speaking with Lifestyle at the 2023 World Travel Market, Executive Chairman for Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority Selvyn Hawkins, gave insight into how they had seen the growth. “Coming out of Covid, in terms of the region and tourism, we picked up much faster than anyone else. In fact, when we opened we had the good problem of an excess of passengers coming in that we could actually handle.
LEADING
“Where our airport is built to handle 300,000 passengers a year, right now we are doing about 700,000. “And we anticipate over the next 30 years that we are going to need a facility to handle two million annually. Those are the projections. It’s growing.” In 2021, Turks & Caicos Islands were voted as the Caribbean’s Leading Beach destination by the World Travel Awards. The region was also identified at the same awards as being the Caribbean’s Most Romantic destination. On its website the tourism authority write that crystalline turquoise waters and white sand beaches are trademarks of the over 40 islands and cays that make up the ‘Beautiful by Nature’ Turks & Caicos islands. So, you’re reading this and thinking; ‘why haven’t I been?’ Maybe it’s because they don’t cater for everyone, as Hawkins explains: “We’re not mass tourism, we’re luxury tourism”. Maybe, it because there were no direct flights from the UK. Not all of us like to transition from one flight to another when we’re headed out on holiday, some of us just want to land where we are going. But have no fear, because
“There is something for everyone to do on the island, all of them are different” where Turks & Caicos islands is concerned, that’s now an option thanks to a new direct airlift with Virgin Atlantic, launched last November. Speaking on what the Turks & Caicos islands have to offer, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Josephine Connolly, enthused: “We are a multi island destination. “Providenciales is the most developed but we have other islands which we are trying to showcase now.” She added: “There is something for everyone to do on the island, all of them are different, very unique. “I am from Salt Cay, I’m a Salt Cay girl. It’s the best place to go whale watching and it was the home of the salt industry. “You also have South Caicos where they have the fish industry. If you like lobster it’s the season right now. “Also, Grand Turk is the capital of Turks & Caicos Islands and they have a lot of historical buildings. It’s the cruise capital, they can accommodate two ships a day because we have a massive port. Some days we have 7,0009,000 visitors on the island of Grand Turk. “Over in North Caicos we have all of our limestone caves there and we also have a beautiful beach called Mudjin Harbour, you got to go there. “I must say, we have been voted as having the best beach in the world since 2015.” Check out its website for more on the food and festivities that are also a must, but as a start point Connolly said: “One of our biggest events for travellers is our Fish Fry. “You get to taste all of our savoury dishes, experience dancing and local musicians and plenty of good stuff.”
WISH YOU WERE HERE: Turks & Caicos’ incredible Wymara resort has something for everyone, whether you’re a thrill-seeker or you’re wanting complete solitude
Turks & Caicos Islands location in focus TWICE WEEKLY flights take just nine hours from London Heathrow directly to Providenciales, from where it’s a short 10-minute transfer to Wymara Resort + Villas on the spectacular Grace Bay Beach. The stunning resort includes a 91-room hotel, five 5-bed, four
4-bed villas and four one-bedroom villas as well as a private beach club. New six-bedroom villas will be opening to guests this year. The most recent additions to accommodation options are the secluded one-bedroom villas located at Sunset Cove, 10 minutes from the
main property and with easy access to the resort’s very own Ocean Pool – the only one in the Caribbean – complete with poolside Tiki Bar. Hotel and villa guests can enjoy all of the resort’s amenities including a 7,000 sq ft infinity-edge pool and full-service spa.
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Lifestyle
Uncovering history on our doorstep
Maxine Harrison explores the fascinating history of the Pepys Resource Centre in Deptford and its links with the slave trade
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HILE WE all know about the British Empire’s broad colonial past, when it comes to local parts that have specific roots with importing and exporting slaves, many of us aren’t able to identify these areas so specifically. And if we do, we often point to locations outside of London such as Liverpool and Bristol. Ken Thomas, manager of Pepys Resource Centre (Library) in Deptford, is well versed in the borough’s colonial history. A sociology graduate, Thomas also liaises on projects with Goldsmiths, University of London, as an international project coordinator and is dedicated to educating locals about Deptford’s colonial roots, a subject he is passionate about, himself coming from Jamaican heritage. Pepys Resource Centre enjoys a stunning river bank view of the Thames and overlooks the city skyline of Greenwich and Canary Wharf. The Deptford side of the Thames, where the library is situated, is known as Convoys Wharf and has a hefty history
PASSIONATE: Ken Thomas of colonisation and Navy bases. Delving deeper into this, Lewisham Unsung Hero Award nominee Thomas says: “Deptford Dockyard was the first victualling yard founded by Henry VIII in 1513. “Its main rationale was to provide a base for the Royal Navy and it was also the main Master Shipwright yard.” Explaining more about the history of the library, Thomas added: “Pepys Community Library was built by the French in the 17th century and it was used as a naval point to store goods coming in and going out to the colonies.”
STEEPED IN HISTORY: The Pepys Resource Centre
The centre takes its name from Samuel Pepys, the English diarist and naval administrator. “Pepys worked as the admiralty for the shipyard,” explains Thomas. “This is significant because the library is part of Convoys Wharf, which is also where the Master Shipwright used to live and where the docks developed. Convoys Wharf was also known for where the convicts were sent from to Australasia and beyond.” But Deptford Dockyard’s history doesn’t stop at its naval functions as Thomas also shares its role in slave trading. “Deptford was the epicentre of the slave trade,” he states. “This is where Francis Drake, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1581, first set sail to Cape Verde in Senegal around 1567.” Thomas continues: “Drake was so smitten he decided to develop his blueprint for capturing and transporting enslaved people around the globe. Deptford was the first dockyard that was involved in the slave trade in London and the UK. “It only stopped because the pirates would interrupt the ships, hence the terminology the ‘sea dogs’. We also know that this part of Deptford has roots to Roger Casement who was sent to the Congo to investigate the atrocity committed by Belgium on the Congolese.” Referencing the more popular dockyards linked to slavery, Thomas acknowleged that after trying out Deptford Dockyard, “they turned to Bristol because they discovered that the slave trade was a very difficult process for them”. The famous ship The Golden Hinde was captained by Drake and used in his circumnavigation of the world. “Where Pepys
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COLONIAL PAST: Drake’s steps leads to the River Thames at Deptford. Sir Francis Drake’s The Golden Hinde was moored at Deptford when he received his knighthood in 1581
Library stands, they did not only build, but also remodeled ships. Most of these tower blocks around Pepys Estate are named after either merchant or naval ships,” Thomas added. As the slave trade eventually came to an end, Convoys Wharf had to change its functioning and this eventually led to the redeveloping of the area into flats into what is now called Pepys Estate. This and the library was reopened by Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, in 1966. What is Pepys Resource Centre’s purpose in 2024? Thomas shares how the library and many community centres have had to change their functioning: “I would say since the pandemic, most of these com-
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munity centres have had to rework how they think and operate more like a hub. “This has led to different services operating alongside the library. With the advent of technology, local people are not using library books as much as they used to.” But that isn’t stopping Thomas and his friends’ quest to educate locals. About five times a year, a City of London slave tour takes place led by Thomas’s friend and historian Darrel Blake, who is also the CEO of Black Rooted, an organisation dedicated to dispelling narratives and stereotypes from roots forged through colonialism. Thomas says: “You can see the connection between Deptford and the City of London and their involvement in the slave
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trade, including banks such as Lloyds.” When Thomas first came to Grove Street in Deptford, there was a memorial that described Francis Drake as “an explorer”, but due to him highlighting Drake’s colonising pursuits, he and others were able to have the plaque taken down. “That’s why I’m here because it’s about breaking down some of these mythologies that have existed in our minds,” he says. Thomas says that he plans to continue his pursuit to decolonise, including running talks at the library that educate locals about the connection between the slave trade and Deptford. Read the full piece online to find out more about what Ken Thomas plans to do this year
www.voice-online.co.uk
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Lifestyle
Settle down for a good read
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F YOU haven’t always made time to read, the beginning of the year is as good a time to foster the habit as any, and we’ve got four for 2024 you may be interested in.
Nikki Giovanni Poems 1968-2020
YOU CAN’T get your hands on it just yet but be excited about the fact that later this year, Penguin Classics will be publishing a major new career-spanning selection of Nikki Giovanni’s poetry from 1968 to the present day. This is a comprehensive selection of her most important poetic works across 50 years and 15 collections, carefully curated by her long-term partner, writer and professor Virginia Fowler. Nikki Giovanni’s poetry has dazzled and inspired readers for more than 60 years. When she first emerged from
Whether poetry is your thing – some involve her savor you like to lose yourself in a ing the in coming-of-age story, Joel Campbell world some way – not reviews four books for 2024 that she dreams
the Black Arts Movement in the late 1960s, she immediately became one of the most celebrated and controversial poets of the era. Now considered a living legend, this is the first new selection since the late 1990s and offers readers a chance to be introduced to, and to celebrate her incredible lifetime’s work.
Angela R Morris Don’t Let Them Stop You! – It’s Personal A NO HOLDS barred book, which encourages readers to dismiss the
influence of others over their life and take charge of their decisions.In a culture which is often shaped by external opinions, Angela Morris’ book aids readers in their efforts to navigate the challenges of dealing with others’ opinions and thoughts which may cripple their progress. Don’t Let Them Stop You! – It’s Personal deals with some of the impact of external pressures which may be getting in the way of decision-making and offers practical tips and approaches to successfully steer past them.
Hephzibah Akinwaleb Chronicles of the Time Keepers – Whisked Away
Eleven-year-old Hephzibah has a secret. For as long as she can remember, she’s been having mysterious
could argue but these dreams felt real... like she is right there in the dream, watching it all happen. It’s something she’s never known how to explain. Apart from the mysteriousness, she’s just a normal girl with annoying younger siblings. School has just broken up for the summer holidays, and she is looking forward to starting her new life at secondary school. At first, things are going as expected, but everything changes when she is gifted with an antique clock, a purchase of her own choosing that she has traded for her friendship bracelet, and within the blink of an eye, she gets whisked away into a strange future world.
Ishi Robinson Sweetness in the Skin
Fourteen-year-old Pumkin Patterson lives in a two-room house in Kingston, Jamaica with her devoted grandmother, her beloved Aunt Sophie, and a mother who couldn’t care less about her. When her conniving estranged father shows up, Pumkin’s only real escape is baking – while making sweet potato pudding and apple turnovers, she can forget the fighting at home. When Aunt Sophie is offered the chance to move to France, she promises to send for Pumkin as soon as she can afford to. But when things take a turn for the worse in Pumkin’s household, she’s determined to raise the money herself.
44 | THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
Lifestyle
Are you up for the fight? Don’t let your exercise routine suffer this winter. Here are some great ways to keep moving through the colder months. By Joel Campbell
BIG HIT: Boxing is great for boosting your heart health and improving balance (photo: Getty Images)
S
O, IT’S that time of year again where we assess our state of fitness and set new goals to achieve new highs. Yes, we’re going to procrastinate. Yes, we’re going to have good weeks and bad weeks but we won’t beat ourselves up, we’ll find the balance and in the process find consistency.
Boxing
So, you want to boost your heart health, initiate weight loss, boost whole-body strength, improve your balance and lower blood pressure? Boxing is a good sport to get all of this done. Check out your local gyms for alternative classes that focus on the art of pugilism as the underscoring workout to achieve all of the aforementioned. Don’t like getting hit? You don’t have to spar. There are many heavy bags out there just waiting for you to unleash the beast within. They don’t complain and will be hanging around for you to impart indentations all over them week after week.
Banded workouts
If the idea of boxing just doesn’t do it for you, try incorporating banded workouts into your daily routine. Some of the benefits include: • Same muscle activity, less chance of injury.
• Greater muscle stimulus • Stabilisation/core activation • Improved strength & athletic performance. • Inexpensive. • Ideal for rehabilitation. • Stretching & mobility.
Keep on running
Lifestyle Editor Joel Campbell has been using Skechers for the last 12 months and they have been a breath of fresh air. Below are some variations that you can get your hands on in order to get you started on your running or walking journey. Skechers Max Cushioning Elite™ design for exceptional comfort and support (£110). Go the distance in longlasting support and lightweight comfort wearing Skechers GO RUN Pure 4™ Arch Fit®
(£115). Move in lightweight supportive comfort, pictured, with Skechers GO RUN Ride 11™ (£135). Have A Fast Day™ wearing Skechers GO RUN 7.0™. This lace-up performance
trainer with visible technology is the seventh generation in the Skechers GO RUN® series of running shoes (£100). If you don’t like running on your own, check out your local parkrun event to find like-minded folk. It’s been a fantastic 19 years of parkrun – from a group of people running around Bushy Park in London, pictured right, to more than 2,200 weekly events across 22 countries.
Where ‘Litness meets Fitness’
POPULAR: A recent Beats & Bands event in London’s West End
FOR THOSE who like classes and group activities, Beats & Bands is one of the most innovative community focused fitness engagement experiences currently available. The brainchild of fitness instructor Gina Obeng aka Just Geen, Beats & Bands was founded in 2021, with a view to encouraging Obeng’s peers to enjoy a fun filled banded workout by moving to the beat of the music. Speaking ahead of her hugely successful 2023 event at the Outernet in London’s West End, which attracted 1,000 fitness enthusiasts, Obeng detailed her thinking behind creating an atmosphere that has become the standout feature. “I feel like what I have mastered over the years is understanding how our community likes to workout,”
she said. She told Lifestyle: “No one genuinely wants to feel like they are doing a workout, no one wants to feel like it’s hard work, if that makes sense. So I have kinda just packaged it in a way where you don’t realise what you are actually doing.” This January sees Obeng back at the Outernet for another Beats & Bands experience. She enthused: “If you’re looking for something outside of the box in regards to keeping active and getting fit and feeling like they are actually having a workout, this is definitely something they should add into their routine. “I feel like it’s a great social event as well, in terms of doing something with your friends. I feel like you can link up with your friends, have fun and
burn some calories. It’s a completely different experience to what a lot of people are used to, so why not start the year a bit different?” Taking place on January 28, Obeng said the last event saw tickets sell out prior, so those who want to attend shouldn’t rest on their laurels. “Get your tickets today, no, get your tickets yesterday. If you want to encourage anyone to get active and live an active lifestyle in the new year, I feel like this is a great entry level into doing it,” she said. “There will be four events this year. We’re staying tight lipped on which acts will be performing at the events. I feel like that worked well last time. People loved the acts we did have, but we didn’t announce them prior. You will have to come and see.”
JANUARY 2024 THE VOICE
This is Brukout!
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45
by Seani B
Who’s making a splash in 2024?
NOT TO BE MISSED:
City Splash Festival will feature Capleton, Beenie Man and Shenseea among others
Could we be seeing a return of ‘Dancehall Culture’ over the next 12 months?
H
APPY NEW YEAR and blessings to you for the next 12 months that are about to follow. Every January I like to look forward and predict how the world of Caribbean music will shape up and how we can build upon what was a good year in 2023. Musically, Teejay and Byron Messiah scored two big goals with Drift and Talibans, but there were so many new names that were thrown into an already congested dancehall space. Rajah Wild, Malie Don and Najeerii are just a few of the names that also created a buzz with hit songs that stacked impressive streaming numbers.
PABLO YG
I’m keeping a close eye on Pablo YG, the “Bad Juvi” as he titles himself. He was introduced to me in February last year by Kingstonbased selector Boom Boom. During a freestyle in the garrison community of Grants Pen, he effortlessly impressed me with flows and lyrics far beyond his 18year old age. As I gazed on with a huge smile, Boom Boom looked on like a proud uncle. A few days later he showed up at another session in Kingston,
even more eager to impress while standing toe to toe with Jahvillani, Chi Ching and Voicemail. This time I tested him with an assortment of riddims from different eras to see if he could be tripped up by classics riddims like The Answer from the 1980s. Again, he passed the test with a straight A+! Recording songs is a whole different discipline to freestyles though, and he showed on his debut mixtape Bad Juvi that this is a skill that he has also honed. Richer and Richer was one of the standout tracks form the set that became a street hit immediately
views. This resulted in Jada Kingdom serving up on the remix. Just recently named as “Hot for 2024” by 1Xtra, this very laid back artist better get ready for a year that I think will see his name make major moves.
RETURN OF THE RIDDIM
Finally… are we seeing a return to what I believe firmly believe is “Dancehall Culture”? The naming of riddims (Instrumentals) has sadly been missing from the music as more artists moved to towards recording singles and
shying away from being one of 20 artists on one instrumental. From memory I can fill this column with names of legendary riddims like Punnany, Showtime and Anger Management that created so many hits for so many of our favourite artists. We picked the song that we liked on our favourite beat and it worked. The riddim of the last year was Zimi and Frank White’s Big Bunx riddim, that seemed like everyone of worth had a song on. Rajah Wild was the lead song, but Roze Don, Kraff, Valiant and many more scored big on this
riddim. Then to close the year producer Rvssian revisited his 2009 classic Go Go riddim that created a viral moment of many artists submitting unauthorised version of their songs to him. This is the kind of excitement I remember when riddim like Bruk Out from Dave Kelly was released – everyone wanted a piece of the heat.
WE OUTSIDE
With the announcement of so many shows for 2024, I hope you have been saving those pennies if you’re a live music fan.
SKEETE
Another name to keep on your radar is much closer to home and hails from the city of Nottingham. Skeete should be called Stealth because you don’t hear people talk much about him, but his streaming numbers say otherwise, they are not to be played with. Late last year he dropped his EP Vibes Don’t Lie, that I didn’t see get any radio support, but he got support from his diehard female fanbase for his sexually charged dancehall soaked in RnB vibes which sent his Tek Buddy song up to 2.5 million
BIG HIT:
Byron Messiah was among those to create a buzz in 2023 with Talibans
I cannot wait for the return of City Splash with their headliner Capleton. It’s been 14 years since he’s performed in the UK and I cannot wait to see him light up the Brockwell Park stage in South London alongside Beenie Man, Shenseea and Busy Signal. Reggae Land was something that I missed last year, but the reviews definitely put this in the list of must attend. I don’t think any of us need convincing with a line up consisting of Tarrus Riley, Morgan Heritage, UB40 and Burning Spear. At the close of the year I was onboard the annual Welcome to Jamrock Cruise and this is when the captain of the ship, Damian Marley, told me of his show in August alongside Steel Pulse, Romain Virgo and Grammywinning Kabaka Pyramid. Something tells me that this is just phase one of that line up. And if you have been saving those pennies and feel to stretch the pocket that little bit extra, then maybe is the time for you to look at the ninth Jamrock Cruise. Take my word for it, they never miss! All in all, I am so looking to another trip around the sun to have some fun with music that comes from the West Indies.
46 | THE VOICE JANUARY 2024
TOP SPORTS COVERAGE 24/7 VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK/SPORT
OF SPORT NEWSPAPER
Continent ready to shine PINNACLE OF SUCCESS: Senegal players celebrate with the trophy after winning the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations final against Egypt in Yaounde, Cameroon (photo: Getty Images)
The Africa Cup of Nations 2024 promises to be a tournament to remember. By Vlad Andrejevic
G
LOBAL EXCITEMENT is steadily building among football fans as the start date for the Africa Cup of Nations 2024 approaches. The competition, due to kick off on January 13, will see the 24 qualified nations proudly compete for the famous trophy. The competition will be held across six stadiums in the host nation, Côte d’Ivoire, with the final scheduled for February 11. The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2024 is scheduled to be the 34th edition of the competition – one which has a long and rich history. It was first held in 1957, with only three teams competing – Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. Since then, the competition has been steadily growing, with a qualifying phase introduced in 1992 and most recently in 2017 when the group stages expanded from 16 to 24 teams. The tournament’s importance to the African audience has never been in question – it is a uniting and much celebrated occasion highlighting the continent’s best talent. It is seen as the pinnacle of football glory, exemplified by the fact that a national holiday was declared in Senegal the day after they won the last tournament. In addition, its global audi-
ence beyond Africa has grown exponentially as many of the world’s top clubs rely on African superstars. The iconic status of players such as Mohamed Salah, Victor Osimhen and Riyad Mahrez among a plethora of others has brought about a universal following of the competition. This led to the last AFCON, held in Cameroon, attracting over 500 million viewers from 160 nations worldwide. However, it’s growing reputation has not been without challenges. Unfortunately, it has often been belittled as a major international tournament, especially through the lens of European football. Since the turn of the century, club football has arguably increased in importance over the international stage in Europe, and with the ever-increasing schedule and demands being placed on footballers, friction between clubs and national teams have grown. This has been exacerbated by the fact that this year, AFCON will once again be held in the middle of the European football season due to weather concerns. Initially scheduled for June and July, Confederation of Africa president Patrice Motsepe decided to move it to January, stating that they could ‘not take the risk’ with the weather.
Nonetheless, there has been a discrepancy in how scheduling issues regarding AFCON and other tournaments has been dealt with, AFCON 2021 proving a prime example. A letter by the European Club Association was sent to FIFA, the sport’s governing body, in the wake of the competition saying that they were concerned about the impact the Covid-19 pandemic would have on the tournament. They wanted to prevent European-based African players from participating, despite having not shared such concerns for other international tournaments closer to home. There were even questions asked of African players that would not be deemed appropri-
ate elsewhere. In 2021, Côte d’Ivoire international Sebastian Haller was infamously asked whether he would rather stay at his club than represent his country; a question he lambasted as “showing disrespect to Africa”. This prompted football legend Ian Wright to post damning comments at the time about the treatment of African players. He raised the issue in an Instagram post: “There are players getting asked if they will be honouring the call-ups to their national teams. Imagine if that was an England player representing the Three Lions. Can you imagine the furore?” He went on to add that coverage is “completely tinged with racism”.
Despite this pushback (which also included clubs such as Watford seemingly withholding players and club managers offering demeaning comments), AFCON 2021 successfully resisted pressure from European influence. The tournament went ahead at full strength with great success, culminating in a universally acclaimed dream final between Senegal and Egypt; bringing together arguably the two most influential footballers at the time against each other in the shape of then Liverpool team-mates Sadio Mane and Mo Salah. This has put the tournament in good stead to be a huge success. Looking forward to the
competition, there are plenty of questions being fervently discussed – how will the hosts fare with the home advantage? Will the golden generation of Senegal be able to retain the title? Will top-seeds Morocco win their first title since 1976 after their heroic World Cup run? Who will be the surprise package? Another exciting element of international tournaments such as AFCON, is that they are amazing places to uncover new and emerging talent. With the competition growing in competitiveness and an ever-expanding pool of African players going into the world’s biggest leagues, all the top clubs will be sending their scouts to the tournament.
FIVE YOUNG TALENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR AT AFCON 2024 OUSMANE DIOMANDE Country: Côte d’Ivoire Age: 20 Position: Centre-back Club: Sporting CP Diomande has been central to Sporting’s position at the top of the Portuguese league. His outstanding performances have led to a host of top PL clubs linked with him. His imposing physical attributes mixed with his composure on the ball make him a perfect modern day centre-back and one that will bring stability to the home nation Côte d’Ivoire.
PAPE MATAR SARR Country: Senegal Age: 21 Position: Centre-mid Club: Tottenham Hotspur Sarr is already an AFCON 2021 winner, having come on as a substitute in the semi-final. However, he is lined up for a much more influential role for his country, as his performances this season under new club manager Ange Postecoglou has seen him become indispensable and will help drive the reigning champions’ bid to retain the trophy.
FARÈS CHAÏBI Country: Algeria Age: 21 Position: Winger/ attacking midfielder Club: Eintracht Frankfurt Chaïbi moved to Frankfurt this summer, having broken through at Toulouse, and has already made his mark on the Bundesliga. He is one of those players who gets you off your feet, his skill and guile allows him to thread a ball through as elegantly as skipping past a defender and is likely to be the focal point of all of Algeria’s forward play.
LAMECK BANDA Country: Zambia Age: 22 Position: Left winger Club: Lecce Banda is lightning quick! One of the fastest players you’ll see (or not), he changes direction with ease and is gone in a flash. Having racked up three assists and a goal in Serie A from wide-left, the diminutive winger is slowly adding an end product to his skill, making him a terrifying prospect to play against and a formidable threat for Zambia.
AZZEDINE OUNAHI Country: Morocco Age: 23 Position: Attacking midfielder Club: Marseille Ounahi’s heroics are a large part of his country’s success at the World Cup last year. His impact at the tournament earned him a move to Marseille, where his direct play and exhilarating skill has been key for them ever since. Having not yet played at an AFCON tournament, he will be hoping to take the big stage by storm once again for Morocco.
JANUARY 2024 THE VOICE
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Sport
Christian Atsu: A true star, both on and off the pitch The former Premier League star lost his life in a devastating earthquake but his legacy will live on. By Vlad Andrejevic
F
OR MOST football fans in the last 15 years, Christian Atsu was a household name before he tragically passed away in the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria earlier this year. The former Ghana international, who started his career with Porto before moving to Chelsea in 2011, was a tricky and direct winger whose most notable club form came with Newcastle United. However, it was arguably his performances with his national team that earned him the most recognition. During a career in which he earned 65 caps, he represented Ghana at the 2014 World Cup, as well as four different Africa Cup of Nations, being named the player of the tournament in 2015 as they reached the final. While these honourable achievements contributed to him being celebrated, what is less known about – and arguably more remarkable – was the work he did off the pitch.
STATEMENT
Atsu was heavily involved in a variety of philanthropic projects throughout his career in his home country, none more so than with the charity Arms Around The Child (AATC). AATC is a non-profit organisation that, according to their mission statement, focuses on ‘building a better and kinder environment for children living in extreme adversity, orphaned, abandoned, at risk of child abuse – sexual or otherwise, trafficked or living in child-headed households’. Stemming from the previously successful charity Keep A Child Alive, co-founder Ellie Milner formed the organisation in 2011 and started work in India, South Africa and most recently Ghana, shortly after which Astu became involved. Ellie explained that she had met up with Atsu, who had initially wanted to set up his own foundation, to discuss working together. “We talked about the idea of building a new school, and he
was so up for it,” she told the Voice of Sport. “For him, the thought of doing that was just fantastic, he loved it.” The idea for the school, which was to be built in the regional area of Senya Beraku, was formed as the previous building was being constantly demolished by floods and had no toilets or running water. Once Atsu had visited the site (and seen the valiant work of other local charities such as Becky’s Foundation offering refuge to at-risk children), he decided to contribute, and work was immediately commissioned. The process was gruelling, as land had to be purchased from various chieftains, as well as planning permissions and access to necessary materials and workers. Nonetheless, Atsu was always on hand to offer his support and was involved in every step of the way. “With Christian, I never thought of him as being a footballer and not being able to get hold of him,” said Ellie. “He knew every step of what was going on and he would be involved in the decisions. For example, when we talked about the budgets, he would say I’ll get my brother to double-check all of that to make sure we get the best deals, so he was very personally involved. “His dedicated participation exceeded just the development of the project – he really cared about the children themselves.” Ellie said that Atsu would visit very frequently, much to the de-
FANS’ FAVOURITE:
Christian Atsu played for Newcastle, as well as Chelsea and the Ghana national side
light of the kids. “Every time he went back, he used to go down there. He sometimes used to drive down, get one of his brothers to drive a big truck down and he’d have it full of everything; rice, toilet roll, food – it was like Father Christmas 10 times over coming down in a truck – it was brilliant. “One day he went down there and he took all of the kids out to the local shopping mall and bought them all shoes. Other
KEY PLAYERS: Christian with Ellie and Seth Asiedu, founder of Becky’s Foundation whom the charity AATC is affiliated with
times he would kick off his shoes and play barefoot football with them (this would have been to the horror of any football club he was signed to, so we never got any footage). “When he visited the old school, he would go into each classroom and talk to the whole class and spend time answering questions, having pictures and giving motivational talks to them all.”
Unfortunately, COVID-19 delayed the progress and left the roofs still to be completed. But at the start of this year, Christian had sent an email to Ellie that read: “I’m going to send funds to expediate this, as I’ll be visiting in June, and bring all my friends for the opening.” A few days later, the earthquake struck. However, as is often the case in times of desperation, the football world ral-
SUCCESS!: The children that go to the Senya Beraku School
lied together to help finish his passion project. Among other foundations, both Chelsea Football Club and Newcastle fans raised enough funds to finish the school, which was ultimately completed in June as Atsu had planned. “He didn’t want it to be called the Christian Atsu School,” added Ellie. “He was very humble, but in these circumstances it’s difficult not to name it after him.” Ellie’s dilemma is understandable, as Atsu’s legacy on the community in Senya Beraku deserves universal recognition. His positivity and eagerness to help his own people in Ghana was extraordinary, and his hard work alongside the charity resulted in a sustainable school being built, which will educate up to 200 children by 2024. However, it is his spirit and presence that will be remembered most fondly, especially among the younger generation. As Ellie poignantly said: “He loved those kids, absolutely loved them, and they looked at him as a father, a brother – he was incredible.”
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OF SPORT NEWSPAPER
JANUARY 2024 | THE VOICE
Dame Denise is new UK Athletics president Pivotal role for former gold medallist with Paris 2024 Olympics on the horizon. By Milton Boyce
I
T PROMISES to be a pivotal 2024 for UK Athletics and for Dame Denise Lewis. With the Paris Olympics on the horizon, the former golden girl of athletics in this country has been elected as the new president of UK Athletics (UKA). Lewis – Olympic heptathlon champion in Sydney in 2000 – takes the reins from fellow Olympic gold medallist Jason Gardener, following the completion of his term in office. Former world 1,500m silver medallist Hannah England has been appointed vice-president, while other senior positions have been filled by Tony Shiret and Arwel Williams.. UKA Chair Ian Beattie said of the candidates: “The voting turnout was one of the most engaged in recent years and I believe that is because all those who stood are hugely respected across the sport and any of them could have taken on these roles with success. “Congratulations especially however to Denise. I look forward to working with them all in the coming years, and UKA will benefit from the huge range of skills they will bring to the table. We are incredibly grateful to all those members who have completed their terms with us and leave roles for their commitment and service to the sport. “However, on behalf of the board of UKA I would like to express a further note of appreciation for the work of Jason Gardener. “As a former athlete of the highest
regard, Jason stepped seamlessly into a non-executive Board position with UKA in 2008, before becoming UKA President in 2015, completing his terms of service this year, supporting both the Board and UKA Members at a critical time. “He has served this sport with such dedication both on and off track during a unique period in history for the sport and has truly ‘given back’ on many levels for many years. “We shall miss his presence and experience from those meetings but wish him the very best for the future.” Lewis won gold in Sydney Olympics after securing bronze in Atlanta four years earlier. She was awarded a damehood in the New Year Honours in recognition of her role as president of Commonwealth Games England and for services to sport. She has also worked successfully as a pundit and television presenter since retiring as an athlete in 2005. Her stellar career saw her win two Commonwealth golds, a European gold and two world silver medals and she was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.
GOLDEN GIRL: Denise Lewis takes over from Jason Gardener as the new president of UK Athletics; left, posing with her medal and insignia after being appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (photo: Getty Images)