Diversity House

Diversity House was formally opened on the 16th of May 2007 with an office in Phoenix House, Central Avenue, Sittingbourne. A charitable organisation providing both community and prison-based services for diverse communities across Kent. The charity aims to promote community integration, re-integration, social inclusion and cohesion within the Swale and Kent communities. It is our belief that individuals, regardless of their race, ethnicity, age, gender etcetera, should be treated with dignity, respect and adequate opportunities to access services within the community. The charity offers a holistic and person-centred package of care and support for our service-users on issues such as debt management, housing, employment, education, health, and business opportunities. We also run special interest groups, projects, lectures and symposia aimed at informing, educating, inspiring and challenging people in Kent into self-reliance and self-actualisation.

SWEW is a group of totally committed women of all ages eager to promote a positive image of women in Swale and Kent through information and knowledge sharing, equality and diversity, understanding, respect, reaching out, sharing support and advice and socialising. SWEW aims to help disadvantaged women to tackle isolation, improve their life chances by providing opportunities for enterprise, self-employment, employability, new skills, community participation and improved lifestyle choices. We welcome anyone who is interestred in; discussing shared concerns, developing leadership skills, and gaining entrepreneurial knowledge which will enhance your employability skills. It aims to make sure that you have all the confidence, skills and information that you need to achieve your aspirations.

We are part of the UN global compact. "We are pleased to confirm that Diversity House Limited supports the ten principles of the UN Global Compact with respect to human right, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. With this commitment, we express our intent to advance these principles within our sphere of influence and will make a clear statement of this commitment of our stakeholders and the general public. We also pledge to take part in the activities of the UN Global Compact where appropriate and feasible – through for instance participation in Country/Local Networks involvement in specialised initiatives and work streams; engagement in partnership projects; and reviewing and providing commentary to participating companies on their communications on progress." - Christine Locke (Chair and project lead.)

Diversity House receives a grant from Big Lottery Funding

Diversity House will be celebrating interculturality to promote community integration, inclusion and cohesion within Westlands Primary School and the environ.

After successfully applying to the Big Lottery Fund’s Celebrateprogramme, ‘Westlands Diversity Project’ has been awarded £7,810, which will be used to organise a community integration event that will bring people (children and adults) together, create opportunities for social interaction, and cultural exploration, consequently improve interculturality and a celebration of differences.

Swale district a previously predominantly White community has over the past five years seen a sudden influx of people from a wide range of ethnic and religious backgrounds – Travellers, Eastern Europeans, Spanish, Italians, Portugese, Asians, Chinese, and to name a few. This sudden cosmopolitan status means that the wider community and local schools are now coming in contact with cultures and believe that they had no knowledge of, and also have no support or help on how to navigate/bridge these differences. The project will address these issues by holding a series of intergenerational  workshops and activities, creating opportunities for the school community and the wider community to come together to explore each others culture, exchange learning and bridge cultures in a safe and contained environment.  For a community that barely have the opportunity to celebrate, this program will be an added opportunity for them to co-create a learning and celebratory programme.

Mrs Christine Locke, CEO, Diversity House, “We are looking forward to celebrating our differences and also to rejoice that we are all one family. We will work with community members and Westlands Primary School staff in the school to shape a really special and unique set of events which are sensitive to the local needs.”

Mrs Louise Hopkins, Headteacher, Westlands Primary School, “Our school serves an increasingly diverse population and we wish to embrace & celebrate this vibrant mix of cultures.  Our children deserve to have their cultural backgrounds recognised and valued as important within the school and wider community.  We are looking forward to working in partnership with Diversity House and are excited about this project.”

The Big Lottery Fund found that more than half (63%) of people asked reported that they have never or cannot remember ever coming together to celebrate with their local neighbourhood. If given the chance, more than 40% would like to celebrate their local history, and more than two fifths (43%) of those aged 16 to 24 would celebrate their local culture, art or music. In response to these findings the Big Lottery Fund asked for local groups and organisations of all shapes and sizes to apply for funding, to hold events or activities that would bring people together and celebrate what makes their local community special.

The Celebrate programme is the perfect opportunity for people to showcase and enjoy something important to their community, be it an iconic building, a precious landscape, a unique service or a community hero. There is£5 million available in total across the UK. For more information about the Celebrate programme please visit: https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/celebrate

About   Diversity House     Westlands Primary School

About Big Lottery Fund

The total amount available across the UK for the Celebrate programme is £5 million. To find out more please visit: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/celebrate.

  • *YouGov poll on behalf of the Big Lottery Fund with 2109 respondents, June 2016.
  • The Big Lottery Fund is the largest funder of community activity in the UK. We put people in the lead to improve their lives and communities, often through small, local projects.
  • We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. Every year we invest over £650 million and award around 12,000 grants across the UK for health, education, environment and charitable purposes.
  • Since June 2004 we have awarded over £9 billion to projects that change the lives of millions of people. Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £34 billion has been raised and more than 450,000 grants awarded.

 

For any Media Queries, contact, Mrs Harshita Singh, Project Worker, Diversity House 01795 420455, info@diversityhouse.org.uk

 

Consultation with Swale Women and Girls

Mrs Christine Locke, CEO of Diversity House invited all Swale based Women and Girls on Wednesday, 3rd August, 2016 at our office in Phoenix House. The objective was to have a general discussion with all Women and Girls regarding the issues they are facing in their life at the moment and what are the factors which are obstructing them to move forward and chase their dreams, like, Career.

Because Diversity House believes that everyone has equal rights to chase their own dream and move ahead in life with full confidence and zeal.

We feel really happy to meet these women and girls at regular intervals and know about their progress. We all guide them the way forward and help them in whatever capacity we can do as a charity. There are lot of things which we have been doing all this while and would wish to do for the needed development and growth of Swale Women and Girls in future.

Here are some pictures of the session.

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Christine Locke, Founder of Diversity House Speaks Out Against Alienated Societies

“A country that appreciates diversity will always progress,” says Christine Locke, the founder and CEO of Diversity House, the charity she set up in Sittingbourne, Kent to tackle the rising concerns the community was facing after an influx of people from the ethnic minorities set off racial and social tensions.

“Swale country has the fastest growing population of ethnic minorities in Kent,” explains Christine. Read more…