Celebrating our Curriculum Leader, Michelle Bramble...

KAE Curriculum Leader, Michelle Bramble shares with us how she has worked in her local community to build understanding and create real positive change, ensuring the memory of a generation's strength and resilience can always be heard.

"My voluntary work started at an early age. Both of my parents were actively involved in community work, and I learned quickly that community organisations played a vital role when it comes to engagement, education and raising awareness of diverse groups.

Despite being one of the older BME communities in North Kent there are no unique places of worship or social outlets frequented by the Caribbean community and they unfortunately were not part of the new community networks which led to Caribbean residents feeling isolated and neglected."

"NKCN has been self-funded since its inception and has continued to deliver successful projects for free to the community with the support of our community partners and exceptional volunteers. The elderly group continues to meet every week for lunch and meetings include physical and mental health activities, visiting other groups and presentations from invited speakers who provide information and signposting to health and other services.

As a result, the Network has been approached to participate in various projects including history talks, craft workshops for adults and children, and Kent Police BME recruitment campaigns. More recently our members have been involved in a Kent suicide prevention project and have trained to be mental health Listening Champions and Hypertension Heroes.

We’ve set up a Men’s Check in and Chat group and have been able to engage with young people through our Windrush Generation Human Libraries. We work in partnership with Kent based organisations to celebrate Commonwealth Day, Stephen Lawrence Day, Windrush Day and Black History Month every year and we use these events to present community awards recognising positive contributions to the County and Black British history by inspirational individuals and teams which has helped to increase a sense of civic pride.

It has always been important for us to reflect the diversity of the Caribbean islands which is why our group is open to anyone with an interest in Caribbean culture and membership is not limited to people of Caribbean heritage.

The impact of this work has ensured that members of the Caribbean community and their families are actively involved in local projects and initiatives, and several have gained employment or voluntary roles as a result. We also work closely with statutory organisations to provide advice on their equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives and consultations and present on how to engage with diverse communities in Kent."

Find out more about activities taking place across Kent that celebrates Black History, administered by the Network, Cohesion Plus and Kent Equality Cohesion Council here: www.blackhistorykent.com

KAE work closely with local communities to develop learning opportunities which are accessible to everyone.