Canterbury College - Fair for All

The campus was buzzing to the sound of African drums, as Canterbury College hosted a series of multicultural activities to promote wellbeing and awareness.

Fair for All was held last week and designed to raise awareness of equality issues and to celebrate our infinite diversity. It was made up of stalls from a variety of Charitable organisations, including Skillnet, Seeds for Africa and Kent Association for the Blind, along with advisory services from Connexions and Community Police, and departments from Canterbury College. 

Catering and Hospitality Services
The Catering and Hospitality Service provided food from around the world every day during the Fair for All Week. Each country was also represented with the flag from that country. The countries covered were: France, Italy, India, China and Jamaica. The department also provided afternoon tea and scones for an English Tea Party which was very well received.

Over the week long event, stalls sold fair trade products and goods made from recycled materials, produced by local people with learning disabilities as well as international sources.  Magnificent displays and interactive workshops from the College’s Floristry department inspired visitors, whilst animal lovers had the chance to view video footage and displays from the Animal Care department about their visit to Sumatra.

Further workshops included Chinese Brush Painting, Meditation and Mental Health Awareness sessions, all aimed at promoting well being.  For the more active visitor, there was a chance to get involved in all inclusive sports, with a game of Boccia or Sitting Volley Ball. 

Canterbury College student Jos Achner, who is doing a two year BTEC National Certificate in Sports and is a wheelchair user, ran the Volley Ball session, which included practicing shuffling on your buttocks to gain movement around the floor as a warm up.

For the more linguistically challenged, there were taster sessions in French, Italian and German.   Lecturer Zoran Tesic also gave an inspirational talk of his life story, about how he overcame adversity as an asylum seeker in the UK, and is now the Head of Media at Canterbury College.  

Throughout the week visitors enjoyed demonstrations from Music for change, a charity which helps develop cultural understanding through music and the arts, by wowing its audience with colourful displays of Chinese and African dance, circus skills and lessons in Afro Cuban Percussion. 

Sharon Clarke, the Disability Advisor at Canterbury College who organised the successful event, was delighted with the positive feedback from students and staff alike. 

The fair was a fun opportunity for all to enhance their awareness of equality, diversity, knowledge and understanding from all cultures around the world, whilst appreciating the valuable contributions we all have to share.