It was an afternoon of celebration at Harrow College as Diversity Week concluded with a lunch time fair for students.
The Harrow on the Hill campus canteen became a hive of activity as issues related to the topic of Diversity including black history, multiculturalism, background, ability and ethnicity became the focus. Colourful displays, international food, traditional clothing, local community groups and lots of passionate students all came together to make the event a great success and a fitting close to Diversity Week.
Displays were set up for different countries from around the world which are represented by students within the College. Ghana, India and Romania were just some of the displays which showcased traditional memorabilia and furnishings, tourist attractions and lots of food including savoury snacks, meat dishes and sweet treats. Students dressed in traditional clothing and played local music to create an all-encompassing international flavour to proceedings.
Learners from the Hair & beauty course set up a display to showcase different African Caribbean hair styles. They were on hand to give live demonstrations and speak about the history of hair styles along with photos and well known case studies of leading African Caribbean women.
PC Perry from the Metropolitan Police provided information about hate crime. Students were told what hate crime is and were encouraged to report it if they ever felt victimised. PC Perry commented "no one should suffer in silence for who they are".
Representatives from the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community were also present. Local youth centre Mosaic had lots of information to promote local youth groups and also the seriousness of LGBT crime. Much of the attacks suffered by the LGBT community are verbal. The team from Mosaic displayed words which are deemed acceptable and also words which are not.
Harrow Mencap was there to give students information about the work they do including volunteering and fundraising opportunities. The charity support people with learning difficulties and deliver a number of fantastic services to ensure it members are given lots of opportunities to progress in life and engage with the community.
Reflecting on Diversity Week and todays celebratory Diversity Fair, Sandie Petrie, Enrichment Coordinator for Harrow College said "It's wonderful to see so many cultures coming together and enjoying each others company. The objective of Diversity Week was to raise awareness of the different sections of our community and to celebrate the diversity we enjoy here in London and here in Harrow College".