Spring Ball 2018

“Celebrating Diverse Cultures to increase understanding and create community cohesion.”

This annual project aims to celebrate, foster and promote community events and community cohesion. Our application for funding included organising  Family & Community Events, including multi-cultural festivals throughout the year with a showcase of cultural talent, food and music. 

One of the aims of this project is to gain a better understanding of other cultural celebrations and interact with them with a view to increasing participation by involving the local community centres and schools. These events are open to people of all ages. We ensure our venues have easy access for wheelchair/pushchair users. 

The annual Spring Ball 2018 was was a fantastic night which brought together over 125 people from different communities to celebrate music and all the rich celebrations that each community has to offer. The night consisted of Irish Dancers, Filipino Dancers, Punjabi Giddah and all guests were invited to join in with the dancing. This is an event that we hope to arrange annually to ensure our communities  continue to celebrate and showcase their culture in a true community spirit.

Awards for All kindly provided funding for this project which was run by SWF in line with our missions:

• Cultural celebrations provide the opportunities to learn more about people from different backgrounds.
• Stevenage is a predominately White British area (83%).
• By learning about other cultures, people are likely to develop respect and open-mindedness to support community cohesion.
• To overcome ignorance and prejudice.
• To promote identity and heritage.
• Promoting diversity brings strength and tolerance in communities as well as discovering our common interests, with a view to uniting and educating us.
• To understand others’ perspectives to broaden our own understandings.
• There is a need to appreciate other cultures and coming together is one way in accomplishing that.
• Through each other’s diversity we become more aware of our own. Not only do we become more aware but we also gain a sense of pride for the diversity of our own culture and personal community growth.
• Community events provide learning opportunities that are also thought provoking which allow for reflection on diversity.
• To see how many different forms of culture, food and music can bring excitement to groups outside of their own traditional roots.
• To understand what varied cultures, beliefs, and lifestyles other people lead.
• There is a need to relate and understand those with different/changing social, economic, and educational backgrounds.