Black History Month 2018 – What a Celebration
October 31, 2018
BME Staff Network – supporting Black History Month 2018
October has been fun but very busy!
We had a great launch at Sandwell Education Centre for our “Here to Stay” exhibition on the 1st October. During the same week (4th October) we travelled down to London for the Nursing Times Workforce Summit & Awards. We were delighted that SWBH won the award for Best Diversity & Inclusion Practice, in recognition of the great work being done by our staff networks.
On the 10th October we met with CQC inspectors and discussed the role of the Staff Networks and the work we are doing to embed Equality, Diversity & Inclusion across all areas within our organisation.
I personally was humbled to win the award for Equality & Diversity Champion on the 12th October at the Star Awards. I am grateful for the support I have received from colleagues across the Trust who like me are passionate about the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion agenda.
Staff from the network had a great day attending the RCN Black History Month Conference on 17th October held at West Bromwich Albion Ground. It was a celebration of BAME contribution to health and social care over the last 70 years.
On Thursday 18th October ‘In Conversation with Yvonne Coghill CBE’ hosted by the Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health Trust Black, Asian, Minority & Ethnic (BAME) Staff Network. Yvonne is the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) Implementation Director. Yvonne gave an honest and passionate presentation. There was recognition of the good work being undertaken by NHS Trusts’, but work still to be done to achieve equity for all colleagues working within the NHS regardless of their ethnicity.
We then held our BME Staff Network meeting in the Anne Gibson Board Room at City Hospital. It was a pleasure to have Jenica Leah http://myfriendjen.co.uk/ and Garry Stewart http://www.recognizeonline.com/ http://www.blackpoppyrose.org/wp/ as guest speakers during Black History Month. Special thanks to Flo for baking for us.
On Friday 19th October the BME Staff Network had a stand at the African Caribbean Health Information Conference. The BME Network also arranged for our colleague Amanda from the Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Centre at City Hospital to appear on the agenda. Amanda gave a fantastic presentation that was well received by the health care professionals in the room.
During Black History Month at Central Library in Birmingham there is a for the Voices of the First World War exhibition which included Stories of Omission – Conflict and the experience of Black Soldiers http://www.voicesofwarandpeace.org/voices-activity/voices-of-the-first-world-war/
On the 25th October we gave a guided tour of the “Here to Stay” exhibition to photography students and tutor from Sandwell College. The students were impressed with the portraits and appreciated the opportunity to view them. They were also lucky enough to meet Janice Nelson one of the participants and ask her some questions about being involved in the project.
So Black History Month is over for another year. We hope you have enjoyed it and managed to attend events that have been happening across the region. You will be glad to know that we have already starting drafting plans for 2019. . . . watch this space
blog submitted by Donna Mighty, Co-Chair BME Staff Network