Some of the highest rates of exclusions from Derby’s schools are of girls from the Roma community – yet they want to be at school, and get an education. Why is there […]
Under threat of deportation; ‘stateless’ asylum seeker seeks sanctuary from Saudia Arabia.
A, is an Asylum seeker from Saudi Arabia living in Derby – fearful for his future. Every day anxious that it will be his last day, expecting to be seized and deported, […]
A celebration of Derby’s cultural diversity in music, song, and dance
A Festival took place today at The Spot, and St Peter’s Cross, which drew on the talents of many different communities living in Derby – Kurdish, West Indian, Bosnian, Nepalese, Indian, Congolese, […]
Asylum Seekers: We should try “walking in their shoes”
Whilst Refugee week was a chance for people to celebrate the positive aspects of diversity, it also helped to promote a better understanding of why people seek sanctuary in this country. Much […]
Sikh Temple: Free food for the whole community – an act of faith
The Sikh temple, or Guru Arjan Dev Gurdwara in Normanton (Stanhope Street), contains one of the largest free food halls ,( langar in Punjabi), in Derby. It operates for 14 hours a […]
Soldier from Littleover receives Joint Commander’s Commendation for outstanding dedication in Iraq
Acting Staff Sergeant Baljit Kaur Cornell (46) from Littleover Derby has been honoured with receiving the Joint Commander’s Commendation for her outstanding dedication and commitment on Operation SHADER in Iraq. As Chief […]
St George’s Day celebrations in the City Centre
The annual St George’s Day parade, together with quirky, quintessentially English, side-shows, took place today down St Peter’s Street and in the Market Place. There were a variety of dancers – Morris, […]
Vaisakhi celebration in Derby’s Sikh community 2017
Vaisakhi is one of Derby’s largest annual outdoor events which moves slowly through the streets of Normanton visiting 3 of the City’s Gurdwaras. More information on Sikhism and photos from previous years […]
Shakti Academy launch : Creating opportunities through, and beyond, Dance
Born out of Shakti Arts, founded in 1995, by Anna Gautama, is Shakti Academy, launched last night at the Hindu Temple in Normanton. Based on dance as a medium of expression, the […]
Michal: 1st qualified Roma Youth Worker in the UK…in Derby!
Michal Daniel, left his home in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic, with his parents and siblings, when he was 7 years old. They were living in a Roma ghetto, with little prospect […]
Drugs on the streets of Derby: Is it acceptable that young people are exposed to this?
Guest Author: Ruth Richardson – Youth Worker; Multi-Faith Centre (Roma Community Care) The youth club in Peartree was established over four years ago and since then has been engaging upward of sixty […]
Racism: clearly alive and thriving in Derby
Guest Author: Ruth Richardson – Youth Worker; Multi-Faith Centre (Roma Community Care) Whether it is covert, or overt, the young people of Peartree are routinely experiencing racism. Many of the children and […]
Indian Community Centre leads on Cancer Awareness for the elderly.
Health awareness is about community, it’s about people being encouraged and educated by peers, in culturally appropriate ways, from people they trust. Rarely does it happen from leaflets lying on a desk, […]
A Muslim family’s view of Ramadan; the Islamic month of fasting.
What is Ramadan? What does it mean, and what happens during the month? For many of us outside of the Muslim faith it can be a bit of a mystery. Rather than […]
Vaisakhi – Sikh Festival in Derby 2016
I last attended Vaisakhi in Derby 2 years ago, and use one of the images on my Facebook page, and on my cards. A wonderful, colourful, and serene event, that starts at […]
Diwali : Festival of light at Derby Hindu Temple
The annual Diwali celebration took place on November 6th 2015 at the Hindu Temple in Normanton. The lights were switched on by the Mayor, Paul Pegg, and the event included dance, and […]
Derby Refugee Advice Centre : an essential gearbox for those seeking sanctuary.
Making progress in the UK for Asylum seekers and refugees can feel like a constant battle with conflicting, interlocked, meshed and crunched cogs, frustrating the free-wheeling machine that should guide them through […]
JEM: Jobsearch-Employment-Mentoring – Delivering their targets.
In March 2015 I reported on the launch of a new programme at JEM (Jobsearch-Employment-Mentoring) to support a small number of people, typically from ethnic minorities, with focussed professional support from Dr […]
Arboretum Park ; Challenging the “Invisible boundaries” through Art.
When John Loudon first designed the Arboretum Park in 1839 he did so with great intent to encourage the people of Derby to gather, meet, and enjoy a green space in the […]
175th Anniversary celebration of Arboretum Park
175 years ago Joseph Strutt, a wealthy mill owner, commissioned the Arboretum Park as a thank you to the workers who helped him make his fortune. It is famous for being the […]