The Aylesbury team opened its Black History Season programme on 1 October with World Day, an event delivered in partnership with a resident-led community group.
Councillor Sunil Chopra, mayor of Southwark, opened the World Day event, which welcomed more than 500 people. Attendees were treated to free activities including African and Columbian dance displays, African drumming, arts and crafts tables, children’s activities and even a dog show (Crufts watch out!). There was also a ‘market zone’ with community and small businesses as well as delicious culturally specific foods.
The entertainment culminated in a play about the life of the Jamaican/British nurse Mary Seacole, who had worked in the original grounds of Guys and St Thomas’s hospital.
Neil Coyle, MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark said, “This has been a wonderful day. It’s so great to see so many people learning about the important contributions the black community have made and continue to make in Southwark and across the world.”
The event was organised by Southwark Kaleidoscope and funded through our love where you live fund.
There will be more Black History Season events in the Aylesbury community over the coming months, including a cultural sharing event, an animated tour of the local area and much more.