Remembrance Sunday - British Commonwealth Countries

 Armistice Day - Pilots of the Caribbean & Flying For Britain

When forces join together we break new ground and take-off to higher heights. Ex-military, City Government personnel, actors, historians and other special guests where amongst the audience standing on the 17th floor of City Hall Westminster watching over the magnificent views of the grounds of Buckingham Palace where the traditional celebrations of Armistice Day took place observing the two minute silence at 11am on 11/11/2022. Following the procedure witnessed from the window view The Pilots of the Caribbean event with Flying For Britain Film Premiere began. 

BLACK HISTORY IN BRITAIN - WWII

 BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2022

Black History Month 2022 was about building blocks and breaking barriers to inclusion through educational events. It's been a busy month as usual where the demand for storytelling increases for both adult and children/young people's workshops. However schools and institutions are beginning to recognise the inclusion of Black History throughout the year. The highlight of my Black History Month activities was the event at RAF Marham - Aviation Heritage Centre - on Wednesday 19th October, this day was dedicated with  a tribute to Justice Philip Ulric Cross. The day witnessed the unveiling of a plaque and a seminar celebrating his life in the conference room named after him. This event is an example of the building blocks to inclusion of people of colour, as Black, Asian and other minority groups have always been hidden in history.

How awards can help writers growth

Queen's Honours Awards

Reflecting on June's journey in my work of girls and women empowerment I humbly received the honour of a BEM award from the Queen's Honour birthday list, this prompted me to do a blog post to share the importance of accepting awards and why one should. Whilst working to support women and girls in the community is a vocation and not expectant of awards, there is also a joy of being celebrated and your work recognised. The Prime Minister officially acknowledges the panel's shortlisted candidates, after the government hands them over to the Queen who has the final approval. Why would one dismiss the awards under Order of the British Empire? Well, one reason Black Asian and Ethnic Minorities, BAME people do not accept these awards is because of the title being associated with empire? 

Why Race is a major component of failing school inclusion

 Women and Writers of Colour

Black Books - Non-Fiction

Last week my blog post was on inclusion failure as schools celebrated School Diversity Week, and this week gives further evidence on this matter. Not only are activists seeking to address the lack of black history in the school curriculum, but there are also findings that only 7% of women writers being studied at GCSE level English Literature, and a shocking 0.7% of writers of colour being included in the English Curriculum Key Stage 2- 4. The race equality think tank Runnymede Trust and Penguin Random House collaborated to investigate the lack of representation from ethnic minority authors and writers of colour. 

Why Inclusion is Failing?

 School Diversity Week

This week schools work on celebrating LGBT+ & Equality and Inclusion from 21st - 25th June. Last week I posted on Autism and Inclusion discussing why we need to celebrate our differences. But when the week is over, things return to normal, and only when the nation has campaigns do we remember to celebrate or create changes for excluded people. This is the same for Black History Month, a time when there is a possibility for black professionals to be invited into schools to give talks, and for our history to be shared in lessons. Things have improved recently with some schools taking time to collaborate with black-led organisations. The celebrations include the start of mandatory black history as The Black Curriculum since June 2020 campaigned for this to be actioned, and have trained over 3,300 teachers and 3,500 students reached to date. But why is inclusion failing?

Why do we need to celebrate Autistic Pride Day?

 Autism and Inclusion

This year's theme for World Autism Day is "Inclusion in the Workplace: Challenges and Opportunities in a post-pandemic world." It's such an important topic, particularly because we see autism as a challenge and they rarely highlight the advantages in various institutions. I began working in compulsory education in a secondary school at the beginning of the Millenium as a Learning Support Assistant where I worked with pupils registered with special needs. From the onset in that school and in future schools and colleges I've worked in, I remarked at the high intelligence many of the autistic pupils portrayed. However, their strengths went uncelebrated. Schools focused on ensuring that mainstream pupils' exam grades put the school in good stead. Until the world unlearns to define what "normal" is, we will be forever fighting for inclusion for all people. 

How we celebrate IWD 2020

Each for Equal with Fly Girls

We are in our favourite period celebrating International Women's Day, Week, Month and looking forward to the year 2020 for the Fly Girls Wellness project.

On Sunday 8th, International Women's Day Fly Girls be active walk & run group met for Sunday celebrations after our regular run, to share stories and have a healthy drink, it was cheering to all who took part in the Vitality Big Half Marathon, and a special cheers to three of our first time half marathoners.

Our first-timers are still smiling since the 1st March, they say running uplifts you and we know that buzz you get afterward. However, our team are feeling on a high for their achievements, Jackie a very easy going gentle paced runner had recently started training for the event and had a smashing time of 2hrs and 34 mins, running most of the race and walking the last 3 miles.

End Violence Against Women Conference

16 Days of Activism

Amanda Epe speaker
Stop The Violence Conference NCC

Keeping the conversation going days after the 16 days of activism ending on Human Rights Day December 10th is vitally important in society to end the violence against women. Commencing on End the Violence toward women and girls day 25th November the conversations focus on women's safety against sexual and domestic violence globally. On a local level in a Newman School in West London, a panel of women spoke on issues to school girls at the annual Stop the Violence conference.

Fly Girls at The Vitality Big Half London Marathon

Fly Girls Weather the Storm

BBC Clip on The Big Half Vitality Run

Two weeks ago on Sunday 10th March a few of our team were anxious as for most it was their first ever half marathon. Fly Girls Running Community are a beginners running group that meets on Sunday mornings for a run around Wembley Stadium, ten signed up to do the 13.5mile run as a group and others separately for alternative distance runs scheduled for the day. The motivation for our team to do this was the knowledge that your peers were with you on the route, regardless of the distance you were from each other during the race. Having entered the 5km and 10km races locally and London wide the next progressive step was to try this race out, but by no means was anyone under pressure to enter.

'Becoming' A book by Michelle Obama

Becoming an author

Accomplished could have easily been an alternative title for Michelle Obama's debut book 'Becoming'. We are taken back to her childhood and growing up in the first chapter and mostly throughout part one. So detailed was this section that it could have the reader wondering whether or not this would be an autobiography rather than a memoir of becoming the First Lady and the First Black First Lady. Michelle nee Robinson was a fastidious student and she recalls her determination to be her best in education from her first days at school in spelling quizzes. Her parents had sacrificed enormously for their children's education, Michelle and her older brother Craig, their background was the building blocks for both of them to excel academically, Michelle going on to Ivy League institutions.

International Women Day 2015

Encouraging Fly Girls to Make it Happen

Amanda Epe delivering school assembly

I was delighted to lead the assembly for International Women's Day at Ricards Lodge School to approximately 500 girls this week. Invited and introduced by the Assistant Head Teacher Mrs Sawyerr who leads the campaigns in the assemblies, I began by asking the girls if they were ready to fly and if they believe they can fly. The key point was to deliver messages of self-worth and determination.

FGM Education and Campaign Work

FGM Prevention and Prosecution

U.K Stamping Out FGM in the first prosecution

For 29 years Female Genital Mutilation FGM has been outlawed in Britain, and today marks the announcement of the first case of prosecutions to perpetrators of FGM crime; the charge signals the seriousness and should hinder and prevent anyone wishing to support FGM.

Guardian ANTI FGM Campaign

http://www.theguardian.com/society/video/2014/feb/26/guardian-fgm-petition-campaign-video

Warsan Shire's poem about FGM

http://www.theguardian.com/society/video/2014/feb/14/girls-warsan-shire-fgm-video?INTCMP=

Tesco and Diabetes UK: Type 2 diabetes risk awareness campaign

The Cry, The Call of Dr Phoebe Abe and Leyla Hussein

End FGM not Female Fertility

Dr Phoebe Abe

This week the nation focuses on National Infertility, in Philappa Roxby’s (BBC health reporter) recent article infertility is regarded as a taboo subject for women. In a talk last Saturday by Dr Phoebe Abe a GP who also campaigns internationally against FGM, she talks poignantly on the unnecessary health conditions and major consequences of serious illness from the impact of FGM, such as Kidney failure. In Dr Abe’s work she informs her peers, surgeons in the medical profession as to the seriousness of FGM, many of whom are unaware of stitched women who are in labour and then proceed to Cesarean section. Outside of her surgery hours she passionately holds grassroots meetings with women to discuss the harm, the legal implications on those found guilty of the practice as well as political activism and lobbying.  

Holly McNish Breast feeding

Natural v Sexual

                                                              Holly McNish

October is national breast cancer awareness month and I want to blog about the nature of the breast function as opposed to it being only an object of sexual gratification. On national poetry day poet Holly McNish waxed lyrical on the topic of breastfeeding on a spoken word piece entitled Embarrassed. Her poem was written from her experience of wanting to breast feed her baby daughter in an open space but had to resort to the ladies toilets, so not to annoy the public. She rants about the way “tits” are displayed in billboards all over the country, yet when she needs to fulfill her natural responsibility society shuns it, therefore encouraging more formula milk.

United we stand

One world and one race is the binding factor to tie us together in one love, sharing and supporting each other in this life. Opposing views and values are divisive yet inevitable and healthy for democracy and freedom, however when we are working towards the same or similar goals there is a powerful force and greater impact when all participants pull together and work cohesively.

Safeguarding Children

Consultation Committee in view to incorporate FGM training in Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Inset days.

Responsible department: Department for Education

Every child matters and it is vital that all teachers nationwide should be aware of any harmful practices and danger children face regardless of their culture.
The primary national curriculum for PSHE and Citizenship four elements, one stating developing a healthy, safer lifestyle for children.
With 30,000 girls at risk of being tortured the time is now to improve the skills and confidence of SRE teachers, through their ITT and regularly on INSET.
The time is now to review the curriculum and add this topic starting from year six. Please sign the petitions below:

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/47004