Community MagazineCommunity MagazineCommunity MagazineCommunity Magazine

Issue 10 Issue 10 Issue 10 Issue 10

ACC LACC LACC LACC L African Caribbean Community Organisation LtdAfrican Caribbean Community Organisation LtdAfrican Caribbean Community Organisation LtdAfrican Caribbean Community Organisation Ltd

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Editor’s notes: The Big Society is a Government agenda that seeks to shift power from politicians to people. It formed a key element of the Conservative 2010 election campaign and was the subject of the first major policy

announcement of the new coalition government on 18 May 2010.

The main themes are:

• Devolving power to communities and local government

• A greater role in public services for VCOs and civil society organisations

• Supporting the voluntary and community sector But long before the phrase Big Society was first created, people across all communities in this city have been working together, giving time and expertise for the good of the wider community and this magazine is our vehicle for building a record highlighting the work that people are doing and to give recognition to the value of what they do We would really value your input in future editions and invite you to send in comments either on articles from the previous edition of the magazine, about an issue that you want to create a debate about or just something that you want to generally highlight to the community. Contributions should be no more than 200 words and non Political. Whilst we will endeavour to publish all contributions we reserve the right not to publish submissions which we feel may cause offence or maybe considered to be liable. You may submit contributions at anytime. Thank you to all those who are featured in this edition. Special thanks to the advertisers who has helped to make production of this magazine possible. If you would like to contribute to future editions please email us; afca.org@btinternet.com or call 024 7622 3020. Don’t forget back copies of the magazine can be accessed via our website: www.accolcoventry.org.uk

Disclaimer & Copyright The views expressed by magazine contributors, do not necessarily represent the views of ACCOL, Those articles written by third parties are the sole responsibility of the writers and the writer will take full re-sponsibility, liability, and blame for any libel or litigation that results from something written. All trademarks, design rights, copyrights, registered names, mottos, logos, used in this magazine are the property of their respective owners and have been reproduced in this magazine with their permission.

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Extracts from ACCOL Annual Report Page 4-5

Short interview with Alph Knight Page 6

Extracts from David Cameron’s Big

Society Speech Page 7-8

Neville Staple & Trevor Evans Pages 10-11

Kervin Julien (Secret Millionaire star) Page 11-13

The Equality Act 2010 Page: 14-15

Cato Street Conspiracy Page 16-17

The Corner Group Page 18

How can you manage your stress? Page 19

In Memory Page 21

Included in this edition:

CELEBRATING

ACHIEVEMENTS

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Extracts from ACCOL Annual Report

This has been a relatively quiet year for the ACCOL. In a year when many organisations have needed to retrench and in some cases ceased we have managed to continue our work with the community, and obtain a further years funding. We are funded by Coventry City Council under a service level agreement which requires us to ensure that the African Caribbean Community are able to contribute to the outcomes of the Coventry Sustainable Communities Strategy. The Strategy has developed key themes and each theme has outcomes. The African Caribbean Community are recognised as being one of the disadvantaged BME Communities mentioned in the strategy. The themes on which we base our work are:-

• Economy, learning, skills and employment • Health, well-being and independence • Children and young people

Economy Our work under the economy theme has been to promote the African Caribbean Business Community, particularly to link them with key statutory agencies e.g. Business Link, Coventry City Council, Amazon Initiatives. Following the success of our event held in Enterprise Week at which the main speaker was Wade Lyn (Chief Exec Cleon Foods), we facilitated a business networking event held in July. Main speaker at the event was Karl, a successful entrepreneur of Caribbean origin. Besides his entrepreneurial skills, Karl has retained a commitment to the community and is involved in numerous community projects, including a successful mentoring project. Other contributors were Evadne Headley (Coventry City Council) who outlined the opportunities available under the Future Jobs Fund. Finally Mark Hayles (Enriched Life Centre) promoted his Better Homes Network. This is an online database enabling local people to access local services. As a new venture, we are working with The Hillz Radio (a community radio station based in Hillfields sponsored by WATCH). The station is popular with our community and perhaps one of the best ways of reaching them. We produce a two hour programme targeting the African Caribbean Community. The programme gives free airtime to Caribbean Organisations &

Businesses. We continue to support the work of Recruit-ment Network by forwarding their information to our extensive mailing list. Where appropriate we offer advice on completing applications or pass clients on to other suitable agencies. It is sad to report that two of the agencies with whom we have successfully worked (the em-ployment team at WATCH and the workmate team funded by LEGI) are no longer operating.

Delegates at the Business Network Event

Health & Well-being In June, we repeated our Men’s Health Evening. The event was organised in partnership with Coventry City Council Health Development Team. This is the third time we have held the event, and again it was successful. Highlight of the evening was a presentation by Suresh Rambaran on Prostrate Cancer (a condition that disproportionately affects African Caribbean Men). Suresh is Support Worker for the Prostrate Cancer Charity and bravely spoke in the bar of the West Indian Centre (which is generally the preserve of the dominoes & pool players). The evening also included advice on blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, and natural health cures. Entertainment was provided by Mikey D. Additionally, we support the work of the Tamarind Centre, a local charity. The Primary aim of the organisation is to provide support to the BME (Black Minority Ethnic) Communities of Coventry, in particular African Caribbean and Asian people who are experiencing Mental ill Health. The organisation has recently been successful in being awarded a contract from Coventry City Council to deliver services to older people from the ethnic communities.

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We also support the work of Cariba Women’s Group who run keep fit sessions for the over 60’s. The sessions are organised in conjunction with “One Body One Life”. We assisted the group to obtain grassroots funding, and to organise a successful anniversary event.

Children and Young People We support the work of Class (a supplementary school organised by The West Indian Community Assoc) and Black Boys Can. We have assisted Black boys Can with funding bids, and were able to make a small donation to one of their community events. Angela is also chair of the Supplementary School Forum.

The Holyhead Youth Centre was first established as a base for Afro Caribbean Youth in the early 70’s. Many of the members of the Two Tone Bands practised their skills at the Centre. The centre is featured on the recently completed Two Tone Trail. After the closure of the Lower Holyhead Road. Centre, the project had a number of short term homes. The centre now has a permanent home in Freehold Street. The Project was a partnership between the Afro Caribbean Community, and Children Learning & Young People’s Service. Refurbishment was funded by Neighbourhood Renewal Funding. Our Treasurer, Chris Christie, is the link between the original Holyhead Centre and the current Freehold Street Site. However, the clientele of the centre has changed dramatically, and currently a high percentage of users are of East European Origin.

The reasons for the decline in the number of young people of African Caribbean Origin are unclear, there are a number of plausible theories:-

The African Caribbean Community are distributed across the City, and do not wish to travel across the City to use the Centre. Overt racism is in decline, and young people

of African Caribbean Origin are more welcome in facilities in their neighbourhood.

The population of young people of African Caribbean origin is in decline and currently there are more than twice the number of young people of dual heritage than young people with two African Caribbean parents.

Young people stay in far more, and are more interested in electronic games & social networking sites than face to face interaction. A mixture of all of the above

We are working with Coventry University (Dexter duBoulay) to equip ourselves with a greater understanding of where young African Caribbean people (14–25) are in relation to their sense of identity; Do young people identify as being African Caribbean? Their perception of racism; this extends to exploring the young people’s views on issues such as prejudice and racism as holders or recipients of such views. Their attitude towards services provided by ‘African-Caribbean’ and other community projects in Coventry and do ‘African Caribbean’ projects meet the current needs of the young.

Generally

In the year, we produced four copies of our Community magazine. The magazine is an opportunity to highlight many of the successes in our community which is often portrayed negatively in the media.

To supplement the magazine, we now host a two hour programme on the Hillz Community Radio - this again features interviews with people from the African Caribbean Community. While in its infancy, we are receiving favourable feedback from listeners. It appears that the traditional forms of reaching communities for instance community meetings are no longer successful, so we are increasingly using new communication methods (social networking sites e-mail alerts and community radio) to keep the community informed.

We continue to work with other voluntary organisations – Grapevine, Watch, Bangladesh Centre, Foleshill Women’s Training—to identify possible areas for joint work, and potential funding sources.

Chris Christie trying to justify his high blood pressure

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Alph Knight is one of the early pioneers of the West Indian Centre, one of many organisations that grew out of ordinary peoples desire and need to create their own ‘Big society’. The West Indian Association over the years has provided services for people of all ages, from cradle to grave, and has been and continues to be home to a huge range of organisations from the Bosnia & Chinese Associations to The Jesus Army & Hope Churches. Currently ACCOL, Black Boys Can and CEMAP all have offices at the Centre. Here Alph talks a little about the early days. When did the Association start? “Coventry West Indian Association started in 1977, but before that there was WINA, I was not involved in those days”. Why was it set up? “The catalyst for forming some sort of group was an incident in which someone, I think his name was Keith, who was disabled was dragged out of his car on Walsgrave Road, or it could have been Ansty Road, and beaten by the police, this created quite an uproar. A few days after the incident we all met to have a drink, the incident came up in conversation and this in our view highlighted the need for somewhere for West Indians to meet where we were not subject to racial abuse as in those days we were not wel-come in pubs and social clubs. The word soon got around about the idea that we wanted to do something and a few of us met at Sylvester Goodens house and we drew up a plan of action about how to raise funds. We decided to run a weekly tote and each member of the group would contribute £1 from every week, we also organised other fundraising activities such as trips to seaside and various other places, we held dances at Baden Powell House, Police Ballroom, etc as well as raffles. After raising a certain amount of funds, representation was made to City Council for a permanent home for the Association, several offers were made which were unacceptable, and consequential we ended up here in Spon Street, with support from members of the City Council, Cllr Rosher, Cllr Arthur Waugh, Cllr Jeff White and Police Inspector Wayne Arkill. One of the things that we used to do was regular hospital and home visits mainly by Monica Nelson and Rose Herron in the early days, and other community related activities. This

practice of visiting sick and bereaved families has continued with various Welfare Officers of the Association in more recent years, Lorna Gayle & Gloria Donaldson”. So who were the first elected officers? “The first Chairperson was Cyprian Gooden Mr Hylton was Secretary and Harry Hall was the Treasurer”. At the time what did having the Centre mean to the community? “At the time it was a great achievement, the manner in which the building was obtained had never been done before, it was an important milestone in the development of African Caribbean people in Coventry and the support for the centre at the time was overwhelming. Some of the things we used to do were sewing classes (later this evolved into CARIBA women's group), supplementary school (now called CLASS), legal and immigration advice with help from the Law Centre, summer playscheme, children's Christmas parties, etc, soon after moving into the building the domino team was also formed. When Association moved in it took a hec of a long time before we could open to the public the whole building had to be refurbished it probably took about nine months. People from the community helped not lots, but enough to get things done.

A word from Dr Vibert Cornwall, current Chair (Community Association) “I am quite pleased to see the way that people are turning out to give support to families of the deceased and I am sure that the families are

grateful for the help and support. We must remember that we are small community although we come from different islands in the Caribbean we have been here too long to be separate we are one big family. Other areas in England work more closely with each other. We have a place which is a foundation in the West Indian Community Centre, which has been handed to us and for us to hand over to the next generation. I have travelled all over this country and played at a lot of West Indian Centres and I can boast that we have one of the best in the county, there is none like this one, we need to continue support the centre to show the wider community that we have something that has been left for us by our elders. If the Centre dis-appears then we will have nothing to say that we have been here and that we have left for the next generation.

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“Alongside the task of building a dynamic economy, there is another great long-term challenge we must meet. We must build a bigger, stronger society. We must build that bigger, stronger society because we can't keep tolerating the wasted lives and wasted potential that comes when talent is held back by circumstance. But above all we must build a bigger, stronger society because in the end the things that make up that kind of society, strong families, strong communities, strong relationships..these are the things that make life worth living and it's about time we had a government and a Prime Minister that understands that........” “So the Big Society is not some fluffy add-on to more gritty and more important subjects. This is about as gritty and important as it gets: giving everyone the chance to get on in life and making our country a better place to live. The question of course is: how do we help to make it happen? Public Services For me, there are two aspects to this. The first is the way in which we modernise our public services. The public services that we all rely on - schools, hospitals, policing, parks and public spaces, these are vital building blocks of the bigger, stronger society I want to see. And that's why it's so important to me that we don't just cut public spending, but we modern-ise public services. And it is also important how we do it. We're not introducing free schools and expand-ing Academies because it's a way of saving money from the schools budget we're doing it because it's the best way to improve education. More choice for parents, more freedom for professionals to innovate, a greater ability for new providers to come forward. It is the Big Society way to improve education. In our health service, we're not giving patients more control and doctors more professional freedom because we want to save money, we're doing it because it's the best way to improve the NHS. During the past month as we have paused our

reforms and listened again to those who care most about our NHS, I have been struck by the incredible passion there is amongst patients, professionals and charities to take more control and improve our heath service. People with long term conditions who want to help determine the care they get. Cancer charities desperate to use their expertise and resources to save lives..... And when it comes to law and order, we're not introducing Police and Crime Commissioners to cut the police, we're doing it to cut crime and to anyone who doubts there is a public appetite for greater public engagement and greater power and control over policing, I would say - look at our crime maps, that have already received over 410 million hits. It's because our public services - and the results they deliver - matter so much to my mis-sion of building a bigger, stronger society that I'm so determined to modernise them. .................................. Social Responsibility But it's the second aspect of building a bigger, stronger society that I want to focus my re-marks on today, and that is the challenge of creating a culture of responsibility in our country. Now, I know I use that word a lot. Some say it sounds too much like a theoretical concept that's hard to define and others complain that it just sounds like a burden on people: an obligatory thing we have to do. To me, the idea is simple. Responsibility is people doing the right thing - by themselves and each other. It is the essential quality of the good society - of a strong society. That's not theory - it's fact. And yes it is a "burden" in that it requires commitment, but it is one that we should actively want to undertake. As human beings, as social animals, we relish the opportunity to interact positively with one another. The problem today is that a culture of responsibility is too often absent in our country and we need to restore it. Of course, this has to come from people. But government has a vital role to play - and we're playing it. To begin with, government has to send out the right signals.

A BIGGER, STRONGER SOCIETY Extracts from David Camerons Big Society speech May 23 2011

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Reward and Effort “First and foremost that means making sure that reward is linked to effort for too long, we've lived in an upside down world where people who do the right thing, the responsible thing, are taxed and punished, whereas those who do the wrong thing are rewarded. There are so many examples of this over the past decade, there are almost too many to mention........”

Taking responsibility for your family “But responsibility isn't just about what you get from the state, it's about what you give to society too by that I don't mean paying your taxes, I mean all those aspects of life that fall outside our dealings with the state, or with the market. I mean family. I mean community........”

Taking responsibility for your community “But responsibility extends beyond the family to the wider community too. We are not just responsible for those we know and love. We have obligations to those beyond our front door, beyond our street. In part that's about how people behave and the respect they show towards their fellow citizens.

In other words, it's about the things you don't do - like not littering and not engaging in any forms of antisocial behaviour. But it's also about the things you do. It's about getting involved. It's about how we as a government help people come together in their communities and how we remove the barriers that get in their way.

The basic premise is that if everyone gives a little of themselves, the benefits for the whole of society can be enormous.

That's a big part of the Big Society. I didn't invent the idea. It's just how I describe all the many brilliant things that people are doing to help each other in our communities and it's how I show my determination that we as a government should get behind people and encourage more of their commitment in every way that we can.

So it's not just me standing here and calling on individuals and communities to do more, it is a whole approach and programme to help make this happen..............”

“In the Localism Bill, we're changing the plan-ning rules to give people real influence over what gets built in their area, devolving power to executive mayors in our major cities and giving people the right to take over local assets.

So if a local service you rely on is threatened with closure, you're no longer powerless to act because a new "Community Right to Buy" gives local people the chance to save a valued local resource - be it a pub, village shop or leisure centre......................”

CONCLUSION

“These are big changes, and they all show how serious I am about building a bigger, stronger society. They also show how different our approach really is.

In the past, the left focused on the state and the right focused on the market. We're harnessing that space in between - society - the 'hidden wealth' of our nation. The idea that the centre right is simply about the philosophy of individualism - of personal and commercial free-dom - is a travesty of our tradition. From Edmund Burke and Adam Smith in the 18th century, from Hegel and de Tocqueville in the 19th, to Hayek and Oakeshott in the 20th - all have been clear that individual freedom is only half the story. Tradition, community, family, faith, the space between the market and the state - this is the ground where our philosophy is planted.

The things I've spoken about today - modernising public services, rebuilding responsibility, strengthening family and community all this represents a massive cultural change. But if we get it right, it will not just benefit our society, it will benefit our economy too.

If we link effort to reward, if we encourage people to step forward and play their part, we won't just make our society fairer and more cohesive, we will create the conditions for a more aspirational, entrepreneurial culture. A country of do-ers and go-getters, where people feel they are in control of their destiny, where they trust those around them, and where they have the power to transform their lives, where nothing will stop them from pursuing their dreams. That's the culture we need in our economy as much as our society.

So is this government about more than cuts? Yes. Is the Big Society some optional extra? No. It holds the key to transforming our economy, our society, our country's future and that's why I will keep on championing it and keep on building it, every day that I have the privilege to lead this country”. Comments, observations, questions, for the next edition please.

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Long before the phrase Big Society was first created, people across all communities in this city had been working together, giving time and expertise for the good of the wider Community.

As part of the Runnymede’s Fair’s Fair Project,

they held various discussion forums with

ordinary people across to country to ascertain

what they think of ‘The Big Society’. Following

are key points from their findings.

If this Governments ‘new’ policy agenda is to

become successful and, more importantly, fair,

it must be accepted by citizens from all walks

of life. However there are significant challenges

to the Big Society programme which need to be

addressed if we are not to descend into greater

inequality.

♦ The first challenge - nothing new

♦ Second - Capacity building

♦ Third challenge - greater social divisions

♦ Fourth challenge - increased inequality?

The first challenge is scepticism over the Big

Society’s claims to novelty. Sentiments like

“we’ve been doing this for years…” are often

heard by people who feel they were already

engaging in the Big Society, often in the face of

local and national government opposition.

The next challenge is the widespread suspicion

that ordinary citizens simply do not have the

capacity to engage more in providing essential

services. People are concerned that they lack

both the skills and the time, and this will leave

those with the greatest need open to neglect.

The third challenge is the concern that these

reforms could be hugely divisive, people have

expressed grave fears that free schools, for

example, will become a barrier to integration.

According to one commentator “personally, I

would be worried about segregation because

parents would always want to send their

children to schools within their religious

community.”

The final challenge is the worry that the Big

Society would result in greater inequality: as

one put it “…the Big Society is a bigger divide”.

Differentials in social and financial capital, lack

of spare time and lack of skills will mean that

for all the government’s rhetoric about fair-

ness, the Big Society has huge capacity to be

unequal. And it is the measurable equality of

outcomes, rather than vague fairness that must

be the focus, if the Big Society is to succeed.

Rob Berkeley from Runnymede Trust, who was

interviewed as part of A shared Vision says: “If

the Big Society is also to be a fairer society, it is

crucial that the Black & Minority Ethnic (BME)

Voluntary & Community Sector is enabled to

play its full role in supporting BME citizens and

others to engage with opportunities to play a

larger role in shaping public services. Without

their involvement the Big Society project is

likely to fail, putting at risk the major

contribution that BME people already make to

civil society.”

There are many individuals in the African

Caribbean Community who selflessly give their

time to help and support others, we could not

attempt to name them all, particularly as there

are those who quietly ‘just get on with’ and do

not want people to know how much they do,

but we will continue to highlight and recognise

the value of the work of such people in our

Community in this magazine.

What are your views about ’The Big Society’?

(Source Runnymede Bulletin Spring 2011)

The Big Society has become one of the most discussed topics. While few would argue against the principle of greater empowerment for communities, there is a risk that increased localism simply leads to local elites gaining greater power, leaving vulnerable groups like minorities forgotten.

“The most vulnerable in our society are being hit the hardest, and to me that is the worst discrimination of all”.

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A conversation with Neville Staple and Trevor Evans... we managed to keep the guys still for five minutes to have a quick chat, here is the edited version of our conversation! Neville “I was born in Christiana, Manchester in Jamaica and came to England when I was 5 years old. I went to school in Rugby, Newbold Grange High School; Junior School was North-lands, also in Rugby

Tell me a little bit about what it was like being young in Rugby in the 70s/80s? “It was nice growing up in Rugby, I enjoyed my childhood, everyone knew everyone”

Who has influenced/inspired you to achieve what you have?

“I grew up listening to Ska music so all the old time Ska musicians are my influences really Nicky Thomas, Desmond Decker, etc”

What is your greatest achievement to date? “Having my own band and being able to perform in my own band in my own right and making people happy while doing it”.

How easy/difficult has it been to achieve what you have? “Well you have to have a mindset, you need to know want you want and have a real desire to achieve. I’ve always been a wanter and go

getter”. Trevor “It took me 20 years to learn from Neville that what you need is bottle, don’t be afraid to ask for what you want”. What keeps you going? Neville “My love of music and watching other people enjoying what I do”. Trevor “Music, films and the intricacy of life” What advice would you give to others? “My knowledge of music and my experience of life. I’m going to be doing a new album soon and hopefully promote local talent”. What are your hopes & aspirations for the community? “My hopes for the community is for it to pull together more, like in my younger days when it felt like more of a community. People often say to me now I don’t see you anymore, but that’s because I don’t know where to go because the community is so scattered”. Trevor “ There are some wonderful things taking place in the younger section of the community like Soulful and Soulful Babies and I have observed that more and more young black people are going to University, there is definitely a turn in the tide and the girls especially are taking advantage. It can only help having people like Neville around to act as a beacon to show that you can achieve, what you need is ambition, determination, and drive”. You have both been friends for a long time and we rarely see one without the other these days, but how did you meet? Trevor “I went to school with Neville’s brother Franklin and we kind of met as most young boys do whilst playing football. There were not many Jamaicans living in in Rugby at the time so we were destined to meet really”. So you lived in Rugby as well? “Yes , I was also born in Manchester, Jamaica in a place called Spaulding, in fact Neville and I were born in the same Hospital. I came to England when I was 11 so I found it harder to settle as I was already entrenched in a Jamaican way of life which was very different to the English way”.

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What was it like in Coventry back in the day? Neville “I came to Coventry when I was 16 Wwe (my brother and I) shared a room with Trevor at his Dad’s house in Kingsway for a while, from there on I roughed around Coventry and tried to get into as many things as I could to further myself. Trevor “Coventry was great it was a bigger city with lots more going on than Rugby with lots of possibilities and by god didn’t we take advantage of them but in doing so we did not escape scot free”. You both ran a sound system whatever happened to that Trevor “ Yes Jah Baddis, if people are wondering why Jah Baddis Sound is not around

anymore, it’s because we both took a different direction, because of the Specials. Jah Baddis was the first youth sound system in those days that bought all the youths together”. Neville myself and all the other people I used to hang around with when we were young, fought together to get the Holyhead Youth Club so we could have somewhere to meet, play our music, etc. Where do you see yourselves in 10 years time? Neville, “Alive hopefully”. Trevor “Doing exactly what I’m doing now but doing it better and further afield”.

Secret Millionaire star Kervin Julien Kervin Julien works at the Salvation Army headquarters in Coventry and runs a charity called Anesis. The charity, funded by Northpoint Church, provides vulnerable people with practical food and clothing needs, in addition to offering spiritual and emotional support. Kervin was born in London and grew up in the Ladbrook Grove area. “There was always a sense of community, our parents would have parties every weekend, this was a way of keeping a bit of the ‘back home’ culture”. Tell me about your life before you came to Coventry? “In common with most first generation Caribbean people I had a very strict West Indian upbringing. My Mum was a teacher in Jamaica, but her qualifications were not recognised here in the UK, so she ended up working as a domestic nurse, my Dad was a janitor. From an early age I found myself being a victim, I was sexually abused at the age of 7 by the Caretaker of the school next door, this affected throughout my life until 2005. Because of the abuse I displayed behaviour that got me into trouble, but I could not explain

why and no one really tried to find out why. My role models became the ‘gangster’ types people who carried knives in those days, no one would mess with them, I wanted to be someone that no one would mess with and this was the only way I could see out, at that age you don’t think about the long term consequences. At an early age I was introduced to Sound Systems and I ran my own sound Djing with people like; Maxi Priest, Alton Ellis, Suga Minnot, Ranking Dread and Delroy Washington by 17 I had been on stage with some big artists and was well received, people like Aswad and Steel Pulse. All the time I was hiding from the abuse that I had endured from the Caretaker and my Dad, this new found identity meant that no one would mess with me, I had respect which I never thought I’d get, girls fell in love with me and I would end up hurting them but at the time I did not realise the hurt I was causing, it just felt good, which was probably very selfish. So what brought you to Coventry? I was literally sent to Coventry, I did not choose to come here but I was looking at a 14 year prison sentence for a string of offences including importing yardies. Gone were the days of being idolised, but I still thought I was successful, selling drugs and guns. I pleaded with the Judge for another chance, he sent me to Coventry to a rehabilitation centre in Whitley, by this time I had been an addicted

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By the time I came to Coventry I had lost my home and my children, 21 police officers came and took my kids away! At the time I could not remember the last time I attended a family party, it was not long before the only family I had were those who were also involved in the drugs scene. One thing that I would like to say to young people, is every time I stood in the doc and the judge sentenced me, I was by myself every time I was on my way to prison I was on my own, none of those people who I called friends were there with me, those who wanted my help, were not there for me. So I came to Coventry a chance to turn my life around. I had never been to Coventry before, I’d been all over the country DJing including Birmingham but never came to Coventry. But I feel there was a reason why I was sent to Coventry as my children were in Birmingham, I feel it was a calling from God that brought me to Coventry. One of the first things that I was able to do after the first few days was to call Social Services explain my situation and let them know that I needed to see my kids”. What were your first impressions of Coventry? On the day I arrived I had smoked £350 worth of coke, I stood outside the station waiting for my lift wishing I had money to go to a phone box to call someone to take me back to London for more drugs, but the power of God kept me there. Coventry was a chance for me to turn my life around, God wanted me to do something that I was not comprehending at the time. My first real remembrance of a first impression of Coventry was what a quite and peaceful place it was, I was used to hearing sirens and people screaming, I remember thinking how friendly people were, more like the Caribbean or Ireland, in London no one has time for anyone.” I like it when people say that I’m a Coventry drug addict turned good, because I do feel that Coventry is my home”. Where do you draw your inspiration from to do the work you do? From God, with Jesus as an example, what he went through, how he was persecuted but still

had compassion and the ability to forgive. Because of God I have found freedom to love others in spite of who they are. What keeps you going? “God, the love of God, is my fuel, my passion, my fire. As a black person I have found it hard, I grew up during the times of SUS laws” [In England and Wales, the sus law (from "suspected person") was the

informal name for a stop and search law that permitted a

police officer to stop, search and potentially arrest people

on suspicion of them being in breach of section 4 of the

Vagrancy Act 1824. The law caused much discontent

among certain sections of the population, particularly

black and ethnic minority communities, against whom the

police use of the law was particularly targeted. The sus

law had attracted considerable controversy prior to the

early 1980s race riots (in St Pauls, Bristol, in 1980, and in

Brixton, London, Toxteth, Liverpool, Handsworth, Bir-

mingham and Chapeltown, Leeds in 1981). In 1980, the

House of Commons' Sub-Committee on Race Relations and

Immigration had began hearings into the law. In the case

of the race riots, its alleged abuse was believed to be a

contributory factor to these events. The sus law was

repealed on 27 August 1981, on the advice of the 1979

Royal Commission on Criminal Procedure].

“At the age of four I can remember witnessing a Black Power march pass my house and watched as a woman with a child was beaten by police. I’ve witness institutionalised racism in the criminal justice system. But I have to say that I was responsible for some of the perceptions that people had of me. People can you put you in boxes but it’s up to us to jump in. You can’t do the same thing all the time and expect some-thing different”. What is your opinion of the Governments ‘Big Society’? “What evidence is there that it can work, does the Government not hear the cries of people in it’s own country to the cuts and changes? What right does the Government have to go to other countries and tell the Government to listen to it’s people. Now is the time for us to stand up and be counted, it’s not the Governments society it’s Gods and as Gods children we need to be helping each other, we need to be advocates, ambassadors and examples to those who are vulnerable and have no faith.

13

I can empathise with young black people, but we need to set a better example. We have never been a second rate community, we have just allowed ourselves to be. Some of the greatest inventors, best athletes', footballers, are black: Muhamed Ali, Usain Bolt, Pele, Hamilton Naki the heart transplant man...we have a lot to be proud of, we are born leaders. Some of the principles that our parents tried to instil in us are missing from the fabric and infrastructure of our community”. So tell me how you came to be featured on the Secret Millionaire? “While in rehab I found myself trying to sup-port others who were going through what I had been through with drugs. It was while I was in rehab that I met my wife, who is instrumental for what I am doing now. We have taken in two people into our home and supported them through drug related issues, both of whom are now living drug free lives. We started giving food to homeless and whilst doing this I came across more and more people going through what I had been through. I knew I was doing something right when someone said to me “if you can go through what you’ve been through and come out the other end then there is hope for me”, the sincerity of this statement made me cry. I was nominated by a dear old lady for the Pride of Coventry 2009 award because of the work I was doing feeding the homeless and working with drug addicted and alcohol dependent vulnerable men and women of the City. In 2010 not only was I awarded the Pride of Coventry Local Hero Award I was also given a lifetime achievement award, to me this was an acknowledgement of the work God had enlisted me to do. At the award ceremony there were people who normally have shunned me and saw me as a threat but they were there celebrating me, does this not show how good God is? The media attention that I got in the Coventry Evening Telegraph as a result of the awards was picked up by

Channel 4. I received a call from RJF TV Company who said that they had been commissioned to do a new programme called ‘I can do that’ and that they I heard about me and thought that my story would test the journalistic skills of an aspiring Radio Presenter. They asked whether they could come along and I agreed. Once I agreed they came along with Sue Stone, never having watched the Secret Millionaire I did not suspect anything, in fact at times I found them to be an inconvenience and nuisance and tried to find ways to avoid them. After a week Sue revealed who she was. I was gob smacked and over-whelmed. I felt it was God saying to me ‘well done my good and faithful servant. The response since has been awesome, I have had calls from recovering and recovered drug addicts, from people wanting to set up similar organisations across the country. People want to make a difference and be part of change, this is the direction the Government should be taking, not cutting funding. My wife and I used to fund all our work now it is funded by the Church. It is noticeable that I have not heard from any of the local MPs!” Is there anything else you would like to add? “It is easy to love someone who loves you, but so much harder to love someone who despises you. If those that believed and invested in me did not then I would not be here to believe in others, we need to be ambassadors and lead by example”. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? “Doing more of what I’m doing now, raising awareness across the nation. I see my wife

and I living out our existence con-tinuing to support people. Our aim is to have a rehab village for people from right across the country. I see us as being advocates for those who have no voice”. I have not dobut that with Kervin’s faith, determination and ‘fire’ he will achieve his aim and go on to continue to be an inspiration to many many people.

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In October 2010 the laws around Equality (formerly known as Equal Opportunities) changed significantly. We now have one act that covers all the key areas of equality – the Equality Act 2010. This article provides you with a very brief outline of the new legislation as it impacts on employers and service providers. The Equality Act 2010

�The Act brings together all the legal requirements on equality that the private, public and voluntary sectors need to follow. It affects equality law at work and in delivering of ser-vices and running clubs. �It replaces all the existing equality law including:

�The Equal Pay Act 1970

�The Sex Discrimination Act 1975

�The Race Relations Act 1976

�The Disability Discrimination Act 1995

�Most of the new law is based on current legislation which has been streamlined but there are some important differences which you will need to be aware of.

Who the law protects The Equality Act is exists to ensure that every-one has the right to be treated fairly at work or when using services. It protects people from discrimination on the basis of certain characteristics. These are known as protected characteristics but they do vary slightly according to whether a person is at work or using a service. The protected characteristics are:

�Disability �Gender reassignment (previously referred to as sex

change) �Marriage or civil partnership �Pregnancy and maternity �Race �Religion or belief �Sexual orientation �Sex (gender) �Age

How do you know if you have responsibilities under the law? All employers and service providers have a responsibility under the law to treat their employees and service users fairly. You are a service provider if you provide goods, facilities or services to the general public or section of it, regardless of whether these are free or paid for. If you are not providing services to the public, you are also likely to have responsibilities if you are a private club or association. If you are an employer, the law generally still applies to you even if your workers are temporary, do not have written contracts of employment or are recruited to other positions such as trainees, apprentices or business partners. What the law protects against: These are the main forms of prohibited conduct.

Discrimination This includes:

♦ Treating a person worse than someone else because of a protected characteristic (known as direct discrimination).

♦ Putting in place a rule or way of doing

things that has a worse impact on some-one with a protected characteristic than someone without one, when this cannot be objectively justified (known as

indirect discrimination). ♦ Treating a disabled person unfavourably

because of something connected with

their disability when this cannot be

justified (known as discrimination

arising from disability).

♦ Failing to make reasonable adjustments

for disabled people.

THE EQUALITY ACT 2010

15

Harassment

♦ Unwanted conduct which has the

purpose or effect or violating some

one’s dignity or which is hostile,

degrading, humiliating or offensive to

someone with a protected

characteristic or in a way that is sexual

in nature.

Victimisation

♦ Treating someone unfavourably

because they have taken (or might be

taking) action under the Equality Act or

supporting somebody who is doing so.

As well as these characteristics, the law also

protects people from being discriminated

against:

♦ By someone who wrongly perceives

them to have one of the protected

characteristics.

♦ Because they are associated with

someone who has a protected charac-

teristic. This includes the parent of a

disabled child or adult or someone

else who is caring for a disabled per-

son.

This information and much more detailed

guidance can be found on the Equality and

Human Right Commission website which can

be found at www.equalityhumanrights.com.

(Thanks to Babs Hay for supplying this

Information)

Volunteering opportunities If you have a couple of hours spare during the daytime and have some administration experience ACCOL would love to hear from you, please call Angela on 024 7622 3020 or 07956 511921 or email afca.org@btinternet.com Black Boys Can (Excellence Academy) and CLASS Complimentary Schools are always looking for volunteer teachers to teach on Saturday mornings, also looking for volunteer classroom assistants. CRB checks will be necessary as you will be working with children. For further information contact: CLASS—Angela Knight (024 7655 2929 or 07956 511921) Black Boys Can (Excellence Academy) Seymour Cooper or John Daley (024 7655 1258) Both CLASS and Excellence Academy work with young people aged between 8 & 16 years old, mainly from African Caribbean, dual heritage backgrounds. The schools: ♦ Assists the children to develope strategies for dealing with adverse factors that often impede their educational progress. ♦ Aims to motivate them to educational and social success. ♦ Operates within a positive environment where children can learn to value themselves and others. ♦ Provide positive role models; people who believe in the ability of children

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The Cato Street Conspiracy was an attempt to murder all the British cabinet ministers and Prime Minister Lord Liverpool in 1820. The name comes from the meeting place near Edgware Road in London. The conspirators were called the Spencean Philanthro-pists, a group taking their name from the British radical speaker Thomas Spence. The group was known for being a revolutionary organisation, involved in minor unrest and propaganda The introduction of industrialisation in the early 1800s created heavy social unrest, disrupting the peaceful agricultural society that the British were accustomed to. This evolution from rural to urban and the complications that arose from it - such as inflation and shifts in employment needs - created an environment conducive to radicals such as the Cato Street conspirators. The culmination of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 further disturbed the delicate situation by returning job-seeking soldiers to the homeland. Then, King George III's death on January 29, 1820 created a new governmental crisis. In a meeting held February 22, one of the Spenceans, George Edwards, suggested that the group could exploit the political situation and kill all the cabinet ministers. They planned to invade a cabinet dinner at the home of Lord Harrowby, Lord President of the Council, armed with pistols and grenades. Thistlewood thought the act would create a massive uprising against the government. James Ings, a coffee shop keeper and former butcher, later announced that he would have decapitated all the cabinet members and taken two heads to exhibit on the Westminster Bridge. You may ask why is this featured in a magazine produced for the Caribbean Community. The reason is that one of the ringleaders in the plot was black and was born in Jamaica. William Davidson was the illegitimate son of the Jamaican Attorney General and a local Black woman and was born in 1781. At age fourteen he travelled to Glasgow to study law. In Scotland he became involved in the movement for parliamentary reform. He apprenticed to a Liverpool lawyer, but ran away to sea. Later, he was press ganged into the Royal Navy.

After his discharge, he returned to Scotland. His father arranged for him to study mathematics in Aberdeen. Davidson withdrew from study, moved to Birmingham, and started a cabinet-making business. He courted the daughter of a prosperous merchant. Her father suspected

that Davidson was after her £7,000 dowry, and arranged for Davidson to be arrested on a false charge. When Davidson discovered she had married someone else he attempted suicide by taking poison. Davidson's cabinet-making business failed, and he moved to London. He married Sarah Lane, a working-class widow with four children. They had two more children. Davidson became a Wesleyan Methodist, and taught at the Sunday School. However, he left after he was accused of attempting to seduce a female student. Following the Peterloo Massacre, William Davidson became involved in radical politics again. In October 1819, Richard Carlile was found guilty of blasphemy and seditious libel, and sentenced to three years imprisonment. Davidson said that this had caused him to lose his belief in God. He joined the Marylebone Union Reading Society, a club which offered a reading room of radical newspapers such as the Republican and the Manchester Observer for a subscription of two pence a week. Davidson met John Harrison at the Marylebone Union. Harrison was a member of the Spencean Philanthropists in London. Davidson soon became a Spencean. He met Arthur Thistle-wood, and after a few months he became one of the Committee of Thirteen that ran the organisation. In February 1820, George Edwards, a govern-ment provocateur, drew Davidson and Thistle-wood and twenty seven other Spenceans into a

plot to kill government cabinet offi-cers as they dined at Lord Harrowby's house at 39 Grosvenor Square on 23 February. Thistlewood selected David-son as one of an Executive of Five to organise the assassinations. Davidson had worked for Lord Har-rowby in the past, and knew some of his staff at Grosvenor Square. His job was to find out more details about the cabinet meeting. One servant told him that the Earl of Harrowby was not

17

in London. Davidson relayed this information to

Arthur Thistlewood, who believed that the

servant was lying, and ordered the conspirators

to proceed with the plot.

On the 23rd February the Cato Street

Conspiracy met in a hayloft on Cato Street, near

Grosvenor Square. However, there was no

cabinet meeting: the Spenceans had been set

up by George Edwards.

George Ruthven led thirteen police officers to

storm the hay loft. Several revolutionaries

refused to surrender their weapons. Thistle-

wood shot and killed police officer Richard

Smithers. When the co-conspirators tried to

escape, Benjamin Gill hit Davidson on the wrist

with his truncheon, and he dropped his rifle

Four conspirators, Thistlewood, John Brunt,

Robert Adams and John Harrison escaped

through a window. However, their identities

were known due to a list Edwards supplied to

the police, and they were arrested.

Eleven men were charged with involvement in

the Cato Street Conspiracy. Robert Adams

testified against the other men, and charges

against him were dropped. Davidson pleaded

innocence and claimed the court was

prejudiced against black people. However, his

presence at the scene with a rifle lead to his

conviction.

On 28 April 1820, William Davidson, James

Ings, Richard Tidd, Arthur Thistlewood, and

John Brunt were found guilty of high treason,

and sentenced to death. John Harrison, James

Wilson, Richard Bradburn, John Strange and

Charles Copper were also found guilty. How-

ever their death sentences were subsequently

commuted to transportation for life.

William Davidson was executed at Newgate

Prison on the 1 May 1820.

18

A discussion with ‘The Corner Group’, a small group of retired Caribbean men and women who meet up every Monday, come rain or shine, at the West Indian Centre and sit in the corner by the Pool Table and woe betide anyone who tries to take their space! The group is an informal support group, one group member was heard to say “I look forward to Mondays, laughing keeps you young”, and sitting in the ACCOL office upstairs on a Monday I can certainly say that a lot of laughter takes place during the time they are there. Mrs Morias, who is the veteran of the group, quite regularly provides food of some sort from oxtail & rice to sweet potato pudding. Although the group have been meeting for many many years, it is an example of how Community & Voluntary organisations evolve from a group of people getting together to support each other. I get the feeling that the group want to remain small, I guess a certain amount of trust, camaraderie and understanding has built up, but one can see how this group could easily evolve into a successful luncheon club. Eric Linton, former Coventry City Councillor is part of the group. When asked about his thought on ‘The Big Society’ his response was “The Big Society has always been established in the black community. In the early years we always tried to help each other because we were all facing the same pressures, we still do this in the City of Coventry and the West Indian Centre is a good example, always open door to everyone and caters for everyone”. Mrs Morias recalls how “In the early days our house was one of the first places people came to, Frankie and I always used to help people to find jobs, help with passport forms and allsorts. My Husband Frankie and Buster were the first ones to start a Domino team at the Centre, they used to meet at my house and talk about how to set it up” Mr Blackstock “In the early days whenever you saw a black person at the other end of the street or on a bus you would follow them and try to build a relationship, many of us did not know people from other Caribbean Islands, but we were all strangers in a strange land. When it came to jobs the only jobs we could get was in the hospitals, the railway and some hotels. We’ve always had ‘Big Society’ but we did not have a name for it”. Mr Blake “back in those days we used to share rooms/houses. On a Sunday people we would go

to church, go home cook and have drinks ready waiting for your friends to come round”. So did it feel more like a community in those days? Mr Blackstock “You have to feel at home before it can feel like a community and being a foreigner in the UK which we were told was the ‘mother country’, but ‘mother’ refused to nurse us, it did not feel welcoming, but we tried to be obedient and eventually step by step ‘she’ opened up” I’ve heard stories about how pubs and clubs did not want to let black people in, or they had quotas, I have even heard stories where men with white girlfriends were told she can come in but you can’t, having to put up with that, people must have been really happy when the West Indian Centre opened? Eric Linton “Yes it was a joyous feeling, some-where we could continue to work in terms of reflecting the communal spirit, today when you speak to people this is still reflected, they feel like they have somewhere to go, where their friends are and they can talk about family, sport, history, back home, funerals, friends that have died or gone home or moved to America”. Mr Blackstock, “I used to live in Oxford, there were not many black people there, but I did have family here in Coventry so when the Centre opened I used to drive over to come and have a drink, see my family and associate with the West Indian Community”. Sadly just before going to print, we were informed that Balfie Williams, one of the long term members of the group had passed away. Our condolences to Isiah, (Bafie’s son and ACCOL Chair), and the rest of the Williams family.

Jamaica Prime Minster, Norman Manley visits Coventry.

Picture courtesy of Mrs Morias

19

It may seem that there’s

nothing you can do about your

stress level.

The bills aren’t going to stop coming, there

will never be more hours in the day, and your

career or family responsibilities will

always be demanding.

But you have a lot more control than you

might think. In fact, the simple realisation

that you’re in control of your life is the foun-

dation of stress management.

Managing stress is all about taking charge:

taking charge of your thoughts, your

emotions, your schedule, your environment,

and the way you deal with problems. The

ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for

work, relationships, relaxation, and fun, plus

the resilience to hold up under pressure and

meet challenges head on.

Stress management starts with identifying the

sources of stress in your life. This isn’t as

easy as it sounds. Your true sources of stress

aren’t always obvious, and it’s all too easy to

overlook your own stress-inducing thoughts,

feelings, and behaviours.

Until you accept responsibility for the role you

play in creating or maintaining it, your stress

level will remain outside your control.

A stress journal can help you identify the

regular stressors in your life and the way you

deal with them. Each time you feel stressed;

keep track of it in your journal. As you keep a

daily log, you will begin to see patterns and

regular themes. Write them down

• What caused your stress (make a guess if

you’re unsure).

•How you felt, both physically and

emotionally.

•How you acted in response.

•What you did to make yourself feel

better.

Since everyone is unique and has a unique re-

sponse to stress, there is no “one size fits all”

answer to managing it. No single method

works for everyone or in every situation, so

experiment with different techniques and

strategies. Focus on what makes you feel

good, calm and in control.

How you think can have an effect on your

emotional and physical well-being. Each time

you think a negative thought about yourself,

your body reacts as if it were in a tension-

filled situation. If you see good things about

yourself, you are more likely to feel good; the

reverse is also true. Eliminate words such as

"always," "never," "should," and "must." These

are telltale marks of self-defeating thoughts.

Beyond a take-charge approach and a

positive attitude, you can reduce stress in

your life by nurturing yourself. If you

regularly make time for fun and relaxation,

you’ll be in a better place to handle life’s

stressors when they inevitably come.

Try healthy ways to relax, such as getting out

and about for a nice walk, having a long bath

maybe with some scented candles, chill out

with some music a good film or book, or why

not treat yourself to a massage.

Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and

bustle of life that you forget to take care of

your own needs.

Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a

luxury!

If you would like to talk to someone in

confidence; then contact Tamarind on 024

76227712.

Tamarind Centre, a service that promotes

positive health for mind and body!

How can you manage your stress?

To identify your true sources of

stress, look closely at your habits,

attitude, and excuses

20

Elected Mayor? The government wants to give people in Coventry a referendum, possibly next May, on whether an elected mayor should run the City Council. What is your opinion?

Cadbury controversy

Operation Black Vote have called for a full apology and an immediate withdrawal of an advertising campaign that promotes a chocolate bar as a diva, with the strap line ‘Move over Naomi there is a new diva in town’, claiming it is offensive to Black women. The Naomi in question is the super model Naomi Campbell. Valerie Campbell, Naomi’s mother stated; "I’m deeply upset by this racist advert. Do these people think they can insult Black people and we just take it. This is the 21st century not the 1950's. Shame on Cadbury's. Have you seen the advert? What is your opinion?

Your Opinions?

A bit of light relief

21

Shaun BevasShaun BevasShaun BevasShaun Bevas

Passed away:2 April Aged 40 Laid to rest: 21 April 2011

Paul DacresPaul DacresPaul DacresPaul Dacres Passed away: 14 April 2011 Aged 42

Paul Bennett Passed away16 April Aged 36 Laid to rest: 16 May 2011

Kenneth Ferrington

aka King Fire Laid to rest: 20 May 2011

William Gordon Passed away 8th March 2011 Laid to rest 6 May 2011

GeorgeWillis Passed away 1 April 2011 Laid to rest 18 April 2011

Harold Barnes Passed away 21 April 2011 Laid to rest 10 June 2011

‘Balfie’ Williams Passed away 8 June 2011

Florice HunkinsFlorice HunkinsFlorice HunkinsFlorice Hunkins 13 April 2011 Aged: 92 Laid to rest: 12 May 2011

22

Saturday 30 July 2011Saturday 30 July 2011Saturday 30 July 2011Saturday 30 July 2011

Come and visit the West Indian Centre Beer Come and visit the West Indian Centre Beer Come and visit the West Indian Centre Beer Come and visit the West Indian Centre Beer Tent at the Caribbean Festival.Tent at the Caribbean Festival.Tent at the Caribbean Festival.Tent at the Caribbean Festival. Followed by the official After Party back at Followed by the official After Party back at Followed by the official After Party back at Followed by the official After Party back at the Centre (159 Spon Street, CV1 3BB)the Centre (159 Spon Street, CV1 3BB)the Centre (159 Spon Street, CV1 3BB)the Centre (159 Spon Street, CV1 3BB) Music by Mikey D & Dave ‘Marshall’ BarrettMusic by Mikey D & Dave ‘Marshall’ BarrettMusic by Mikey D & Dave ‘Marshall’ BarrettMusic by Mikey D & Dave ‘Marshall’ Barrett 10pm to 4am, with the usual good vibes!10pm to 4am, with the usual good vibes!10pm to 4am, with the usual good vibes!10pm to 4am, with the usual good vibes!

The West Indian Centre is proud to be hosting the official Godiva Festival After The West Indian Centre is proud to be hosting the official Godiva Festival After The West Indian Centre is proud to be hosting the official Godiva Festival After The West Indian Centre is proud to be hosting the official Godiva Festival After Parties Friday 1 July to Sunday 3 JulyParties Friday 1 July to Sunday 3 JulyParties Friday 1 July to Sunday 3 JulyParties Friday 1 July to Sunday 3 July Friday: Friday: Friday: Friday: Classic R&B―DJ One Step Ahead (Kemet FM, Nottingham), Kenny Jordan (Former Kix FM & Fatty Arbuckles), and Dave ‘Marshall’ Barrett Saturday: Saturday: Saturday: Saturday: Reggae Revival―V Rocket (Nottingham), DJ Country Man (Sting Dem FM) supported by Dave ‘Marshall’ Barrett Sunday: Sunday: Sunday: Sunday: Wind down with Award winning Comedian, Annette Fagon, music by Black Magic Family and Mikey D

What’s happening

23

ACCOL is currently looking for new people to join the Advisory Group and become Directors of ACCOL to help the organisation continue to go from strength to strength. We are particularly looking for young people, professional people, people who are passionate and committed to helping the community. If you feel you want to be actively involved in the community then please get in touch or complete the form below. Also if you would like to be added to our database and receive information from us on a Regular basis please complete the form below. If YES, We would like to ensure that you only receive information that is relevant to you we do not want to bombard you with information which is of no interest to you, therefore could you please indicate your area(s) of interest:

Please return to address on reverse or email your details to: afca.org@btinternet.com

Your personal information will be held and used in accordance with the Data Protection Act

1998. We will not disclose information to any unauthorised person or body.

Jobs

Business

Children & Young People

Older people

Funding information

Community Magazine (you will be added to this list if you have agreed to or you are willing to help with the distribution of the magazine)

Black History Month

General information

General conferences, meetings

From time to time we are sent a variety of consultation and policy documents, from various organisation to comment on, would you be willing to have these circulated to you/your organisation to add your comments (where relevant)?

Other (please specify if there is any other information you would like us to pass onto you)

Community events

Volunteering opportunities

Name:............................................................................................................................... Address (optional):........................................................................................................... Contact number:............................................................................................................... Email:...............................................................................................................................

24

Contact us at:

African Caribbean Community Organisation Ltd c/o Coventry West Indian Centre

159 Spon Street Coventry CV1 3BB

T: 024 7622 3020 M: 079 0386 8802

Email: afca.org@btinternet.com

Website: www.accol.org

Office hours:

Monday—Friday

9.30am to 5.00pm