Black History Month celebration brings culture, stories and community together

This year’s Black History Month theme, Honouring Our Communities, recognises the people whose contributions help shape and strengthen communities every day. It celebrates heritage, identity and the lasting impact of Black communities across Britain.

The event reflected that spirit from the very beginning, with people we support and team members taking to the stage to share personal stories about their identities, cultures, families and experiences. Their reflections were honest, moving and inspiring, reminding everyone of the importance of learning from one another and celebrating the diverse journeys that make up our Achieve together community.

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Food played a central role in the celebrations, bringing people together through shared traditions and flavours. Team members and people we support prepared an incredible range of dishes from across Africa and the Caribbean, including traditional recipes from Ghana, Nigeria and Jamaica. Guests enjoyed everything from chicken stew and curried goat to Gizdodo, finishing with delicious puff-puffs for dessert.

Behind the scenes, weeks of preparation went into making the day such a success. Cynthia Babundo, Registered Manager at Supported Living in South Norwood, coordinated the food and refreshment preparations, with many team members and people we support beginning their day as early as 4am to cook, transport and set up the dishes that everyone enjoyed throughout the event.

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The celebrations continued after lunch with a vibrant performance from A.C.D – Arts, who shared music and traditions from across the continent. Their energy quickly spread throughout the room, inviting people we support and team members to join them on stage to dance, drum and celebrate together.

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One of the day’s standout moments came from Fabian Morgan, Head of Area Operations, who shared his musical talent with an uplifting live performance. His set included favourites such as The Way You Look Tonight, My Way, From Now On from The Greatest Showman and Bridge Over Troubled Water. He finished with a Bob Marley classic that had the whole room on its feet, singing along and dancing together.

The stage then opened to other talented performers from across our community, with BSL Advisor Boo Holmquest providing British Sign Language (BSL) support throughout.

Chis Onyema, Deputy Manager at Birdhurst Rise in Croydon, wowed the audience with a traditional dance performance, before Theo – who lives at our supported living home in South Norwood – performed two original songs, Blackpool and Croydon, which he had written and produced through his work with Club Soda. Based in Croydon, Club Soda is a charity that supports people with learning disabilities and autism to develop their creative talents through music, media, performance and the arts. The organisation provides workshops, events and opportunities for people to showcase their skills and creativity within their communities.

Theo’s catchy songs quickly became crowd favourites, with much of the audience joining in and singing along.

Later in the afternoon, Julien and Michael – who also live at our supported living home in South Norwood and are members of Campaign 4 Change – performed their much-loved rendition of Where Is The Love? by the Black Eyed Peas, a performance that has become a favourite at our celebrations and again brought people together through music and shared enjoyment.

The event closed with an inspiring speech from Support Worker Tunde Ayeni, who spoke about pride, opportunity and the importance of working together in “oneness”. He encouraged everyone to embrace the skills, experiences and perspectives that make each person unique, while remembering the power of unity, understanding and connection.

His message of leading with love and peace provided a fitting end to a day centred on respect, inclusion and community.

The celebrations concluded with one final song, bringing performers, people we support and team members together on stage for a joyful finale filled with music, dancing and plenty of smiles.

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Events like this remind us of the strength that comes from embracing different cultures, perspectives and experiences. They also highlight the extraordinary contributions Black colleagues make every day across social care, supporting people to live happy, healthy and meaningful lives.

Michael Fullerton, Director of Wellbeing, Strategy & Collaboration, organised the event in collaboration with our co-production group Unity.

“A huge thank you to everyone who performed, shared their stories, cooked, volunteered and attended. Your commitment and enthusiasm have made the day a wonderful celebration of heritage, culture and community that will be remembered long after the music stops.

“Beyond the joy of coming together, events like these are an important reminder of the value of listening to different lived experiences and recognising the many identities that shape who we are. As conversations around intersectionality and cultural competence continue across the social care sector, we remain committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone feels seen, respected and able to be themselves, both at work and in the communities we support.”