Camealia Xavier-Chihota is a 37-year-old mum of two but her beloved offspring are not the only children she is helping grow and develop. Camealia is part of the team that founded the marvellous Medway Culture Club.
The Club is one of the silver linings of that horrendous year 2020. Camealia has been on board throughout the journey that has seen Medway Culture Club develop from an idea, a concept to an online service in lockdown and now to a supplementary educational Charity. It’s a charity which is of very much of our time and one that Medway is a better place for having.
CommunityAd had the pleasure of a chinwag with Camealia, whose enthusiasm about the charity shines as vibrantly as a carnival, and speaking of carnivals, there is one in the pipeline later this year thanks to the work of MCC.
To readers who are unaware, what’s Medway Culture Club all about?
This community-led charity was formed in 2020 with the objective of addressing social isolation and promoting racial harmony within Medway. Addressing the educational gaps in history and highlighting the positive contributions that have helped shape our society and are not currently covered in the national curriculum.
We hope to inspire and motivate the next generation by offering a combination of structured lessons, practical activities and mentorship. We promote social and racial harmony within the local community to facilitate inclusion. We do this by creating cultural access points and increasing active engagement, delivering extra-curricular activities in areas such as: arts & culture, history, music and mentorship.
The club had an amazing 2021, didn’t they? And so much to look forward to in 2022?
Yes, last year was a great year and we managed to achieve so much! We successfully delivered six online sessions which not only raised awareness of our service in Medway, but engaged families much further afield, who logged on from the comfort of their living-rooms. Launching IRL (in real life) sessions in July, so far, we have brought lessons in African Drumming & Storytelling, Diverse Innovators & Literature, Untold Histories, Trailblazers and Samba, to the young people of Medway. Not forgetting our fabulous family carnival – which we intend to run again this year on Saturday 27th August – that’s an Exclusive! Save the date!
In 2021, we were nominated for a National Diversity Award and awarded Charity status by the Charity Commission, so we are super proud of everything we have achieved in such a short time and excited to build on this going forward!
Why do you think it’s so important for the community that clubs such as the Medway Culture Club exist and thrive here?
With Medway becoming an increasingly diverse place to live, Medway Culture Club aims to not only educate, but also empower children by encouraging an appreciation of diversity, building positive relationships, and understanding the perspectives of others.
Our volunteers include a variety of educators and industry professionals with a shared passion for unity and youth work. We provide positive representation and encourage good citizenship and community cohesion, which broadens the understanding of ourselves and the wider world.
If someone is reading this thinking to themselves ‘this sounds great, maybe I should get involved’ why should they?
This is an exciting time for our charity as we plan and develop our mission to grow and empower young people inclusively!
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds with a genuine desire to make a difference. To apply or for more information, please email us at [email protected]
The latest Medway Culture Club Session entitled Commonwealth Creativity was held on Saturday 7th May:
“In this creative arts session Medway Culture Club will be transformed into a MCC T-shirt Factory, in preparation for the fast-approaching Platinum Jubilee celebrations. In this immersive session, children will learn how to create and set-up stencils for screen printing. They will use professional tools and techniques to print a t-shirt with a speech bubble and the word “hello” in languages from the Commonwealth. The older children will demonstrate their creative flair, taking inspiration from flags and emblems of the Commonwealth to design and hand paint a bespoke t-shirt, which they can take home and wear.
“To finish, we will serve lunch from a local restaurant.”*
Camealia leaves our readers with a potent message of what the club is striving for: “At Medway Culture Club, we consider goal setting as vital to young people’s development and their long-term success. By encouraging students to set themselves goals, they become engaged in forward-thinking, target setting and self-motivation. By turning goal setting into a fun, memorable activity, students are more likely to engage and think more creatively about their futures”.