Afternoon Tea is Icing on Cake for Cohesion
One Voice Blackburn’s annual afternoon tea took place on 6th October 2024 with a fantastic turnout. Over 100 people attended the community cohesion event in the luxurious surroundings of Samlesbury Hotel, just outside of Blackburn.
The event was hosted by 13-year-old West End girl Ammarah Ikram who emphasised the importance of coming together, talking to like-minded individuals and working together to create a positive difference in our town.
Organisations and individuals across the borough joined in with an afternoon of networking, socialising, and delicious food. The afternoon tea was a celebration of strong community connections with everybody sharing one common vision of making Blackburn better.
Cohesion and integration are more important than ever, as recent events over the summer have shown us. But in Blackburn with Darwen we do this well. Learning about each other, accepting people of different cultures and faiths, and embracing difference.
There was a real community feel around the room. It was an opportunity to highlight we are more similar than we think. One Voice Blackburn sought out to encourage communities to come together and work collaboratively and that’s exactly the environment that was created.
PCSO Halima Sidat and PC Nikki Nabi from Lancashire Constabulary were happy to see so many people from diverse backgrounds. “Attending community cohesion events is essential for networking and gaining a deeper understanding of the organisations within the area and the support they provide. One Voice Blackburn really knows how to do this well. Bringing people together for one common goal. Strengthening these partnerships fosters greater confidence in policing and understating amongst communities.”
One Voice Blackburn works closely with partner organisations to create a harmonious and cohesive borough which celebrates the diversity of our communities. Cohesion is one of the key objectives of the charity.
The Corporation Park Supporters group attended the Afternoon Tea and were delighted to see Blackburn as such a cohesive town.
“We lunched with love and really enjoyed it. It’s great to see so many people sharing common ground with lots to talk about. Its lovely connecting with people from different organisations and cultures,” said one member.
Sam Morris Chief Executive officer at Blackburn with Darwen Carers Service feels the 1V Afternoon Tea is an amazing opportunity to meet other organisations, charities and community members.
“Community cohesion is a vital component of our town. Coming together to celebrate this and just having an opportunity to make new connections is great.”
The event was sponsored by Together Housing, Newground Together, BRSK, Electricity Northwest, Blackburn and Darwen Youth Zone and, Lets Foster. These organisations have been supporting the work of One Voice Blackburn in providing a platform for young people and their families to thrive and bring out their full potential.
Joanne Spencer from BRSK who were one of the sponsors for the event said: “BRSK is proud to sponsor the afternoon tea as we are with any event with One Voice as it’s a fantastic opportunity to meet people from all over the community and see where support is needed.”
The Afternoon Tea is organised by One Voice Blackburn’s various groups. Young people were on hand to serve an array of drinks and sweet treats. It was a great opportunity for people to share their work over the past year, discuss opportunities of working together and making a positive difference in the community. It was also an opportunity for the young people to learn about leadership opportunities.