Communities turn out in hundreds to celebrate diversity in Telford
Members of Telford's diverse communities turned out in their droves at an event to honour the Queen and the Windrush generation.
The team at the Telford African and Afro-Caribbean Resource Centre (TAARC) decided to have a belated July celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and Windrush Day because of all the events being held in June.
Organisers say they were not only blessed with Saturday's fine weather but by an equally glorious turnout of 800 people at Hadley Learning Community School (HLC). The event included Caribbean and African cuisine, and Sofia Steeldrum steel band music, stalls, bouncy castles and DJ Third Generation Sounds.
Heather Reid, of TAARC, said: "Our ultimate goal is to create a harmonious community through honouring the past, understanding the present and celebrating the future."
TAARC, formed in 2016, organises workshops in local schools to raise awareness of people's cultures and is working to spread the message of inclusion to schools both urban and rural. It also uses art to help bring people together and to engage young people on the edges of society.
Telford mayor Raj Mehta was joined by members of West Mercia Police, including assistant chief constable Rachel Jones and members of the local safer neighbourhood team.
Three members of TAARC, which became a charity in 2017, have taken places on the organisation's board, including founder Natalie Headley, Barbara Thomas, Nakita Rutherford and Mrs Reid. They also have a backbone of 40 volunteers.
For more on TAARC visit facebook.com/TAARCuk.
