On Saturday, I was delighted to attend an event celebrating the lives of Black residents in Worcester as part of Black History Month. Held in the Guildhall, ‘Our Cultural Heritage’ was an exciting and vibrant event organised by local community groups including the Worcester Anti Racism Initiative, Worcester Afro Caribbean Association and the Association of Igbo’s in Worcestershire.

The lower hall incorporated an exhibition celebrating early residents and contributions made to life in the city, including sports people, NHS staff, people in business and local volunteers.  Upstairs, the Assembly Room, was brought to life with music, art, poetry and a fantastic spread of food, but most importantly a buzz of conversation.

It was a particular highlight for me to be able to open the Mayor’s Parlour and provide a short tour around the Guildhall, to local people of all ages and from across Worcester’s diverse communities.

While the Worcester Anti Racism Initiative has run a successful programme as part of Black History Month for the last few years, it is the first year that the Guildhall has hosted this event, and the organising team hopes to build on the successes of the last few years.

The team is keen to hear from anyone who would like to support this event going forward, to be part of the conversations and to share their experiences and memories of living in Worcester. If you would like to get in touch, the Communities team can be contacted at communities@worcester.gov.uk