Week of events to celebrate different cultures in Hartlepool during Black History Month

A new group is organising an exciting week of activities to promote cultural diversity in Hartlepool.
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Transformers HPL is being formed to help bring people together from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds with the wider community.

Coinciding with Black History Month, the group is staging a week of events including workshops, exhibitions, and school visits to showcase different arts and crafts, music, dance and food.

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It is with the support of Outreach Ministries and Living Waters pentecostal church, in King Oswy Drive, which is providing the venue for a number of the activities.

Transformers HPL members (left to right) Nomusa Malinga and Georgina Mainoo. Picture by FRANK REIDTransformers HPL members (left to right) Nomusa Malinga and Georgina Mainoo. Picture by FRANK REID
Transformers HPL members (left to right) Nomusa Malinga and Georgina Mainoo. Picture by FRANK REID

And the organisers intend it to be just the springboard for further events.

Transformers HPL is led by Nomusa Malinga, who is from southern Africa and has lived in Hartlepool for 15 years, and Georgina Mainoo, who is from West Africa.

Nomusa said: “The event is an intercultural celebration to try to bring together different cultures with local people and to celebrate our differences under one roof.

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"The ethnic minority population is increasing and quite a lot of people don’t understand different cultures.

Transformers HPL members and supporters from Outreach Ministries (left to right) Phineas Murwira, Georgina Mainoo, Nomusa Malinga, Allison Grosvenor, Lisa Barwick and  Anthony Grosvenor. Picture by FRANK REIDTransformers HPL members and supporters from Outreach Ministries (left to right) Phineas Murwira, Georgina Mainoo, Nomusa Malinga, Allison Grosvenor, Lisa Barwick and  Anthony Grosvenor. Picture by FRANK REID
Transformers HPL members and supporters from Outreach Ministries (left to right) Phineas Murwira, Georgina Mainoo, Nomusa Malinga, Allison Grosvenor, Lisa Barwick and Anthony Grosvenor. Picture by FRANK REID

"We want to be an educational group in a fun way so that we all live together as an integrated community.”

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Nomusa, who works as a planning and housing officer at Hartlepool Borough Council, says some people from different cultures have moved out of town due to feelings of hostility.

"We don’t want these people to keep on leaving,” she said. “We want them to make it home in Hartlepool.”

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Drop in workshops with drumming, dance, music and singing take place at Living Waters church hall from Monday, October 11, to Friday, October 15, at 10am-6pm and all are welcome.

During the week, the group will visit Dyke House Academy and St Joseph’s Primary School.

On Saturday, October 16, they will hold a community litter pick at Wynyard Road in the morning, and at 5.30pm-8pm will hold an exhibition and presentation at Living Waters.

On Sunday, people are invited to attend the church for a diversity service at 10.30am followed by a buffet.

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Guests are invited to bring along dishes from their own cultures.

Transformers HPL is being supported by Hartlepower community interest group.

Chair Peter Gowland said: “We’re delighted to be involved in supporting the formation of the new group to take forward this initiative for the future.”

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