Carers Week Poetry Competition

Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges carers face, and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK.

The campaign is brought to life by thousands of individuals and organisations who come together to organise activities and events throughout the UK, drawing attention to just how important caring is.

Carers Week runs from 11th to 17th June. This year the theme is 'Keeping Carers Healthy and Connected'. Northamptonshire Carers Centre, based in 123 Midland Road, Wellingborough, are running a range of events, including three competitions, open to everyone, not just carers:

• Poetry Competition
• Short Story Competition
• Art & Photography Competition

I have been given the privilege of judging the *poetry competion. If you are interested in entering any of the above competitions, entries must be at the Carers Centre by Friday 8th June.  

Entries for all the competitions can be submitted via email:

carers@northamptonshire-carers.org

*There are no restrictions on a poetry theme, however, it would be ideal to keep it within an A4 page space for display purposes.

Judging will take place on 15th June. There will be an overall prize for each category. Northamptonshire Carers Centre will be displaying exhibits between 11th-15th June.

For further details contact: 
Joanna Johnson, Young Carers Service Manager:
joannaj@northamptonshire-carers.org

Good luck!

Race Act 40 Exhibition

On Monday, 28th May, I attended the Race Act 40 Exhibition event held at the Wellingborough African Caribbean Association, based in Rock Street.  

Race Act 40 is an oral history project organised by Northamptonshire Rights & Equalities Council, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, exploring historic racism in Wellingborough.  

The two-year project was supported by the excellent contributions of volunteers who were professionally trained to carry out over 40 interviews which will now be archived at the University of Northampton.

The event was formally opened by James Saunders Watson also known as the High Sheriff of Northamptonshire. 

James Saunders Watson, High Sheriff of Northamptonshire.

Suresh Grover, Director of The Monitoring Group, was the Guest Speaker. Suresh Grover has been a Civil Rights Campaigner for over 30 years. He spoke about some of the campaigns beginning in 1976 to the present time.

Suresh Grover, Director of The Monitoring Group.

Seventy nine people attended the event which included displays of Race Act 40's research, and poetry by Tre Ventour, Norma Watson, and Nairobi Thompson. 

Audience Members of RaceAct40 Exhibition.

Here is a link below to my 10 minute radio interview with Suki Somal on BBC Radio Northampton's Mark Dean Show. I come on 12.35 minutes in (approx) although the whole two-hour show is worth listening to. I like the sprinkling of African and Caribbean sounds - reggae, soca and Afro Beats!

My Interview with BBC Radio Northampton

You have 28 days remaining from today to listen, so I urge you to tune in!

I also shared my experience of racism in the workplace at the Race Act 40 event.

Sharing my experience of racism in the workplace and how
I took my case to a Race Relations Act tribunal and won.

Photographs courtesy of Race Act 40.