Message from the Chair
It is an honour to continue to serve the community as Chair of ECA. The team of volunteers have grown and made our work in the community possible.
This has been an amazing year; there have been many positive developments. Our work with the elderly has continued to flourish; our luncheon club which is led by Barbara Teape, has regular attendees, has been firmly established at Green Towers. The exercise in the park and the walking group continued throughout the summer.
We hosted a very successful Black History month event in October 2021; with the theme – “Black women – Their Hidden Stories” and were delighted to have amazing women in the community speak at the event and run workshops.
However, I consider our greatest achievement took place in April of this year when we launched our book, film, and exhibition Windrush Voices: 20 Stories of Determination and Triumph. Our amazing writer and filmmaker Roy Edwards and Colin Johnson respectively, were able to get the best out of the contributors. There were over 360 people at the launch at Millfield Theatre, Edmonton – a packed house. Since the launch the first batch of 400 books sold out within 3 weeks and the new order of 400 books are selling fast. We are thrilled at this success, as it means that the stories of the generation that came to the UK between 1948 and 1971, largely from the Caribbean are being told, heard, and passed on from generation to generation. Their stories will not be lost.
Dionne John has joined our team as an associate member and is our health champion. Dionne has brought her knowledge and strengths in working as a researcher for the Enfield NHS and her extensive links with a number of organisations in Enfield to the table. She is a great asset to our team.
We have continued to forge links with local organisations and have begun to work with Caribbean and African Health Network (CAHN) whose mission is to improve the health outcomes of Black Caribbean and African people and to reduce health disparities. We promote the Caribbean and African Targeted Health Hour and supported the recently launched Enfield Black Community Health Forum. I was invited to speak at the launch in Enfield on 28th May. These links matter and increase our standing in the community.
I would like to thank our trustees, associate members and volunteers who continue to provide valuable services to the community.
With your support we will be able to continue to provide vital services to Black and global majority communities and achieve our mission, which is to eliminate racial discrimination and for an inclusive, fair, and equal community, in which people of Caribbean origin can develop their full potential as visible, positive contributors and participants in the life of the Borough of Enfield.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the ECA, or supporting us in any way, further information can be found on our website or contact us at info@theeca.org.uk.
Oveta McInnis
Chair and Trustee Enfield Caribbean Association