Regional Partnership to Capacity Build the BME Voluntary Sector in the East of England Region

Recognising the Contribution of BME Individuals to the Voluntary Sector

One of the two main aims of this project is to recognise, value and acknowledge the contribution BME individuals make to the VCS.

Our partners across the Region have hand-picked a number of key individuals in their area who have made an invaluable contribution to community cohesion in their County, read the following profiles to find out more about our 'BME Community Champions'...

Suffolk Community Champions

Del White

Del is the driver behind the Nia Project African History Month in Suffolk. This project has and continues to achieve so much – particularly through the work in schools and in bringing communities together to share and learn about cultural differences and similarities.

She also had an important part to play in educating and informing people across the UK Suffolk about the impact of Stephen Lawrence’s murder. She was closely involved in the campaign for the 6 years that it took for particular legislation to be introduced to strengthen the message that race discrimination cannot be tolerated.

Del also works with schools and believes that using the arts and creative dialogue supports the inclusion and cohesion agenda. Del was on the Wolsey Theatre Board and is now closely involved with IPArt.

The impact of the work of the NIA project is significant in Suffolk. Del’s positive approach to training and educating local organisations and individuals means that she makes a positive impact on people young and old.

African History month in Suffolk would not happen without Del’s energy and enthusiasm and we see this event go from strength to strength. There is also much voluntary work that Del does behind the scenes. It is apparent that she is a real role model and inspiration to many young people who look to her for support and guidance. This spans many forms from discussing the legacy of the enslavement of Africans for example and empowering young women to be everything they have the potential to be.

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Dominic Lee

My full name is Dominic Savio Kin Ip Lee. I was born in Hong Kong on 12th November 1950. My nationality is British. I came to this country in 1969 with my parents and sisters, and first settled in Northampton town.

I went to the high school there and then to the University of Birmingham to read Electronic Engineering and achieved an honours B. Sc. Degree. I have worked for several telecommunication companies and the last one was British Telecom at Martlesham Heath, Ipswich. I held the post of Consultant Test Engineer there before I retired in September 2007. I also run a couple of private businesses, one as the company secretary of a limited company for property development. For the other business I was a co-partner of a property rental business.

In my spare time, I help to run the Suffolk Chinese Cultural Arts Group as the chairman. We offer young people the opportunity to become familiar with Chinese arts especially dancing and singing, costume designs, musical instruments and other art forms. My aim was to get as many children as possible to be interested in this area and to practice the arts that they like. Since most of the Chinese children members of our group were born and educated in UK they have not been exposed to the Chinese culture and art very much. We offer in the form of ex-curriculum classes for them to learn and try Chinese arts. My hobbies are not many but in particular I love traveling, reading, karaoke and ballroom dancing.

Dominic has been instrumental in ensuring that the annual event (now in its fifth year) has grown in quality and accessibility for an expanding diverse audience. He has also developed the performance skills of Ipswich young people creating original work which blends traditional Chinese culture with British diverse culture.

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Martin Kyrikides

Martin has not only succeeded in turning his life around but has changed the lives of many young people. Initially working mainly in a voluntary capacity, Martin worked tirelessly to ensure that young people were given appropriate support and guidance that would help them excel in their lives and make correct choices and in some cases become role models themselves.

Some of his successes include setting up a leading after school club for six years targeting black and mixed parentage youths some of whom have now gone on to college and university, during this period he also worked for a charity diverting young people away from crime and drugs and acting as a guardian and mentor to numerous young people in the community.

He is working for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) as an Offender Learning and Skills adviser for the East of England. Formerly he worked with the LSC as an Equality and Diversity co-ordinator, alongside his Manager, Amanda Stevens he assisted the LSC in understanding and adhering to the Diversity agenda. Martin has also been involved with Connexions to run a project building self-esteem and boosting the potential of 14-16 black and dual heritage young people.

He is the Pastor of a local Pentecostal Church in Ipswich, where not only is he working on the spiritual development of the members but he recently has been successful in drawing in funding to develop a community learning zone in the town centre – this will continue on the aspirations of the Saturday school and home work club now called ‘SUSSED’. In addition it is hoped adults will get involved and engaged with learning. Martin gives his spare time freely to anyone who might need his help.

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Dr Sushil Soni

Dr Soni is a British national, having been born in India in the Punjab. He came to the UK in 1962 to study at Durham. Although he went home briefly on completion of his studies he returned and settled in the UK.

Dr Soni has always had an interest in social and equality issues and his voluntary work started early on when he was involved in the Delhi University Students Union. He was the secretary of the University of Newcastle on Tyne India Forum in the 1960’s. In the late 60’s and early 70’s out of loneliness and a desire to keep his culture, traditions and identity alive he established a small group which became the Ipswich and Suffolk Indian Association. He then went onto be a founder member of what is now know as the Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality.

He was very involved in the activities of NALGO (now known as Unison) and their Black members group. He also served as a Parish Councillor for 20 years. He has provided advocacy and support for many different people of many different faiths. He is particularly proud of his career at Suffolk County Council and he was the most senior archivist there when he retired in 2001. Dr Soni is now leading on the Ipswich Hindu Samaj and believes that the Hindu community in Suffolk needs a Hindu Cultural Centre and Mandir, based in Ipswich. He has worked tirelessly to achieve this and has managed to obtain charitable status for the group and is now leading on fund raising.

Dr Soni is in no doubt that the Hindu community has grown and that a place for the Hindu community and indeed others will happen. He is clearly a man who has dedicated his life to social and equality issues and talking with others in our diverse communities he is evidently respected by all. His particular understanding of the need for different groups to exist in Suffolk and of the different approaches to achieve equality is inspiring

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Shirley was brought up on the roadside and none of her family attended school. Shirley attended secondary school because she was not good at fieldwork. After school (by this time they lived in a house) Shirely worked her way up into human resource management and then worked for a number of years as a lecturer in post sixteen studies. Shirley has a BA Hons degree in business, Cert Ed in Education, Licentership in industry plus courses in-group work etc.

Shirley says: I am proud to be a Gypsy and feel we have a lot to offer society generally, however due to the racism and bullying I have faced in my life as a child and adult I can see why some people do not tell employers, etc who they are. I believe that every person has a right to live their life in a way that they feel is to their cultural needs, but also have a responsibility to live in harmony with the wider community.I believe in the work of One Voice in reducing violence to and from the Gypsy and Traveller community in a sustainable way and developing the understanding of the community culture whilst developing the communities understanding of the wider communities in this country. I hope that one day my beliefs will become reality.

Shirley has worked tirelessly for the community over the last few years and is a well-respected member of the Gypsy community. Her achievements have allowed her to become a role model for other women from the Traveller community. She has been seen by many (not just from the community) as a person who can break the mould and she deserves recognition for her work to-date and encouragement for the future

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Saline Moore

Saline originally comes from Trinidad and Tobago on a student visa studying a business degree. She moved to Ipswich in 2003 after spending about 5 years in Milton Keynes.

After fellowshipping with the Ark for around two years Saline took up the post of women’s leader and has worked tirelessly to develop a series of very successful workshops that engaged women and promoted not just the spiritual development of women but also the mental and physical health of women with conferences entitled the Well Woman etc. These events have drawn women together over the whole county and also allowed an opportunity for organisations both community and statutory to engage with these women.

As well as these high profile events, throughout the week without a break one would find Saline visiting and encouraging individual women, some of which have had recent bereavement, some who are going though difficult times in relationships, some of which just need someone to chat to.

Saline has not stopped there – the conferences above are but the start of a much wider international vision. Within the next few months the Ark will have a high spec Learning Zone and Saline intends to use this to launch an international element to her Women’s group with a web-based support and resource forum

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