The Voice Newspaper: July Edition

JULY 2021 • ISSUE NO. 1920

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25 years of campaigning for the Black vote Page 10

GROWING CONCERNS OVER CHILD ABDUCTIONS Recent attempted abductions are alarming and community groups are taking steps to keep our children safe.

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Inside

ROUNDUP

THIS MONTH

News, views, stories & videos

It's great to be online – but cyber criminals might be getting hold of your data p6

1. Check out the brand-new channel for kids' black history

'Money Maker' Eric Collins is making black businesses' dreams a reality p12-13

Kids' Black History is providing videos weekly to teach children positive black history

2. Jamaica earns spirited 1-1 draw against European heavyweights Serbia

Andre Gray's first international goal earned Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz a creditable draw against European heavyweights Serbia in Japan

3. First Welsh school signs natural hair act into declaration

Ysgol Hamadryad in Cardiff has become the first school in Wales to sign the Halo code into their declaration

4. Pardna App bringing traditional saving methods into the 21st Century The Pardna App will allow users to save, lend and borrow between close friends and family

5. Ex-England boss admits he would have picked Jamaica target Michail Antonio for three lions at Euro 2020

Fiserv is helping UK firms get Back2Business – and yours could scoop a £10,000 grant p15-16

Antonio was singled out by former England head coach Glenn Hoddle

6. Community groups and activists tackle attempted child abductions

Terence Channer on the black experience – from cradle to grave p17 Rev John Root says we need to look beyond players 'taking the knee' p32

Leading community groups and activists have pledged to tackle the growing number of attempted child abductions in London

7. Dea-John Reid Murder: 35-year-old charged

Michael Shields was charged with the attempted murder of 14-year-old Dea-John Reid

8. Black British Voices: Am I black enough for Britain?

Shavonne Harris shares her thoughts on why society feels there is only one way to be black

9. BLM One year on: Have corporations stuck to their promises?

Race equality experts give their thoughts

Tina stage star on how lockdown has changed her outlook p37

10. Long road to recovery for St. Vincent and the Grenadines two months on from the volcano eruption The road to recovery will be long, according to experts

This issue is 48 pages

CORPORATE AFFAIRS & COMMUNICATIONS Paula Dyke E. paula@thevoicemedia group.co.uk

Andrez Harriott

THE 10 MOST POPULAR STORIES ON VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK

Williams tribunal ruling is a wake-up call for the Met Police p8

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Paulette Simpson E. paulette.simpson@thevoice mediagroup.co.uk

Spotlight

MY NAME is Andrez Harriott and I began as a child performer attending Sylvia Young Theatre school in the early 1990s. This led to me securing roles in musicals, theatre and television and, at the age of 12, I met four other boys and we began a group which became known as the British R'n'B group Damage. We sold many records, touring the world and contributing significantly to the black British musical story.

After touring the world, I began working with children from the borough I was raised in who were either at risk of becoming involved in criminality or currently held within the criminal justice system. I spent nearly a decade working in a London Youth Offending Service, specialised in working with high risk, high harm and high vulnerability children and developed an understanding surrounding theoretical and practice approaches required to prevent or reduce the frequency and seriousness of further offending.

I completed my undergraduate degree in Criminology and Sociology receiving a First Class with Honours and then completed my Master’s degree at The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in Consulting and Leading in Organisations using Psychodynamic and Systemic Approaches. I am the CEO and founder of The Liminality Group, and we work across schools and youth prisons providing psychologically informed interventions, access to employment for children and young adults and CPD training for practitioners working with children who offend.

The band Damage continues to tour after 20-plus years, blessed to have people attending our concerts. My journey that has been a little unorthodox, but I am exactly where I should be. I have been married for 17 years to my wife Wendi, we have a 10-year-old daughter, and I am making a difference in the lives of many children and young adults through my organisation.

Got a story? email us at yourviews@thevoicemediagroup.co.uk

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News feature

GROUPS HELPING TO KEEP CHILDREN SAFE HEROES OF THE COMMUNITY: Serena NaltyCoombs founded Lambeth School Patrol in 2018 in response to violence in the Brixton area; inset below left, nationwide community group Forever Family has been doing community patrols in London since 2020

A rise in the number of attempted child kidnappings across the capital has seen communities join forces to help protect young people. By Sinai Fleary

L

EADING COMMUNITY groups and activists have pledged to tackle the growing number of attempted child abductions in London. This comes after several attempted child kidnappings were reported in parts of north and south London over the last few weeks.

Many of the groups told The Voice they are concerned for the safety of children and young people across the capital.

Lambeth School Patrol Serena Nalty-Coombs is the Strategic Manager at Code 7 Ltd and founded Lambeth School Patrol (LSP) in 2018, in response to after-school violence in the Brixton area.

Speaking to The Voice, she said: “The recent attempted child abductions are a huge concern for us and we just want our children to be safe.”

Ms Nalty-Coombs, who is from Lambeth, said there is a growing need for the patrols.

The group started patrolling once a week, but soon increased them to three days a week. She had hoped to be operating five days a week by September 2020, but the pandemic put a

The recent attempted abductions are a huge concern halt to her expansion plans.

Ms Nalty-Coombs is determined to roll out the initiative five days a week when they return in September.

To cope with the growing demand for the service, LSP also had to take on more volunteers, which initially starting out with only seven core members. It went on to train an additional 17 people.

She said: “Our training is very rigorous and robust. Our volunteers have to be DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checked, risk assessed and trained in first aid.

“We want to ensure we are delivering the best service we can; we adhere to strict guidelines and have prepared our risk assessment in line with the Metropolitan Police.”

The mother of three said LSP was operating on Brixton High Street before lockdown, as it is

the main travel route for up to 20,000 children daily who live in Lambeth. The scheme has a busy few months ahead, with training sessions scheduled to take place during the summer.

Speaking about the response LSP has had from the community and the young people they serve, Ms Nalty-Coombs said: “The project had been well received by young people, parents and businesses.”

She also recalled how the LSP was able to assist and support a parent in Brixton whose autistic child had gone missing in the area.

Ms Nalty-Coombs said the recent rise in attempted abductions is a huge concern for her and other parents.

She said: “Most of us at Lambeth School Patrol are parents and I think if you work with young people in any borough, you become a surrogate parent to these young people.

COMMUNITY “Things like this are ongoing and we need to find something that consistently works for our community and the school patrol will do that if people get behind it.

“I would like to get to the point where we can pay our volunteers for their time, because they do an amazing job.

“Parents need to work and they want to know their children are safe on their journey to and from school.”

LSP have launched a GoFundMe campaign and are currently raising £30,000 to recruit and train

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new volunteers for their patrol starting this September. She added she is willing to take their accredited training to other people who want to set up

dren and families to learn more about Black History throughout the year.

A Forever Family spokesperson told The Voice that one

Showing a visible presence near schools, colleges and areas high in crime has proved to be a deterrent to unwanted behaviour school patrols in neighbouring boroughs in the capital.

She urged people interested to sign up for the training sessions during the summer.

Forever Family Nationwide community group, Forever Family, has also been doing community patrols around London since 2020.

The group has distributed clothes to members of the public who are homeless and has handed out Black History sample booklets to encourage chil-

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of its core objectives is to support children, young people and families in the community and it stressed this is something it has encompassed from the very start of its formation.

According to its latest newsletter, Forever Family’s mission was to deter young people from anti-social behaviour, listen to the voices of all generations and facilitate the safety of our neighbourhoods and young people.

Forever Family was launched

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after discussions between So Solid Crew Founder and Entrepreneur Megaman and activist Raspect Fyabinghi.

In a statement to The Voice, a Forever Family spokesperson said: “Worryingly, of late there has been an increase in reports of missing children, abductions and attempted abductions and as activists, some of whom are parents ourselves, we feel compelled to volunteer our time to step out and support the safeguarding and welfare of our young people.

CONSULT “With the relaunch of our patrols underway, we have increased our effectiveness by working with existing organisations and continuing to consult with parents, carers and young people.

“Showing a visible presence near schools, colleges and areas high in crime has proved to be a deterrent to unwanted behaviour.”

Continued on page 22

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JULY 2021

News feature

ONE FATHER’S RESPONSE TO CHILD ABDUCTIONS Award-winning entrepreneur Dexter Simms has set up a school patrol in Croydon and says it’s time for communities to stand up and protect children amid alarming reports of abductions. By Sinai Fleary

T

HE METROPOLITAN Police has warned the public not to speculate about a number of reported child abductions in London. This comes after recent reports of attempted kidnappings in north and south London were posted on social media.

The Met’s Croydon branch issued a statement on Twitter stating that police are aware of “recent alarming social media posts providing speculative details about suspicious incidents involving children” There have been four attempted abductions reported in south-east London recently and two alleged incidents in Enfield, north London.

Supt Andy Brittain, of Croydon MPS, said: “I understand the concern expressed on social media and would like to reassure people there is no cause for alarm. If we receive information that increases any risk to our children, I will ensure that our residents and schools are made aware immediately.

“I would urge the community not to speculate any further.”

I would like to reassure people there is no cause for alarm Some social media users criticised the statement, branding it “ridiculous”.

Police have said they do not believe the confirmed reports are linked.

On Friday, April 30, an eightyear-old boy was approached by an unknown man in the wooded area of Kelsey Park, Beckenham. According to reports, the boy, who is a pupil at Clare House Primary School, was told by the man to go with him.

The boy reportedly shouted to a friend which made the man flee. On May 18, a 10-year-old boy was reported missing from Lytchett Estate in Enfield.

He was later found safe and well, but his mum claimed he was forced into a van and sedated. She also claimed when

her son woke up he saw other children sleeping in the back of the vehicle before opening the door and running away.

The incidents have shocked parents and some community leaders have decided to take action.

Dexter Simms, an awardwinning entrepreneur, was inspired by a friend who set up a community school patrol in Lambeth in 2019.

The father of three decided to set up a similar initiative in his local area of Croydon, to ensure children and parents feel safe.

PROTECT He told The Voice: “It is time for our community to stand up and be accounted for and protect our own children.

“When I say the community, I mean everyone. Parents, shop owners and community leaders.”

He initially posted a video on his Instagram page calling for support for his school patrols, after the recent string of attempted abductions.

His video went viral and he now says he has a meeting with

City Hall to try to get more support and backing for his project.

Mr Simms has started community-led school patrols in Croydon and says he is happy to do what he can to help.

Speaking to The Voice, he said he has taken extra precautions to ensure his own children are safe while travelling to and from school.

He said: “I feel petrified at the thought it could happen to one of my children.

“I have explained to my daughter how to walk to school safely and told her to ensure her phone is fully charged and on her at all times.

“As a father, that love is so strong and even though I am a businessman and community leader, there is nothing more important than being a father.”

Mr Simms’ children are aged nine, 12 and 16. His eldest son was being dropped off at school until he was 14 years old as a protective measure.

He also urged the community and business owners to step up and said it is time for us to work together as “it takes a village to raise a child”.

TAKING ACTION: Dexter Simms set up a community school patrol in Lambeth in 2019 to put parents and children at ease Asked whether he thinks there is enough support for parents from the police and authorities, he said

enough is being done’ and said the lack of support from mainstream media outlets was not good enough.

I’ve told my daughter her phone must be fully charged and on her at all times he knows conversations are happening behind the scenes, which the public may not be aware of.

He also added he feels “not

For more information on Dexter Simms school patrols follow @mrdextersimms on Instagram.

Charity sets up helpline to understand experiences of black families

By Sophie Huskisson THE UK’s leading charity for those affected by missing people is gathering evidence to address the number of black children going missing.

Missing People expects to be able to share its research this month, revealing what it knows and make recommendations on what it would like to see happen, including whether the government needs to take more action.

The charity is asking people to submit their accounts of having a child go missing through a confidential helpline, so it can better understand the experiences of black families going through the system. It is also holding consultations with family members who have previously mentioned discrimination in their cases when

working with them. Between 2019 and 2020, black people accounted for 14.2 per cent of missing people in England and Wales, according to the National Crime Agency’s most recent data.

This is an overrepresentation by over four times compared with the general population, of which three per cent are black.

The National Crime Agency did not break down data by age and ethnicity of missing people in a singular category, so it is unclear how the trends of black children going missing has changed over the past year.

However, growing numbers of the black community are voicing their concerns on social media over what appears to be a “distressing” trend of black children going missing.

Georgia Romeril, the senior market-

CONCERN: Black people accounted for 14.2 per cent of missing people in England and Wales between 2019 and 2020 (photo: Getty Images)

ing manager at Missing People, said it is too early in its research to understand any reasons behind the potential trends, but it is hoping to gather evidence on the reasons people might go missing through private conversations on their helpline.

According to Romeril, mental health is a very common reason for adults to go missing (the charity un-

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derstands that eight in 10 adults who go missing have a mental health issue), but there are a number of other issues which might cause children to go missing.

Romeril said that county lines trafficking, and criminal and sexual exploitation can be fairly common among young people.

Difficulties at school, in a care

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home, or in a family home can also be causes of a child to go missing.

Missing People has also found that families who have gone to their charity for support have felt they’ve been discriminated against by various agencies when reporting their child is missing.

“That might be by the police, or it might be by the media,” she said.

“They might feel that they’ve been unfairly represented within the media, or that they haven’t received as much coverage in the media as other families have.”

Romeril again said it’s too early in Missing People’s research to know the scale and impact of racial discrimination, but that it is hoping to better understand it so it can see whether there are any similarities or trends across the country.

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News feature

Protect yourself from savvy cyber criminals Specialist officer shares top ways to stay safe online and stop fraudsters stealing your details

D

ETECTIVE INSPECTOR Suzanne Grimmer is a specialist detective from the Met Police Cyber Crime Unit.

She wants everyone to know that the best way to protect our information from cyber criminals is to take some basic security steps to protect all our devices.

Det Insp Grimmer said: “The personal information contained on our devices; and our social media accounts has unfortunately become a valuable commodity for criminals who want to steal and then sell; or in some cases use against us to do things like send fake e-mails (phishing) or text messages.”

There are six basic steps everyone can take to increase online security at home and work: 1. Create strong passwords The National Cyber Security

Centre recommends a password made up of three random words so they cannot be easily guessed by criminals.

2. Use different password for your email account(s) If a hacker were to be able to access your email, they may be able to reset your passwords using the “forgot passwords” feature.

3. Save your passwords in your browser Your internet browser will remember them for you and this can protect you from some cyber crime – such as fake websites.

4. Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) This can stop hackers getting into your accounts even if they have your password, as you have to verify each log-in.

5. Update your software and devices Out-of-date software, apps and operating systems may contain weaknesses and become vulnerable to hackers, so check for updates regularly.

6. Back up your data If your data is lost or stolen, having a back-up on another device such as an external hard drive or cloud storage means you will be able to recover your data should the worst happen.

Det Insp Grimmer further emphasised that “we all have a responsibility to increase our own personal cyber security to protect ourselves from criminals”.

If you have been affected by cyber crime and/or fraud, please report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

You can also report phishing emails to report@phishing.gov. uk and smishing texts to 7726.

PLAY SAFE: It’s great to connect online, but make sure you’re not vulnerable to cyber crime

JN Bank UK and The Voice have joined forces to host a webinar event on how to ‘Protect Yourself Online’ on Thursday, July 8, 2021 from 6pm-7.30pm. Experts from the Cyber Crime Unit of the UK Metropolitan Police Service will be sharing valuable information on how individuals and businesses can keep safe online. They will also be on hand to answer any questions that you may have. If you would like to register to attend please visit https://bit.ly/3qfBlsY or scan this QR code on your phone camera.

Things are different, but Carnival will be back THERE IN SPIRIT: The Carnival we know and love has been cancelled for a second year – but that won’t stop us getting into the party spirit

While Notting Hill Carnival may not be taking place on the streets this year, it is always with us in spirit AS NOTTING Hill Carnival Limited announced last week that it has decided not to have any activities – parade of the bands, sound systems, stall holders, audiences – on the streets of North Kensington this year, Lord Kitchener’s famous calypso, The Carnival is Over, comes to mind – a melodic reminder of the importance of Carnival in the lives of so many of us. Of the sense of loss – tabanca – that we feel for the second year.

Calypsonian Lord Kitchener (Aldwyn Roberts) is an important icon in the history of the Notting Hill Carnival. It was he who with “guitar-like instruments and calypsos” led scores of supporters out of Lord’s Cricket Ground in a Carnival celebration of the famous victory of the West Indies Cricket Team in the second test against England.

On June 29, 1950 – 71 years ago –

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this victory was celebrated with a procession of a small posse of West Indian supporters, led by Kitch singing a calypso, towards the famous Lord’s Pavilion. But this crowd of revellers was prevented from entering this hallowed ground.

TRACKS They were not stopped dead in their tracks, instead diverted to where the rhythm of the jump up and the lyrics of Cricket Lovely Cricket took them. And as Kitch himself said, they diverted to the streets outside St John’s Wood “dancing Trinidad style, like Mas, and dance right down Piccadilly and around Eros”.

Kitchener and that small crowd of West Indian supporters stamping the mark of Carnival on the social, cultural and political landscapes of the UK.

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Not very different from what that musical icon Russell Henderson did when, Pied Piper-like, he led revellers out of the physical confines of the Notting Hill Festival, later termed a Fayre, in September 1966.

Staged by Rhaune Laslett, this other ‘diversion’ saw Henderson “making a rounds” with pan round the neck and a rhythm section along Portobello Road towards Notting Hill Gate and back.

Trinis abroad are always looking for excuses and opportunities to recreate and celebrate their cherished traditions and cultural practices.

And it is these cultural retentions that provided both a cultural continuity and momentum that resulted in the evolution of what we now know as Notting Hill Carnival.

Continued on page 45

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JUNE 2021

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8 | THE VOICE

JULY 2021

News feature

Williams tribunal ruling wake-up call for the Met INJUSTICE: A Police Appeals Tribunal ruled that the sacking of Novlett Robyn Williams was ‘unfair’ and ‘unreasonable’

After Superintendent Novlett Robyn Williams won her appeal against her sacking, Dr Floyd Millen says the Metropolitan Police Service must now move from a position of fear, fight and flight

I

N THE week when a damning report by the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel labelled the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) institutionally corrupt, a Police Appeals Tribunal ruled that the sacking of Superintendent Novlett Robyn Williams was “unfair” and “unreasonable”.

It is undeniable that the maladies afflicting the MPS are deep, systemic and yes: institutional.

In November 2019, Supt Williams, one of the UK’s most senior police officers, was sentenced to 200 hours community service after being found guilty of possessing an indecent image of a child.

On March 13, 2020, The Voice lamented the tragedy that in a fast-track misconduct hearing Williams had been sacked.

In the hearing, the MPS Assistant Commissioner for Professionalism Helen Ball ruled that Supt Williams’ conviction was “discreditable conduct” and amounted to gross misconduct.

On March 18, 2020, The Voice published an article asking “How a black officer with 36 years of unblemished service could end up on the sex offender’s register?”, particularly as the court had found that Supt Williams received the material unsolicited, she did not view the footage and there was no sexual aspect to her offence.

On June 15, 2021, a Police Appeals Tribunal ruled that the sacking of Supt Williams was “unfair” and “unreasonable” and determined that her dismissal should be replaced with a final written warning.

In a statement to The Voice, Supt Williams stated: “For over a year, before and during the pandemic, I have continued to support local people by working within community initiatives. I am

For over a year, before and during the pandemic, I have continued to support local people therefore delighted to be able to return to the work I love, serving our communities within London”.

The Chair of the MET Black Police Association (BPA), DS Janet Hills, MBE told The Voice: “Robyn should never have been criminalised in this way and the ruling to reinstate her was based on all the facts and her unblemished and distinguished career.

SUPPORT “I would like to thank everyone that has shown their support to Robyn during this time.”

The Police Superintendents’ Association supported Supt Williams’ appeal and welcomed the ruling by the Police Appeals Tribunal.

There is something rotten at the core of an institution which seeks to act with such haste to unfairly and unreasonably sack a senior black officer.

At the time, the hasty decision to sack Supt Williams was problematic because she had not had a chance to exhaust the appeals processes against her conviction; and secondly, the MPS failed to exercise appropriate discretion, resulting in unfair treatment being meted out to Supt Williams.

Met research shows discrimination against black officers In 2016, the MPS commissioned research to examine the extent of ethnic disproportionality in MPS police officer misconduct cases.

The research (Disproportionality in Misconduct Cases) revealed that while BAME officers made up 14 per cent of the MPS, BAME officers represented 21.5 per cent of those subjected to a misconduct allegation.

• BAME officers were twice as likely as white officers to be subject to misconduct allegations (4.96 per 100 BAME officers versus 2.46 white officers).

• Allegations against BAME police officers are more likely to be substantiated than against white officers.

One surprising result is that there was no disproportionality gap in complaints made by the public against BAME and white officers.

It is clear that the MPS itself is perpetuating institutional bias in favour of one group or cohort to the disadvantage of another.

Institutionalised institutionalisation In 2003, as head of the diversity directorate, the current Commissioner of the MPS, Cressida Dick, stated that her force would always be institutionally racist.

However, in the 2019 Home Affairs Select Committee’s (HASC) Macpherson inquiry, Commander Dick denied that her force was institutionally racist.

The MPS appears to be an institution in a constant state of fear, fight or flight. Many MPS officers agree that the old behaviours and practices of the past will not sustain it into the future.

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There are, however, senior officers and managers who do not share this view. What we are witnessing is the institutionalised institutionalisation of biases and prejudices which draws breath and life from deep in the belly of the beast.

institutionalised the institutionalisation of bias and prejudice.

Williams was an outsider insider, yet, try as she might, was also treated by the insiders as an outsider.

At the first opportunity she was kicked out.

Williams was an outsider insider, yet, try as she might, was also treated by the insiders as an outsider The Insider Outsider Since the Macpherson report of 1999, there has been positive change in terms of processes, procedures and there appears to be greater opportunities for BAME officers to progress within the MPS. However, if one goes below the surface, the case of Novlett Robyn Williams has shone a light on how deeply MPS’s collective corporate memory has

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Institutional racism is not an aberration — it is the lived experience of BAME people.

Black officers know that they are always a wafer thin away from being disciplined or their careers coming to an abrupt end.

The MPS needs to move from a position of fear, fight and flight, seeing people of colour as a threat.

People of colour are

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part of the heart and soul of these sceptred isles, and all British citizens have every right to fair and reasonable treatment.

Changing of the guard The Government needs to establish a long-overdue bespoke Royal Commission into Policing which will examine all aspects of policing — from the number of forces and funding, to officer deployment and policing priorities.

Further change requires a changing of the old guard. The MPS cannot survive and maintain its legitimacy by replicating its old image; it must be reborn in the image of those it seeks to serve.

Dr Floyd Millen is a political scientist, a former adviser to the Metropolitan Police Authority and the author of Police Reform and Political Accountability: The ties that bind policing in England and Wales and the United States of America.

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News feature

25 years of OBV

Operation Black Vote now starting to reach potential SO PROUD: Main, the 2019 participants of the Pathway to Success programme; below right, Eastbourne Lib Dem Cllr Josh Babarinde was elected in 2019

A lot has been achieved by the organisation in a quarter of a century, but there’s still a great deal of work left to be done. By Winsome Grace Cornish MBE

B

ERNIE GRANT, Paul Boateng, Diane Abbott. In 1996, almost everyone knew these names – they were our three black Members of Parliament.

Five years later, in 2001, they were joined by Preston incumbent, Sir Mark Hendrick.

We were proud of the original three, who were household names and community celebrities.

But three black MPs was a woeful under-representation of the UK’s growing black population, especially in a climate of oppression. Police brutality, racial tension, hostile immigration policies and scapegoating were just some of the harsh realities of black life.

Riots and unrest had also become part of the landscape. This was 1996 and the year four young activists decided enough was enough, and a new campaign was born.

Named Operation Black Vote (OBV) and launched in Westminster, they created a manifesto to tackle political and social inequalities and press the government to implement new policies that protect minority citizens from discriminatory governance and practices.

The new campaigning organisation set about establishing programmes to ensure that civic and political institutions would reflect the people they serve. Key to the plan was an agenda to engage and empower BAME groups by introducing learning events and mentoring programmes to prepare them for the leadership roles they would be encouraged to fill.

Recalling the early years, founding member and OBV Director, Lord Simon Woolley, pictured inset above, commented: “Twenty-five years

We must show those in power we will hold political inaction to account ago I recognised that the black electorate was powerful beyond its own perception.

“We decided that the time was now and we had to find ways to harness this sleeping giant and empower our communities to use their vote to effect and to take up political and public body roles. The remit we set ourselves we joked was ‘wider than We s t m i n s t e r ’ , foreboding but exhilarating. Whatever happens, we thought our communities empowered to participate was bound to produce a win-win”.

Twenty-five years on and OBV is celebrating its 25th anniversary of landmark achievements.

The campaigns have helped to bring about a steady rise in the numbers of minority parliamentarians. The handful in 1996 increased from five to 65 at the 2019 General Election, 22 of which are of African/ Caribbean heritage.

As early as 1999, 25 young people made history when they took part in

the first of OBV’s MP mentoring programmes. The scheme was an outstanding success and five graduates stood as candidates at the following General Election.

The ground was laid and minority Britons woke up to the notion that they could become part of the UK power structure, too.

Pushing government bodies to address marginalisation and inequalities meant communities had to be made aware of how to effectively exercise their power.

ENCOURAGING OBV’s large-scale political rallies galvanised the black electorate, encouraging them to register and turn out to use their vote in order to instigate change. “We must show those in power that we are willing to hold political inaction to account. Our votes can determine who win and who lose. We must adopt these strategies to impel political parties to better address our issues,” OBV urged.

Lord Woolley added: “Twenty-five years ago, OBV began what has been one of the greatest con-

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versations in British history, namely: How do we ensure that the UK is fairer, more inclusive and representative of all its institutions, democratic, civic and cultural? By tenacious lobbying and campaigning, we have

OBV is also the proud architect and brainchild of the Government’s Race Disparity Unit, the first of its kind in any modern democracy.

Staff and scheme participants reflect the spectrum of disad-

The appeal we make is for you to get involved and help to raise up your community empowered our communities – they are now better informed about their voting power and are more engaged to make a difference. Now more than ever black votes matter – which politicians ignore at their peril.”

The organisation’s 25 years of hard work and success is due not only to the team that drives the campaigns but also to the thousands who take part.

Year-on-year, OBV‘s successes see graduates fill increasing numbers of political and public body roles, creating many firsts. Councillor Anna Rothery, pictured left, elected in 2006, is the first Lord Mayor of black heritage in Liverpool and fellow OBV alumni, Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees, took office in 2016. In local government, Cllr Sharon Thompson won her Birmingham seat in 2014 and is now a Cabinet Member. In May this year, Josh Babarinde became the first Liberal Democrat Councillor of African heritage in Eastbourne. These are just a few from a roll call of firsts.

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vantaged groups nationally, so there are numerous Asian heritage individuals in key positions who also began their journey with OBV. It is widely acknowledged that OBV has helped to bring about a phenomenal shift in minority positioning in the UK and earns respect and acclaim at the top of its sector.

voicenews

‘Not all heroes wear capes’ is an OBV slogan that describes the vast OBV alumni and the supporting partnerships and sponsors whose commitment and generosity helps to drive the equalities agenda and build the OBV legacy.

PUNCHES Congratulations to Lord Simon Woolley and the small dedicated team who work wonders steering an organisation that punches way above its weight, remaining steadfast in the relentless monitoring of decision makers and in the continuing battle for social and racial justice.

As we congratulate and celebrate OBV’s achievements this month, the appeal is for you to also get involved and help to raise up your community.

Happy Anniversary, OBV.

www.voice-online.co.uk

JUNE 2021

THE VOICE| 11

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12 | THE VOICE JULY 2021

News feature

‘I THINK THE MARKET IS READY FOR US’

INSPIRED BY EACH OTHER: Shaun Sookoo with his mother Winny – his business’s namesake – who he says is the reason for his resilience and focus

Brenda Emmanus OBE speaks to men in business Shaun Sookoo and Eric Collins in two separate interviews to discuss beginnings, the future and the power of belief

M

INUTES INTO a conversation with Shaun Sookoo it is evident that this young man is destined for some form of success. There is a calm, self-assuredness about his demeanour – a graciousness that has no doubt proved to be a seduction tool in his business, and an openness that commands respect.

At 27, he is the CEO of the now rebranded Winnys Kitchen – a Birmingham-based Caribbean meal delivery business featured in the third episode of Channel 4’s reality business series The Money Maker, winning investment and mentorship from seasoned venture capitalist Eric Collins.

Self-reflection and intuition had guided Shaun’s career choices before this hugely significant collaboration – choices inspired by the desire to please or provide for others: “Throughout school I wanted

to be a doctor, but I was going into it for the wrong reason.

I had the grades and coming from a background where half my family is from Jamaica and half from Trinidad, a doctor is held in high esteem – so I did it because my parents wanted me to do it as opposed to it being what I am passionate about.”

He continued: “I left that idea, and went into personal training while I decided what I really wanted to do. I was always interested in helping people be healthy, and nutrition was always a part of it. While I was there my mum would cook meals for me to take to work and colleagues started asking, ‘What is that? Can I get some of that?’, so it was not long before I was asking my mum to make extras that I could sell to make extra money – that was how it happened.”

Prior to filming the programme, Winnys had experienced a 30 per cent month on

Eric made me question my level of expectation – he expanded my view on our potential month growth in orders – but profits decreased rapidly during the COVID pandemic. Using his entrepreneurial skills and wealth of experience, Eric Collins concluded that the business had strayed too far from its Caribbean roots. He made an investment of £120,000 for a 25 per cent share of the company. Tough love from Eric and some harsh criticism from a focus group, all witnessed by

@thevoicenewspaper

a TV audience, led to a rude awakening for Shaun.

“I have always been ambitious, but Eric was the first person to make me question my level of expectation.

“He expanded my view on our potential and it simply means that I have to work harder to achieve this.”

The business partnership is still at an early stage, but within the next couple of months a jerk sauce recipe that has been in the family of his head chef Johari for six generations will compete for shelf space and buyers of Levi Roots’ Reggae Reggae brand in the supermarket chain Morrisons and grocers Booths across the UK. He said: “Seeing our sauce placed next to that of someone that I have huge admiration for during the programme was amazing, but it confirms that we have to exceed what Levi has achieved. We are young, fresh with a new age approach, so I

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think the market is ready for us.”

They say behind every successful man is a strong woman, and in Shaun’s case it is the woman who the company is named after, his mother Winny. She is the force being the food and given credit for her son’s resilience and focus.

“She’s my centre,” he stated with conviction.

PROUD “I want to make her proud every day. I pick up the phone to her whenever I am going through something, and for less serious things like doing my hair. She still does it for me!”

Mum is not the only woman to hold a place in the heart of this handsome, softly spoken man. He is soon to be married to his fiancée of four years. “For me, whatever relationships you have, even friendships, should be with people who add something to your life, and I should equally be adding to theirs.”

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Love aside, building the business now requires 5am starts in the gym before setting off to deliver on his audacious goals. The dream now is to make Winnys Kitchen an international brand associated with quality Caribbean food, and to position himself as a role model black entrepreneur giving back to good causes.

“I’m inspired by the saying, ‘The whole point of going through a door is to hold it open for the next person.’

“I feel we need to collaborate more as a community which is why I want to be like Eric and support others. I need to be in a position where I have a platform to use for good causes, to pull people through, to be a good example. I have to keep working every day, keep growing every day and keep building every day.’

With that, he was off to execute a plan as neat and well designed as his cornrowed hair.

www.voice-online.co.uk

JULY 2021 THE VOICE | 13

News feature

ERIC THE EMPOWERER Eric Collins' approach to money and investment is changing the game for black businesses – and it's all about making the world a better place for people of colour

E

RIC COLLINS is consistent. Consistent in his raw enthusiasm for life and its possibilities, consistent in his career success as a serial entrepreneur and investor and consistent in what drives his personal and professional ambitions.

“For me, it’s about making the world a better place for people of colour,” he affirms as we converse across zoom. He is London-based but currently in the States taking care of family and business.

“It became clear to me when I went to law school that there were strategies for achievement available that were faster and did not require consent.”

Those strategies involved taking capital from a business that he had built and sold, finding other like-minded investors and ploughing their skills and funds into others with wild yet profitable dreams.

Decades down the line his business acumen has been applied to public and private companies including AOL, TimeWarner and Microsoft. He is a sought-after board member and advisor in the technology space, CEO of Impact X Capital Partners, a venture capital firm supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs and more recently star of Channel 4’s business reality series, The Money Maker.

The series sees Eric take hundreds of thousands of pounds of his own cash to invest in small struggling British businesses, guiding them to review their processes and potential – but what was the appeal of applying his corporate savvy to the small screen?

“It was a continuation of what I had already been doing.

With Impact X I am trying to build the next Netflix or Amazon – with these organisations I am attempting to build the next Hovis or Uber. This is real money and my real connections in the programme. I used a lot of women and people of

I regard money as a tool for change, just like your vote is a tool for change during an election colour as experts as I did not want just middle classed white men giving advice. That is not the world I know. I wanted black people to watch the programme and think, ‘You know what, I should move at speed and not sit on my ideas’, or just talk about them for years. We need to get things done.”

RADICALS Born in Alabama, Eric comes from a long line of ‘doers’. He describes his parents as ‘young radicals’ who believed they could be part of the solution in making the world a better place. Church was not just a filling station on a Sunday, but an active part of the change effort. Progress in the minds of the Collins family required conscious collaboration and financial resources.

“I regard money as a tool for change, just like your vote is a tool for change during an election or your feet when marching in protest. It is a tool that drives results and the type of results I would like to see are determined by how I use that money. If I buy a house from a black realtor who can then chalk up a sale and advance their own career, then I am utilising my money as a tool. ‘ Post-George Floyd’s death, he is optimistic that some corporations have gone beyond paying lip-service and are embracing allyship in a genuine way but he asserts that the black community can also make more

THE MONEY MAKER: Entrepreneur and serial investor Eric Collins is changing the narrative when it comes to black businesses conscious decisions about who and what they support.

“We do not have to put our money into places that do not support us. It is like giving them oxygen and allowing our funds, resources and relationships to allow them to become bigger and more institutionalised.

Then people turn around and say, ‘Thank you for the money, but you are not good enough to work here and you certainly could not progress within the organisation’.

“These are the things we should be protesting by how we utilise our resources.”

With Impact X’s mission in full throttle, The Money Maker series continued Eric’s raison d’être, with support for four businesses navigating the post pandemic economy. In his

eyes, other venture capitalists are missing a trick by ignoring women and black and Asian businesses.

"Quite often, people of colour and women are seen as a risk, but they are often well-trained, with great ideas.

TRAITS “Why would I not invest in them when they are going to help me do something extraordinary? The only question is whether they have the right entrepreneurial traits.

“Do they have the tenacity to deal with problems when they arise? I am putting my money into these people, but I am not running the companies for them."

Eric’s forensic business knowledge and unrivalled con-

nections led Barack Obama to appoint him to the Small Business Administration’s Council while he was in the White House.

They were at law school together, but he is keen to point out that this is not simply nepotism.

"University and law school was a great time to meet amazing people with passion and real ideas about what they wanted to do in the world, and just like investing in entrepreneurs around the UK and Europe, why wouldn’t I continue to keep track of those people and figure out how we can support each other?"

April 2022 sees the publication of Eric’s debut book We Don’t Need Permission: Unlocking Black Economic Em-

powerment For Good, in which he argues that investing in underrepresented entrepreneurs is the fastest socio-economic gamechanger there is.

"I want to make sure that in the future we are having a different discourse about black."

This man ain’t playing!

Brenda Emmanus OBE is a renowned Broadcaster and Journalist working across print, radio and television. She has presented a broad range of documentaries for domestic and international audiences. A champion of the arts she has collaborated on projects with major institutions, is Chair of the Board of New Adventures and on the Board of the Creative Industries Alliance and Action for Diversity and Development.

14 | THE VOICE

JULY 2021

Men who inspire – a son of the Caribbean

‘A creative visionary’ INSPIRATION: Sir Hilary Beckles’ contribution to the Caribbean and further afield has seen him honoured by universities and organisations across the world

With his worldwide influence, Sir Hilary Beckles remains a trailblazer for the Caribbean Continued from the June edition of The Voice Scholar and playwright Prof Sir Hilary Beckles is an uncontested intellectual giant. Indeed, this designation has been lauded throughout the Caribbean and beyond.

“Within his impressive stature there resides a powerful and energetic intellect. Long may [he] be encouraged to use his unique mastery of economic history, extending from the horrible legacy of slavery and colonial exploitation, to craft a bold vision which will reveal our innate creative genius so that the people throughout our region will be able to prosper in a highly competitive global marketplace,” says PJ Patterson, with Dr Ahmed Reid, associate professor of history, Bronx Community College, City University of New York, adding: “Prof Beckles is the most consequential historian of our generation. His legacy is cemented alongside that of Eric Williams, CLR James, Sir Arthur Lewis, and Walter Rodney as one of the great thinkers to have emerged from the Caribbean.”

Beckles is easily the most published scholar of the Caribbean, publishing more than 100 peer-reviewed essays in scholarly journals, and 12 books on subjects ranging from Atlantic and Caribbean history, gender relations in the Caribbean, sport development and popular culture.

His most recent publications are Britain’s Black Debt: Reparations for Slavery and Native Genocide in the Caribbean (2013) and The First Black Slave Society: Britain’s Barbarity Time in Barbados, 16361876 (2016).

Among his other key books are Natural Rebels: A Social History of Enslaved Black Women in Barbados and the Caribbean (1989) and The Development of West Indies Cricket: volume 1: The Age of Nationalism (1998); and Volume 2: The Age of Globalisation (1998), key texts for the CLR James Centre for Cricket Research, which he founded and directs.

Sir Hilary has also edited/ co-authored some 13 books,

Beckles is the most consequential historian of our generation including readers for students, which goes very well with his role as chairman of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).

This impressive body of work and contribution to the intellectual culture in the academy led Tufts history professor, Kris Manjapra to say: “Professor Hilary Beckles is showing us what world-changing transformative scholarly leadership looks like. He is a thinker for our times.”

Sir Hilary is also an accomplished playwright, with six of his staged works receiving popular acclaim in the Caribbean.

These plays bring to the stage seminal moments in Caribbean and Atlantic history, and were written in consultation with the late Derek Walcott and Rex Nettleford.

A fellow playwright and a long-time friend Dorbrene O’Marde hailed him as “a creative and visionary Caribbean public intellectual”.

His intellectual skills have been used on the boards of academic journals, cultural committees; the University of the West Indies Press and the Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora.

He has lectured extensively in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia, and held several visiting appointments at universities as he seeks to disseminate his research widely.

SERVED At the level of the United Nations, Sir Hilary has served on the International Task Force for the UNESCO Slave Route Project; as consultant for the UNESCO Cities for Peace Global Programme; advisor to the UN World Culture Report; and member of former secretarygeneral of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon’s science advisory board on sustainable de-

velopment. He is also a member of UNDP’s advisory panel on the Caribbean Human Development Report and an expert for the UN’s Futures of Higher Education project.

He is also an editor of the ninth volume of UNESCO’s General History of Africa, conceptualised around the theme “Global Africa”.

Sir Hilary has had regional and global recognition for his academic achievements and leadership expertise: a knighthood; “author of the year” in 1991 by Barbados Cultural Promotions; “documentary of the year” in 1993 for his We Now Have a Country, by the Barbados Association of Journalists; the inaugural winner (1994) of the UWI Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in the field of research; honorary Doctor of Letters from his alma mater; honorary Doctor of Letters from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana and honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Glasgow.

HONOURED In 2015, he was honoured by the borough of Brooklyn, New York, for “extraordinary achievement, outstanding leadership, and contribution to the community”.

He also received in 2015 the second Global Community Healer Award for humanitarian work from the Community Healer Network, Washington DC, following the legendary Maya Angelou. In 2016, he received the Sisserou Award of Honour from the government of Dominica “in recognition of his contribution to the Commonwealth of Dominica and the region in the field of education”.

In 2017, the town of Hartford in the state of Connecticut, declared March 21 Sir Hilary Beckles Day in recognition of his global contribution to social justice and human equality.

He also received the prestigious Amistad Award from Central Connecticut State University, “in recognition of his outstanding contributions to historical knowledge and the struggle for human rights”.

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On January 18, 2021, he received the MLK Jnr 2021 global award for peace and freedom in recognition of his global advocacy for people of the African diaspora.

A leader of the Caribbean reparation movement Sir Hilary Beckles’ early beginnings in Barbados, his experiences living in the UK, his first hand analysis of life in the Caribbean after he returned from

him to chair the CARICOM Reparations Commission in 2013.

He has since taken the reparation movement beyond the Caribbean and to popularise the 10 Point Action Plan for Reparatory Justice, which he drafted as a strategy for seeking justice from colonial powers.

His inspiration has come from the resilient enslaved African ancestors; Rastafari and individual giants of the movement – Randall Robinson, Dudley Thomp-

He elevates our collective consciousness and prepares us for social transformation the UK and his outrage at the denial of responsibility by former colonising countries for the socio-economic mess they left in the Caribbean – seen most clearly when he attended the 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa as leader of Barbados delegation – have all shaped his ideology, his consciousness, his political philosophy and his social activism.

Not surprisingly, the CARICOM heads of government asked

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son, Chief Abiola, Bernie Grant, Barbara Blake-Hannah, Lord Anthony Gifford, Mike Henry, PJ Patterson and many more, Gifford had this to say when asked for a comment: “After the publication of Britain’s Black Debt, he came to my home to express his appreciation ‘for your inspiration for writing this book”.

“I was so moved by the generous spirit of this man who is both a scholar, a humanist and a campaigner for justice and reparation at the highest level.”

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Sir Hilary shaped the architecture which brought to fruition the first Caribbean Reparatory Justice initiative as a development framework, via a 20-year commitment of a £20 million investment between the UWI and Glasgow University to create the Glasgow-Caribbean Centre for Development Research.

PASSION Outside of academia, Sir Hilary serves in multiple roles in the Caribbean private sector.

He is a long serving director of Sagicor Financial Corporation – the largest, international financial services conglomerate in the region.

His passion for, and expertise in cricket has also been evident, serving as a director of the West Indies Cricket Board and the West Indies Cricket World Cup. It is no wonder that Kris Manjapra sees him as “a visionary movement builder... [who] alerts us to our place in history as part of liberation struggle.

“He guides our historical recognition.

“He elevates our collective consciousness and prepares us for our different, interconnected, roles in just social transformation.”

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p

JULY 2021

THE VOICE | 15

News feature

Fiserv: Helping UK small and medium businesses get

Back2Business

Neil H Wilcox is one of the key figures in a leading global provider of financial services technology and his company’s determination to help small and ethnically diverse businesses in the UK thrive and flourish. By Anshu Taneja

F

ISERV, A leading global provider of payments and fi nancial services technology that has a significant presence in the UK, recently announced the local launch of the company’s Back2Business programme.

Designed to strengthen small, ethnically diverse businesses and enable them to thrive in a post-pandemic world, Back2Business offers businesses the opportunity to apply for £10,000 grants, and can provide participants with expertise and leading technology solutions such as the Clover® pointof-sale platform from Fiserv, and connections to community partners.

As of June 24, 2021, qualifying businesses can apply for grants for any purpose they choose, including technology investment, operational costs such as rent and payroll, premise re-design or marketing.

The Voice recently sat down with Neil H Wilcox, inset, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Fiserv Inc, to get his thoughts on how companies can be a platform for good and why Fiserv has taken the initiative to help small businesses in the UK get back to business.

TV: How have businesses been impacted during the COVID-19 p a n demic, and why have ethnically diverse businesseshave been

disproportionately affected?

NW: The pandemic is a oncein-a-century, or maybe once -in-two centuries type of event, and you saw a couple of things: a lot of businesses had to shut down, and those that didn’t had to find new ways to operate. You saw that, for example, with restaurants there was a lot more takeaway orders so having an e-commerce platform was particularly important; and you saw that businesses big and small – that were bestpositioned were the ones that were able to pivot and adapt.

The pandemic really created a different operating environment, with reduced foot traffic and changes in terms of the way people and businesses transact. For me, these have been the biggest things. Businesses have had to adapt accordingly.

You’re also seeing far less people using cash, instead opting for using cards, personal devices, and other touchless ways to pay for goods. If you were primarily a cash business, you were probably impacted to a greater degree than a business that was able to adapt or that had these capabilities before the pandemic.

Another part to consider is t h a t , while there have been government programmes that were

A HELPING HAND: Fiserv is helping businesses thrive and come back stronger as the economy reopens postpandemic

designed to help, and those are certainly appreciated, we have also seen that roughly two thirds of diverse ethnic businesses had difficulties accessing those funds. So, the combination of reduced commerce and reduced transactions, not being able to adapt to new and different ways to conduct business, and the inability to access assistance hampered a large number of small businesses, particularly diverse businesses.

TV: Why is it so important to support local businesses as we come out of lockdowns and how is this key in the economic recovery?

NW: One of the things we found when we launched in the US was that there is clearly a need to support small businesses and the communities where they live and operate, and if

you are successful and able to support these businesses, then that entire community will do better.

We found that communitybased organisations are key partners because they are closer to the action, and they know the community well. They’ve been terrific partners to us because they’re looking to work

known before, and then serving as a liaison once we either provide a grant or enter into the community, helping us to continue and maintain our engagement with that community.

TV: Can you tell us about the Forward Together Action Plan and how Fiserv hopes to tackle important global concerns such

It’s crucial that we all look to the future with an eye to making things better with companies like Fiserv, that have aligned interests and can bring solutions and help. We discovered that community organisations are uniquely positioned and valuable in spreading the word to businesses that we maybe would not have

as human rights issues, racial equality, and social justice?

NW: I think we are at a pivotal point in time. Given the events from the last 12-18 months, there is now a much greater awareness of many global movements and events that per-

haps did not exist before. If you look at things in the corporate ecosystem – for example you have heightened expectations of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) reporting and the social component of that is very important. I think what we have witnessed over the last year – with the pandemic and calls for racial justice – and the types of actions that people expect from companies, fits into that construct.

Given where we are as a society and what we have endured, it’s crucial that we look to the future with an eye to making things better.

One of the reasons that I am incredibly thankful to be part of Fiserv is that we look for opportunities to do good – while also seeking ways to take action.

Continued on page 16

16 | THE VOICE

JULY 2021

News feature THE FACE OF BACK2BUSINESS: The business owners who will be among the first in the U.K. to receive the £10,000 individual grant are from left, Segun Akinwoleola, founder of The Gym Kitchen, Sarah Rayner, a deep tissue massage therapist and acupuncturist based in Apotheca Clinic, and Bunmi Tawose and Lanre Tawose (not pictured) of Jemmy’s Catering.

Continued from page 15

A key component of our Forward Together Action Plan and the Back2Business programme is leveraging our talents and the things that we do well every day, and putting them to action for good in communities that may be underserved, or that were impacted disproportionately by the pandemic. Personally, I would encourage people to look where they can lend their time, treasure and talent to help. I think what we are doing at Fiserv is an example of just that – picking areas where we have some expertise and experience, and trying to do good.

TV: What is the role of Fiserv Employee Resource Groups – particularly the Black Leadership Council – in programmes like Back2Business?

NW: We have eight ERGs and they really serve as a platform for employees to share their perspectives, to exchange ideas, and to support and elevate

one another professionally throughout their careers. Having that kind of a safe space is really important. The ERGs also serve as a means for employees to give something back or pay it forward, and again, it’s a platform for doing good.

The Black Leadership Council in particular has been a very active participant in terms of not only supporting the Back2Business programme but also getting out and being part of our efforts in the communities where we have awarded grants, meeting with the merchants and providing support even after we awarded the grant. So, it really is a holistic way of engaging businesses and, by extension, communities.

TV: The fund for the Back2Business programme was increased from $10m to a huge $50m. How has Fiserv been able to make a real difference in the heart of communities?

NW: Our President and CEO, Frank Bisignano, announced

It’s not only the grants – we are also providing access to business expertise the increase back in January – less than six months after we formally launched the programme. I think what became apparent relatively soon to us was that there is just a tremendous need to provide help, despite the existence of government funds and other resources. Part of our business is supporting small- and medium-sized businesses, and we do that every day.

However, this segment of the market suffered through the pandemic, and it was a great way for us to lend our support to help these businesses and help these communities. By expanding the size of the programme we’ve been able to reach even more small businesses, and help more communities.

Every day we continue to look for ways to expand and innovate the programme beyond the financial component.

We believe we can still help improve communities and support

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businesses even when the $50 million is all allocated.

TV: How can Fiserv make a difference to companies in the UK, specifically ethnically diverse businesses?

NW: We hope it has a very similar impact to what happened in the US, which was targeted to the specific businesses, but also by extension the communities where they operate.

Remember, it’s not only the grants – we are also providing access to business expertise and education.

Another thing we’ve done in the States is to create an online community among the grantees so they can share their positive experiences and hopefully share best-practises as well.

We’ve also learned that we must adapt quickly, so we try and learn from our experiences if we find something that can be improved.

Ultimately, our goal is to help as many businesses and com-

munities as possible.

TV: Which key partners in the UK can help drive the Fiserv message forward?

NW: The idea of having key partners, such as Chelsea FC, The London Chamber of Commerce and its Black Business and Asian Business Associations, is to help us reach a multitude of communities in different ways. In the US we work with different sports clubs for example, so there’s an effective connection to a community given the name recognition and popularity among athletes and teams. Having people with established connections and roots in communities partner with us, and then by extension learning about what we do and what we have to offer, only helps the programme and helps spread the word to those most in need.

TV: Can readers of The Voice access the business grant and what can it be used for?

NW: Yes, there are certain criteria that should be met, for example, the business must be owned by a person from a diverse ethnic background, it must have been registered before January 2020, located in the UK with an annual revenue of less than £1m, and have a maximum of 15 employees. The grant can be spent on whatever the business needs to reopen or grow, such as marketing, covering operational overhead, upgrading layout and design, or purchasing technology solutions.

TV: Do you think Fiserv is leading the way in the industry in terms of this programme?

NW: I think we are, but I would also encourage others to look for opportunities where they can lead as well. We want to do good, but I don’t look at it from the perspective of keeping score. If all companies did what they could to help, our businesses and communities would be in a much better place.

Interested? Here’s what you need to know...

To be eligible, applicants must: • Be a business that is majority-owned by a person from a diverse ethnic background • Be located in the United Kingdom • Have a revenue under £1,000,000 per annum

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• Have been in business prior to January 2020 • Have 15 or fewer employees Applications for the Back2Business programme are now open. Businesses interested in applying for a grant can find details at aeoworks.org/fiservuk.

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www.voice-online.co.uk

JULY 2021 THE VOICE | 17

News feature

A voyage: From black cradle to black grave UNEVEN FIELD: The black community continues to face obstacles throughout many aspects of life (photo: Ketut Subiyanto)

At every stage of life, black people are statistically at a disadvantage — but there is hope. By Terence Channer

W

HAT DOES it mean to navigate the UK as a black person?

Life is a journey during which we enter this world with nothing and leave with nothing — what happens in-between is meant to be filled with the tools and opportunities to live a fulfilling and satisfying life, regardless of one’s personal inherited characteristics.

Unlike most journeys, we do not get to predetermine any of the conditions we inherit. No one gets to choose how they enter this world. The conditions that we inherit are purely an accident of birth. None of us get to choose whether we are born rich, poor, black, white, male or female. We certainly do not get the choice of parents, family or what cards we are dealt concerning our mental, physical or financial attributes.

Numerous studies have shown that children generally inherit the academic attainment, professional success and wealth of their parents. You are more likely to be a doctor if your parents are doctors. You are more likely to be a high achiever if your parents are high achievers.

Being born is dangerous The first port of call in life’s voyage is highly precarious.

The most dangerous part of an infant’s life is not crossing the road, but passing through the birth canal; being born comes with the risk of injury or death.

The wealth of a nation is indicative of many things, including a clear correlation with its infant mortality rates.

The UK has an infant mortality rate of 3.9 per 1,000 (Office for National Statistics). However, UK black babies are more than twice likely to be stillborn than white babies (black neonatal death rates are 45 per cent higher).

The UK is the fifth largest economy in the world, yet UK

Black children are excluded at three times the rate of white children black stillbirths are at a higher rate than for Barbados in 53rd place (7.4 stillbirths per 1,000 — World Health Organisation 2019). Research published in 2019 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US found black newborn babies cared for by black doctors are twice more likely to survive than those cared for by white doctors.

In the UK, black pregnant women die at four times the rate of white pregnant women.

Therefore, black childbirth is significantly more dangerous than white childbirth. There is no evidence that biological factors are at play and therefore it is reasonable to conclude that these disparities are as a consequence of structural and systemic racism in healthcare.

Education The next real challenge facing a black child is navigating the education system.

There are marked differences between outcomes for black Caribbean children and black African children. School exclusions are running at a highly disproportionate rate.

Black children are excluded at three times the rate of white children, as reflected in the disproportionate number of black schoolchildren in pupil referral units and alternative provision (young black Caribbean boys are nearly four times more likely to be permanently excluded).

Black schoolchildren are over-policed in the classroom as they are readily seen as wayward, aggressive and disruptive; a theme seen throughout

the black cradle to black grave journey. Consequently, black educational attainment lags behind that of white attainment.

Criminal justice and policing The stereotype of the wayward, aggressive young black male is probably seen most starkly in the criminal justice system. The policing of young black men has been a contentious issue particularly since Empire Windrush sailed to these shores.

The stop and search and disproportionate use of force figures for the policing of black communities have been so rehearsed that they have become hackneyed. Black people receive stiffer jail sentences for the same crime. Black people are 1.4 times more likely to receive an immediate custodial sentence than white people. The black prison population is 12.7 per cent, compared with a black population of just three per cent.

The professions They say that education is a great leveller, I don’t doubt that. However, having a good education or professional qualification does not grant immunity, if one has successfully circumnavigated potential pitfalls in childbirth, education and criminal justice.

Black practising lawyers are twice more likely to be the subject of disciplinary proceedings than white lawyers. The same applies to black doctors, who are twice more likely to be disciplined than their white counterparts.

Ironically, black police officers are twice more likely to be disciplined than their white counterparts; yes – over-policing of black police officers!

Therefore, there is no hiding place as racism is no respecter of a black professional’s status or title. I heard it aptly put recently, that when mediocre black people can attain the same positions of mediocre white

people, then we have achieved equality. Having to be excellent academically and professionally, or this notion that “we have to be twice as good” to get ahead or gain some level of protection or immunity against racism, is wholly unacceptable.

Housing Black home-ownership is 33 per cent compared to 66 per cent for white home-ownership,

the black community are as a consequence of the effects of racism. Surely, racism must have a toll on mental health, how can it not?

COVID-19 Black people have died of COVID-19 at a rate 2.5 times higher than that of white people. Sadly, I was not surprised at the disproportionate rate. I had predicted this would be the case.

This notion that ‘we have to be twice as good’ to get ahead is wholly unacceptable which does not bode well for black generational wealth. One of the most powerful tangible legacies is wealth, with homeownership the primary driver of legacies to children and grandchildren.

Mental health Black people are four times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act than white people. Black people are 10 times more likely to be the subject of a mental health treatment order than white people. I do wonder whether these levels of poor mental health within

Why? Because I have struggled to find an area of life where black people have had parity with our white counterparts.

Life expectancy Black men in the UK have a life expectancy four years shorter than white men (for black women it is 1.5 years lower than for white women).

Many years ago, when assessing a black female client’s life expectancy in a personal injury claim, the medical expert opined that her life expectancy was lower by virtue of her being black. When asked

to explain, the expert could not give a reason.

Systemic and institutional racism Why should black people have less of the good and more of the bad? I do not believe for a moment that these disparities in healthcare, education, housing, employment and criminal justice are not related to systemic and institutional racism.

Optimism Irrespective of these statistics, I and many black Britons remain upbeat and hopeful of meaningful change to redress the balance. Essentially, we are keeping the faith, believing that at some stage humanity will push this across the line rendering such stark inequalities a thing of the past. Call this belief a coping mechanism that us black folk have — some type of required optimism to navigate life from black cradle to black grave.

The son of Jamaican migrants, Terence Channer is a consultant solicitor at Scott-Moncrieff & Associates LLP who specialises in police misconduct, injury and healthcare law. He is a passionate anti-racism advocate.

18 | THE VOICE JULY 2021

Midlands News NEWS IN BRIEF

by Veron Graham

‘THOUGHT-PROVOKING’ DRAMA WINS ACCLAIM Misha Elliot’s stage play The Tale of the Fatherless gets a reboot for screen along with the help of talented sister Sadé Davis – and it has rave reviews

KEY ROLE: Ahmed Ahmed A GRADUATE quantity surveyor has reaped the rewards of clinching a first class degree by landing a lucrative role practically on his doorstep in Birmingham with construction giants Balfour Beatty VINCI. Ahmed Ahmed, 26, gained top honours from Birmingham City University last June, and impressed assessors during a four-week placement, resulting in being appointed to a permanent post as an assistant quantity surveyor, deployed on the HS2 rail project. With duties including responsibility for cost-control measures relating to equipment used on construction sites, his next role will focus on assisting the management of subcontractor contracts within the commercial team.

He said: “I’m really enjoying the role. It’s so different to university as there is a fine balance between getting a job done and getting it right, while working to tight deadlines. I’m on a learning curve and fast developing an understanding of the importance of doing cost comparisons to elicit project benefits, while driving value for money decision-making. I love the fact that I’m a local lad working to bring HS2 to the region – this is the biggest project in Europe and I’ve started my career working on it. I just want to learn more, so that I can become chartered and hopefully bring more value to the company.”

Universities minister Michelle Donelan added: “Students should not have to move away from their communities to pursue a meaningful career. This year’s graduates will face unique challenges as they enter the jobs market, which is why providing students with the opportunities they need to reach their full potential, regardless of their background or location, is so essential.”

DEEP MESSAGE: Stefan & Sadé Davis feature as Tyrell and Janine in The Tale of the Fatherless, below

T

H E TALE of the Fatherless – dubbed a “thought-provoking urban drama centres around a group of young adults trying to navigate life without the presence of their fathers” was adapted for the screen by sisters Sadé Davis and Misha Elliott, based on the latter’s stage play.

Thought to be the first release to feature a predominantly black British Caribbean cast from Birmingham in over a decade, its stars include multitalented actor/writer/directors

Stefan Davis and Tonia DaleyCampbell. Both have lifted gongs at the city’s Enter Stage Write competition with Stefan’s performance in The Tale of the Fatherless earning him a best actor award British Urban Film Festival in 2020.

NOMINATION The film, which received a best feature film nomination at the festival, is reportedly the first to be produced by a majority minority crew from the Second City.

The film is targeted at the

It seeks to spark further conversations regarding stereotypes of black youth 16-35 age group and seeks to push the boundaries and spark further conversations regarding the negative stereotypes often associated with black youth

and endeavours to bridge the gap, by succeeding to provide a different outlook into the lives of young people often defined as troubled or hard to reach.

The Tale of the Fatherless at its core has a deep message that seeks to speak the minds of its audience through its central characters’ experiences and hopes to evoke a change in the way black people are portrayed on screen and how their stories are told in British film.

For screening details, visit thetaleofthefatherless.com

West Midlands authority inclusivity hailed

DELIGHTED: CEO Deborah Cadman

THE chief executive of West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has expressed her delight as the organisation was named among the top 10 most inclusive employers in the UK. At the news of its seventh place rating by the National Centre for Diversity, Deborah Cadman said: “Inclusivity is something close to my heart and I am delighted that our hard work has been

@thevoicenewspaper

acknowledged by making the National Centre for Diversity’s top 10. We have developed initiatives to make the Combined Authority an inclusive and fair place to work and thrive and have made being inclusive one of our four core organisational values which affects how we go about our daily work.

“We have seen significant progress in gender representation over the past few

@thevoicenews

years and have a fully gender balanced senior leadership team.” Last year, the WMCA was ranked 24th.

DIVERSITY The Top 100 Most Inclusive Workplaces index is put together as a result of a company survey sent by the National Centre for Diversity to all employees from organisations that are working towards the Diversity Inves-

voicenews

tors in Diversity or Leaders in Diversity accreditations.

An algorithm is then used to benchmark the companies and compile the Index.

The list is compiled to recognise and support the companies that are held up as the best in promoting equality, diversity, inclusion and fairness in the workplace, through implementing excellent policies that deliver transformational change.

www.voice-online.co.uk

JULY 2021 THE VOICE | 19

Midlands News

MIDLANDS HOUSING FIRM SCOOPS QUEEN’S AWARD When Fuad Mahamed came to the UK as a Somalian refugee, he worked tirelessly to achieve two degrees before founding Ashley Community Housing in 2008. Now, the organisation has been recognised with a prestigious award for enterprise

A

N ORGANISATION that has expanded into the Midlands with a mission to promote opportunity through social mobility has won a prestigious business accolade – the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Ashley Community Housing (ACH), which is headquartered in Bristol and since its launch in 2008, has opened offices in Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton, won the ‘Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility)’ category which it sees as “the cornerstone of its work.”

CEO Fuad Mahamed told the media: “Winning the Queen’s Award is a huge achievement for ACH. We pride ourselves on our accommodation, the support services and training we offer to our customers; I’m delighted we’ve officially been recognised for all our hard work with this esteemed award.

DIFFICULT “Last year has been a difficult year going through the pandemic, the response of our staff has been exemplary, and this is a worthy recognition for all our relentless and untiring response.”

ACH has had particular success in opening up opportunities for refugees and new arrivals in the UK, helping them build meaningful, sustainable and happy lives, simultaneously working to reshape the ways refugees are seen, portrayed and integrated through works like its recent #RethinkingRefugee campaign.

Other successes include its Effective Digital Entrepreneurship & Business Support (EDEBS)

I’m delighted we’ve officially been recognised for all our hard work with this esteemed award Project and Bob UK. The EDEBS Project is an AMIF funded programme aiming to reinforce the launch, stabilisation and growth of non-EU migrants’ businesses through personalised business support.

BOB UK is an unbiased AIdriven careers advice platform which has recently won the Nesta CareerTech Challenge.

Mahamed, himself a refugee, came to the UK from Somalia with no knowledge of English and went on to obtain a firstclass degree in Engineering from Bath University followed by an MSc in Management from Lancaster Business School.

He has since graduated from executive Programmes at the Cranfield School of Management, Aston Business School, SAID Business School of Oxford University, was a 2016 Clore Social Fellow for Refugee and Migrant communities and is currently a 2018 Churchill Fellow.

Mahamed set ACH up to support the resettlement of refugees and has built the organisation into one of the leading

providers of integration support for excluded and marginalised people.

Now spanning four cities, it employs over 80 people and works with more than 2,500 individuals per year.

Throughout the years, the organisation has grown by adapting to the needs of their customers, and by fostering a very diverse, vibrant workforce.

Through his guidance and vision, the organisation has successfully built partnerships that created employment opportunities for refugee and BAME REACHING NEW HEIGHTS: Ashley Community Housing CEO Fuad Mahamed communities, such as the FirstBus and Starbucks partnerships.

This appears to have benefited ACH’s clients and employers, whose workplaces have become more inclusive.

VALUES Mahamed concluded: “This win is momentous for ACH: to see our approach and values recognised in this way.

“It is an acknowledgement of the hard work and dedication of ACH staff and partners over past 13 years and is particularly significant after overcoming the challenges of the past year.

“We hope this recognition will inspire refugee and migrant-led entrepreneurs to start their own businesses in the UK, fuel the #RethinkingRefugee campaign and encourage even more research and innovation in refugee and migrant integration policy and services.”

For more information on ACH, visit the company’s website at https://ach.org.uk/ or to keep up with ACH, follow them on Twitter: @ACHintegrates

Celebrations in Coventry as it becomes UK’s City of Culture THE West Midlands city of Coventry has kicked off its year-long celebration as the UK’s City of Culture.

Called Coventry Moves, the launch took place across every ward in the city, was the first event of this scale to be presented in the UK since the arrival of the pandemic, and included pop-up performances and processions involving 500 creatives, artists and technicians.

The celebration was streamed live notching up engagement from 67 countries and, in light of the continuing restrictions due to COVID-19, content throughout the year will be made available to online audiences.

Justine Themen, Director of Coventry Moves said: “Af-

ter so long in the making, it was so gratifying and moving to see Coventry Moves take place. It was a unique collective event made possible in these difficult times by the unwavering passion and dedication of everyone involved.

PRIVILEGE “Although we couldn’t all be together in person to celebrate, there was such a strong sense of community that was a privilege to be part of.”

Cllr George Duggins, Leader, Coventry City Council said: “Coventry Moves is part of what I’m sure will be an exciting events programme over the coming year which is such an exciting time of change and opportunity for the city.

“Coventry’s year as UK City

of Culture is transforming the city and building something very special for everyone and I would urge everyone to be a part of it, to enjoy it and to see just what our city can do.”

The competition, run by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, is run every four years in which cities compete for the award, which debuted in 2013, and brings a huge opportunity for the winner to enter the national and international consciousness.

The content will be delivered by Coventry City of Culture Trust, an independent charity, in association with its partners.

For more, visit https://coventry2021.co.uk

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 or LinkedIn

20 | THE VOICE JULY 2021

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

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

WILL ATHLETES TAKE THE KNEE IN TOKYO?

W

ILL THEY or won’t they?

Should they or shouldn’t they?

These are the questions that hang over the Tokyo Olympics.

Questions that every athlete will have to consider – especially the black ones.

While the UK Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary remain at odds over whether or not it is appropriate to boo athletes representing your country at major tournaments, it is apposite to recall Mexico ‘68 and the original ‘taking the knee’ at the Olympics where Tommie Smith and John Carlos each raised a black-gloved hand and bowed their heads on the podium as the American national anthem was being played and the stars and stripes raised.

SYMBOLISM In complete contrast to the tearful emotion and hands on hearts of their fellow Olympians, the symbolism of their nation’s greatness meant nothing to these black men other than the repression and brutality of the institutions of the state that had been meted out to black people ever since Plymouth Rock landed on us in the days when the so-called pilgrim fathers landed on it.

The vilification which the two men received for their audacity of hope is immeasurable. They are the shoulders on which the former NFL star and taking the knee advocate Colin Kaepernick stands.

Half a century ago it was to individual black athletes (especially Americans) that the African diaspora had to look to in search of a hero who could express our collective grief and exacerbation. They were the standard bearers of the intellectual opposition to racism and oppression. Smith and Carlos epitomised that. We didn’t look to footballers or any other team athletes because that posed a particular challenge to a protest. Collectivism in that respect was the diametric opposite to equal rights and justice.

You would have thought the chance to use a podium as a soap box would inspire the athletes This is not to say individual sportsmen and women did not get up and stand up and resist in their own ways. But that Olympic platform which a podium medal ceremony offered at the Games was unparalleled in impact.

If anything, you would have thought the opportunity to be able to use a podium as a soap box should have inspired more black athletes to strive even harder to come first, second or third in their disciplines.

In reality, the opposite is probably true.

Not only did Smith and Carlos suffer the abuse of the 70,000 spectators at the Olympic Stadium in Mexico City on that fateful night when they decided to get up and stand up for our rights, but Smith and Carlos lost all the material opportunities afforded them as Americans and as medal winners.

DISGRACE They were immediately sent home by their Olympic committee to disgrace them. They were met on their arrival back to the US with hostility and more abuse and continued to suffer the slings and arrows of that opprobrium in the ensuing years.

They couldn’t even get jobs to support their families, so punitive was the treatment they received for their actions.

Seeing that, the floodgates of athletes who may have dared to follow suit was quickly and firmly closed.

Like most of us, black American athletes (with the notable

exception of the boxer formerly known as Cassius Clay) were happy to grow their afros and dance to James Brown singing I’m Black and I’m Proud but preferred to keep their own counsel than to risk being excommunicated from society by the powers that be for saying it loud on the greatest soap box in the world.

So when the baton was eventually passed half a century later from the Olympic 200 metre specialists to the NFL quarterback who took the knee it looked at best idiosyncratic.

There are scores of snapshots of Kaepernick’s fellow black teammates looking on bemused as if wondering whether or not he got the memo that said ‘WE DON’T DO THAT NO MORE’ as Kaepernick continued his lone protest to the howls of boos and abuse from spectators.

LYNCHING The lynching of George Floyd in Minneapolis changed all that. Now it’s the footballers that don’t take the knee who are idiosyncratic.

Did they not get the new memo and the Bob Marley Get Up Stand Up soundtrack to go with it?

Likewise here in the UK, the England players’ insistence on taking the knee despite the boos from their own spectators let alone any others was a watershed moment.

I cannot see it continuing into the new football season, but the fact they all took the knee for whatever reason was the solidarity the team needed.

Unity is strength on and off the football pitch it seems.

We all know why they got booed: For the same reason Carlos and Smith got boos in Mexico City 53 years ago – it is the same reason that Colin Kaepernick was booed – and it is the same reason that Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, refuses to condemn the boos.

Notwithstanding, it is over to the athletes in the Olympic

TAKING A STAND: Tommie Smith, centre, and John Carlos, right, in their historic pose Games now. Will they take the baton and run with it or will they take the baton and drop it?

Former Team GB captain Dalton Grant threw down that gauntlet when he took the knee outside a government building for the nine minutes that it took for the white policeman Derek Chauvin to murder George Floyd with his knee on

his victim’s neck. It was a really poignant lone protest that you can see on YouTube with Grant kitted out in his Team GB tracksuit.

Of course it would have been even more poignant and powerful if Grant had been up on the podium at an Olympic Games, because he’s from that generation of athletes that would have

inherited the militancy of Smith and Carlos had it not been for the pragmatism that prevailed.

But you’ve got to win it to be in it (or at least come in the bronze medal postion).

So will they or won’t they?

We shall soon find out.

Should they or should they not? You tell me.

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 FROM 1-5AM SATURDAY MORNINGS - MONDAY MORNINGS & 1AM - 4AM ON BBC RADIO LONDON (WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY MORNINGS). FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER: @dotunadebayo

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www.voice-online.co.uk

JULY 2021

ADVERTORIAL

THE VOICE | 21

This September, go the extra mile to fight housing injustice

F

rom 1 to 30 September, we want you to take on a new running goal and join thousands of others raising vital funds to help fight housing injustice. It’s free to sign up to Raise Your Run and there’s no minimum sponsorship fee. Simply choose the distance you want to run, according to your fitness level, then set a fundraising goal.

Where you run, and who with, is up to you – go solo or create a shared target with your friends and family. You have the whole of September to complete your challenge, and we have running guides on our website which are full of useful advice to help you reach your goal.

Shelter exists to defend the right to a safe home and fight the devastating impact the housing emergency has on people and society.

We do this with campaigns, advice and support – and we never give up. We believe that home is everything.

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the growth of the private rental sector. A lack of regulation means that private renters must navigate a minefield of sky-high rents, poor conditions and the threat of unfair eviction. Too many people are living in poor quality homes that they can barely afford.

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And life is made even more difficult by a welfare system that simply doesn’t provide enough support to people when they’re struggling.

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Together we can tackle the housing emergency and defend the right to a safe home. So go for it – push yourself and Raise Your Run this September.

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I WILL RUN TO THE PARK ends of the earth Raise Your Run is our yearly running challenge.

Simply choose the distance you want to run, according to your fitness level, then set a fundraising goal. You have the whole of September to complete your challenge and you can take part on your own, or have a shared goal with a team.

This September go the extra mile to fight housing injustice.

Sign up now at: raiseyourrun.shelter.org.uk

22 | THE VOICE

JULY 2021

News feature

Sweet tale leaves bitter taste A country house in Berkshire will be forever tied to the slave trade, writes Dotun Adebayo

A

T FIRST glance, there seems little in common between one of the most glorious country houses in Berkshire and the exquisite landscape of the Caribbean island of Antigua.

And yet, Farley Hall, the 18th century Grade I-listed house just five miles south of the centre of Reading with its 1,750 acres is forever tied to the inglorious slave trade from which its previous owner profited, and the proceeds from which is inextricably linked to the estate, including the two-storey rectangular house that stands in its parkland.

The parkland itself is bordered on three sides by tributaries of the River Thames, making it the most desired and tranquil landscape in the region. Within the grounds is a traditional working farm, a livery facility, a dairy farm, a commercial par-

Continued from page 3

“Forever Family hope that the awareness raised by the community and other organisations such as ours will urge the authorities to carry out the necessary investigations into the disappearance of our children and act upon the valid safety concerns of the public.”

Forever Family on Patrol The Forever Family has conducted community patrols across all parts of the capital, in the hope of promoting peace and positivity among young people.

Members are usually dressed in black and wear vests with the words “FF Force” across the front.

Their presence has become symbolic around London and many have praised their visibility in the community and their quick responses to issues, such as youth violence and homelessness.

FazAmnesty Anti-knife campaigner, Faron Alex Paul, is also keen to help the community where he can and said “children and young people need us”.

He told The Voice that since he set up an online applica-

Workers risked getting their limbs ripped off in machines tridge, pheasant and mixed bird shoot and a range of residential and commercial properties.

Seven years ago the present owner, the fifth Viscount Bearstead, added The Farley Hall Horse Trials to its portfolio.

Over in Antigua, in the coastal area of Seaforths, south of the capital St Johns, you would struggle to see evidence of the hundreds of enslaved Africans who tilled the land and toiled on the sugar plantation to provide the wealth that Farley Hall, thousands of miles across the ocean, would be predicated on.

There comes a time when we have to step up and be an example to the next generation tion form for people to join his organisation, FazAmnesty, he has been inundated with people wanting to support him.

“The response has been huge, I have had people from all over the UK contacting me.

WEAPONS “People from every part of London, from Croydon to Acton, to Peckham and Enfield.”

Mr Paul uses his Instagram page to document his work getting weapons off the street.

Members of the public contact him if they want to dispose of knives anonymously.

Speaking about the recent attempted abductions in and around London, he said he would be patrolling areas to ensure our young people feel safe.

Sugar was Antigua’s number one cash crop from about 1674.

To work the sugar cane was the chief reason enslaved Africans were transported to the island.

DISEASE The British colonists initially tried enslaving the indigenous Caribs but they succumbed to disease and malnutrition and died by the thousands.

The enslaved Africans adapted better to the new environment and thus became the number one choice of unpaid labour. However, the West African slave population in the Caribbean also had a high mortality rate, which was compensated by regular imports of very high numbers of new enslaved people from West and Central Africa. Sugar cane was one of the most gruelling and dangerous crops to cultivate.

Because of how quickly sugar cane spoiled once it was

He shared a picture alongside some members of Forever Family in May to his 85,000 followers on Instagram. The post was applauded by many who described the patrol as “important”.

He had attended a patrol in Enfield, one of the areas which has seen reports of missing children in the media and across social media channels.

He went on to say it was important for him to lead by example.

“There comes a time when we have to step up for ourselves and be an example to the next generation,” he said.

“Our children need protecting and that is what I hope to do.”

To donate to Lambeth Schools Patrol GoFundMe page go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ london-community-schoolspatrol?utm_campaign=p_cp_ display&utm_medium=copy_ link&utm_source=customer.

Visit Lambeth School Patrol’s website here: http://www.code7. live/lambeth-schools-patrol. For more information on Forever Family go to: @foreverfamilyuk on Instagram. For more information on FazAmnesty go to @faronalexpaul on Instagram

SLAVERY LINKS: Farley Hall, a Grade I-listed house near Reading (photo: Wikipedia) harvested and mills were slow and inefficient, during the harvest season the mill and boiling house operated 24 hours a day to process the cane.

The mills and boiling houses were even more dangerous. In the mills, wooden or metal rollers were used to crush cane plants and extract the juices.

With no health and safety provisions, enslaved workers risked getting their limbs stuck and ripped off in the machines. By the mid-1770s, so lucrative was the sugar trade that the number of enslaved Africans had tripled

in 50 years to 37,500 — around 170 or so of whom were on the Seaforths plantation.

The Seaforths plantation’s connection with Farley Hall goes back to the early 19th century when John Proctor Anderdon and his family took ownership of the house and its grounds.

They were a family with several plantations in the Caribbean on which they presided over the brutal enforcement of enslaved Africans to work for nothing. As well as Seaforths, the Anderdons through their

partnership Manning & Anderdon also owned extensive plantation holdings throughout the Caribbean.

In Antigua alone, they were awarded under The Slavery Compensation Act of 1837, four years after the Slavery Abolition Act, £2,491 16 shillings and one pence (around £300,000 in today’s money). Farley Hall benefited directly from this slave money through extensive refurbishments.

Meanwhile, the enslaved people were not recompensed a single penny!

A DRIVING FORCE: Faron Alex Paul says he has been inundated with requests from members of the public to support his cause

SPECIAL FEATURE

JULY 2021

Birmingham’s multi-sport event just a year away

● Interview: Geoff Thompson,

deputy chair at Birmingham 2022 ● Vox Pops: What does the Games

mean to people in the Midlands?

● Calling all volunteers!

Be a part of the Games ● Stadium taking shape as

schedules are revealed

24 | THE VOICE

JULY 2021

Birmingham 2022

Commonwealth Games

Geoff leading the fight to make it a glorious Games PULLING NO PUNCHES: Former world karate champion and leader and inspiration in the field of sports development, Geoff Thompson, is an important figure in ensuring the Games is a major success; inset below, from left, Thompson at The Voice offices as a young karate star in the 1980s; meeting the late Nelson Mandela

A legend in the world of karate is at the heart of this celebration of sport . Here, Rodney Hinds speaks to Geoff Thompson about its historic significance

G

EOFF THOMPSON is one of the leading youth activists and experts in sports development and politics, with over 25 years’ experience in the bidding and hosting and legacy of major games and the positive impact of sport and the arts in the social and human development of young people and communities.

He is founder and chair of the Youth Charter, a UK registered charity and United Nations accredited Non-Governmental Organisation established in 1993.

Thompson is a former five times world karate champion and holder of more than 50 national and international titles and has been inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

He is the deputy chair at Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Here, he talks to Rodney Hinds about his some of his aspirations for next year’s event.

RH: How does it feel to be deputy chair for Birmingham 2022?

GT: I feel a profound sense of responsibility to the diaspora of the Commonwealth that I represent, personally and professionally.

I also feel a great deal of excitement and see these Games as an opportunity for rebuilding and reconnecting with the lives of the young people and

This is a fantastic opportunity and there won’t be any excuses communities that I have always been committed to for the last 28 years through the Youth Charter.

But, more importantly, it’s about working on providing legacy before, during and after the Games.

RH: Birmingham 2022 has a real chance to uplift us all after the events of the last year or so, doesn’t it?

GT: I’d say these Games have a greater responsibility than London 2012 had.

Those Games left an indelible mark in everyone’s hearts and minds. I think we can recreate that even more so. Birmingham is a sporting city.

There’s a chance to regenerate, renew and deliver a Games that is about hearts and minds.

I’ve spent the last three or four months consulting on every single aspect of the event, from planning and development and,

with a year approaching, about the execution of the Games.

Every Games has its unique footprint in terms of challenges and opportunities. These will be a Games of equality, diversity and inclusion.

RH: What are some of the challenges as the city prepares for the Games?

GT: These will be the first Games developed remotely because of the pandemic.

That is a great tribute to everyone associated with the Games. COVID is still very much part of our daily lives.

The challenge these Games faced was a lack of diversity, reflecting a city that uniquely sees all of the Commonwealth nations represented in its citizens.

When the George Floyd moment hit us all, Birmingham 2022 responded in the right and appropriate way.

They did so by getting their own house in order. Birmingham and sport has to help reset the dial. Once you have your own house in order you can re-engage with the community.

We have a diverse board now, we have local faces.

I’m a native of the West Midlands, and I want those young people on the streets to know that these Games are for them.

My job, along with others’, is to make sure that these young

@thevoicenewspaper

people know we want them involved.

It’s about the emotional and mental wellbeing of our young people in the city, the country and the Commonwealth. The likes of the Hometown Heroes and volunteering initiatives are vital. Our community has to be alive to these ideas, too, and embrace them. Everyone has to collaborate.

RH: What would you say to the young people in the city who have their doubts about what the Commonwealth Games will provide for them?

GT: I know that some feelings on the streets are still raw and some are yet to be convinced, but that’s what us ambassadors have to do.

I will be visiting Birmingham and taking to the streets.

Youth Charter will always be in that space.

Tensions are high and we have to deal with it, and I and others are committed to do-

@thevoicenews

ing that. It is a big job, but after 38 years in public life it’s why I took this position as we have to achieve it.

We have to take the opportunities. The Youth Charter has a proven track record in the creation and delivery of social and human development programmes with the overall aim of providing young people with an opportunity to develop in life.

We have some extraordinary achievers just in the West Midlands, like Judy Simpson, Tessa Sanderson, Kerrith Brown and Densign White, to name just a few.

I want them all to engage with our young people and wider society and bring it all to life. Sport transcends and it will be a festival, but it’s not always about winning and ruthless competitors.

RH: How has your competitive life and experiences helped you with your current role?

GT: It’s helped me build a resilience. I’m a great believer in longevity, consistency, perseverance and dedication if you truly believe that you are there

voicenews

for something more than yourself. I am from the school of hard knocks. I have a degree in common sense and I now have a PhD in wisdom when it comes to this subject. I bring an authentic, real-life experience to our young people. I have been there for them and remain so.

RH: What’s the vibe in Brum as the Games rapidly approach?

GT: There’s already a great vibe of expectation. It is a unique city, it has a big heart and personality. Birmingham is well placed to help the UK reset. This will be the ultimate Games for me. There is no better moment in time.

RH: How is the role consuming your time?

GT: Anyone who knows me – and my wife will attest to this – I rise far too early in the mornings now visualising, it’s in my DNA. I’m pursuing excellence which means that you have to plan, prepare and present.

I’m a leader by example.

The spirit of the Games will be critical next year. It’s a fantastic opportunity and there won’t be any excuses from me.

www.voice-online.co.uk

JUNE 2021

THE VOICE| 25

26 | THE VOICE

JULY 2021

Birmingham 2022

Commonwealth Games

With just a year to go, the Games countdown is on!

After years of planning and building, the preparations for next July’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham are ramping up. But what do the Games mean to those across the Midlands? The Voice gets the lowdown from locals and the region’s community figures...

T

HE COUNTDOWN to the Commonwealth Games, taking place in Birmingham, is approaching the celebrated ‘oneyear-to-go’ mark.

The Games will be held between July 28 and August 8, 2022 in the Second City where 72 countries will be represented in the latest instalment of the four-yearly celebration of sporting achievement, which also seeks to be a catalyst for transformation across the city and the wider West Midlands county.

The Games has stimulated major refurbishments to the Perry Barr area of the city, also the redevelopment of the Alexandra Stadium to boost seating capacity.

The Stadium will reportedly become the focal point of community and leisure activity in the area, as part of the wider regeneration scheme, which will see in excess of £500 million invested into the area.

Post-Games, the site is being proposed to accommodate several hundred new homes and a new secondary school, as part of wider plans to create nearly 5,000 new homes to meet the city’s need for 51,000 extra homes by the end of the decade.

A reported 100+ community organisations will benefit from a proposal for a £2 million programme to engage 200,000 community participants in Birmingham 2022 in culture-related activities ahead of the Games.

The Games’ Organising Committee plan to deliver a cultural festival across Birmingham and the West

I am keen to see what the legacy of the Games will be after all the talk about it Midlands from March to September 2022.

The Games will also be utilised to allow the region to acknowledge the losses caused by COVID-19.

ATTENTION The city’s Blackstory Partnership (BSP)’s TEAR arts and education initiative – an acronym for Together Embrace And Remember – will culminate with the unveiling of the memorial to those lost to the virus. Its creator will be the world-renowned artist Dr Willard Wigan MBE, who hails from the Midlands.

But attention on the build up to the tournament has been blighted by huge international stories like the COVID-19 outbreak, the George Floyd murder and the fallout from both.

The Voice canvassed the region to see whether the Games still matters in the light of recent events.

Delores Pinkney, retired banker, Birmingham

Games. The paid opportunities should be pushed as hard as the volunteering ones and I hope the ticket costs won’t stop local people going to the events.

“I’m excited at what it will bring to Birmingham and the buzz around the city.”

John Palmer, youth enterprise co-ordinator, Leicester

“The Commonwealth Games is a good thing but I hope it’s an opportunity for all communities, also that our people will take part and grasp it with both hands.

“The organisers are calling for volunteers. There are also paid roles. But Birmingham needs tidying up so I hope the council will tackle this and make sure the Second City lives up to its name.

“I am keen to see what the legacy of the Games will be after all the talk about it, and see who the benefactors will be.”

Charmaine Burton, presenter, New Style Radio, Birmingham

“I’ve been following it since the bid stage. I am excited about it, but was disappointed with the lack of diversity on the (organising) board. But, since they’ve recognised it, not saying it’s been fully addressed, I feel a little better. It will be interesting to see how it comes together, the impact on the local economy and what it looks like post-COVID compared to other

@thevoicenewspaper

EXCITING TIMES AHEAD: The Commonwealth Games make their return to the UK for the first time since 2014 next year “I’m not keen on the commonwealth but I’m keen on the Commonwealth Games, it’s a great stepping stone for athletes who may not be at the top of their game but it gives them a chance to enter the world stage.

“It can be a great opportunity for local people, for example people like Chris Pyatt, who won gold at the Commonwealth Games back in the day, in the mid-80s and went on to have a great professional career. He is still Leicester’s only world boxing champion.”

Britain holding on to its colonial past, like their showpiece and the Games are the same for me.

“I’m a big fan of athletics.”

Kenysh Charles, arts psychotherapist, Birmingham, far left “I live opposite the Alexander Stadium, so although I ’ m not a sports

Kieren Thompson, community leader, Nottingham, right “What the commonwealth represents, the colonial power of Britain, doesn’t sit right with me.

“I’ve never been one to celebrate a group of countries that used to be owned by Britain and part of the empire.

“I feel it needs to be disbanded. It’s

@thevoicenews

fan I feel involved! It seems like the planning has been going on for so, so long.

“I see the disruption it’s caused to travel and livelihoods.

“They’ve demolished an area for the Games.

“I know COVID hasn’t helped but a lot of promises have been made that it may not be able to deliver, including around creating new housing – something I am looking into as a first-time buyer.

“Also the athletes’ accommodation may not be ready in time so they may have to stay in digs.

“Still I’m trying to be positive about it and hopefully it will bring opportunities.”

The Commonwealth Games will be held in Birmingham between July 28 and August 8, 2022. For more, visit the official website at www. birmingham2022. com.

voicenews

www.voice-online.co.uk

JULY 2021 THE VOICE | 27

Commonwealth Games

Birmingham 2022

BE A PART OF THE GAMES CALL TO ARMS: Event organisers are on the look-out for thousands of people to help out in a wide variety of roles next year

How would you like to be a Commonwealth Collective volunteer at the biggest sporting event to be held in the UK for a decade?

A

PPLICATIONS TO volunteer at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealt h Games are now open, with 13,000 volunteers required to play a vital role in delivering the Games in just over a year’s time.

The volunteers – known as the Commonwealth Collective – will be a dedicated and dynamic group that will reflect the diversity of the West Midlands as well as the modern Commonwealth.

The volunteers that join the Commonwealth Collective will be the public faces of Birmingham 2022 and represent the heart and soul of the Games experience for athletes, officials, spectators and a global audience of over one billion.

The Games is the largest sporting and cultural event ever to be held in the West Midlands and the biggest in the UK for a decade.

The majority of volunteer roles don’t require any formal experience or qualifications, with full training provided.

EXPERIENCE Roles include drivers, first aiders, meet and greeters, venue preppers, kit carriers, courtside assistants and everything in between to help the Games run smoothly and create a unique experience right across the region.

The 13,000 volunteers who form the Commonwealth Collective will receive approximately 250,000 hours of train-

ing and complete one million hours of volunteer time.

Applicants must be aged 18

by January 1, 2022 and can select preferred areas of interest, which include event services, accreditation, transport, sport and media. A young volunteer programme for 14- to 17-yearolds will begin recruitment in the autumn.

Some 25,000 shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview at the Volunteer Selection Centre between September and December 2021, which will be held at the iconic Library of Birmingham. Successful volunteers will be notified with a role offer from January 2022.

To apply and find out more, visit www.birmingham2022.com

Commonwealth Games 2022 – the key facts and stats • The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held from Thursday 28 July until Monday 8 August 2022 and will be at the heart of an incredible summer of sport • The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be the ‘Games for Everyone’. All communities can access the opportunities and benefits that Birmingham 2022 is providing and be part of the most significant event the West Midlands has ever staged • 72 nations and territories are expected to take part in Birmingham 2022 • Around 4,500 athletes will be competing

• The Games will have 19 sports with eight para sports integrated into the programme – the biggest Commonwealth para sports programme ever • It is the biggest sports event to be held in the UK since the London 2012 Olympics • It will be the biggest event ever to be held in the West Midlands • The Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put the area and its people on the global stage - 1.5 billion viewers will be watching and visitors from across the Commonwealth will flock to the city

Learprint Ltd welcomes the Commonwealth Games 2022 to the city of Birmingham

Providing printing, stationery, and graphic design for over 30 years.

17 High Street . Bilston . West Midlands WV14 0EH Tel: 01902 408660 . E-mail: info@learprint.co.uk Website: www.learprint.co.uk

“In 1966 Jamaica welcomed the Commonwealth games and Sunrise Bakery first opened its doors. 55 years on, UK’s No 1 Jamaican bakery is proud to welcome the Commonwealth Games 2022 to Birmingham!”

Inclusive employment champions Evenfields Careers would like to welcome The Commonwealth Games 2022 to the vibrant and diverse city of Birmingham!

ACH welcomes and supports refugees from all nations and offers a warm welcome to everyone coming together for the Commonwealth games.

Mr Wade Lyn CBE, CD, DL Founder of Cleone Foods Ltd (1989)

Ms Beverly Johnson, CEO JLB Logistics

One year to go!

JLB Shipping is proud to welcome athletes and supporters to our wonderful city.

Welcome to all the athletes coming to Birmingham 2022.

We hope you have a fantastic games and you make this your home”

On behalf of our staff and customers, JP RAM Shipping welcomes the Commonwealth Games 2022 to Birmingham SERVICE • REGULAR TRANSIT TIMES • FAST ANYWHERE IN THE UK • COLLECT • PACKAGING • COLLECTION • RELOCATION • SHIPPING • DELIVERY We are a Caribbean company that understands the needs of our customers - Serving the Caribbean since 1929 CONTACT US: sales@jpram.co.uk

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30 | THE VOICE

JULY 2021

Birmingham 2022

Commonwealth Games

Stadium taking shape as schedules are revealed

BUILDING NICELY: Work is well under way on the Commonwealth Games’ redeveloped Alexander Stadium in Birmingham; inset below left, centre, CGF president Dame Louise Martin at the launch

Competitively priced tickets mean the huge sporting event is quite rightly the ‘Games for Everyone’

T

HE FULL event schedule for Birmingham 2022 has been released, allowing sports fans to see the detail of exactly which events will be held in each of the 286 sessions that will feature at next summer’s Games.

Women’s cricket T20, basketball 3x3, wheelchair basketball 3x3 and mixed synchronised diving will all debut in Birmingham, with the schedule set

to includes two ‘Super Sundays’ for spectators to look forward to, with the second set to be the ultimate showcase of women’s sport.

With limited opportunities to attend live sports events in recent months, a huge amount of interest in tickets for the Games is expected, especially as the sports programme is the biggest in Commonwealth history and Birmingham 2022 ticket accounts can be set up.

The event schedule was launched with the help of Team England hopefuls who visited the host city’s Alexander Stadium – an important Games venue currently undergoing a £72 million redevelopment which is on budget and on schedule to be completed in Spring 2022.

PLANNING Matt Kidson, Director of Sport for Birmingham 2022 said: “With more detail for our sports programme now revealed, the Games is really taking shape and it’s time for people to start planning which sessions they want to attend next summer, as our tickets will go on sale very soon.

“With 19 different sports and eight Para sports, we have such a rich and varied programme and there will be medal moments on every single day of competition.

We also have a really interesting mix of venues, with established facilities like the NEC and

@thevoicenewspaper

We have such a rich and varied programme for every day of the event Arena Birmingham, beautiful parks like St Nicholas Park and West Park and exciting redevelopments like the Alexander Stadium, where the progress in the last 12 months has been phenomenal.”

Nigel Huddleston MP, Minister for Sport and Tourism, who visited Birmingham last month to help launch the search for 13,000 volunteers for the Games, said: “Birmingham 2022 is fast approaching and it’s exciting that fans can now start planning which sporting events

@thevoicenews

they want to see next year. With children’s ticket prices starting at £8, I hope that families from across the West Midlands will take up this once in a generation opportunity to see the best athletes in the world compete on their doorstep.”

FANTASTIC CGF President, Dame Louise Martin, said: “With Birmingham 2022 fully on track to stage a fantastic, fully inclusive event, now is the time to plan your visit to the Commonwealth Games.

“The publication of the full event schedule today reveals 11 exciting days of competition that will see 4,500 elite athletes compete across 19 sports.

“We are particularly proud to be offering affordable ticket prices, so please make sure you don’t miss out and that you visit the Birmingham 2022 website to create your ticketing account right now.”

voicenews

Here’s what you need to know... l The ‘Games for Everyone’ will have tickets starting from just £8 for under 16s and from £15 for adults l Every single session will have tickets available for £22, including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and all medal sessions. l 19 different sports on offer with the world’s best athletes set to compete across 11 days of competition l Registration now open for ticket ballot at birmingham2022. com

www.voice-online.co.uk

JUNE 2021

THE VOICE| 5

32 | THE VOICE

JULY 2021

Faith

We need to look beyond players taking the knee SOLIDARITY: England’s Mason Mount takes the knee before the UEFA Euro 2020 Group D match against Croatia at Wembley last month; inset left, American Footballer Colin Kaepernick will always be remembered as the sports star who made it all happen

This highly symbolic and emotive gesture in the wake of George Floyd’s murder has proved to be thought-provoking, but Rev John Root questions what happens next and what future steps need to be taken in the continuing battle against racism

B

Y THE time you read this, the quarterfinals of the Euros will be in full swing.

As I write it in mid-June, however, it looks as though England will win their group.

But that would mean playing either Germany, France or Portugal (how on earth did the organisers let that clash happen!) in the next round, so we may or may not be playing a quarter-final in Rome on July 3.

But hopefully the England players will be taking the knee again in front of what may well be an unsympathetic crowd.

Why take the knee? It became widespread with the murder of George Floyd, and the rise of the Black Lives Matter protests, with a whole range of public figures, such as Sir Keir Starmer, expressing their solidarity with the Movement, and with Premier League teams joining in.

Zaha believes it is an empty gesture, diverting attention from much more needed initiatives to improve education While it has since become institutionalised in football, its origins were the exact opposite. When Colin Kaepernick started taking the knee during the singing of the Star Spangled Banner at a ball game

from 2016, it aroused the ire of then-president Trump and his fellow Republicans, and ended his career. It was taken up by the (white) captain of the US women’s soccer team, Megan Rapinoe, again on her own.

By contrast, taking the knee has now become routine; quite possibly semi-compulsory in the sense that it would be a bold footballer to step away from team solidarity and remain standing.

Yet Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Place has stopped taking it. Zaha, whose social conscience was indicated by giving his property rent-free to NHS workers during the first lockdown, believes it is an empty gesture, diverting attention from much more needed initiatives to improve education and stopping online racist abuse.

Routines can win support, but also trivialise and divide.

Do compulsory school prayers really help people to draw close to God in their hearts, or become boring and generate resistance to any move towards faith?

RESPONSE

What would be the response if a Premier League team insisted on huddling together to pray before a game (as the Nigerian team has done)?

I can still remember when cinemas used to play the national anthem at the end of the evening. As the rush of people leaving before the music started began to increase, so the gesture of national solidarity was dropped.

Memorial gestures rise and fall in popular support. During the 1960s and 1970s, Remembrance Sunday declined in significance as memories of the Second World War faded. The Falklands War in 1982 gave it a slight boost, and then the succession of wars in Iraq and

@thevoicenewspaper

Afghanistan brought Remembrance Sunday back to solemn attention the memorialising of those who died in wars.

The Christian faith has a deep-seated interest in routine gestures of remembrance. God commanded the Jews to keep the rituals of Passover annually, and Jesus took this up in telling his followers to memorialise the giving of his body and blood on the cross.

While there is more to the Holy Communion service than remembering, the solidarity

which underline that all of our lives have a shape and a meaning.

So how should the memories of injustices to black people, focussed on the death of George Floyd, be retained?

One problem, as Wilfried Zaha suggested, is that memorials can lose their bite.

They can even become counter-productive. Some people may remember at the end of the Civil War in Sri Lanka in 2009, Tamils mounted a protest encampment in Parliament Square.

People who initiate public protests ought to give thought to what their exit strategy will be that comes from keeping in mind the central event of our faith is vital for Christians.

So, too, God commanded other memorials. I love how the Jews were commanded to erect a cairn of 12 stones to memorialise their crossing of the Jordan River, so that when their children asked the inevitable ‘Why?’ question, they had a good and important story to tell them.

We also keep important personal reminders, for example celebrating wedding anniversaries and birthdays,

@thevoicenews

My memory is that for a time this gained publicity and sympathy for their cause, but eventually irritation at the disruption and untidiness of the protest did their cause more harm than good.

People who initiate public protests ought to give thought at the start to what their exit strategy will be. Otherwise the ending can be untidy and dispiriting, and give the impression of being defeated.

Does the England football team intend to be still taking the knee at, say, the 2034 World

voicenews

Cup, or will they create an enddate now, such as after the 2022 World Cup? (Where a protest at the deaths of all the Nepali labourers involved in building the Qatari stadiums would be more relevant, and certainly – in the spirit of Colin Kaepernick – more courageous and disruptive). To say we will go on ‘until we have defeated racism’ would be an empty ambition.

CHEERING We can’t define ‘racism’ let alone defeat it; but letting taking the knee slowly and forlornly peter out would suggest racism has won. ‘Stop while you are on top’ is often a wise slogan. Taking the knee has the support of the players, the footballing authorities and most of the fans.

It is good for fans to show a level of support for anti-racism by cheering down those who would boo. But it won’t last for ever. People won’t always be wanting to spend half a minute of their lives watching 22 men kneeling.

Jesus told us to keep on marking his sacrificial death through the service of Holy Communion (or Mass) ‘until he comes’ again. Football may not last that long; players and authorities need an exit strategy for taking the knee now.

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JUNE 2021

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34 | THE VOICE JULY 2021

News feature

From Coventry to St Vincent After the eruption of the La Soufriere Volcano in April, JN Money’s Osbourne Frank decided to give back to the island – with some help

O

SBOURNE FRANK, a UK entrepreneur demonstrated his passion and commitment for his ‘Vincy’ countrymen when he started an initiative to assist the country’s recovery efforts following the eruption of the La Soufriere Volcano, on April 9.

The owner of both Caribbean Trade Limited, a food and beverage importation company, and the Kaffee & Kream hair-

dressing salon in Coventry, said he was led to assist because “it was the right thing to do”.

“Once I heard the volcano was going to erupt I became concerned,” said Mr Frank.

“I have family who lived in Georgetown, which is in the red zone and they needed to evacuate. When the call came to evacuate, I, and two of my cousins in the UK, opened our homes in St Vincent in the green zone to shelter family and friends.

We have been able to support 55 people in the three homes. There are 26 people, including children, in my home.”

He worked with his daughter, Fiona Quaynor, the SUPPLIES: Some of the goods that will be St. Vincent and making their way to St Vincent

We have been able to support 55 people in the three homes Grenadines Coventry Association Chair, and its members in the United Kingdom to garner more support.

“We went on local radio stations to appeal for support in the relief efforts. We received donations from persons in Coventry, Leamington, Leicester, Rugby and Birmingham.

“We also received clothes, food, toiletries, and other items that will assist persons on the island,” he stated.

Mr Frank, who is an agent for JN Money UK, has also received

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support from the remittance company, which donated food and other supplies, as well as a power hose.

“On behalf of the people of St Vincent & The Grenadines, we would like to express our heartfelt appreciation for all the generous donations to the SVG Volcano Donation Appeal,” Mr Frank said.

INCREASE “Ever since JN Money Ambassador and comedian, White Yardie visited, there has been an increase in donations from the public; and [it] was a testament that the Coventry community, retailers, and the wider public have been touched and deeply affected by the natural disaster, which has unfolded,” he added.

All of the donations have been well-received by the Vin-

GIVING BACK: Osbourne Frank, right, with Kimona Wilson, marketing officer at JN Money UK, and Patrick Forrest, digital officer, JN Money UK and Harry Gregory, known as White Yardie centians, said Zuleika Lewis of Empressive Farms, a St Vincent-based operation, which has been handling the distribution of the items from Mr Frank.

“Many persons were displaced from their homes on the island. We appreciate him for his unwavering support and keeping our businesses going through this crisis,” explained Ms Lewis.

Horace Hines, general manager of JN Money Services, the parent company of JN Money UK said: “As a money service operator, JN Money has remained committed to one of its missions of becoming a truly Caribbean entity by being the bridge that keeps families connected between the Diaspora and their homeland in several countries across the region,” Mr Hines added.

Lifestyle Isabel Adomakoh Young leads in Romeo and Juliet p36

Photos: Manuel Harlan, Jane Hobson

Inspiring Vanessa lands top award p38

AISHA JAWANDO ...plays Tina Turner

This is BrukOut: Father Philis on the rise p42

36 |

THE VOICE JULY 2021

Lifestyle TAKING THE LEAD: Joel MacCormack and Isabel Adomakoh Young as Romeo and Juliet at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre (photos: Jane Hobson)

Theatre

Thrilled Isabel feels the love Adomakoh Young is savouring every second of her starring role in Romeo and Juliet following lockdown

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

I

’M THRILLED, I’m thrilled to be a part of it, I am thrilled that it is happening at all and that it can all be done safely, it’s just a blessing and such a relief after all this time that we’ve been waiting and being really patient and careful.”

Not sure if you can tell, but Isabel Adomakoh Young was chomping at the bit to get back to action on stage as part of the cast in Romeo and Juliet.

With the production kicking off the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre season last month, Young told Lifestyle that while lockdown had been a time to reflect on her own personal growth, it was the tangible feeling of ‘collaborating’ which she couldn’t wait to get back to.

“It feels like now is the perfect time to be telling this story about two young people who come together and fall in love. Who doesn’t want to hear that story?”

Young enthused, She added: “It’s funny isn’t it? I’d imagine lots of people have experienced it in their own way, of desperately wanting to be back out in the world but at the same time there is a level of caution.

“For people that haven’t been doing their job, it’s like, ‘Can I still do my job? Do I even know what this is anymore?’

“That absolutely was the case for me and I’d imagine some other cast members, too. But the lovely thing is, theatre is about bringing you where you’re at.

“So, yes, rehearsals have been intense but we’ve had a year of thinking about this play and bringing ourselves to it and reading into these characters and learning about them, so this kind of feels like the final ingredient, to get people in a room sharing those ideas and collaborating which is obviously the heart of the whole process.”

Joining Young is Joel MacCormack, who plays Romeo, Cavan Clarke (Mercutio), Emma Cunniffe (Nurse), Peter Hamilton Dyer (Friar Lawrence) and Michelle Fox (Tybalt).

The production was created

by Ciaran Bagnall and is directed by Kimberley Sykes.

What many who have seen

“It feels this is the perfect time to be telling a story about two people who come together and fall in love” the play will want to know, however, is how is it different?

“I really love Kim’s vision for the play,” Adomakoh Young says.

“I didn’t realise this when I first read it, but Verona is 11 years after the big catastrophe, they talk about this earthquake, so Kim’s kind of taken that and used it for a structure for our Verona, our society.

“So it’s looking at how communities work, how they struggle and then how young people can find their own path through that.

FRESH

“It just feels very fresh and feels like it’s speaking to the moment which I think is so important with Shakespeare otherwise it can just turn into a museum piece and I don’t think anyone is interested in seeing that.”

Young joined the RSC for the 2019 Swan Season (Venice Preserved, The Provoked Wife) on completing her training with the NYT Rep. She appeared in Meatballs (Hampstead) and with the acclaimed cabaret company Pecs Drag Kings.

As a writer, her trilogy The Lionboy, co-written with her mum under the pseudonym Zizou Corder, has been published in 36 languages and was adapted for the stage by Complicité.

Young tells Lifestyle that coming through lockdown gave her a chance to reflect on the things she really wants to do moving forward.

She explains: “Speaking from personal experience, a lot of the work I do is collaborative in

some way whether that’s Drag, whether that’s my festival which I run with a group of likeminded people or theatre, so to suddenly be on your own in your four walls it was a real jolt.

“I was really lucky, actually, that I found new routes and new resources within myself. I started doing audio work which of course can be remote, I started writing. Actually in a way it was a way to think about what stories do I want to tell myself and what elements of my own voice do I want to give a bit more time and space to. I started writing songs, it was wild.”

She continues: “A big lesson from lockdown was realising just how important it is to take care of yourself.

“I’m very good at talking that talk, but the reality is I get really excited about a lot of different projects and then I say ‘yes’ to them and then somehow I have no time to sleep.

“What I learned from lockdown is that things will bloom from you but if you don’t give them the space they will never come out and actually that comes from a place of rest, a place of pensiveness.

“A bit of solitude is no bad thing.

“When the first lockdown hit I was in a play that now opens up in spring 2022 and now I have this run (Romeo and Juliet) through July but I am hoping I am able to find a balance.

“I think treasuring your mental health and your wellbeing has never been more important.”

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is running until July 24, 2021. Performances Monday – Saturday @ 7.45pm (gates 6.15pm) and Thursday and Saturday @ 2.15pm (gates 12.45pm)

JULY 2021

THE VOICE | 37

Lifestyle

Theatre

Being on stage again? It’s simply the best for Aisha After over a year of theatre closures, Tina star Aisha Jawando says she’s excited – and nervous – to be back...

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

T

I NA – THE Tina Turner Musical will re-open at the Aldwych Theatre this month following over a year of shutdown – and cast lead Aisha Jawando doesn’t mind admitting she’s “a bit nervous”.

The ‘play with music’ is based on the life of legendary artist Tina Turner – and produced in association with Turner herself.

Jawando, who has been with the company since its world premiere in spring 2018, originally played Tina’s sister Alline Bullock.

However, the stakes have been raised and she will now deliver the lead role alongside Jammy Kasongo, who steps up to play the role of Ike. Joining them and making her West End debut is Chanel Haynes as the alternate Tina, who will perform the iconic role of Tina at certain performances.

With lockdown easing there have been lots of changes for everyone to adjust to but is Jawando ready for this one?

“I started this job understudying for Tina and that was an honour in itself, even getting the audition, because originally when I had auditioned they didn’t see me for Tina,” she told Lifestyle.

“They saw me for her sister, which was the role they ended up giving me, and then they added on being an understudy for Tina and I was very shocked and taken aback that someone would consider me for that.”

She added: “Is it pressure?

I think that it’s a big mantle to carry but I also think maybe I put extra pressure on myself to make sure I nail every song and I get every story across, even the smallest stories. Just to present her as fully as I can.”

This new musical reveals a comeback story like no other, of

BACK WHERE SHE BELONGS: Aisha Jawando is the star attraction in Tina – The Tina Turner Musical (main and bottom photos: Manuel Harlan)

“I was cool with lockdown – I genuinely needed a break for two or three months. I just needed to find me again” a woman who dared to defy the bounds of racism, sexism and ageism to become the global queen of rock ‘n’ roll.

It’s a celebration of resilience and an inspiration of triumph over adversity.

Turner said: “Music has had the power to pull me out of my darkest moments and rejoice during my happiest. To announce the re-opening of our West End show, where my musical had its premiere, means so much to me.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Tina family and our fans from around the world for their continued love and support during these unprecedented times.

“Let my story be a celebration, a reminder of our resilience and our ability to overcome hardship together.”

Speaking on the elements of the Tina Turner life story Jawando connected with most, she said: “I would say in the aspects of relationships, toxic relationships and those relationships being a light dimmer, I really engaged with that part because she

was in relationships or situationships where her light was seen and it was like, ‘That’s amazing, I want that’ and then who ever had that always took it over and was like, ‘Well, this is for me now’, and so you can’t be you with everybody else.

“So it looked to many people like she was still this shining light, this shining beacon of an entertainer, of a performer, but actually, slowly her light was being snuffed out.

“She wasn’t allowed to be her true self and I think within the musical within the play, that’s what I resonate with the most.”

Jawando’s theatre credits include the title role in Cinderella at the Hackney Empire, The Life at Southwark Playhouse, Martha Reeves in the original Lon-

don cast of Motown The Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at the Aldwych Theatre, Fela at the National Theatre, The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre and Soul Sister at the Savoy Theatre.

me again, and lockdown came within the two weeks. I was hoping and praying for it.

“So when it did happen, even though there has been such bad news around it, for me, if I was the only person in the world and there was no coronavirus,

“It really breaks you down as an actor, especially in the musical theatre world – I don’t think there is anything quite like it” She’s been busy and she’s grateful – however, she admits lockdown came at the right time for her.

She said: “I was cool with lockdown. I tried to tell myself that I wasn’t stressed, but I think it came out in my body that I was stressed. I think that was very telling for me because before lockdown life was very stressful anyway and I was genuinely craving a break – I just needed two or three months.”

She continued: “It wasn’t like I was sick or over the show, it was I just needed to breathe and find

the break I welcomed with open arms.

“I was so happy just to sit with myself and rediscover me within the 18 months. I mean, you’re always rediscovering and you always change, but I don’t think I have ever had a time when everything has stopped.

“And I was able to be like, ‘OK, who is Aisha? What does Aisha want? What don’t I want?’”

Having rested and reordered her thoughts, attention now turns to the job in hand, delivering her biggest role to date.

Explaining why she is looking

forward to the challenge, she enthused: “It really breaks you down as an actor, especially in the musical theatre world, I don’t think there is anything quite like it.”

She adds: “A lot of people would probably classify it as a jukebox musical – I personally wouldn’t.

“I’ve been in shows that are a jukebox musical, but this is very much a play with music.

SHOWCASING “It’s really showcasing and going to the depths of a women discovering the ugly sides, the pretty sides, the ups and downs – and we’re just fortunate enough that she said yes to being able to include her music within her story.

“It could have been just a play about Tina and we could have alluded to her music, but it probably wouldn’t have had the same impact.”

The West End Production of Tina - The Tina Turner Musical returns to the Aldwych Theatre, London WC2B 4DF, July 28, 2021 – June 26, 2022.

38 | THE VOICE JULY 2021

Lifestyle

Awards

Vanessa continues to inspire Commitment to young people during pandemic sees Inspiring Vanessa land The Diana Award

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

A

GED NINE, Vanessa Sam realised that she wanted to help others. Now 14, her endeavours have seen her recognised with the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts – The Diana Award.

Vanessa – aka Inspiring Vanessa – from Croydon, was honoured with The Diana Award last month for going above and beyond in her daily life to create and sustain positive change.

During lockdown, one of the most difficult times for teens in recent memory, Vanessa continuously highlighted the importance of teen mental health issues and partnered with a number of organisations to motivate, encourage and inspire teens.

Vanessa spoke virtually at schools and worked with organisations such as the Young Urban Arts Foundation and the BBC to help tackle issues ranging from self-care in lockdown to youth knife crime.

Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Award is given out by the charity of the same name and has the support of both her sons, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex.

“I don’t think I’ve properly wrapped my head around it, it still feels unreal – I’m extremely grateful that I was picked out of so many nominees” Tessy Ojo, CEO of The Diana Award, says: “We congratulate all our new Diana Award recipients from the UK and all over the globe who are changemakers for their generation.

“We know by receiving this honour they will inspire more young people to get involved in their communities and begin their own journey as active citizens.

INVESTED

“For over 20 years The Diana Award has valued and invested in young people encouraging them to continue to make positive change in their communities and lives of others.”

Vanessa’s message and goal is to inspire and motivate the next generation to believe in themselves, love themselves and encourage others to do the same.

HELPING OTHERS: Vanessa Sam – aka Inspiring Vanessa – has worked with a number of youth organisations over the last 18 months

On landing the award she told Lifestyle: “I don’t think I’ve properly wrapped my head around it to be honest, it still feels unreal to me. Working so hard for the past five years has taught me a lot and being recognised on such a big level is indescribable.

“I’m extremely grateful that I was picked out of so many nominees.

“I tend to find it hard to be proud of myself, so this award not only changes so much within my career but also just me as an individual, and a reminder to keep moving forward.

BEAUTIFUL

“I still remember the day my mum told me I had become a Diana Award recipient, and it was this beautiful video welcoming me, and I was so speechless; something I’ll never forget.”

Along with all of the positive things Vanessa was doing last year she also managed to fulfill her ambition of hosting her own TV show, The Inspiring Vanessa Show. Ahead of its launch on Amazon Prime she gave a quick insight into her default mentality when it came to bringing her ideas to life.

She enthused: “As I have been in the public speaking and media industry for four years now, I have learnt many things, one of the most important things I’ve learnt is that if the opportunities don’t come you must create them.”

‘Homecoming’ for Leona as Hackney Empire Patron

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

NEW ROLE: Singer Leona Lewis

HACKNEY EMPIRE is continuing to focus on its commitment to community and championing of young people, alongside an exciting programme of work for audiences to enjoy in the autumn.

World-renowned Hackney-born singer Leona Lewis will cement a long-standing relationship with the theatre by officially becoming a Patron of the venue.

With a focus on the Creative Futures Programme she will continue to offer mentorship and support to the young people supported by the venue.

Since December 2020, Lewis has

been working closely with a group of 25 young artists and musicians aged 15 to 25 from across east and north London.

Kicking off with an intimate Q&A session for the group on Zoom, she shared her own experience and advice, from growing up in Hackney, to winning The X Factor and recording her next release in LA, her song-writing inspiration and how she deals with nerves.

WORKSHOPS

Since then Lewis has hosted a series of workshops for the group offering personal mentoring and advice to each of the young artists, as well as bringing in guests from the music industry, including vocal coaching and song writing masterclasses with Yvie Burnett and Autumn Rowe

@thevoicenewspaper

SUPPORT: Hackney Empire to support their artistic development.

These sessions are available for the public to view on YouTube.

By becoming a Patron, Lewis will join Clive Rowe, Olivier Award-winning actor whose name is synonymous with Hackney Empire, having starred in over 14 of its acclaimed pantomimes.

Lewis said: “I am honoured to be-

@thevoicenews

voicenews

come a Patron of Hackney Empire, one of the London’s most loved and magical venues.

“For me this feels like homecoming – it was on Hackney Empire’s legendary stage I won the first competition which started me on my journey as a professional artist, it’s the place I launched my album Echo, and is home to amazing memories of generations of my friends and family.

“More recently during the pandemic it’s been a huge pleasure and inspiration to work with young people from Hackney Empire’s Creative Futures programme.

“I’m looking forward to continuing that work as a Patron – getting involved creatively and helping to amplify the voices of some of our amazing young artists.”

www.voice-online.co.uk

JUNE 2021

"A MUSICAL DOCUMENTARY LIKE NO OTHER JOYFUL, CATACLYSMIC AND SOULFULLY SEDUCTIVE" - VARIETY

In Cinemas July 16

THE VOICE| 39

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THE VOICE JULY 2021

Lifestyle IMPORTANT ROLE: Highly respected producer and director FrancesAnne Solomon was behind the making of hero Ulric Cross’s ‘extraordinary’ life

Film

Prime time to learn about a true ‘Hero’ The incredible story about Trinidadian war veteran Ulric Cross is now available to a far wider audience

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

H

ERO, THE Extraordinary Life of Mr Ulric Cross, is now available to watch on Prime

Video.

Produced and directed by Frances-Anne Solomon, Hero tells the story of Trinidadian war veteran Ulric Cross, a role performed and executed with aplomb by Nickolai Salcedo.

The film opened to rave reviews when it took to cinemas across the UK on a 40-city tour covering England, Scotland and Wales prior to the pandemic.

Following this successful tour, Hero went on to win multiple awards and was the feature film on the opening night of the Pan African Film Festival.

As well as Trinidadian Salcedo in the title role, the film stars Peter Williams (Stargate SG1), British actors Joseph Marcell

“This story is about those who worked to remove the shackles” (Fresh Prince of Bel Air), Holby City’s Jimmy Akinbola and Ghanaian superstars John Dumelo, Adjetey Anang and Prince David Oseia.

Film and television industry pioneer Solomon has expertly lifted the lid on one of many untold stories of notable Caribbean professionals who made it their life’s mission to foster African independence.

“It’s exciting to know that Ulric’s remarkable life will be shared on a global scale,” said Solomon.

Talking to Lifestyle last year, Salcedo explained how he connected with the role almost instantly.

“I really fell in love with Hero’s

story,” he enthused. “As an actor and storyteller myself, that’s always the first thing I’m looking for.

“The story which the characters in a film are living is where I find the lessons and morals and resolutions for my own life.”

He added: “From inception with Hero, I really appreciated the film’s bold stance of representing the Caribbean contributions to recent geopolitical history.

VICTORS

“History is written by the victors, who of course portray themselves as natural conquerors.

This story, however, is the voice of those who worked to remove the shackles imposed upon them by using the very systems put in place to oppress them.

“There was a clear ambition in the film that I felt had been sorely lacking for a long time; at least in the films I had been seeing. It was all too exciting. How could one say ‘no’ to that?”

From basketball star to movie star

BY JOEL CAMPBELL STARRING ALONGSIDE Oscar nominee Don Cheadle, LeBron James goes on an epic adventure alongside timeless Tune Bugs Bunny with the animated/live-action event Space Jam: A New Legacy.

The film, from director Malcolm D Lee and innovative filmmaking team including Ryan Coogler and Maverick Carter, is a manic mashup of two worlds that reveals just how far some parents will go to connect with their kids.

When NBA basketball player LeBron and his young son Dom are trapped in a digital space by a rogue AI, LeBron must get them home safely by leading Bugs, Lola Bunny and the whole gang of notoriously undisciplined Looney Tunes to victory over the AI’s digitised champions on the court: a powered-up roster of professional basketball stars as you’ve never seen them before.

It’s Tunes versus Goons in the highest-stakes challenge of his life, that will redefine LeBron’s bond with his son and shine a light on the power of being yourself. The ready-for-action Tunes destroy convention, supercharge their unique

talents and surprise even ‘King’ James by playing the game their own way.

Speaking ahead of the movie’s premier, LeBron said: “This is a fictional version of myself, but it’s also who I am as well. What works so well with the character is I was actually able to implement a lot of things I actually do when the cameras are not on.”

He added: “For me to ever be able to produce a movie like this and to be able to star in a movie like this is very humbling for me just knowing where I come from.”

Space Jam: A New Legacy will be released nationwide on July 16, 2021 by Warner Bros.

Pictures

JULY 2021

THE VOICE | 41

Lifestyle

Theatre

Like a breath of fresh air The theatrical adaption of a collection of Yomi Sode’s poems, performed by David Jonsson, has been eagerly awaited

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

T

HE WORLD premiere of and breathe... takes centre stage at The Almeida Theatre, kicking off the venue’s new season for 2021.

A live theatrical adaptation of poems taken from Yomi Sode’s forthcoming collection, Manorism, and breathe... is performed by David Jonsson, directed by Miranda Cromwell and features music composed and performed live by Femi Temowo.

Centring on the loss of a beloved matriarch, and breathe... explores family relationships, bonding and culture.

This deeply personal and poetic play tackles the unspoken, between what we leave unsaid to protect each other and how we internalise the world.

Talking to Lifestyle, Sode, a Nigerian British writer, performer, and facilitator, said delivering the play allowed the whole team to dig beneath the surface in ways they hadn’t predicted.

He said: “It’s been beautiful and I can’t forget Femi (Temowo), can’t forget Ewa (Dina), collectively it’s been like this cultural mesh, and especially with Femi just working with music.

“There was one time we were going through a really serious scene and Femi was like, ‘Yom, are there any known songs in the family, like Gospel or anything?’

“I’m like, there is only one, every Nigerian knows the one, and as soon as we broke into it Femi just got on the keys and started playing it and as if by absolute nuance Ewa started clapping, and as s o o n as you do that clap, we just k n o w what that clap is.

“It was amazing for Miranda for the most part who was outside of that cul-

CENTRE STAGE: David Jonsson, main and inset, performs the poems of Yomi Sode in and breathe... (photo: Marc Brenner)

“I didn’t know how to speak aloud, how to say things without a reprimand” tural landscape, but she quickly got into in, David got into it, I got into in, Femi mic’d everything up and we recorded it.

“Next thing you know Miranda is dancing, I’m dancing, everybody is dancing in the space but then when we go through the scene in itself the dancing stopped and the crying started and that is what that time provided.

“It gave space for laughter and joy but when you broke into the cultural nuance that’s what happened, and even after that scene we started talking to each other and asked what it did for each other.

“I can’t begin to explain the importance of having those nuances, writers, directors, musicians of colour in a space talking about these experiences and what it opened up the floor to allow us to do.

SPIRIT “It surpassed the text. This now went into spirit, this now went into us talking about life generally amongst each other.”

Sode is a recipient of the Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship 2019 and was recently shortlisted for the Brunel International African Poetry Prize 2021, an honour he is very proud of (see full interview online for his thoughts).

He has read his work internationally at various festivals and performed his debut solo show sold(COAT)to out audiences. His debut poetry collection, Manorism, will be published in spring 2022 by Penguin Press.

But he hasn’t always been very expressive despite his affinity with the creative

space. He explains: “I wasn’t always that expressive.

“I always wrote, I think there was a more introverted side to me that was always writing because I didn’t know how to speak aloud, how to say things without being reprimanded for saying it and this goes traditionally from being able to speak to elders, if I felt like I was hard done by, to speaking to a teacher when I’m 11 years old.

“The conditioning over time is such that you just don’t speak up to these people, for example to a specific type of establishment because you’d just be written off.

“I think it’s interesting how that has carried on over time, to me even now walking into a space or an institution, be it a white institution, how micro I could feel in a space that is bigger.

“So, I haven’t been as expressive, and in thinking back as to why that expression hasn’t really been there and in writing my book and exploring things in this play, that’s given licence and permission to interrogate that a bit more.

“To break some of that and unlearn it, so to speak.”

Looking ahead to having

his nearest and dearest attend the various nights, he enthused: “The thought of just having, whether close friends or family attending to watch this play, it means a lot to me because some, for the most part, were really with me at that point in

time where everything happened.”

He expands: “I’m talking about the time of 2019 and what we went through in the passing of my gran-aunt and just the support that I felt at that period and also support in the sense of

people not really knowing what to say to me but just being physically around. So I think that is going to be a bit surreal.”

Full interview on The Voice YouTube channel. and breathe…

Live @Almeida until July 10.

Four new casts, one relationship, and infinite possibilities...

BY JOEL CAMPBELL A QUANTUM physicist and a beekeeper meet at a barbecue. They hit it off, or perhaps they don’t.

They go home together, or maybe they go their separate ways. In the multiverse, with every possible future ahead of them, a love of honey could make all the difference.

This summer, Nick Payne’s beautiful and heart-breaking romance Constellations is revived in the West End with a twist: four different casts take turns to journey through the multiverse and the infinite possibilities of a relationship; each refracting the play afresh.

Constellations stars Sheila Atim and Ivanno Jeremiah (until August 1), Peter Capaldi and Zoë Wanamaker (until July 24), Omari Douglas and Russell Tovey (July 30 – September 11),

STARS: Sheila Atim and Ivanno Jeremiah in Constellations (photo: Marc Brenner) and Anna Maxwell Martin and Chris O’Dowd (August 6 - September 12).

Donmar Warehouse Artistic Director Michael Longhurst returns to direct his Royal Court, West End and Broadway hit which received international acclaim.

42 | THE VOICE JULY 2021

This is Brukout!

by Seani B

Brawling with Father Bajan artist Philis is making sure he leaves nothing behind with his anthemic reference to the ‘boxcy’

A

T THE time of writing this piece I’ve just been told of the disappointing news that my beloved Notting Hill Carnival will not be happening for a second year running.

No floats, no costumes, no pan, no sound systems! No ray of sunshine on what has been an incredible difficult two years.

Thankfully, the music still keeps coming as we are forced into reimagining how we are best entertained with these songs.

However there are some songs that just need a big sound system to feel the energy of the bassline tearing from a wall of speakers. There are some songs that need that sweating gyrating audience that have turned up to get on “Wotless” in whatever settings they are at.

THE MAIN MAN: Father Philis is now starting to make a name for himself in the music industry

INFECTIOUS

Let me introduce you to Bajan artist Father Philis and his song that the ladies are loving globally with the infectious hook of “Your Boxcy Looks Brawling”.

Musically, Brawling is stripped right back to a simple drum track with a thunderous 808 bass kick drum all the way through. Trust me when I say simplicity works.

Even though I do struggle to understand my Bajan brothers at the best of times, I knew immediately that the “boxcy” was the rear of a lady he was talking about. But was this contender for summer song of 2021 exclusively for the bigger bumper lady?

Newcomer Father Philis ex-

plains: “The boxcy is the bumper, the behind of a woman, but I wouldn’t say a boxcy is defined by being large as its assumed that boxcy is by being large, but NO!” “A boxcy is defined by the activity. Once a boxcy has some kind of motion or resistance that challenges the world’s gravity, then the brawling is active, and that is what I’m referring to in this song.”

“I’m the type of artist who wants to entertain me and my friends” I was in stitches and I thought that his definition and explanation was unique and a perfect way for me to stay out of trouble and be able to play this track knowing that everyone is included!

Released in March, the song has already trended on TikTok and racked up well over a million views on YouTube, not to mention the love that the DJs that are streaming online are giving it too, this was how I became aware of the boxcy phenomenon.

Father Philis himself has found it a massive surprise that a vibe that started at TikTok has grown into a song that has

@thevoicenewspaper

brought him to the attention of me as he tells me how it started “from a voice note, to a TikTok… to the world!”

“What I usually do is listen riddims offline and record a twitter voice note and send it to friends to see if they like it. Once they came back and said they thought it was funny and then we saw Rihanna and other’s reaction online we went back in and finished the song.”

What is so amazing is that an idea amongst friends on the island in Barbados can go on and reach as far afield w i t h

@thevoicenews

views from Japan, Russia and New Zealand. But do they understand the brawling Bajan accent and sentiments of the song?

“Just like Gangnam Style, you don’t have to understand it! You just gotta know the boxcy action and make it fight back a little bit.

“You want to jump in there and hear something,” Father Philis replies defiantly!

Simple instruction dance songs like this have always done well, especially since the arrival of TikTok. But when you talk about Caribbean music , boxcy brawling follows the trend of songs like DJ Salty’s Tic Toc or last year’s viral smash Tic like

voicenews

clock from the UK’s Supa Nytro.

Philis was fully aware of the comparison between the tracks and grateful. “I definitely do hope so as those records still get played and I do love them, so if Brawling is along those lines, then I’m very happy to be there so I can drop some more”

DELIVER

Let’s see what else Father Philis can deliver as this is my first time my ears have graced his name, so is he an artist or just another moment in social media?

Philis tells me he doesn’t subscribe to what some may see as an artist!

“It all depends on whose definition,” he added.

“Some say an artist has to do XY and Z and follow this order and talk to these people, but I don’t really subscribe to that!

“I see myself as an artist and doing what I want to do, what entertains me and my friends.”

“In my definition I’m an artist and that’s good enough for me, so we are working with that.”

www.voice-online.co.uk

JUNE 2021

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Lifestyle IMPRESSIVE: The Folio Society edition of Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman is illustrated by Kingsley Nebechi and is introduced

by Benjamin Zephaniah (photos: The Folio Society)

Books

An ultimate test of love Blackman’s thought-provoking Noughts & Crosses has earned cult status – and it’s easy to see why

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

T

H O U G H T- P R O V O KING AND compelling, Noughts & Crosses takes the timeless premise of forbidden love and sets it in Albion, a segregated society where light-skinned Noughts are suppressed by the ruling black Crosses.

When Sephy, the Cross daughter of a government official, falls in love with her Nought housekeeper’s son, Callum, the power of love and the optimism of youth are put to the ultimate test.

Former Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman’s bestselling alternative history has earned cult status among youngadult readers, while its release as a major BBC series has further increased its popular appreciation.

“This is an edgy thriller with genuine characters and a gripping plot that has won devoted admiration” The Folio Society edition is introduced by Benjamin Zephaniah, one of The Times 50 Greatest Postw a r P o ets, while London-based Nigerian artist Kingsley Nebechi illustrates the novel with

seven original full-colour works.

His strong pictorial style perfectly matches our design vision and his startling illustrations reflect the challenges of the subject matter, while alluding to his passion for comic books and art styles from Africa.

Blackman, inset, often tackles pertinent issues in her writing, and racism is at the heart of this searing alternative history.

However, themes of terrorism, class, politics and relationships are all addressed too, seamlessly woven into a narrative that never feels overloaded.

ORIGINAL

Above all, Noughts & Crosses is a brilliantly conceived, edgy thriller with genuine characters and a gripping plot that has won devoted admiration from discerning readers.

In Zephaniah’s introduction for The Folio Society edition, he writes: “I once said that Noughts and Crosses was the most original book I’d ever read.

“I’m not sure when I said that, but it was a long time ago, and since then I’ve read many more books, yet that statement is still true.”

A fresh look at Angela Davis’ life

BY JOEL CAMPBELL ANGELA Y DAVIS is joining the Hamish Hamilton list, in a five-book deal acquired by Simon Prosser, publishing director at Hamish Hamilton, through US publisher Haymarket Books via David Grossman Literary Agency.

From her incredible 1974 autobiography to her ongoing, essential writing on Abolitionism; from the Black Panthers to Black Lives Matter; from her wrongful incarceration in 1970 – and the global ‘Free Angela Davis’ campaign – to her tireless advocacy for social justice today; Davis, pictured inset, is an intellectual and activist inspiration like no other – a bridge between past and present eras of protest.

In Alice Walker’s words: “Here is someone worthy of the Ancestors who delivered her.

“Angela Davis has stood her ground on every issue important to the health of our people and the planet. It is impossible to read her words or hear her voice and not be moved to comprehension and gratitude for our incredible luck in having her with us.”

The five books include two backlist titles –

Freedom Is A Constant Struggle, from 2016, and a long-awaited new edition of An Autobiography, to come in January 2022.

First published in 1974 by Random House, where the book was edited by Toni Morrison (1931-2019), and then by International Publishers in a second edition in 1988, An Autobiography is a powerful and commanding account of her early years in struggle.

In the book, Davis describes her journey from a childhood in Alabama to one of the century’s most significant political trials: From her political activity in a New York high school to her work with the US Communist Party, the Black Panther Party, and the Soledad Brothers; and from the faculty of the Philosophy Department at UCLA to the FBI’s list of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives.

Told with warmth, brilliance, humour and conviction, Davis’s autobiography is a classic account of a life in struggle with echoes in our own time. “I am excited to be publishing this new edition of my autobiography at a time when so many are making collective demands for radical change and are seeking a deeper understanding of the social movements of the past.”

JULY 2021

THE VOICE | 45

Lifestyle

Carnival

It’ll still be so special The pandemic has meant Carnival 2021 will not be how we’d hoped, but that doesn’t mean it has been cancelled. It’ll take more than COVID to deprive us of Carnival vibes, says Ansel Wong Continued from page 6 IN THE UK, you we are able to get a taste of ‘back home’ from Lucita selling roti at Lord’s Cricket Ground, May at the Coleherne Pub, The West Indian Gazette staging their indoor Caribbean Carnival in January 1959 at St Pancras Town Hall, Junior Telfer promoting Carnival vibes at his clubs and scores of fetes and parties that kept alive a bit of Mas during the wintry climes of London.

Alvin Dorset’s Trini limes or Trevor Carter’s Carnival soirées.

Nothing stopped the celebration of Carnival.

Boscoe Holder, painter, musician, dancer and producer, had a version of his show, Bal Creole, broadcast by BBC television in June 1950, introducing British audiences to the Steelband for the first time.

When the Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra (Taspo) came to Britain the following year, Holder’s dancers performed at their European premiere concert at St Pancras Town Hall. He commented: “This is the real spirit of Trinidad Carnival. The first time I’ve ever seen it in London.”

Carnival has always been central to the Caribbean diaspora. And any decision to change it, cancel it or remove

IN THE SPIRIT: A COVID-safe version of Carnival doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the outfits

“We have created a series of performance platforms, building on our excellent Access All Areas of 2020.” it from its traditional spaces is fiercely resisted. So this decision is not taken lightly, but the information and data currently available to us suggests that we cannot be sure that all of the elements of the Carnival can happen in the normal way, free of risks and challenges, physical and artistic.

Given the time and expense it takes for Carnivalists to prepare such a spectacular event, we unfortunately couldn’t wait any longer to make a definite decision. And so, for the second year running, the parade of the bands and the staging of the static sound systems will not happen.

But Carnival is not cancelled.

It is diverted.

In the same way that 30 policemen diverted the Carnival celebration of that famous crick-

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: Some of the alternative Carnival celebrations will take place away from the public

eting victory out of the Lord’s Cricket Ground or the diversion taken by Henderson in 1966 to parade on Portobello Road, Carnival 2021 is diverted into its different constituent strands, each curated to showcase some of the major essences of this festival of music, dance, cuisine and Mas.

ALTERNATIVES Carnival 2021 will comprise COVID-safe alternatives to showcase its major features in new, innovative and exciting ways. We are creating a series of performance platforms – digital, online and physical – building on our excellent Access All Areas of 2020. Details of each showcase will be announced in the next few weeks.

We are welcoming back everyone to join us for Carnival 2021.

Trinidad & Tobago-born Ansel Wong is currently Trustee of The Carnival Village Trust, Director of Notting Hill Carnival Limited, Director of East Midlands Caribbean Carnival Network, Vice-Principal of Savile Row Academy, Member of the Windrush Commemoration Committee & the DCMS Events & Entertainment Working Group.

FOUR NEW CASTS

SHEILA ATIM PETER CAPALDI OMARI DOUGLAS ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN

& & & &

IVANNO JEREMIAH ZOË WANAMAKER RUSSELL TOVEY CHRIS O’DOWD



“INGENIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL. TRULY STELLAR.” Evening Standard

THE ROYAL COURT THEATRE PRODUCTION OF

BY

NICK PAYNE

DIRECTED BY

MICHAEL LONGHURST

JUNE - SEPTEMBER 2021 VAUDEVILLE THEATRE | COVENT GARDEN CONSTELLATIONSTHEPLAY.CO.UK

46 | THE VOICE JULY 2021

Sport TOP SPORTS COVERAGE 24/7 VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK/SPORT

OF SPORT NEWSPAPER

DRIVING THE FAIRWAY

Ray Nyabola and Julia Regis are shifting perceptions in the hunt for black British golfing talent

By Rodney Hinds

I

T WOULD be fair to say that the development of the British Black Golfers (BBG) organisation is in full swing.

The brainchild of Ray Nyabola, the organisation’s ambitions among others is to make a pastime steeped in so much tradition and negative perception, accessible to the black community. At the heart of Ray’s’ ambitions is making golf a pathway for black youngsters.

An excited Ray told the Voice of Sport: “For me BBG has been in my head for the best part of a decade if not more.

“I started thinking about golf and the black community while I was living in Birmingham a vibrant and mixed community.

I didn’t have the nous to push it forward, so I reached out to other organisations about possibly playing in some of their regular tournaments. Nothing came of that and then life got in the way.”

Father-of-three Ray was bitten again by the famed golf bug once life settled down and, as they say, the rest is history.

“I then got the golf clubs out again, started playing more,” he admits.

It has been a testing year for so for many with the pandemic, the killing of George Floyd and subsequent global and domestic demonstrations surrounding the American’s death. Ray was determined to use the period as positively as he could.

HOLE IN ONE: Ray Nyabola says his focus has gone from strength to strength; inset below left, Julia Regis hopes that more black women will give golf a go (photo: @NickHayes Photo)

“We’ve started formulating conversations with golfers from different communities” “Where society was, and still is, made it easier to implement BBG by setting up a platform to engage people,” he said.

“I want to see more black golfers and what’s the best way for me to do that I asked myself.

In February this year, I committed myself and said, ‘I’m just going to do this’, I was just going to put it out there and see what happens.

STRENGTH “From there we’ve just gone from strength to strength, unearthing new golfers more or less every day. We’ve started formulating different conversations with golfers from different communities.

“The overwhelming response has been so positive. Every day I wake up, I get messages saying we needed this initiative, and we admire the work that you are doing. The wider golfing community acknowledges that we need to be part of the sport.”

With the vision clear in his mind, Ray set out to seek support from other keen black golf-

ers who could help him bring the vision to life. He found that support in Julia Regis, the wife of the late football legend Cyrille Regis.

Julia was encouraged to take up golf by Cyrille some time ago and is now an avid golfer who is well aware of the benefits of the sport.

“I came across Black British Golfers via social media. I loved seeing so many black golfers being profiled and once Ray reached out to me I was keen to see how I could support the project,” said Julia.

“I had my first lesson nearly 10 years ago. I fell in love with golf for a number of different reasons, I love being outdoors in nature for one and the fact that you can play into your 80s or 90s and still have success on the course.

“Yes, there’s a competitive aspect but you are also playing against yourself and the course.

“The social aspect of meeting new friends and enjoying golf whilst on my travels abroad is an added bonus, too!”

She continued: “I describe the golf course as my happy place. Golf has also helped me to manage anxiety and my mental health. When I can’t play it affects me because I know what it gives me. It’s good for the soul.

“At the end of 2019, I decided that I wanted to organise an event for black women in Birmingham amongst my social network to experience golf. I arranged the event for May last

@thevoicenewspaper

year but COVID put a stop to it.

I am delighted to be a part of the working group that supports Ray in connecting and profiling Black British Golfers and will help in any way I can. I am so excited to see the young golfers coming through, and we want to support them to firstly enjoy the game but also maximise their ability and talents in the sport.”

Speaking to the pair via Zoom, you get a strong sense

black players who will eventually play on the amateur and professional circuits.

Ray continued: “If we are able to pursue this vision of showcasing black talent, I am confident that we can find a gem or two that can play on the Tours and build a really successful career out of it.”

The modern game of golf originated in 15th-Century Scotland and has a long and glo-

“To my knowledge, I’m still the only black woman at my club, and I’ve been there nine years” that providing access to the sport for young people fills them with unbridled anticipation.

“My excitement at unearthing young black golfers is a key part of the journey,” Ray confessed.

“The sport is for everybody.

Once you get your clubs and get on the course, everything else ceases to matter and at that point you have a chance to show your talent and skill. I feel that for young golfers, especially, this is their time.

“We’ve not been able to connect the dots in the past. But it’s now a lot easier for me to discover golfers wherever they may be and bring it all together via BBG. The sport has a real community aspect and the ability to bring people together.”

The vision is to help develop, via golf teaching professionals,

@thevoicenews

EXPLOSIVE

rious history. So just how will BBG attempt to deal with the stigma surrounding the game?

Julia understands the need to do so: “Eliminating some of the perceptions of the game is vital. It is the reason I wanted to bring this group of black women to my golf club in Edgbaston so they could see for themselves how much fun golf is.

“To my knowledge, I’m still the only black woman at my club, and I’ve been there for about nine years now. There’s still much work to be done to challenge some of the perception and make golf more accessible especially for working women.

At the same time, the benefits of playing golf far outweigh the issues that still exist.”

And what about the hundreds of women that have most likely

voicenews

been victims of that perception for centuries now?

“I’d say to them that golf is worth trying! If you try it and hate it, then you chalk it up as an experience, but you may well love it.”

If you’re talking about black golfers, American icon Tiger Woods has to be in the conversation. And Ray is of the opinion that we can find a black British golfer who can perform on the world stage.

“There’s every chance of finding a golfer that will eventually play on the European or PGA Tour. Not all kids from the community have a wicked right foot or a right hook; a strong jump shot; or an explosive start off the blocks. Golf is a chance for kids to still be able to partake in something that is fun and competitive,” Ray said.

“Although I’m the founder, the success behind BBG is attributable to a team effort.

“We wouldn’t be there without the likes of Julia as well as Zane Scotland and Henni Koyack, all of whom have been instrumental to the growth of the platform.”

BBG is creating an impressive platform which will bring together a large swathe of black British golfers from across the UK together for the first time.

And after speaking to Ray and Julia, I am excited about some of the plans they have in the pipeline to promote golf from within the community.

www.voice-online.co.uk

JULY 2021

Sport

A 2020 vision

Kick back with a book during the summer of sport The Fastest Men on Earth

by Neil Duncanson The Fastest Men on Earth, first published in 1988, is reissued in a new, exciting format, fully revised and updated to include the incredible men’s 100m final at the Beijing 2008 Games.

Each chapter discusses not only the race itself, but also the preliminary rounds, dramas and controversies and includes interviews with all the key players, not just the champion.

Seeing Serena

by Gerald Marzorati A riveting chronicle of trailblazing tennis champion and cultural icon Serena Williams’ turbulent 2019 tour season and a revealing portrait of who she is, both on and off the court. Seeing Serena is an in-depth chronicle of Williams’ return to tennis after giving birth to her daughter, and an insightful cultural analysis of the most consequential female athlete of her time.

Why We Kneel How We Rise

by Michael Holding Through the prism of sport and conversations with its legends, including Usain Bolt, Thierry Henry and Michael Johnson, former West Indies cricket star Michael Holding explains how racism dehumanises people; how it works to achieve that end; how it has been ignored by history; and what it is like to be treated differently just because of the colour of your skin.

Red Card to Racism: The Fight for Equality in Football by Harry Harris Leading sportswriter Harry Harris shines a timely spotlight on the beautiful game, revealing the forces within football that have both helped expose and challenge racism – and, at times, sadly, hinder more rapid positive change.

THE VOICE | 47

WARRIOR MICHAEL LEADS BY EXAMPLE

Playing in the World Cup ‘is the pinnacle of my career’, says rugby league star DRIVING FORCE:: Michael Lawrence in action for hometown club Huddersfield Giants

By James Aldred

A

SK ANY rugby league fan and they’ll tell you – Michael Lawrence is a modern legend of the sport.

With over 300 appearances for his hometown club, the Huddersfield Giants, Lawrence has established himself as one of Super League’s most consistent and capable loose forwards.

This autumn, he is going to make history again, representing Jamaica at this year’s Rugby League World Cup. Despite all he has achieved, Lawrence says this is the pinnacle of his career.

“All I’ve ever wanted is to represent Jamaica, my family and my family’s heritage,” he told the Voice of Sport.

ACCOLADES

“When Jamaica qualified for the World Cup in 2018, my eyes were firmly set on that. I’ve had a lot of individual accolades but when I told my parents I was going to play for Jamaica in a World Cup, the pride that came over them was something I’d never seen before and gave me one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. It’s absolutely massive.”

Lawrence and his fellow Reggae Warriors met for a twoday training camp in Leeds in June.

He says a confidence is brewing amongst the players as their opening clash with Ireland on Sunday, October 24 draws closer.

“We’re really confident of going and competing in this tournament,” he says.

“We believe that the quality of player we have recruited can make us very competitive.

We’re not there to make up the n u m bers or to be a gimmick.

We’re going to give the best account of ourselves and compete.”

In addition to his endeavours on the field, Lawrence is one of rugby league’s most powerful voices off it.

In February 2021, he joined the RFL’s newly-formed Inclusion Board, which aims to make the sport more open and diverse. He says the World Cup is the perfect chance for rugby league to show just how united it can be.

“My work with the Inclusion Board started in lockdown last year and after the terrible tragedy of George Floyd’s death,” he continues.

“We decided at Super League that we wanted to say something at the restart of the competition last summer. Me and some of my teammates did a big interview for Sky Sports and whilst there was a lot of pos-

itive feedback, there was also a whole heap of backlash too.

“We knew off the back of that that we couldn’t stop there and more needed to be done. Alex Simmons and a few others put together the Tackle It action plan

The RFL has faced criticism in recent weeks for how it has dealt with racism in the sport, particularly after the eight-game ban issued to Wigan Warriors’ Tony Clubb following his use of ‘unacceptable language based

“I think education is key.

A lot of the times you find in these situations that there are misunderstandings” designed to make rugby league more inclusive and diverse.

“When that was put together, a board was announced to oversee it and I put myself forward to be involved on the board and got one of the places.

“Since I’ve been on it, we’ve had numerous meetings and there’s numerous things being put in place to make rugby league more inclusive.

“I see the World Cup as a huge opportunity and platform to display how diverse rugby league can be with all these different backgrounds and cultures coming together.”

on national or ethnic origin’ in a match in late April.

Lawrence is of the opinion that there are many things the sport can do to bring about change.

“I think education is key,” he stresses. “A lot of the times you find in these situations that there are misunderstandings.

“If you talk to somebody and educate them, they will then have a better understanding and could change their views.

“I also am a strong believer that this issue can only be tackled from the top down. Leaders of organisations and teams

must push the agenda from the top and after that, everyone else will follow. That’s the key to driving change.”

With less than 130 days to go until the tournament kicks off, Lawrence is keen for people, rugby league fans or not, to secure their seats, particularly to see the Jamaica thirteen in action.

PARTY “Go to every possible game you can,” he smiles.

“It’s a great spectacle. Try to get to one of our games, especially the Ireland one. My family are all Jamaican and my wife’s Irish so we’re definitely going to have a party during that one!”

For tickets and further information about this year’s Rugby League World Cup, visit www. rlwc2021.com. To learn more about the work Michael and his colleagues are doing on the RFL’s Inclusion Board, visit www.rugby-league.com/governance/inclusion-&-diversity/ tackle-it.

48 | THE VOICE JUNE 2021

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