Wokingham

This Friday (October 13) sees the start of the Wokingham district’s celebrations to mark Black History Month.

Black History Month is a celebration of Caribbean, Asian and African cultures past and present, which is being held for the third year running in the Wokingham district. Organised by Wokingham District Council’s Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Forum, three events will take place providing the opportunity for young and old people across the district to learn more about the cultural heritage of black and minority ethnic communities whilst having plenty of fun, too!

On Friday, five key-note speakers will take part in a conference and question time session at the council chamber, civic offices, Shute End, Wokingham. The panel comprises MEP Nirj Deva, superintendent Stephen Kirk, Dr Prem Sharma, Reverend Beverley Browne and Alexis Wright from the Commission for Racial Equality.

The panel will join local members of the BME Forum and members of the public to discuss issues including an exploration of what Britain will look like in 2020. The audience will also put the panel to the test and it promises to be a lively discussion. It starts at 7pm and is free to attend. Places are limited and interested Wokingham residents should contact the council’s social inclusion officer Ashwani Gupta on (0118) 974 6790.

Nirj Deva is the MEP for Berkshire, Kent, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. First elected in 1999 as an MEP, Deva is spokesman for overseas' development and co-operation. Deva was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka into a political family but was raised in Britain. He was the MP for Brentford and Isleworth from 1992 to 1997 and during that time served as parliamentary private secretary in the Scottish Office and was a member of the select committees on the parliamentary ombudsman (1993-1997) and education (1994-1996).

Superintendent Stephen Kirk spent 12 years policing Slough where he worked with many diverse communities. He has carried forward this experience within the force training department and has taught diversity to many officers. He has worked as a superintendent for three years at Reading and for the past 11 months as local police area commander.

Dr Prem Sharma is a retired vet and chartered biologist. He has worked as permanent secretary for the government of Nigeria and was project director for the World Bank funded agricultural fund in Saudi Arabia. He is chairman of the India Development Trust of which he was a founder patron and member. He is also the chairman of the patient panel at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.

Born in Trinidad, Reverend Beverley Browne is the president and founder of the New Anointing Apostolic Ministries in Oxfordshire. As well as being a singer and songwriter, he travels extensively and has spent time as a school governor in Oxfordshire. Alexis Wright has worked in race equality for the past eight years. Currently working for the Commission for Racial Equality, she has particular interest in working with young people. She has a degree in peace studies and international relations.

And after the success of last year’s event, there will be a taster and performance evening on Saturday October 14 at Woodley Baptist Church, Hurricane Way, Woodley. The church is hosting a cultural evening where local people can sample food from the Caribbean, Asia and Africa whilst getting into the rhythm of world music. This free event runs from 7pm until 10pm.

To bring the celebrations to an end, AJ’s Calypso Tent will bring a carnival atmosphere to the Oakwood Centre on Headley Road in Woodley on Saturday October 28. Admission is by ticket only and these are on sale for £7.50 from the Oakwood Centre on (0118) 969 0356 and from AJ’s Caribbean Scene on 07930 907354.

A number of well-known artists including Notting Hill Carnival’s very own Brown Sugar, Dame Polly Falconer, Dave Batson, Rev B, Cereal and Music Man, to name just a few, will be performing. MC for the night is Wokingham’s BME Forum member Jeff ‘De Admiral’ Hinds.

Cllr Dianne King, executive member for Wokingham community development, said: "I am proud that Wokingham District Council’s BME Forum continues to embrace the opportunity to highlight and celebrate Black History Month. Black History Month is a vital part of our diverse cultural calendar and is invaluable in keeping arts and culture alive in our district and I hope that many of our local residents will take part in the celebrations.”

Coordinating the celebrations are Jeff Hinds, former long-standing organiser of the Reading Community Carnival and founder member of the Association of British Calypsonians (ABC), and the district council’s social inclusion officer Ashwani Gupta.

Wokingham District Council