Xcellence Magazine Spring Issue 3 - Exodus

SPRING 2023

XCELLENCE M A G A Z I N E

EXODUS

ISSUE 3

XCELLENCE Spring 2023

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"X" stands for the unknown names, untold histories, and unacknowledged. contributions.

This magazine is a dedication to the ancestors

What's inside: 4-6: People in Power Rawinda Wallace- Lahar

68-73: Health and Wellbeing Keep Wales Tidy, Soul Trails

8-25: Education Arts Council Wales...and more

Other Features:

Poetic Justice Back Page - Art provided, by Lucent Dreaming

26-27: History Visa Versa Muslims in Cardiff

For advertising, sponsorship or event spotlight enquiries contact: info@bexcellence.co.uk

28-32: BOMB Black Owned Minority Business

To view previous issues, visit www.bexcellence.co.uk

35-39: I AM Interview with Yousra Elsadig 40- 51: How Great Thou Art National Theatre of Wales, Wales Millennium Centre... and more 53-55: Stars are Born in Wales Interview with Monique Bux 56-64: Youth Matters Sound Progression...and more

We are FBS winners for Diversity and Inclusion 2023

Legal Disclaimer Xcellence Magazine, all information, interviews and events, were accurate at the time of print. We do not accept liability for any distorted, content in relation to the people and places outside of this publication

Editor's Note

How are you? No I mean how are you really? We often ask this question and the usual reply is, I'm fine, so we leave it there. We tend not to invest any further and just go about our business. It is a question often asked more out of common curtesy than out of genuine concern or enquiry.

But I wonder what would happen if people stopped and said no, how are you really?

I did a radio interview with Yaina Samuels back last year, during mental health awareness week, she shared with me all about her extensive work experience with people suffering from mental health issues, this was how Yaina, suggested we ask the question. She claims that if you had genuine concern, you would say it twice.

I loved that and I have tried to adopt that approach in my life now. In February, the BOMB squad at Radio Cardiff, used their platforms to raise awareness around stigma and discrimination in mental health, calling for all employers to sign a pledge to support staff to talk about their issues and promise to provide support and sign posting. It is OK to talk., in fact we need be a safe space for someone who maybe struggling.

Love Donna Ali x

So, my challenge to you is to ask how are you twice, you never know what can happen, there is healing in talking! As they say, a problem shared is a problem halved.

Founder & Editor-in-Chief

On another note we are on issue 3, yayyy! This issue is special to me as we are giving the majority of the space to our beautiful Muslim brothers and sisters. Within these pages, you will learn so much about the Islamic culture, and it's relationship with the West. We also caught up with some phenomenal human beings doing awesome things - for Wales!

“Surviving is important, thriving is elegant.”

If you missed Issue 1 & 2 you can find them online at: www.bexcellence.co.uk You can now subscribe, so where ever you are in the world, you can keep up to date on all things regarding Black and Ethnic Excellence in Wales.

I hope you enjoy!

--Maya Angelou

Hi, I'm Tia. I am a media research assistant at BE.xcellence CIC, running the feature 'Youth Matters'. During the past few months, I have been working on a project with Filo, a youth arts organisation and got to exhibit at the WMC, showcasing a spoken word and visual exhibition called, 'Clean Slate', which is an exposé of the links between Welsh slate and slavery. Read all about it, in Youth Matters. Look inside and see all the Xcellence, we have in issue 3. We hope you will be as inspired as we have been whilst putting the Spring issue together.

I am fortunate to be involved in Xcellence Magazine and mentored by the editor-in- chief, who believes in succession planning, by making space for young people to gain experience in media for their voice to be heard and provide positive representation for future generations.

Love Tia-Zakura Camilleri Media Research Assistant

My hope is that you enjoy issue 3, and tell everyone about Xcellence Magazine.

We would like to say a huge, thank you to Ping it News & Books Council Wales, for supporting our vision of bringing something a little different to the FREE community news public space.

All content, unless otherwise stated is a copyright of BE.Xcellence CIC. All rights reserved. No parts of this independently published magazine may be reproduced without permission. BE.Xcellence CIC is a community interest company registered in Wales 13277970. Any enquiries, comments or complaints, get in touch via:info@bexcellence.co.uk

Team Work Makes the Dream Work A huge thank you to our contributing writers: Tia Zukura Camilleri Mariyah Zaman Jessica Grace Luchia Ellul-Alimakhena Mohammed Hersi Azim Ahmed Molara Awen Ricardo Erasmus Saddia Abubaker Nicola Goodall Dr Mustafa Megrahi

Poetry: Tia Zakura Camilleri Duke Al Durham Art Chris Ebun Taylor - Back Cover

Sponsor/Advertising With thanks to: Keep Wales Tidy Wales Millennium Centre Urban Circle Race Council Cymru Soul Trails Afro Hair Academy

Front Cover Design - Donna Ali Model - Yousra Elsadig Photography - Darren Tyson MUA - Anisa Yusuf Beauty MUA Essay Sophie Gilliat-Ray Jody Mellor Proof Reader Sian Hopkins

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Ramadan is from March 22nd to April 20th, this year. But what is Ramadan?

Ramadan is an important month for Muslims around the world. It is a time of spiritual reflection, increased devotion, and self-discipline. For non-Muslims, it is a great opportunity to learn more about the Islamic faith and the significance of Ramadan. Here are some questions you could ask Muslims during Ramadan to gain a deeper understanding of their beliefs and practices.

Infographic - gifted by: Yusuf Ibrahim of Cardiff and Vale College.

Ask Question, such as: How do you prepare for Ramadan?

Muslims usually prepare for Ramadan by increasing their spiritual practices and by making efforts to be more charitable and kind. They also make sure to stock up on food and other supplies they will need for the monthlong fast.

How do you break your fast during Ramadan?

Muslims usually break their fast at sunset with a meal called Iftar. This is often done in the company of family and friends, and is seen as an opportunity to strengthen social bonds and show gratitude for blessings.

What is the significance of Taraweeh prayers during Ramadan?

Taraweeh prayers are additional prayers that are performed during Ramadan after the Isha prayer. They are not obligatory, but many Muslims choose to participate as a way of strengthening their spiritual connection with Allah.

What is the significance of Eid al-Fitr?

Eid al-Fitr is the celebration that marks the end of Ramadan. It is a time of joy and gratitude, and is usually celebrated with family and friends. Muslims often dress in their finest clothes, share food with loved ones, and give to charity during this time.

Ramadan is a month of great significance for Muslims around the world. Asking questions and learning more about the significance of Ramadan can help promote greater understanding and respect for the Islamic faith.

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Advertt

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People in Power

Interview In conversation with: Donna Ali

Riwanda Wallace - Laher

Small Change, Big Difference

How did your appointment as the first Muslim woman to become a CEO of an international charity, come about?

I was given the opportunity to become the first female CEO of an International charity after working within the Penny Appeal for eight years. During that time, I had undertaken many different roles. The international charity space is very male dominated, so I was really proud to get the role as CEO of a charity turning over 30 million pounds, to date. However, it all started in my previous role as a secondary school teacher. I really enjoyed teaching and was a subject leader and head of year. I used to encourage my students to engage with charity work and that’s how my passion for supporting charities began.

Initially, I started off supporting charities, by doing cakes sales and shaking my bucket on the street, as well as organising many other events to raise awareness and funds. I was approached by the founder of Penny Appeal, Adeem Younis, and asked if I would like to take on an official role, but refused at first as I thought the role was not for me. I had worked hard to gain my teaching qualifications and was happy.

But after some encouragement to join during the start-up phase of the Penny Appeal, I thought, I am going to give it ago. It was an exciting time, as it was all very new, and I really believed in the vison Adeem had. Initially, I started as a volunteer co-ordinator, I then worked in the fundraising department and, eventually, had the role of working alongside our high-net-worth major donors and, then as a director of fundraising. After Covid I was made the director of donor care, working alongside marketing, events and call centre staff, anything to do with income generation and growth. I was very effective in those areas, so was quickly promoted to senior director. Later the role of CEO came up and I was encouraged by Adeem to go for it! After a thorough interview process, and over 100 applicants, I was told I got the job. So, I went from bucket shaker to CEO in eight years.

Is there a particular time of year that people seem to support the charity more, or do you witness that people respond more in a crisis?

CEO of the Penny Appeal Charity: Ridwana Wallace - Laher

If you would like to support, visit:

www.pennyappeal.org

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A bit of both really, for instance, during Ramadan it is one of our busiest times. Because one of the five pillars of Islam is giving and it is believed that giving during the holy month, multiplies your rewards. I do feel it is important to show people the impact of their donations, so I am travelling to Turkey to look at the impact of our work with the Syrian refugees, I will be taking some footage and images. I can use that feedback to inform our donors of where their donations have helped with things such as, food packs and temporary housing. As a woman, I am keen on making sure the refugee women have dignity packs, so they have a safe space to breastfeed and undertake personal care. I will also be meeting with some of our partners, to discuss the next phase of our support.

Unfortunately, what tends to happen when charities respond to crises, is they make an impact and then move on to their next project, but what we like to do is maintain and build relationships, to ensure that people are getting back on their feet to the fullest. A few years ago, we worked with Rohingya refugees, who were subjected to violence and attack back in 2017. Although that issue is not reported in the mainstream media, currently they are still a community of the largest refugee camps in the world. We have to be aware that aid is not just needed in the midst of a crisis, as it takes a long time, for people to rebuild, not just economically, but mentally and physically. So, at Penny Appeal, we want to be there for the whole journey, wherever we can.

People in Power

‘You Can’t Be What You Can’t See’

Does the Penny Appeal, only support Muslims?

What is your vision, as CEO, for the future?

No, part of our aim is to help anyone that needs help, regardless of their religious affiliation or not. Our values are set by Islamic principles, of love thy neighbour, so whoever needs help we will help. Most of our work in the UK, consists of supporting homeless people and we also run food programmes. Back in 2020, there was a huge explosion in Lebanon and there were thousands of displaced Christians, we provided aid to families and ensured we supported everyone.

My vision is for Penny Appeal to become a household name.

We are bold and not afraid to face some of the hardest issues or look outside of the box, we are very forward thinking. For instance, we were the first charity to run a pantomime, which was a lot of fun.

We think it is important to merge cultures, because our children live here and doing similar things to their nonMuslim peers, things like that, help to integrate and introduce others into different cultures and experiences.

Fundamentally, as long as we are doing everything within Islamic principles, then we feel that it is OK to promote the charity in different spaces. We were also the first charity to run a domestic violence help line, which can often be seen as a taboo subject within the Muslim communities. We want to face these issues head on, as well as others, such as fostering and adoption.

How has your faith influenced the work you do?

I would say that my faith influences my work by providing a firm foundation. We do not promote Penny Appeal as a Muslim Charity, because our team is made up of all kinds of great people from all walks of life. We want to be seen as helping everyone, regardless. As a woman, I hope to promote Penny Appeal as a charity that elevates the status of women. In UK society there is a lot of misunderstanding around culture, deeming Muslim women as being supressed, but there are powerful and influential Muslim women contributing to major companies. However, in underdeveloped countries, Muslim women are often left behind.

I hope that my impact can be seen in helping women in these countries to become educated and raise the element of women being at the forefront, whether it is in the UK or Internationally. It is important to include women in decision making, because they can often bring a different perspective and will be able to identify the needs of women that men may not consider.

www.pennyappeal.org

Penny Appeal is a Muslim led charity, launched in 2013 by founder Adeem Younis. Adeem was an orphan child, originally of Pakistani origin. He decided to start a charity after visiting Pakistan and witnessing the extreme poverty and felt pressed to help out, originally using donations from the UK to help provide education for children.

Adeem is a successful entrepreneur, pioneering various businesses, such as Singlemuslims.com.

After many years of supporting charitable causes, Adeem realised he needed to create a clear divide between his businesses and charity work, so being a man of principle, he decided to start the Penny Appeal, initially using a lot of his own money to help during the start up stage. Adeem has a massive heart for orphaned children and struggles with living between a society where small change here, can make a big difference in other countries. The strap line for Penny Appeal is: ‘small change big difference’.

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News

Education

Written by: Donna Ali

Mrs Betty Campbell MBE

Agent for Change 'The artwork of Betty, Wales’ first Black headteacher. This beautiful mural is a symbol of positive representation at Mount Stuart primary School commissioned by Cardiff Council by acclaimed Welsh street artist Bradley Rmer.

Maya Angelou coined the phrase, if you don’t like something change it. This was a quote used in issue 2 of Xcellence in relation to Vaughan Gethin and his passion for wanting to see people living fairly. However, he is not the only one who has used a personal passion as a purpose, in professional life. Here in Wales, we have seen tangible and progressive changes. Many pioneers have come before Vaughan in various sectors, and I have no doubt will come after.

Whilst Vaughan was in knee high socks, a formidable young woman with a passion for learning, began her journey as a teacher. Something that she was determined to be despite her teacher, stating that such a profession for a working class, Black female was an aspiration that was ‘insurmountable’.

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Teachers are meant to inspire young people, not dampen their dreams and limit their expectations, young people can see possibilities, they see no limitations within their imagination, and school must be a place that fosters and harvests the dreams and aspirations of all young people, regardless of race and class. They must grow within an environment that fosters dreams along with hard work and discipline. As we know, during the time Mrs Campbell was undertaking her teacher training at Cardiff Teacher Training College, careers of influence were not awarded to people from minority communities, so it was quite a revelation that Mrs Betty Campbell was to overcome and follow her dreams. During Mrs Campbell’s career, she not only qualified successfully as a teacher, but she went a lot further, nothing was insurmountable for her. She not only became a teacher to children, but to other teachers and her legacy is still inspiring teachers to keep learning, to this very day.

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Mrs Campbell is best known as Wales’s first Black headteacher, working within her community at Mount Stuart School in Butetown. The unique teachings of Mrs Campbell were her unwavering passion for her pupils to experience and learn about the lives of powerful people from diverse communities, she wanted every child in her school to be seen and heard within the lessons that her staff prepared.

Mrs Campbell was an agent for change and received an MBE for her services to education and community life and founded Black History Month. She understood that for her pupils to be excellent they must see and hear about excellence from people who looked like them, she understood the importance of representation and encouraged her pupils to set no limitations. They were taught to reach for the moon and throw in the stars for good measure.

"We were a good example to the rest of the world, on how you can live together regardless of where you come from or the colour of your skin.

-Mrs Betty Campbell

Education

News

Today, we hear Mrs Campbell’s message loud and clear, and her influence in ensuring her pioneering work was not just a drop in the ocean, but one that has ripples, creating ponds of influence around Wales and the world.

Soon we will see yet another unveiling in honour of Mrs Campbell, to match with the beautifully illustrated statue that sits in Central Square in the city, but this time forever present at Mount Stuart School. Cardiff Council has commissioned a mural, which is currently being installed at the very school that was home for her.

The work is being created by Welsh graffiti artist, Bradley Rmer, who is responsible for Mymuna, ‘my city, my shirt’ which is on James Street in Butetown.

The new headteacher at Mount Stuart School is Mrs Helen Borley, who has been a champion of the work and legacy of Mrs Campbell, responded to our questions:

How did the idea for the mural come about?

We, as a school community, wanted to have a memorial to Mrs Campbell’s memory as such an important figure locally, nationally and internationally. The idea has come from the pupils at the school and been driven by the school council and the governors.

Who chose the image?

We talked to the family and asked for photos of Mrs Campbell that they would like to be considered, we then worked with the artist to choose an image that we considered would work in the space.

Why is it important to keep Mrs Campbell's memory alive?

She was Wales’s first Black headteacher, someone who battled racism and prejudice throughout her life in order to achieve. She didn’t let anything stand in her way and wanted the best for the children of Butetown and the wider world, that is worthy of both recognition and memory.

Be Good, Mrs Campbell Is Watching You! Interview with: Headteacher of Mount Stuart School,Mrs Helen Borley

The legacy of Mrs Campbell’s work can be seen in the new DARPL project, which stands for Diversity and Anti-racism Professional Learning, which is funded by the Welsh Government. DAPRL is managed by Chantelle Haughton an ex-pupil of Mrs Campbell. See how the ripples of influence have created waves and Wale is, thankfully, riding them.

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What's on offer at the DARPL Project?

Through the DARPL website, schools can find blogs, lesson plans, live workshops, and have access to key stake holders, who are championing this work, by creating content. They are also available as consultants, offering advice for schools to support their journey in Anti-Racist Professional Learning. The feedback, so far, has been that some schools were nervous about approaching these subjects, owing to a lack of cultural competency and, possibly, fearful of ‘getting it wrong’. DARPL, was created to combat these fears to help schools go boldly where very few were willing to go before.

Jeremy Miles said, ‘Wales is the first part of the UK to make the teaching and contribution of Black, Asian and minority ethnic curriculum mandatory. He said the most important part of DARPL is to support our education workforce to gain confidence, knowledge, skills and experiences and to be able to do that properly, and to also help us meet our objective of being an Antiracist nation by 2030’. So, what we are launching today is an exciting set of free high-quality resources'.

www.darpl.org

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News

Education you are a multi-disciplinary artist who loves to paint; I magine draw; collage; write; sew; sing; dance; drum and the rest! You

are employed to be part of a project in which you have three days training, which basically tell you that your job remit is to go into a school with children of any age and create something which celebrates ethnically diverse Wales. The Cynefin project has been an inspirational privilege to be part of, particularly as someone who is not phased by the lack of a plan!

Born out of the Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Action Plan and new curriculum, the Cynefin project created by The Arts Council of Wales has now worked with 145 schools across Wales, looking at diversity, inclusivity and belonging. Each of my three rounds of Cynefin has begun with a conversation with the young people on who belongs in Wales? What are the criteria? And more importantly, who gets to decide who belongs? In two out of my four initial sessions, students felt empowered to come out to their peers as transgender and or non-binary, and in a session last week a year 6 student told his peers for the first time that he was Muslim.

Written by: Molara Awen

Arts Council Wales

At secondary school age, pupils have felt confident enough to share some of the shocking abuse they have suffered – often under the guise of “banter”, and where there is racism there is often also homophobia, transphobia. I feel proud that in sharing some of my experiences growing up jewel heritage (my self-definition having been defined as “half caste” or “mixed race”), that other young people feel empowered to share their truth. It’s interesting to note that student voices can be expansive, diverse, and rich with thoughtful ideas, whether the pupils in the schools are diverse or not.

Molara, is also Chair of Black History Wales 365.

Molara Awen

And there lies the default position of many schools, headteachers and teachers... “our school isn’t diverse so we don’t need to do this work” or “we don’t have a problem with racism as we don’t have any brown children”. NOTHING could be further from the truth, and in many cases there’s a profound lack of awareness as to what racism or actually is, or the different ways in which it manifests itself. Sadly the only three brown skinned members of staff working in the Welsh education system I know in person, are either battling so called “unconscious bias”, micro-aggressions and feeling undervalued, and in two cases have resigned as a result of it. I am frequently the first brown skinned person in a teaching position that students have ever encountered, and brown skinned children frequently seek out those of us working on Cynefin, to share some of their lived experiences for the first time.

In my first project Making Waves, Waves of Change, much to the shock of their amazing English teacher, the cohort of year 8 students a Morriston Comprehensive decided to write a book aimed at fellow teenagers who may be suffering. Each contributor designed their waves, and contributed a piece of writing, historical to creative, factual to poetic, depending on their area of interest, alongside uplifting messages to peers across the country: In my second project with 7 and 8 years olds we looked at international stories of migration, including the nativity, as we celebrated the people who passed through the town of Rhayader . throughout the ages. We created a collage of the rivers Elan and Claerwen, the flooding and dams, and took a trip inside Pen y Garreg, courtesy of the Elan Valley trust. We are so used to white centric stories it was great to learn that people from as far as Australia and South Africa had worked on the dams, that the workers village foreman was Greek and enforced shaved heads, vaccinations and quarantine before workers were allowed into the village!

I’m currently working with a group of year 7 students at Ysgol Bro Preseli on a youth centric version of the Welsh government’s Anti-Racist Action Plan(T), as the original document is 128 pages of predominantly legalese writing “with no pictures”. We have written to Jeremy Miles and are hoping to deliver it to the Senedd.

All of the best projects I would describe as ripples in a pool, creating changes in attitude not just in the pupils and teachers working on Cynefin, but in schools and communities. Viva Cynefin!

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News

Education

Donna Ali

Cantonian High School.

Member of the Arts Council Wales, Cynefin Project.

Theme: Exploring Diversity in Wales: Teacher: Ella Farrell Creative Practitioner: Donna Ali

Cantonian High School & Arts Council Wales Why did you want to run the Cynefin project at Cantonian High?

As a humanities teacher, I have found that pupils tend to learn about people from diverse backgrounds within a historical context. Within this, pupils tend to learn more about diverse communities overseas. This tends to be more in relation to their struggle than their achievements.

As well as learning more about the history of diverse communities in Wales, I wanted to provide pupils with opportunities to learn more about the experiences of diverse people in Wales today. I also wanted to provide pupils with a safe space to discuss their own experiences.

I also felt it was really important to involve my pupils in this project because it would allow pupils to access a variety of experiences outside a school environment.

Most pupils I teach would never have been able to access these experiences otherwise.

How have the pupils described their sense of belonging?

My favourite topic to teach currently is governance, which we chose as part of the new Welsh Curriculum. This allows pupils to learn about politics, whilst exploring different forms of governance throughout history. I love teaching this because it exposes pupils to challenging ideas and provides them with opportunities to debate amongst themselves.

What do you hope to achieve by taking part in the project?

I hope that pupils will leave the project with a broader understanding of what it means to be a diverse person living in Wales, and the confidence to discuss ideas related to diversity. I also hope to provide pupils with a different kind of learning experience, where they were encouraged to be creative and think for themselves.

What have you been doing so far?

We began the project by discussing the idea of belonging and what it means to belong. In this, we were able to establish pupils’ individual experiences of belonging and their current understanding of diversity in Wales. We encouraged them to write down any questions they had, which we used as a baseline for our enquiry. The pupils were initially very drawn to the idea of using media to develop the project, so it was decided very early on that the pupils would create a website to showcase all they had learnt. This would include various articles written by the pupils and would be a platform to showcase a podcast created by the pupils. As we needed to provide pupils with a historical understanding of diversity in Wales, we invited the historian Abu Bakr in to school for a discussion and Q and A.

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This helped the pupils to understand the long history of diverse communities in Wales, challenging their current perceptions.

Many of the pupils were interested in learning more about the lack of inclusivity within the beauty industry.

The pupils have been researching different make up brands to write an article for the website. We also invited Joy from Afro Hair Academy in to talk to the pupils about her role and the importance of inclusivity in the Beauty industry, as well as an interview with Rachel Clarke, the granddaughter of Betty Campbell.

'As an NTQ I was excited about our application being approved by the ACW Cynefin project'

If your school would like to apply to take part in the Cynefin project.

Contact: daniel.trivedy@arts.wales

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Education

Motivation By: Ricardo Erasmus Paradigm Shift Academy

Mentorship-Minded

MM What are you passionate about?

Some people are passionate about social justice, art, sports, environmental protection, animals, politics, travel and many more.

Passion is a very strong intense emotion, a compelling enthusiasm or desire for something. Passion is an emotional state that can drive an individual to pursue their goals with energy and enthusiasm. Passionate people are motivated by their desire to learn, explore and create.

I am personally passionate about mentorship. You may ask what is mentorship? I’m glad you ask.

Mentorship is a relationship journey between two people in which a more experienced or knowledgeable person (mentor) helps, guides, supports or advises a less experienced or knowledgeable person (mentee).

In this article, I’d like to encourage and inspire teachers to be more mentorship-minded, and how they can teach through their values. Mentorship-minded people are invested in the growth and development of those around them, and are committed to providing guidance and support, so that they can unleash their potential. Mentorship-minded individuals are committed to creating positive change and making a difference in the lives of others.

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Ricardo Erasmus Life Coach & Mentor

Just a quick background about myself. I am originally from Mitchell’s Plain, Cape Town, South Africa.

I have over 10 years experience as a youth mentor and life coach, working with young people in South Africa, USA and now in the UK. I am passionate about helping people shift their mindset, so that they can unleash their potential.

Education

As a teacher, what is it you’d like to be remembered for by your students?

When I was in high school, I had a teacher who one day told me that I won’t amount to anything. And she concluded by saying, “at least you are a nice person”. I remember those words piercing my heart, and I dreaded going to her class. Those words kept playing in my head.

At the same time, I met another teacher, he never gave me any subjects. Every time he would pass me in the corridors, he would say “good morning, sir”! One day I asked him why he called me sir, he replied by saying “sir, is a term of respect and I respect you”. That day things shifted in my mindset. He didn’t wait for me to respect him first, he modelled to me what respect looks like. It’s because of this amazing teacher that my love for helping others started. He sponsored me to live my dream, to go to America to work at a summer camp in Boston. The difference between the two teachers, one spoke words of discouragement and the other spoke words of encouragement.

Speak positive life affirming words into your pupils, not doubt and discouragement

Here are some qualities of a mentorship-minded teacher.

An encouraging story, I saw Adele’s launch for her 30 album live on ITV special, ‘An Audience with Adele’. She gave the audience the opportunity to ask her a question in between songs. Dame Emma Thompson asked Adele, “is there anyone in your childhood who had been an inspiration to you?” She answered, Miss McDonald her English literature teacher, she left when Adele was in year 8.

Adele didn’t know she was in the audience and the two of them reunited. Adele said Miss McDonald was a good teacher, relatable and likeable. Because of that teacher, Adele started writing songs and today she’s one of the best singer/songwriters.

Be intentional about seeing the humanity in every pupil, and you WILL see the results

’I’m not telling teachers how to teach, I’m not a teacher.

But I want you to become a mentorship-minded teacher, that teaches from your values and character.

I’ve experienced too many teachers shouting at students and speaking words of discouragement.

These young people will remember your words for a lifetime. A reminder you should ask yourself, what is the reason you got into teaching as a profession? At the same time, students need to show teachers that they are willing to learn and to personally develop into a better version of themselves.

Ricardo created a safe, confidential, and nonjudgemental space for me, and that has worked wonders for me.

Keegan, Student 1. Patience. Be understanding, compassionate, and be an active listener.

2. Show respect to the students. Give them an example of what respect looks like.

3. Empathy and open-minded.

4. Creating a safe non-judgemental environment for them to be transparent.

5. Watch your words. There is power in what we say. It can encourage or discourage someone.

Be Mentorship-minded, so that you can invest into the lives of your students for the next five, ten, twenty years from now. That’s why I started my mentoring and life coaching business, to help young people become a great version of themselves. Check out my website paradigmshiftuk.com for encouraging testimonials.

I’d like to end this article with a statement. As mentors and teachers, let us strive to build a better world through our words and actions. In doing so, we can help our students unleash their potential and impact the world in a positive way.

For further details, school visits and quotes, visit

paradigmshiftuk.com

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Opinion

Education

Islam and the West in Media ‘Muslim’, ‘Islam’, ‘Islamist’, ‘Islamic’, ‘Shariah’, ‘Jihad’, ‘Burka’, ‘Hijab’… what comes to mind as you read these words? What scenes and emotions are evoked and what do these words connotate for you? It may be that you have never come across some of the meanings of such vocabulary, but if you have – question the sources and contexts you have come to know them.

If scenes of violence and oppression come to mind as you read the opening line of phrases, I wouldn’t blame you. A study conducted by Cambridge University found that for every one, ‘moderate’ Muslim mentioned in the British press, 21 examples of extremist Muslims are mentioned.

As a Muslim woman, I am careful to whom I talk about my jihad, when expressing my inner struggles of resisting the temptation of becoming complacent and lazy with my time, by not busying myself with good deeds and daily worship. I worry that the media’s version of jihad, may overwhelm the person I am confiding in – a version that has been sensationalised to strip the nuanced Arabic word that beautifully encapsulates a daily struggle for every Muslim, to battle the part of themselves that prevents them from partaking in actions of peace instead of sin.

Words hold great meaning and if a media circus is occupied with singular narratives that are void of authentic Muslim voices, where does that leave the stories of a global population of 1.9 billion followers of Islam; diverse in culture, race, politics and class?

According to the latest Census, Muslims make up 6.5% of the population in England and Wales. You may look at this number and be surprised at how small this percentage is, considering how often we dominate political narratives and tabloid headlines. A study conducted by the University of Birmingham last year found that 25.9% of British people felt negatively towards Muslims and 18.1% would support the banning of Muslim immigration, leading to one in four British people surveyed, holding negative views of Muslim and Islam as a whole.

For such a small percentage of the UK population, it makes one wonder how so many have come to dislike everything and anything ‘Muslim’ and leads to the question of how many people have sat down and spoken to a Muslim face-to-face to engage in a dialogue or to visit a Mosque.

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Words have Power!

The existence of Muslims in the UK dates back centuries, including during times of the country’s aid during the First World War, when at least 400,000 Muslim soldiers took arms to serve Britain as part of the British Indian Army.

According to research by the British Future, almost nobody (2%) is aware of the scale of Muslim contributions in the history of British war – a subject that is widely taught in schools across the UK. The lack of awareness around the Muslim identity, contribution, and existence in all its forms seems to be a recurring theme within the press. A City University report found that the lack of diversity of the British press was a damning issue, with just 0.4% of British journalists being Muslim, only 10% being from working-class backgrounds and a staggering 94% of British journalists being white. As a teenager choosing her A-levels and deciding what to proceed with at university, I decided to try and fill this gap by providing an authentic female Muslim voice in the industry. I found myself quickly stumbling upon bigger issues and often finding myself to be the only nonwhite person in the spaces I interned at as a student journalist, let alone the only Muslim.

Now In A Minute Media, is a Muslim led Media Social Enterprise. www.nowinaminute.wales

Education

Opinion

As the pressure loomed to ‘get it right’ and ‘tell our stories’ on my younger and ambitious self, the Islamophobia around Brexit and exodus of far-right narratives grew around me, as the police reports of hate crime increased by 57% in the four days after the referendum in 2019.

It became more apparent that the reporting around immigration, race, and polarising use of language by politicians in Westminster was being sensationalised and sold at the expense of my community. Last year, a House of Commons report confirmed that Islamophobia is now the most common form of religious hate crime in the UK, as the Home Office shared that 42% of all religious hate crimes reported to the police in 2021/22 were against Muslims.

During my final year as a Creative Writing & Media student, I was approached by some Muslims in my local community who were concerned by the issue of Muslim representation in the media. They proposed a solution to tackle the inaccurate stories by propelling positive and authentic representation of Muslims instead. By this time, I had almost three years of industry experience to come to the conclusion that the root of the issue was not solely the lack of Muslim journalists, but rather a lack of uptake amongst Muslims in creative industries as a whole.

Where could I find belonging and relatability as a young, Welsh Pakistani Muslim woman?

Where could I find belonging and relatability as a young, Welsh Pakistani Muslim woman? If, as a highly creative person, I struggled to feel empowered to see the career of journalism till the end or ever see any of my guest lecturers, creative role models look like me – how could I expect mainstream media to understand or take care to hear our voices?

I realised that there was not a single place online, or in the media, where our modest yet talented community of Welsh Muslim creatives came together. Thus, through countless meetings, strategising at our local Mosque – Now In A Minute Media was born. An independent media social enterprise to platform, inspire and encourage Muslims in the community to take up careers in the creative industries and see a world beyond the simplistic and stereotypical narratives portrayed of our community.

Almost three years on and a pandemic later, Now In A Minute Media is now an online hub of lively Welsh Muslim talent – with our first event just after the pandemic being attended by over 100 people, in the heart of Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre. We have platformed and provided opportunities for over 70 Muslim creatives and the more we grow as a platform, the more voices echo the same recurring issues of there being a lack of space for Muslims to grow as writers, storytellers, content creators, crafters, entrepreneurs etc.

From covering the action of the recent World Cup in Qatar, to our annual Ramadan short production - as a small team of volunteers running the platform, we have come to realise that through art and authentic storytelling – the power of Muslim independent media transcends mainstream agenda-driven narratives. The feedback and response from the community, for the need for more stories to be told and more upskilling of creative practices, shows the dire need to nurture Muslim communities to reclaim their own narratives.

In an online and offline society that increasingly divides – we hope that through the power of creativity and faith-conscious media, we can ignite the creator in everyone to tackle some of the issues our community face and unite beyond perception.

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Education

Exodus

Dr Abdul-Azim Ahmed Authors Bio “Abdul-Azim Ahmed is an academic by occupation, and an organiser by vocation. His scholarly pursuits as Deputy Director of the Islam-UK Centre at Cardiff University focus on contemporary religion, civil society and institutions, and as Secretary General Muslim Council of Wales, he leads a body of mosques, Muslim charities, and collectives. Azim lives in Cardiff, where he was born and raised, and is father to a young son . He enjoys anything that takes him away from his laptop screen, whether that is cycling, running, or completing poor quality DIY projects.”

Dr Abdul-Azim Ahmed is Deputy Director for the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK at Cardiff University, and Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Wales. If you would like to participate in the research project, please email ahmedma1@cardiff.ac.uk X 15

Journal

Education

Exodus If you drive south down Crwys Road in Cardiff, you’ll likely hit the lights just before Death Junction. As you wait for the lights to turn green, your eyes might want to the building on your right. It was, at one point the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chapel, and headquarters of the movement in Wales. Today, it is the Shah Jalal Mosque, named after Shah Jalal ad-Din Mujarrad, a thirteenth century saint who brought Islam to Sylhet, Bangladesh. The mosque was opened by Cardiff’s growing Bangladeshi Sylheti community in the late 1980s. The chapel is amongst my favourite mosques in Wales, it is beautiful inside and out, and has the aura of peace and comfort you’d desire from a place of worship. Sylhet and Wales have a long history, with an Eisteddfod held by missionaries in Sylhet in 1901. The building serves to represent much of the story of Muslims and Wales. The shared centrality of religion and community, but also the British Empire and colonization that is the dark backdrop to why Muslims came to these isles.

Everywhere you look in Wales, you’ll see signs of the Muslim community. It could be on Crwys Road in South Wales, but you could also travel to remote Anglesey, to the northern most tip of the island. There you would find the ancient church Llanbadrig, supposedly founded by St Patrick himself when he was washed ashore. The church, a simple and beautiful building of stone, hides a secret for those who look closely. The stain glass windows, rather than depicting Biblical scenes or the Church Fathers, is a blue mosaic in the geometric pattern more often seen in Islamic art. The inclusion of it was due to Lord Stanley, a Victorian aristocrat who funded its restoration but who was also a committed Muslim convert.

Exodus, a story of leaving home, and finding a new one, is a fitting theme to consider the stories of Muslims in Wales.

Over the last few months, I’ve been researching the history of Muslims in Wales as part of a new project at the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK. So far, it has involved trips to the archives, scouring through newspapers, and speaking to Muslims and collecting their “oral histories”.

We know a good deal about the history of Muslims in Cardiff already through the work of Tiger Bay and the World, as well as academics such as Sophie Gilliat-Ray, Jody Mellor, Fred Halliday, Richard Lawless, Mohammed Seddon, and the eminent St Clair Drake. These works give us a picture of a nascent Muslim community in the Docks. Led by the enigmatic and energetic Sheikh Abdullah Ali al-Hakimi. The largely Yemeni and Somali Muslims in the Docks was described in one newspaper in the 1940s as “the heart of the Islamic community in Britain”.

Al-Hakimi was a Muslim leader ahead of his time. He founded the Noor al-Islam Mosque in Cardiff in 1938, as well as securing Muslim burial land in Western Cemetery that is still used today. He developed a relationship with officials and politicians, hosted them at dinners in City Hall or luncheons at his offices, he published English language works and an Arabic newsletter from his mosque, he organized conferences to build unity amongst the diverse Muslim population of Cardiff, and he sought to reinvigorate the teaching and practice of Islam. Britain, let alone Wales, would not see a Muslim leader of his calibre again until much later.

There are more stories to be discovered however, and especially through oral history interviews, I’ve been seeking to capture them before they are lost. In Wales, the bulk of Muslim migration was post Second World War, and chronologically, adjacent to the Windrush Generation. These Muslim elders are the last link to a history that will not be preserved in news reports or archives. It was this generation who established the bulk of Wales 54 mosques. To truly appreciate the scope of this achievement the general picture of Britain needs to be understood. Wales, much like the UK, has seen a loss of community and community spaces. Chapels and churches, workmen’s institutes, libraries, and community centres have all been steadily declining. The post-War migration of Muslims, who largely didn’t speak English fluently, who didn’t have higher education or degrees, who were on the lowest end of the socio-economic ladder, bucked this trend for their own families. They built, through significant sacrifice, a community resource of incredible value that continue to serve the Musim and wider community today, trough foodbanks and charity drives, as well as offering a place of gathering and coming together.

Exodus, a story of leaving home, and finding a new one.

If the first Muslim chapter of Wales was al-Hakimi and the Muslims of the Docks, and the second chapter is post-War migration. The third chapter would be settlement from asylum seekers and refugees, whether following the Somali civil war in the nineties, the invasion of Afghanistan and subsequent withdrawal by Western troops, the persecution of the Syrian regime, or even most recently the conflict in Ukraine. These new communities bring with them a new dimension to the Muslim communities of Wales.

The story of Muslims in Wales is, in my view, is best encapsulated by Berea Masjid. A chapel converted into a mosque in the mid-noughties, it serves a disparate Muslim community in the Valleys. It’s nestled amongst the hills so familiar to anyone driving through the A470. A picture from the 1940s shows a vibrant congregation at the chapel. It fell into disrepair in by the new millennium, until the local Muslim community purchased and re-opened it. A new photo was taken in 2022, and once again this building was full of life, a vibrant congregation, a strong sense of community, and a feeling of family amongst the worshippers. I hope as we learn more about the history of Muslims in Wales, it is not seen as an interesting footnote, but instead part of shared collective story. Islam is now a Welsh religion, and should be recognized as such.

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You shout words, you cause hurt you are so unkind When you say the n word what goes on in your mind?

You’re not a black rapper so that word’s not for you If all lives matter why does mine not to you?

Does your attitude uplift this place on this earth?

Making others feel that they have no self-worth If you can’t be civilised it’s time to start It’s the things that you say that keep us apart.

Molara Awen Making Waves can be found by searching “Waves of Change” on The People’s Collection Wales: https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/1865606

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Poetic Justice

Poem Liquorice

The black kids call him ‘blackish’, The white kids call him liquorice, In sports, they call him all sorts, Like monkey, act all ticklish, With their hands under armpits, Cheeks puffed looking bloated, Throwing banana skins‘Oo oo ah ah’ with their voices!

In the winter the kids call him pale, In the summer the kids call him dirty, When the lights go off without fail, Somebody shouts ‘open your eyes Dukey, Or maybe just give us a smile’, They all laugh he rolls his eyes, Same old joke gets boring after a while, Same uncomfortable feeling he has to disguise.

When walking the streets with the black kids, He’s labelled as a gang member.

Pulled over by police, he’s on a black-list, As a potential young offender.

When he’s with the white kids he’s token, Old people call him coloured, Political correctness broken, Yet if he tells them to ‘do one’, he’s smothered, In a generational echo spoken, By the same frame of minds as the others, Who are closed minded never open, To fighting the stigma covered, In black lies towards black lives; They say he’s got an attitude, ‘With the way he dresses, the walk the rhymes, Although I can’t tell if he’s black, can you?’

A couple of years went by, He developed a sense of self, Proud of his reflection he decides, To face ignorance whenever it’s dealt, But not all people are ignorant, Not all people ignored him, Not all people questioned his pigment, Some people support him, Even if they nicknamed him liquorice; He may not be every human’s taste, He stands up to the distasteful racists, Challenges, their hate.

When they say ‘he’s white with rubber lips’, He says, ‘no I’m mixed race, And between me and you there’s one difference, Your narrow mind may never escape, Your fear of something that’s different, Blinded by the last 3 letters, escape, Miseducated, yet you keep listening, To generations of opinions, you never made, While I shine in the light, glistening, Ensuring no hate will stop me from being great, All of you; others, keep on whispering, I still can’t seem to work out his skin shade.’

Duke Al Durham

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Interview

Education

By Donna Ali

COLOURISM During the pandemic, the internet was filled with conversations about race. I was drawn into a Facebook post that had over 13,000 comments about the complexion of my skin. My father is African American, and he posted a picture of me and my brothers with the caption "So proud of my Black children." The internet went wild, with one person responding by saying I was not Black because I am so light-skinned. However, thousands of darker-skinned people responded to this individual by uploading pictures of their children who were of a lighter complexion but still claimed that their children were Black.

I understand that in the USA, things are very different. The "one drop rule," a principle in which racial categorization was coined during the early 20th century, meant that if a person had a parent of Black ancestry, they would be classified as Black. I guess this was a form of rejection, seen as polluting Whiteness.

As a youth, I struggled with my identity, being called the N-word and the P-word quite often. Nowadays, I am confident in claiming my mixed heritage and all its beautiful parts. I identify as a human being with a rich tapestry of migration and adaptation. But if I were forced to choose, if we totally split into two groups, I would say I am Black because my DNA results identified that I have from the 1700s to date, seven different African countries in my blood, so I guess I have more than one drop! But I do agree with Duke, in that the quicker we see each other for our qualities, the better.

But we cannot discount the pain and suffering of people with darker skins, we must change the narrative and get busy filling spaces and creating equity, displaying excellence and dispelling myths.

Xcellence magazine caught up with Duke, a poet, writer, and spoken word artist, to find out what his poem "Liquorish" is all about. The topic around colourism is definitely up for conversation.

What is your poem liquorice based on?

The poem Liquorice is based on my personal experience being mixed race, White Welsh/Jamaican. I wanted to create a piece that tried to explain the lived experience that some mixed-race people go through. I am a poet and spoken word artist, so for me this is the best way to express myself, through words. I wanted to create a piece that was thought provoking and relatable. Liquorice is about acceptance, sometimes, not being accepted as either Black or White, as though you are somehow in the middle, but having negative experiences that often lean towards the Black side of my heritage. Since we live within a matrix made up of social constructs, where everything is very Black or very White, it is as though we must choose one side or the other, but both sides do not claim us. In my experience I have been a victim of mainly blind racism and colourism. Although blind racism within the poem is not malicious in intent, it is used in the form of banter to explore ignorance, which I feel is overlooked, so wanted to shine a light on the issue. I hope through my words people can gauge an understanding that there are internal struggles that go with trying to identify, as one or the other and my experiences being rejected by both is unacceptable.

I feel that this is a topic that is worth exploring.

What do you think people can do to understand the experiences of people of mixed-race heritage?

People need to consider both heritages when understanding the experiences of mixed-race people.

These experiences can be both positive and negative within society. To not accept a person’s heritage because you think they are of a lighter complexion is wrong. In my opinion, it goes deeper than skin shade, what about hair texture and features that display Blackness? How do we navigate our way through society, with physical attributes that would categorise us as Black, but denied because we are light skinned? The juxtaposition being our features defined as Black by White people?

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'My Vision for the future is for us to not see skin tone but character!

Education

Interview

COLOURISM Being of dual heritage for me living in Wales, just means being Welsh. As much as I experience the world as a mixed-race person, I strongly believe that people should see no colour, just our humanity. Considering first, what a person stands for in their morals, ethics, and values.

Racism is an ideology that is taught and used to control the distribution of wealth and distort equality. However, my thought is, if we stop talking about race and more about what connects us, we could go a long way to eradicate racism. Furthermore, I really dislike the term, ‘people of colour’ I believe it only divides White people from everybody else, it still fuels the divide of that racism has created, also white is still a colour! However, I do also feel that it is important not to ignore the inequalities that persist, to discount a person’s lived experience is exactly what Liquorice is about. But I hope we get to a point in time, where we are all seen and heard, for our human essence and treated accordingly.

As I said, I express myself through words, which are also interchangeable, for instance the term coloured, which in the UK is a term that is socially unacceptable, but it is a term used frequently to categorised people in South Africa. See how words change, depending on location and time, it is funny how society evolves, searching for more palatable and acceptable terms of ethnic categorisation, but the one thing that does not change is the fact that we all want to be seen for who we are, we all need to earn a living, and have our basic needs met, as well as play a positive role in society.

How do we eradicate colourism?

In my opinion, racism and colourism are branches of the same tree, which is why we need to stop talking about colour. We instead need to celebrate culture and love our individual heritage, which sometimes, may be dual or multiple, but we must recognise them as part of our identity. Culture can offer more depth to a person, as a description to their different experiences but we should not be defined by skin tone. The matrix we have created can influence us, but I hope by having these conversations, we begin to see that ridiculous idea that having the same skin colour assumes we all believe the same, act the same and think the same.

We are individuals, drawing from our own uniqueness. It is society that pigeonholes us and holds us back from living our fullest personal expression. I hope we stop conforming to these absurd ideologies and experience life as we were meant to, with one as one.

Racism was created to divide people, to scare people, to enslave people, to increase the power and wealth of slave owners, and other ruthless, selfish individuals.

Racism still divides us to this day, but the counter argument against racism, is equity, it is fair distribution, it is understanding that the minority group, who put its roots down in so many parts of the world, accept that their greed has created, this Black and White narrative.

I have thought deeply about the root of all evil which would have led to racism being created, I personally believe it not to be money and power, but selfishness and narcissism. The brutal decision to intently hurt another person for personal gain, shows a terrifying lack of empathy, and a horrifying selfish attitude. It is important to see the human race as one, yet recognise our uniqueness in culture, passions, values and goals, maybe then, we can work together and see the beauty in our cultural differences and learn from one another to protect this planet we share.

I have thought deeply about the root of all evil which would have led to racism being created, I personally believe it not to be money and power, but selfishness and narcissism.

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Advertorial

Education

Saddia Speaks

Saadia speaks is founded by changemaker and multi award winning young leader Saadia Abubaker. Her journey of youth leadership and social action led her to set up a social enterprise to empower, uplift and inspire genz to create better opportunities for herself and to achieve her goals. Most importantly Saadiaspeaks strives to be an example of how you have the power to create your own narrative regardless of your background and previous experiences.

Saadia moved to Swansea with her family from Sudan at the age of 2. She describes how growing up in a nondiverse environment presented a few challenges. From lack of representation to experiencing direct and nondirect racism and islamophobia. However, she argues that those experiences allowed her to develop the resilience she needed to succeed. While studying at college she facilitated sports sessions for BAME and Muslim girls and received training and support from the Youth Sport Trust to continue to develop her leadership skills.

Covid-19 was a pivotal moment that highlighted the impact of inequality and it inspired Saadia to set up her platform Saadia speaks. It initially began as a podcast, and Saadia delivered online masterclasses and workshops for organisations such as digilearning and women after greatness. After seeing the impact and the positive response/ feedback from young people, Saadia improved the workshops to be hosted both online and offline and organised and delivered her own workshop events at the University and in cities across the UK.

With continued support from her university’s enterprise team and from charities such as Unltd, Saadiaspeaks is growing and expanding to deliver workshops in more schools, colleges and universities. She is also currently working on a guidebook that will teach young people how they can create their own unique opportunities and use the tools and resources available to them to achieve their goals.

Workshop facilitating Let Saadia help you deliver a great workshop that will inspire your attendees and leave them with tools and tips to take action in their lives

To connect with Saadia and find more about her services check out https://www.saadiaspeaks.com

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History

Visa Versa Did You Know?

Steve Khaireh MBE born in Barry, is the son of a Somali merchant seaman who was lost at sea, when Steve was just 10 years old. Raised as a Muslim in a boarding house in Butetown, which his mother ran surrounded by many different cultures. They even had a mosque in the back garden to accommodate the faith of the Somali seamen who would frequent the boarding house, whilst dwelling during travelling to Cardiff to work on the ships. Steve has found memories of growing up in Butetown but remembers some hostility towards inter- racial relationships.

Steve recalls, his mother a white woman, was disowned by her family because of her marriage to a Somali immigrant.

What is fascinating about Steve’s story, is that his mothers first husband was Abby Farrah, known as the father of Somali Land. He was also the founders of one of the very first race relation organisations known back then as the ‘coloured society in Barry, which was very progressive for the time. Abby did great things for humanity and received an MBE from King George VI.

Welsh History Is Black History!

Abby Farrah's eldest son, Abdulrahim Abby Farrah, is one of the most famous Welsh Somali men of all time. He too born in Barry, became the deputy under secretary senior for United Nations, leading the 1990 UN mission that oversaw the dismantling of South Africa. He worked alongside Kofi Annan, who was unable to negotiate peace talks in the middle east, so Abdulrahim, would be sent in to conduct affairs as his deputy.

Abdulrahim, is an unsung hero of Wales and regarded as the second most powerful man in the world, during his time. He also received an MBE from the Queen.

Abby Farrah's, middle son Abdulrahman was also given a MBE by the Queen.

You can find out more about this extraordinary family by visiting: www.nation.cymru.com

Abdulrahim Abby Farrah The legacy of MBE’s can be seen throughout the family as Steve also received an MBE from the Queen, in honour of his work as a community education youth worker as well as his contribution in sport and music projects.

Steve helps to run, Horn Development Association HDA, which works to support the integration of Somali migrants in the capital

Steve Khaireh MBE

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Visa Versa

History

Bila¯d al-Welsh (Land of the Welsh): Muslims in Cardiff, South Wales: past, present and future.

Historical introduction In the mid-19th century, a major technical transformation took place in the world’s merchant shipping industry. Most freight ships were no longer powered by sails, but by steam from coal-fired engines. At this time, the Durham and South Wales coalfields were among the most productive in Britain, and their proximity to major ports like Cardiff and South Shields gave these places a particular strategic advantage in the world of commercial shipping.

But the transition from sail to steam vessels created work that was hot, dirty and tiring, and this form of occupation was increasingly rejected by British labourers. New recruits on these trading ships were therefore drawn from colonial territories with strong merchant shipping traditions, such as coastal India, Yemen, and Somalia.

They were employed primarily as firemen and stokers on vessels moving between Britain and the far East (Aithie 2005; El-Solh 1993; Lawless 1995). In cities such as Cardiff, boarding houses were established to accommodate this transient community of seafarers drawn from many different religious and ethnic origins.

Having completed their passage on one ship, they would reside in boarding houses in dockland areas until new employment could be found on an out-bound vessel. By 1881 there were enough transitory seafarers in Cardiff to warrant the establishment of a so-called “Home for Coloured Seamen” in the Butetown district of the city (Ansari 2004). An increasing number of boarding houses owned and managed by Muslims, mostly Yemenis from the Shamiri tribe, provided a physical, social, religious and economic base for these seafarers, and provided the foundations for the later emergence of more established religious facilities and associations. The diversity of the British Empire was reflected in microcosm in most major British maritime ports, including Cardiff. Besides the Yemeni and Somali seafarers, there were Pathans, Punjabis and Mirpuris who had been recruited in Bombay, while Bengalis from the Sylhet region were recruited in Calcutta. The availability of workers for the ships varied according to the vibrancy of the agricultural industry at the time, since most recruits were peasant farmers.

Map of the Horn of Africa Increasing number of Muslims to Britain, as the volume of trading between Britain and Asian countries expanded. This had direct consequences for cities such as Cardiff, with the result that by the end of the 19th century Welsh Office records suggest a population of 5,000 Arab seamen in the city (Aithie 2005). Despite the size and historical significance of early (if transient) Muslim settlement in Cardiff, relatively little research has been conducted about the religious lives of Muslims in the city.

The paucity of evidence is also compounded by an emphasis on race, employment, and labour relations in the research that does exist. Muslims in Cardiff are discussed through these particular analytical frames, and their religious activities are often only mentioned incidentally in accounts which otherwise tend to focus upon their migration or socio-economic conditions, especially in the 20th century. In many ways this is not surprising. After all, Muslim settlement in the city has been directly related to economics in terms of maritime trade, and the demand for additional labour during time of war. The combination of a lack of in-depth research about Muslims in the city (Chambers 2006) created the rationale for an 18-month research project to document aspects of the early history and settlement of Muslims in Cardiff, giving particular prominence to their development of religious associations and the maintenance of rites and rituals. Although the first author of this paper (Gilliat-Ray) had been collecting data on this for some years previously, the study began properly when Dr Jody Mellor took up the post of research assistant in July 2008.1 Over an eighteen-month period, interviews have been taking place with Muslim elders who have been living and working in the city for at least two generations.

Some of these have been video-recorded.

In cities such as Cardiff, boarding houses were established to accommodate this transient community of seafarers drawn from many different religious and ethnic origins.

The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 brought an © 2010 Hartford Seminary. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148

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History

Visa Versa The resources of the Butetown History and Arts Centre have been examined, alongside photographic and other documentary evidence. Collaboration with the “Four Generations Project” (2009–2010) led by the Somali Integration Society (SIS) in Cardiff has also added to the research base. Whilst there have been studies of Yemenis and Arabs settling in Cardiff, the story of Somali settlement is virtually unrecorded, and the SIS project will represent an important addition to the literature. Our current research builds upon a number of well-known studies of race and ethnicity in Cardiff (and other port cities).

These include Kenneth Little’s survey of Loudon Square (Cardiff ) in his book about race relations in Britain in the 1940s (Little 1948). This is supplemented by Fred Halliday’s work on Yemenis in Britain which includes substantial documentation on port cities (Halliday 1992), and Richard Lawless’s study of Yemenis in South Shields, who were connected to Yemenis in Cardiff via kinship and other ties (Lawless 1994; Lawless 1995).

Local historical studies of labor relations in Wales, and especially work by Neil Evans (Evans 1985) and Marika Sherwood (Sherwood 1988) also provide useful insights, and these are set in the wider historical context of Muslim settlement in Britain via work by Humayun Ansari (Ansari 2004).artford Seminary. 453 This paper will demonstrate that throughout their settlement in the city, the fortunes of Muslims and their scope for exercising religious agency and autonomy have been affected by wider social, political and economic factors. This has been most evident in their relations with local authorities and civic officials. There have been highly variable responses to Muslim presence and settlement, from active support and engagement with Muslims (for example, during the First and Second World War), to outright racism and moral outrage at the prospect of mixed-faith and mixedrace marriages. In other words, the place that Muslims have occupied on the boundary between inclusion/recognition and exclusion/marginalization has been strongly conditioned by local, national, and international politics.

Credit:Ibrahim Ismaail

secondly, it is clear that these wider external politics have often gone on to shape intraMuslim relations and negotiations, and this has been most evident in the “biography” of the first mosque in Wales, established in Cardiff in 1936.

Secondly, it is clear that these wider external politics have often gone on to shape intra-Muslim relations and negotiations, and this has been most evident in the “biography” of the first mosque in Wales, established in Cardiff in 1936. By charting the changing location, ownership, predominant ethnicity, religious “school of thought”, and various architectural manifestations of a single mosque, it becomes clear how buildings are direct expressions of other social and political interests (Gilliat-Ray 2010b). Thirdly, this paper examines some of the changing fortunes of women in Cardiff — especially white Welsh Muslim converts — and argues that they have .often been at the sharp and contested interface between male Muslim seafarers and wider local communities

Extract of the book entitled: Bilad̄ al-Welsh (Land of the Welsh): Muslims in Cardiff, South Wales: past, present and futuremuwo_1331 452 Written by: Sophie Gilliat-Ray Jody Mellor See the project web site at: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/relig/research/researchcentres/csi/ centre-for-the-study-of-islam-in-the-uk.html I am grateful to Dr Grahame Davies, Honorary Research Fellow, Islam-UK Centre Cardiff University, for pointing out this architectural feature.

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BOMB - Black Owned Minority Business

News

The Muslim Pound

Muslims are a significant consumer group in the UK, contributing to what is commonly referred to as the ‘Muslim Pound’. The Muslim population in the UK is estimated to be over 3 million, and this demographic has been identified as a key market by many businesses. In 2018, the Muslim consumer market in the UK was valued at £21 billion and is projected to grow to over £26 billion by 2023.

One of the key factors driving this growth is the rise of Muslim entrepreneurship in the UK. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of Muslim-owned businesses, which are estimated to contribute over £31 billion to the UK economy. These businesses are not only contributing to the wider economy but are also meeting the specific needs of Muslim consumers.

Muslims in the UK spend on a range of products and services, from Halal food and modest fashion to travel and finance. Halal food is a particularly important market, with Muslim consumers spending an estimated £1.3 billion on Halal food and drink each year. The Halal food market is not only catering to Muslim consumers but is also attracting non-Muslim consumers who are interested in the ethical and healthy aspects of Halal food.

In Wales, the Muslim pound is also having an impact.

Although the Muslim population in Wales is smaller than in other parts of the UK, it is still a significant demographic. The Welsh Government has recognised the potential of the Muslim market and has launched initiatives to support Muslim-owned businesses. For example, the Welsh Government's Business Wales service provides support for entrepreneurs and small businesses, including those owned by Muslims.

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At the beginning of 2023, Now In A Minute Media; an independent media platform centring Welsh Muslim voices, brought together a panel of Welsh Muslim entrepreneurs in Cardiff to share their journeys on navigating the world of entrepreneurship. As a faith-conscious platform, the event titled ‘#IntentionOfHustle’ focused on the core value of niyyah (intention) in the Islamic faith.

BOMB - Black Owned Minority Business

Muslim consumers spending an estimated £1.3 billion on Halal food and drink each year.

News Written by: Mariyah Zaman

The speakers related their experiences of the industry not having a significant support system and funding opportunities for their start-ups. One of the main challenges facing Muslim-owned businesses is access to finance. There is a perception that banks are not always willing to lend to Muslim-owned businesses, and this can be a barrier to growth. The concept of intention and the renewal of intention, in ensuring every practise of their business remains in line with their faith, was also related as a key factor in the life of a Muslim entrepreneur. The ultimate balance of the hustle for successful trade and the hustle for success in the eyes of God. To address this issue, there are now several Islamic finance institutions in the UK that are specifically designed to meet the needs of Muslim-owned businesses. These institutions offer Shariah-compliant finance, which means that the finance products are designed to be in line with Islamic principles, such as opportunities to take interest-free loans. This is an important development that is helping to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the needs of Muslim entrepreneurs.

The Muslim pound is an important and growing market in the UK, and Muslim entrepreneurship is playing an increasingly important role in the wider economy. While there are still challenges to be addressed, the potential of the Muslim market is significant, and it is important that businesses and policymakers work together to support this vital demographic. By doing so, we can ensure that the Muslim community is fully represented and supported in the UK economy, and that the benefits of the Muslim Pound are felt by everyone.

Now In A Minute Media will be touring their next #IntentionOfHustle event in Newport in May 2023.

Visit www.nowinaminute.wales for more information.

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BOMB - Black Owned Minority Business

Interview

Contributions to Wales

S

hiraz Mohamed, is a coffee shop owner with a passion for blending, not just coffee, but people.

Driven by a passion for coffee, since discovering the multiple benefits of not just coffee but what a coffee shop space can offer, enlightened him to visit many in and around England where he noticed a distinct difference of the independent coffee shop owners. Now Shiraz is making his dreams come true by running his own coffee shop business. Back in October 2021, Blend was brewed and ready to take the Welsh coffee industry in a new direction. His intention was to create a space in the heart of Grangetown that attracted people from all walks of life, often separated by race and class.

I asked Shiraz, why he felt the need for such a unique perspective? He replied, “within the coffee speciality industry I didn’t really see many people from diverse backgrounds owning them, so I decided to start my own, being from a Welsh, Pakistani background, could open doors to new coffee enthusiasts”. Shiraz feels very fortunate in that he was offered an opportunity to learn the ropes, with multiple coffee shop owner, Ian Broody, who offered Shiraz, a job at Brodies coffee shop in Gorsedd gardens, opposite the National Museum of Wales. Shiraz believes that Ian’s background of living in Luton, which has a high diverse community, may have been the reason why he wanted to give him a chance, as he said he applied for many jobs in Wales and was always knocked back.

Shiraz has dreams of expanding into other areas of Cardiff, but wants to focus on ‘gentrified’ areas, because he wants to provide opportunities for young people and use local people to provide products, such as the lush array of delicious cakes he has on sale. He believes offering opportunities to gain experience, will change the look of independent coffee shop owners of the future.

Some of the challenges Shiraz has faced so far are normal business issues, such as concerns around rent increases and having a regular cash flow, to pre -order stock. But his ambition to own his own white label is something that he would like to explore, once his second shop is open. Before that, Shiraz plans to introduce filter options and has read extensively to expand his knowledge.

I loved Shiraz’s answer to how he overcomes challenges.

He said that he believes everything happens for a reason, putting his faith in Allah and seeks help through patience and pray.

His philosophy, is that when obstacles occur, Allah is trying to teach us something. I feel that having faith, is fundamental to having a solid bedrock, not just for the ordinary trails of life, but can also help whilst embarking on a business venture.

Shiraz Mohamed

I asked Shiraz, if you won £50,000 what would you do with it?

If you are passing, pop into BLEND 104 Clare Road Grangetown Cardiff CF11 6RT

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He took no time is saying he would help people, particularly victims of the current earthquake situation in Turkey and Syria, where over 30,000 people have lost their lives, homes and hope. He also said he would help people within his local community. Shiraz, said if there was anything left, he would invest it in opening Blend mark 2.

It was lovely to speak with Shiraz, at BE.Xcellence, we love to support, spotlight and promote, new start-ups, and Blend was one we really wanted to shout about. So, if you are in the Grangetown area, or passing through, stop by Blend and grab yourself a flat white and a slice of cake, I am sure you will blend in!

BOMB - Black Owned Minority Business

News

New Co-working Space for the Bay

Invest in your Social Capital CoLab Work Spaces, is the best environment to start a charity , non-profit organisation. or commercial business. We believe collaboration is key, to producing ideas for sustainable social solutions.

CoLab is a purpose-driven environment, that offers social entrepreneurs and corporate businesses with social values, the space to pay it forward, in expertise, networks and skills, working towards a mutual social mission.

DAME Consultancy and Property Index, would like to introduce you to the: CoLab Work Spaces.

Collaboration is an essential component of a community interest company (CIC) as it can lead to numerous benefits for the organization and the wider community. Here are some of the benefits of collaboration in a CIC: 1. Increased resources: Collaboration allows CICs to pool their resources and knowledge, which can help them achieve their objectives more effectively. This can include sharing equipment, staff, funding, and expertise.

2. Greater impact: Collaboration enables CICs to work together towards a common goal, which can have a greater impact on the community. By combining their efforts, they can achieve more significant outcomes than if they worked alone.

3. Improved innovation: Collaboration can lead to increased innovation as CICs can share ideas and expertise.

This can help them develop new approaches to solving problems, improving services, and creating new products.

4. Enhanced reputation: Collaborating with other organizations can enhance the reputation of a CIC. Working with respected and well-established organizations can increase the credibility of the CIC, and demonstrate their commitment to achieving their mission.

5. Increased networking opportunities: Collaboration can help CICs build relationships with other organizations and individuals in their field. This can provide opportunities for new partnerships, joint ventures, and collaborations in the future.

6. Improved sustainability: Collaboration can lead to increased sustainability for CICs. By working together, they can share resources and expertise, which can reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Overall, collaboration is essential for the success of a community interest company. By working together, CICs can achieve their goals more effectively, have a greater impact on their community, and improve their sustainability over the long term.

Where can you find us?

Located in the heart of Cardiff Bay, CoLab occupies 2,417.68 sq ft in Cambrian House. Providing a variety of work stations, suitable for every stage of your business journey.

Our flexible terms are designed to support new startups, and their ambitious ideas, as well as offer a permanent home for more established businesses.

Situated just a 4-minute walk from the nearest train station, and bus stops our modern and fully equipped premises are easily accessible via the city centre. CoLab, is the perfect place, to work, rest and play, being just a stone's throw from the Bay's vast selection of restaurants, bars and of course the icon Wales Millennium Centre.

Competition is for dummies, Collaboration is the key to success!

Cambrian Buildings Mount Stuart Square

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BOMB - Black Owned Minority Business

Interview

Natalie Hodgkinson – Boss and Brew Academy Where did the inspiration for Boss and Brew come from?

Boss and Brew developed from my desire to get into the coffee industry.

I started obsessing over coffee a few years ago, I just wanted to learn everything, from the type of beans to the end user.

I was teaching maths at a high school and loved seeing the young people thrive and grow, so I was not ready to leave, but still researched and explored everything I could about coffee. My first coffee cart was handmade my myself and my uncle. I saved up every penny I could to purchase my first coffee machine and began pursuing opportunities. I planned to do weddings and events, although my first event was during International Women’s Day 2020, but then we went into lockdown. So, I pivoted and began delivering coffee to people’s homes and I really enjoyed that. However, lockdown gave me the opportunity to learn more about getting into the coffee industry.

Natalie, with students of Boss and Brew Academy

How did you begin to incorporate opportunities for young people into your business model?

After lockdown, I began to see that the school system failed to accommodate all children and felt the urge to offer opportunities for young people to learn new skills and build confidence, so decided to combine my passion for coffee, young people and education. So armed with my skills in teaching, being able to make great coffee and the ability to engage young people, I realised that there was a gap in the social enterprise space to create something from scratch.

I launched Boss and Brew, in summer 2021, Originally under the name Boleyn Barista. First, I launched a pilot by speaking with some community organisers in the Grangetown area, they allowed me to use the Grange Pavilion and the first session was very successful.

Initially I identified the young people using my own networks, and through people like Ali Abdi who has access to many young people. After the first pilot, we had six young people go into employment after the first session.

We helped them create a CV and did some interviewing techniques with them. As a brand, we were trying to build our own networks with people in the coffee industry, so I was able to share employment vacancies. The pilot gave me the confidence to realise that the business model works. It was such a useful learning curve, as it has allowed us to develop further training, such as history and origin of coffee, as I think it is important to understand the circular economy of where we get our food and other things from, in order to acknowledge who is involved in the whole process.

We hear a lot about sustainability and the circular economy, but why is this information important in business?

I believe in supporting small businesses, whether it is someone local or the farmers in Kenya, there is a large network involved in what we get on our shelves and young people need to understand the chain involved as well as the impact on the environment. They are the future generations and learning more about theses things in real life, not just in the classroom, will encourage then to play an active part in supporting the circular economy growth. Understanding more about the history and origins of coffee, will also help young people to have a greater appreciation of the labourers that help to grow, harvest, process and roast the coffee. As a Barista, it is your responsibility to ensure the end result is successful and complete the circle to the customer, so I think it gives the barista a greater acknowledgement of the hard work that has gone into producing a great coffee. The coffee industry has become a culture, people connect over coffees, business deals are created and broken over coffee. Although coffee shops have exploded in the last 15 years in the UK, they have plateaued since 2020, so doing new things like this is important to keep the coffee industry thriving. We have to think about where our coffee comes from, small family run businesses rely on the income, so in some small way we are supporting communities in other countries.

'Young people need to understand the chain involved, as well as the impact on the environment'.

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BOMB - Black Owned Minority Business Continued

We do so much research that we can tell you the origin, the name of the farm, even the family name of the suppliers. I always say coffee is about people, in reality, it is just a drink but, if we look deeper, there are families who rely on the income. I read that 50% of coffee farmers live in poverty, but others are high grade coffee suppliers who have made a fortune, mainly due to selling in large qualities and having the machinery and capabilities do large deals with manufacturers. But I love the small farmers, even if the end price is a little more expensive as, ultimately, it is about equity.

The other aspects of the training we offer are the practical skills and theory, such as brewing, steaming, serving and espresso extraction, which is a science, but it is also a fun part of the training, because that’s where they get to taste their work. We often have a lot of funny facial expressions during this part because if it is done wrong, it can even turn out very sweet or very bitter. A lot of the students enjoy learning the latte art, which is a skill. There are such things as latte art competitions, and we had the pleasure of hosting the first one in Wales, back in February.

How many young people have you trained so far?

As of the beginning of March, we have trained over 100 young people. We offer skills, that they could use if they decided to go to university as a lot of students tend to work in coffee shops. But not only that, people join for various reasons, to gain new skills, build confidence, meet new people or because they are coffee lovers. Ultimately, if a young person goes into the coffee industry that’s great, but that is not the goal.

Coffee in one hand Confidence in the other

How long does the training last?

Left to right: Community Organiser, Ali Abdi with students of Boss and Brew Academy along side, Sian Ropaigéalach WMC, Diversity and Inclusion Officer

We run a two-day training workshop and an additional day where they can invite friends and family to come along and taste all their hard work. So far, we have worked with Cardiff Council, Into Work service, Cardiff Youth Service, EOTAS, and all the groups are always so much fun. There is so much talent and engagement from the young people, that can sometimes get overlooked. We also offer a four day course, covering food hygiene as well as the barista training. Eventually we want to roll out our 8-week course, which will allow us to build a sustainable rapport with the young people and be able to meet their need as individuals, helping them to up-skill. We have a lot of plans moving forward, such as, a co-working space and the Boss and Brew hangout.

We love what we do and enjoy seeing the young people we work with, having a coffee in one hand and confidence in the other.

Coffee Facts:

According to a report by the British Coffee Association in 2021, the coffee industry in the UK is worth £10.1 billion and employs over 210,000 people. Here are some additional stats on the coffee industry in the UK: Consumption: Over 95 million cups of coffee are consumed every day in the UK Coffee is the most popular drink in the UK after tap water 81% of UK adults drink coffee, with 62% of those drinking it every day Out of Home (OOH) Coffee Market: The OOH coffee market in the UK is worth £8.9 billion and is expected to grow by 29% between 2019 and 2024 There are over 25,000 coffee shops and cafes in the UK, with around 1,000 new ones opening every year The average price of a cup of coffee in a UK coffee shop is £2.44 Costa Coffee and Starbucks are the two largest coffee chains in the UK, with 2,655 and 1,003 stores respectively.

Retail Coffee Market: The retail coffee market in the UK is worth £1.2 billion and is expected to grow by 11% between 2019 and 2024 Ground coffee is the most popular type of coffee sold in the retail market, accounting for 44% of sales Instant coffee is the second most popular type, accounting for 37% of sales The top three retail coffee brands in the UK by market share are Nescafe, Douwe Egberts, and Kenco.

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BOMB - Black Owned Minority Business

News

A worlds' first, from Wales -

Kamal Ali My Salah Mat Kamal Ali, from Newport South Wales, has invested in the first interactive prayer mat for children of the Muslim faith. How wonderful that Kamal has used his teaching background and skill in product design, to create something life-changing and the best part he’s from Wales! Xcellence magazine just had to catch up with this phenomenal entrepreneur and learn all about his journey into becoming a patented inventor and all-around beautiful soul.

Where did the inspiration for My Salah Mat come from?

I was praying and my son was trying to get into the prostration position. I realised that he needed some help, so I started thinking of ways to help make his prayer life fun, easy and interactive. I searched online and was surprised, that there was nothing out there, but I knew what I was looking for, it had to be something that would give clear instructions but suitable for children, making payer fun. I have a design background so started to think of ideas. There were two phases in the development, initially I thought of a printed mat, detailing instructions, so had a sample made. When it arrived, I explored further and realised that the idea had scope to adapt interactive elements to it, so I started phase 2 of the process, and began using my knowledge to look for ways for the mat to become touch sensitive and make sounds.

Kamal Ali

As a product design teacher, my dream was to secure a patent... and I have done it!

How would parents teach their children to pray before My Salah Mat? Normally, children would learn to pray through mimicking their parents or go to a teacher. As development evolved, I realised that children needed a learning tool. As a teacher, I know that children learn differently and toddlers learn through play, so knew that the mat had to be fun. Equally, the fun elements were important to me because I want children to enjoy prayer and Salah and have a positive interaction with prayer that would enhance their spiritual life and connect with the first pillar of Islam, setting a firm foundation for life.

What has been the response so far?

The response has been phenomenal, we have parents thanking us all the time, and asking for more products.

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www.mysalahmat.com

BOMB - Black Owned Minority Business

News

What was the process of creating My Salah Mat? Before My Salah Mat, I created another business called, Hadja safe, which was a brand that provided travel products for people who were travelling for pilgrimage. As a result of Hadja, I built up sound knowledge in marketing and manufacturing and have made a lot of contacts. I was fortunate enough to use private capital as a startup investment for My Salah Mat, I was confident that it would work, so as a family we decided to go for it. For us, yes the money is important, but it is a lot more than that for us.

We believe we have created a product that is helping future generations, connect with Allah, who we believe the rewards, when done with good intentions, come from.

As a new start up in the export industry, we gained support from Business in Wales. Welsh Government are keen to increase export from Wales, so they were very helpful in providing advice and information on how to scale up and sustain an export company. We received 50% costs from the Welsh government to explore potential countries to export to. The funds covered costs, such as travel and exhibition expenses. We currently sell My Salah Mat in 40 different countries.

The barriers, we have faced are big companies, requiring the product up front without paying. I feel that that model kills creativity and momentum.

Kamal and his invention My Salah Mat, was a product finalist in the 2022 Global Business Awards

What do you think is the main component to creating a brand?

There are some great business ideas coming out of Wales, how does it feel being an inventor?

I would say that you must be prepared to do everything in the beginning. As an entrepreneur it is not just about me, I am fortunate to have support from my family, I have been able to utilise various skills from family members. I have nieces and nephews working in the business, whilst studying, my children are featured in our marketing and other family members are involved. So, I would say that being prepared to do everything in the beginning and then delegating with people you trust. However, our network is bigger than that, we would not be successful without every component running like clockwork, from the post office staff to the delivery companies we use, we don’t see them as part of the infrastructure, but a part of our brand. Equally it is important to have good networks, but ultimately kindness and honesty are the biggest and most important characteristics to have, because people buy into you before the product.

Islam has been around for 14,000 years and nobody has created anything similar. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population; Saudia Arabia is the heart of the holiest sights in Islam, yet the first ever interactive prayer mat was created in Newport. I find it so hard to believe that nobody has ever thought of it before. But, I guess, it is good to be the first. We were granted a patent, which coming from a product design background, was one of the personal goals I had, and I am so pleased that I can look back on my life and know that I achieved my goal. What is so important is that people are not just purchasing an original product, but they are investing in the company to enable us to develop other interactive products, mainly faith products, but not exclusive, as we are always creating and mindful that we are living in a multicultural and multi faith world, so we are looking at other ideas.

What do you think is the hallmarks of a true entrepreneur?

My saying is the best entrepreneurs are those who build bridges, money is important, but being an entrepreneur is about creating products and services, that enhance the life and wellbeing of people, so that they can live full and impactful lives.

We have some re-sellers who can make an income also, so our product builds bridges in so many ways.

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Call to Action

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Poetic Justice

Black Boys, White Noise Did genocide to clear us, Devastate and fear us, Can impersonate and jeer us, But for some reason can’t hear us.

I think Our shout is like a squeak to them, Maybe it’s cuz they’re up so high gotta climb up there to speak to them, but it’s expensive, how much? you’d have to sell out your own kind, We try to articulate our problems, speech leaves our mouth fine, But they don’t listen yet we’re the ones without sound mind?

I find it kinda crazy, they can sit there like giants, and treat us like we’re devices, in a click turn us on silence. so we form alliance, attempt to triumph, they hate the fact we’re non-compliant, so they use their power and paint our defiance like it’s violence. to keep everyone safe and sound, but we’re not safe around no doubt, and you reject our sound, without the decency of sending a farewell for the way, but our communications not abrasive so our sound still waves. what are we tryna say? tell the unheard stories and history that your erasing, tell you our wants and needs in this “diverse” nation, we want our brothers freed from the shackles of your traumatisation, and ask for equity, no marginalisation, that must be too much to ask though, because you still neglect, and we’re left wonder, when we scream does our sound effect, your ear drums, or are you just numb, do your ears even work? despite what we’ve done for this country, you don’t see our worth, or feel our hurt, or hear us so now I’m shouting more than ever, don’t care if I cause a ruckus, gon have to pay for the times that you ignored us and said forget us, didn’t want to hear us then? don’t worry, i’ll make sure you never hear again, cuz we gon shout and we gone screech and we gon make your ears bleed, and then the roles will be reversed, n you’ll be having to plead, and we’ll write it how it happened, no more history tweaked, realise who you penalised by not letting us speak, you wonder why I’m so annoyed, demonise us then play with our features like they’re toys, how can you hear cries of anguish and stay privileged and poised? when there’s screaming black boys, does it just sound like white noise? when there’s screaming black boys, all you hear is white noise.

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I AM

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Proin et aliquet quam, ut tristique ex.

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Interview

Yousra Elsadig Fashion Designer

I am Tell me a bit about yourself? Background, where you live? How long, family?

My name is Yousra Elsadig, a multi-award-winning Sudanese fashion designer, wife, mother of two, and a health care provider specialising in eye care. I’ve lived in Cardiff for about 12 years after moving from Canada to do my specialising second degree at Cardiff University. I come from a family of health care professionals, my brother is a doctor, sister is a dental surgeon and other siblings are in social care. My mother is a former lawyer who sacrificed her career to raise us, and my father was an entrepreneur who specialised in export and import. I was born in Sudan but lived in Egypt for a few years before moving to Canada where I did my secondary school education and first Degree at the University of Toronto. Nonetheless, I am now settled in Wales with my Husband Ahmed who specialises in banking and two daughters Najiah, 12 and Nibras who is turning 11 in June.

What achievements you made so far?

My biggest achievement is being “an inspirational mother” to the most beautiful, well-behaved and bright little girls who I am sure will be leaders in their chosen fields one day, God-willing. Also, the fact that I am able to inspire not only them, but little girls and women who are told or are expected to follow a specific path that was set by their families and the society around them. Moreover, I’d say the fact that I obtained my two degrees from rather prestigious universities, the University and Cardiff University respectively. Additionally, I would say the awards I’ve accumulated since I started my journey in fashion Design.

So far I have achieved: •Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist in Wales 2015 •Modest Fashion Designer of the Year by the Modest Fashion Association of London 2015 •Best New Business Nominee by the Regional Awards 2016 What inspired you to get into the world of textile?

•Best Designs in the Middle East by world-renowned I’ve always had an outlandish style and loved mixing and Emirati Designer Mona Al-Mansouri 2016 matching styles. I was always playing dress up with the remnants from father’s shipments of textile from Syria and •Most Inspirational Female Student in the UK by the TAB Egypt. I was always lost in the world of creating something 2017 out of nothing. In Canada, I never followed the “urban •Woman to Watch by Barclay’s 2017 clothing trend” in the early two 2000’s like my high school •Best Designer Nominee by Black British Entertainment 2017 mates. I would be looking for odd pieces in Indie boutiques •Best Fashion Designer Nominee by British Muslim TV 2019 and thrift shops before this was a thing. I had my own •Fashion Trust Arabia Ready-to-Wear Finalist 2022 style and was even bullied for it. But I would say when I was 16 I designed my own high school graduation dress because I couldn’t find a modest style that suited me in the high street. My aunt made it for me and it was a beautiful oriental-inspired number.

I’ve always had an outlandish style and loved mixing and matching styles.

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Interview

Career Highlight!

Being short-listed as a RTW finalist by Fashion Trust Arabia was definitely a career highlight. I was able to take a collection to Doha before the World Cup and showcase it to designers like Olivier Rousteing of Balmain and Pablo Valentino. I was told that I am special by Olivier and Paula Abdul from American Idol. I sat next to Janet Jackson and posed in Photos with Naomi Campbell and Bella Hadid. Getting my name mentioned as a finalist in that room with Arab Royalty and A-listers was the assurance that I needed from Allah (SWT) that I am on the right track. It was a sweet reward from Him for my hard work and resilience.

How would you describe your style or designs?

I design luxurious modest sustainable impactful fashion for trailblazers and women who would like to make statements and defy limiting societal rules. I’d like to enable women who dress modestly to always feel red-carpet ready. They can also feel good not only because our designs are made with ethical ideals, but we donate a percentage of our profits to global issues we feel strongly about. With BDN, one can look good and feel even better.

Being short-listed as a RTW finalist by Fashion Trust Arabia was definitely a career highlight.

Why is it important to have equity in the fashion industry?

It rather important because raw and authentic people need to see those who look just like them make it in the fashion industry. It is crucial for little girls in villages somewhere in Africa to dream big and go for the very dreams they were told they could not pursue based on the “cookie-cutter” representation in the fashion industry. I want people who are darker, with head scarves and who aren’t a size 8-10 to be in rooms where they have never been before. I want to pave the road in fashion design and represent my family, culture and religion.

Where do you want to see your brand?

I’d like my brand to have a global impact first and foremost by achieving our social goal as well as obviously being placed in major retailers like Harrods. I see it, I’ve written it down and I believe it will happen one day InshAllah. I’d like to create ethical fashion with a global impact.

What have been the challenges?

The challenge has been to convince everyone around me that it is attainable to have dreams and aspirations in more one than one area and to excel in each. Those dreams are usually instilled in the person’s brain and no one around them can comprehend the reasoning behind them. Thus, it is quite the challenge for us women with many visions to convince people with our “unconventional goals.” But once you achieve major milestones in each area, they will slowly come through.

What advice do you give someone wanting to follow this route?

Self-belief is rather crucial, coupled with patience, persistence and passion. This is my own recipe to encounter obstacles and to prosper in the route I chose to follow.

Can you explain the process of making your pieces, inspiration and how you choose the material?

I am a very visual person so the whole process takes place in my mind. Also, I am usually inspired by the beauty and richness of culture. Colours, texture and authenticity make me inspired to showcase my design story to the world. The journey from being inspired by a small bead and for the whole collection to be showcased to the best designers in the world and to Arab royalty in the middle East is a story worth telling.

Moreover, I tend to merge cultures in my work, by bridging cultural gaps through the art of fashion design.

I also use my designs to break stereotypes and to advocate for inclusion in the fashion industry. I use my artistic skills to draw or portray any story I need to tell to the world.

If you could dress anyone, who is it and why?

I dream of dressing HRH The Princess of Wales- Princess Kate. I am aware that she is always supporting local, sustainable brands and my brand fits her taste and ethical ideals. I’ve always associated our modest designs with royalty and trailblazers, and it would be my absolute pleasure to dress her.

What is your BIG dream with your brand?

I’d ideally make profit whilst creating a global impact.

This is what I envision for BDN. Can you explain the most important component or personal skill required to be an entrepreneur?

The most important component and or personal skill required is good intentions, coupled with what I call the triple P’s, which are passion, persistence and patience without them, it is hard for anyone to face obstacle and can easily give up.

@boutiquedenana

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Photo: Jasmine Powney Photography

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Photo: Tom Marshak Photography

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Photo: Wwags/Oshen Agency Photo: Wwags/Oshen Agency

Photo: Wwags/Oshen Agency

Photography: Jasmin Powney Photography

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Photo: Tom Marshak Photography

Photo: Tom Marshak Photography

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Photo: Tom Marshak Photography

Photo: Mcm London Photography

How Great Thou Art

National Museum of (Cardiff) Amgueddfa Cymru New Heights The National Museum (Cardiff) , hosted the first MOBO event at the Reardon lecture theatre on January 27th. The music extravaganza entitled New Heights, was free entry and aimed to provide a opulent space for Welsh artists to perform in a public building that is usually used for educational, historical and scientific purposes. The event organised by Aaron Schoburgh and team, will be a regular feature, offering music, spoken word, poetry, and short films.

The first event featured artists, Ogun, SZWÉ , Anwar Siziba and Miss Faithlee. It was a fantastic evening full of pure talent. New Heights also screened two features in response to the BBC 100 in Wales Exhibition. The titles share with us the contemporary Black experience. Highlighting Barriers faced, expressions of joy, belonging, and a much-needed nod to the enriching impact that Black communities contribute to creating a culturally diverse Wales.

Liana Stewart, who directed Black and Welsh, produced by Catryn Ramasut, ie Production, was the first showing. This short documentary consists of interviews with people, sharing their experiences of being Black and Welsh. Most explain that their dual identity has often been questioned, met with questions such as ‘but where are you really from’? The impact of having such experiences invalidated their Welshness at times and made them second guess their sense of belonging. Others expressed how negative remarks, made by teachers, would suggest that aspirations of wanting to do law as a career was met with negativity and discouragement. However, Sheldon did go on to study law and did so at Cambridge. Another lady called Jaqui, mentioned that she would be labelled by work colleges as ‘Black Jaqui’. The same theme resonated, what does it mean to be Black and Welsh, well, in conclusion, it means to be pretty darn lucky!

The second film was created by a young musician and composer Sizwé Chitiyo, from South Wales, who looks at MOBO in Wales. MOBO also known as Music of Black Origin, is a huge genre consisting of hip-hop, soul and jazz, and is a rich and vibrant scene with many fans and followers. In this documentary, Sizwé shines a light on some of the issues and barriers Welsh artists can face. He also introduces us to the Honey Sessions, a musical initiative for performers and creatives dedicated to uplifting the genre and showcasing the talents of young Welsh artists. Through the Honey Sessions, we hear the stories of rising Welsh stars and how the initiative is helping their voices to be heard.

By the time this magazine goes to print, New Heights will have showcased their second event on the 24th February, and every month thereafter. So, if you want to support up and coming Black and Welsh artists, check out: https://museum.wales/ for dates and details.

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News

How Great Thou Art

BBC Exhibition

Review by: Donna Ali

National Museum of (Cardiff) Amgueddfa Cymru

Butetown So, I went to visit the BBC's exhibition in the museum of Cardiff and was so pleased to see young aspiring photo journalists, from Butetown get the opportunity to showcase what is important to them. Often the BBC and other mainstream media outlets leave out communities in the South of Cardiff, historically reporting false narratives and inadequate information depicting a community, ridden of crime and of deprivation.

BUT, if you don't know people from the area or anything other than, the 1919 race riots, the Cardiff 5 and other stories that fail to shine the light on the positive contributions Butetown has made to Wales, then you need to get down to see this fantastic exhibition.

The curators are, Trinity Zammit and Zaid Djerdi, who both wanted to showcase the heart of a community that raised them into the talented and creative people they are today.

There are some lovely quotes, given by John Actie, who was one of the 5, wrongly accused of the tragic murder of Lynette White. Gaynor Legall, who was Wales' first Black female councillor, Mustfa Mohammed, football coach and manager of Tiger Bay Warriors and Nooh Omar Ibrahim who recently completed his apprenticeship with the WRU. They wanted to take part in the short videography, aiming to tell the REAL story of Butetown, also lovingly known as Tiger Bay.

Image of the exhibition

To be born in Butetown, everyone was aunty or uncle!

John Actie, explains what Butetown means to him, he said: 'My family come to mind, when I think of Butetown and all the history that comes with it'.

Mustafa, states that to him, Butetown signifies hope, a place with a lot of talent.

Noor, says, I sees a multi cultural community, where his visiting friends don't want to leave. He continues to say, Butetown is his heart!

Gaynor Legall, describes being raised in Butetown as a nurturing place, where her childhood was spent playing out in the street. Reminiscing times when the neighbours would reprimand you for being naughty and that non-family members were referred to as aunty or uncle. She claims it was a respectful place, where everyone was valued regardless of their background. Gaynor, is a well respected member of the community, and has championed improvements in race relations across Wales, for many years. Gaynor goes on to explain the lack of access into industries for young people such as media, only every offering internships and work experience, to people from the area, and never really given the opportunity of full time contracts. This has had a damaging impact on the perception and persuasion of people across the city.

On reflection to my visit, I felt the same as Mustfa, hopeful! That with more opportunities, for young creatives to access places like the museum, sharing content that is important to them, will help to dispel myths and negative narratives, so that the wider communities in Wales can benefit in loving Butetown too.

Here's hoping!

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News

How Great Thou Art Wales Millennium Centre Hosts:

'Ideas Worth Spreading'

24th April 2023 6pm - 8:30pm Cabaret Bar

Speakers

Bianca Ali is an aspiring assistant director, activist, and writer. Her credits include assistant producer of the NTW production of ‘Circle of Fifths’ held in June 2022 at the WMC Dance House. Bianca was also the lead member of the Black Lives Matter Movement, calling on the Welsh government and organisations to revise their current EDI policies to make Wales an anti-racist nation. She is a talented spoken word artist and has organised many events to give poets and artists a platform. As a result of her creative talent Bianca, was a member of the Ladies of Rage’s event entitled Harddwch Du, co-writing and performing, the Struggle is Real.

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Ricardo Erasmus, a former semi-pro soccer player, originally from Cape Town, Mitchell's Plain, South Africa. He is a Transformational Life Coach, Youth mentor, Motivational Speaker, and Radio Presenter with over two decades of experience in youth work in Cape Town, the USA, and the UK. He shares his story of resilience and determination growing up on the Cape Flats and inspires others to reach their full potential by shifting their mindset and striving for success against all odds. He is passionate advocate for mentorship and is dedicated to helping others reach their highest potential.

News

How Great Thou Art

By: Donna Ali

Global Majority taking centre stage at the WMC

Chantelle Haughton - DARPL Director (Welsh Government National initiative for Pan-Wales Diversity and Anti-Racist Professional Learning led by partners with lived and professional experience), is a National Teaching Fellow, Principal Lecturer in Early Years Education, Cardiff Met University, Senior Fellow (SFHEA).

Chantelle founded and co-ordinates The CMet Outdoor Learning Centre. Chantelle is Chair Welsh Government Anti Racist Wales Action Plan Early Years, Childcare and Play Steering Group, Member Ministerial Working Group for Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Histories and Cynefin in Curriculum for Wales, former-Chair Black History Wales Management Committee (2020-22), Vice Chair BAMEed Wales Network, Deputy Chair Race Equality Charter task group at Cardiff Met and Vice Chair Early Years Network Wales.

Yusuf Ibrahim is a prominent educational leader in Wales. He is passionate about enhancing the leadership prospects for people from all walks of life, particularly those from under-represented backgrounds. One of the most senior minority-ethnic leaders in the public sector, Yusuf has worked at national level, contributing to the design and delivery of assessments during the pandemic. He is currently leading a ground-breaking AntiRacism Curriculum Project across the colleges sector as well as leading significant curriculum & digital areas within one of the largest colleges in the UK, Cardiff & Vale College. A digital transformer, Yusuf is determined to ensure that new technologies are an enabler for positive change, allowing more people to access opportunities to learn and progress. A values-based leader, Yusuf's journey has taken him across London, Bristol & Cardiff, building supportive teams to meet the needs of learners, staff, and communities.

Rachel is the founder of Apex Educate, co-founder of Promote Equality and Deputy Headtacher of a inner-London school. Rachel is a core DARPL Team member, having created the Senior Leader and Governor series of Professional Learning for Wales. Rachel works with schools, educational settings and companies that are seeking to become anti-racist and work towards racial justice being realised. Rachel's ability to train all levels of staff in antiracism has developed people's understanding of equity and has supported them on their anti-racist journey.

'Ideas Worth Spreading' X 46

News

How Great Thou Art

By: Donna Ali

Global Majority taking centre stage at the WMC Transformation Coach & CEO JTI Leadership Academy Organisation: Joy Transformation International Leadership Academy (JTILA) CEO and Founder of JTILA. Accomplished high performance international trainer, coach, author, and leadership consultant with a dynamic record of success delivering leadership and management development. Specialist in the area of Purpose Driven Leadership, Mindset, Vision and strategic Thinking, Emotional Intelligence and leading and managing Diversity & Inclusion at senior management level across a broad range of organisations in the UK, Europe, USA and Africa.

'Ideas Worth Spreading'

Michael Adeniya Michael Adeniya is a commercially focused, award-winning B2B events strategist. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer of UK Black Business Week, the largest event in the UK and Europe for Black entrepreneurs, career professionals and allies to the Black community. In his previous role as the Portfolio Director of Clarion Events life science division, he spearheaded almost 10x revenue growth over an 8 year tenure, introducing multiple revenue streams and international product launches across Europe, Asia and America.

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Sy uses the power of storytelling to inform, persuade and challenge organisations towards an anti-racist future.

South Wales born and based, Sy has worked extensively in multiple settings leading Welsh Government award winning national and international projects that tackle exclusion and improve access for young people and adults in areas of employment, education and health.

Formerly Head of Operations at the UK based charity Race Equality First, Sy worked closely with people who experienced race discrimination and used their personal experiences in the workplace. Sy now leads on the delivery of antiracist interventions influencing positive change at the RSPB. Sy sits on the Criminal Justice Board for Wales Independent Oversight Panel addressing the systemic discrimination and disadvantages experienced.

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How Great Thou Art

News

National Theatre of Wales

Joseph K and the Cost Of Living

'The art of the people is a true mirror into their minds' -Jarawharlal Nehru.

Assistant Director Bianca Ali and Co-Director Kel Matsena

Cast RnD

Art is an expression of life! through the eyes of the directors, producers and cast at the National Theatre of Wales, they promise to showcase a performance that demonstrates one of the living crisis of our time the cost of living!

Sometimes, art can depict a world that we don't belong to, but that's what the power of performance can do isn't it?

Transport you into another dimension, where it is possible to fantasises about living in a beautiful castle, in a distant land, or re- visit days gone by. But this production is meant to unite, to evoke a sense of togetherness, as we all go through what has been termed as the biggest living crisis of the century.

Whilst the cost of food, energy and transport has risen, which are core principles to our basic needs. Clothes and other items seem to remain the same. So what on earth is going on?

According to, health.org, the cost of living is dangerous to our health in ways that can lead to death. Being unable to buy food leaves people at risk of being malnourished, being unable to afford to put the heating on, can lead to respiratory diseases. This current situation sweeping the UK, could essentially lead to more and more people needing to access emergency services and other health care provider. The cost of living is a national emergency1 But what can us common folk, do about it? Well we could protest, we could bombard our local councillors or we could refuse to pay for things such as water. There are many things we can do, but one thing for sure is, to have impact we have to stand together.

The National Theatre of Wales, are taking a stand, by creating a piece of art, that speaks to all of us, and unites us in our frustration. The production is set to help us to understand what is going on, and to help us gain confidence is speaking out.

There is real power to the people when we stand together. Let's make this performance a sell out!

Tickets are priced to provide affordable access.

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Photog

e

The Cost of Living

Book Now!

Kicking off at Swansea Grand Theatre 17th- 25th March 2023 Creative team Writer Emily White Director Lorne Campbell Co-director Kel Matsena Co-director Anthony Matsena Dramaturg Kaite O’Reilly Casting Director Hannah Marie Williams Assistant Director Bianca Ali Set and Costume Design Cai Dyfan

There are three parts to the performance All tickets for The Cost of Living are Pay What You Can, starting from £8.

You can choose to pay a price that works for you.

We know price is a barrier, so those who can afford to pay a little more for their ticket will help us to support those who can’t.

Seats are unallocated. No matter which price you go for, you can sit where you choose.

Drama, gig, sgwrsio (gyda pheth bwyd!)

Tocynnau yw’r rhain i gyd lle byddi di’n talu beth rwyt ti’n dewis ei dalu, dechrau o £8. Fe gei di dalu pris sy’n addas i ti.

Lighting Designer Jane Lalljee

Rydyn ni’n gwybod bod y pris yn rhwystr i rai pobl, felly bydd y rheini sy’n gallu fforddio talu mymryn mwy am eu tocynnau’n gadael i ni helpu’r bobl nad ydyn nhw’n gallu gwneud hynny.

Sound Designer Alex Comana

Dydy’r seddi ddim yn cael eu neilltuo, felly hyd yn oed os wyt ti’n prynu’r tocyn rhataf, fe gei di ddewis ble i eistedd o hyd.

In the Words of Bob Marley: Get up, Stand up!

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Stars are Born in Wales

Monique Bux

Sports Interview By: Mohammed Hersi

By: Mohammed H Farah Freelance sports journalist

'Looking after your body is extremely important as your body is your temple so you must get the nutrition part done correctly' X 51

Witten by: Mohammed Hersi Farah

M

onique Bux is a unique character who juggles a career of being a DJ and recently becoming a professional boxer. Xcellence Magazine caught up with her to discuss how she navigates joining the professional game, Making weight, mental health, injuries, critics and how to deal with social media.

Everything is discussed, as Monquie Bux tells it how it is in her career so far.

So, tell us about yourself, who is Monique Bux to the audience that have not heard about you?

I’m Monique Bux a recently turned professional boxer from Cardiff, Wales. Before I was a boxer most people will know me as a DJ, but sport has always been at the forefront of something that I wanted to do from my early teenager years. Life does not always go the way you plan, but I got back into boxing around four years ago. Then, in 2021, I turned professional and have had two professional fights in that time.

Talks us through the first time you stepped into a boxing gym and how did that feel?

The first time I put on a pair of boxing gloves and went to a boxing gym, was the YMCA boxing gym in Cardiff. I was around ten or eleven years of age. Then I went back to boxing in my teenager years, but it was a different experience and different feel, as there weren’t any women boxers around at the time and most boxing gyms were male oriented. This did put me off as I didn’t feel welcome in the boxing gym back then. Sport for women has progressed since that time. Talking about my recent experience coming back into boxing, it has been nothing but extremely welcoming. Every coach I worked with, in different gyms across the country, has treated me with nothing but the ultimate respect, so my boxing career has definitely been a journey.

These days I believe anybody that gets into boxing, whether they fight professionally or in the amateur game, or who do it to get into fitness, will be welcomed into most gyms across the country[SH2] . Boxing will teach them the basic rules, such as discipline, training and respect.

'Every coach I have worked with in different gyms across the country has treated me with nothing but the ultimate respect, so my boxing career has definitely been a journey'

Boxing is a tough sport how do you find the training aspects of the sport?

The training aspects are mental strength as well as physical strength. This is something I learnt over time and a lot goes on behind the scenes, that people who are not involved in boxing, don’t see. The weight cuts, the dieting, the mood swings and being a woman is different, as you get a lot of water retention when you are close to your cycle. Then you have three or four days off and when you come back to the gym you are weighting yourself and you are a few pounds over your weight, which make it extremely frustrating especially when you are trying to make weight for an upcoming fight. There are a lot of factors when it comes to preparing yourself to get fit, which is why boxing is a mental game.

The 1st professional fight you had was on the big Joe Cordina world title fight in Cardiff what was the experience like?

Looking back now, for people that don’t know me as a boxer, It was difficult for me as it was my debut on a big event and I lost the fight, owing to me not having many amateur fights. Boxing is a sport with a lot of critics, more than any other sport I believe. Unfortunately, you going to get people who judge you on your first performance.

This shouldn’t be the case, as your boxing debut should be where you showcase the skills you have and slowly climb up the rankings. My debut was a massive card and I was OK until the day before the fight. Being completely honest, the occasion got to me because the event was a huge occasion on a big platform like DAZN. The event was a big opportunity at the time, which I couldn’t turn down, but it was a good experience that you learn from, you can’t take it back and you have to go forward. What I did was to correct it, as in my second fight I beat the same opponent. She was an experienced fighter who had over 200 amateur fights and been to world championships and a lot of boxers have turned down the opportunity to fight her as she a very awkward opponent. I lost the fight to her in my debut as I wasn’t mentally with it, which affected my performance.

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Sport Like you said you lost your 1st fight, so how did you mentally prepare to beat the same opponent in the next fight?

Well, if you look at boxing it’s completely unheard of, unless they are world level and have rematch clauses, so for me to fight somebody of Ester Konecna’s level on the next fight is very unusual in boxing. For me, the mental resilience was hard as there were times when I doubted myself and there were times my mental health wasn’t OK, which made me think I didn’t belong in boxing. This all made me feel I didn’t have what it takes to succeed in boxing. This was all because of losing my debut fight, but I knew deep down I was capable of beating her. I was putting in the work in the gym so I knew I would be getting a better outcome. Avenging that loss from my debut fight gave me huge mental strength to carry on with my professional career.

Doing some research, I’ve found out that you are also a DJ. How do you find the challenge between two polar opposite careers?

When I looked at it initially, I didn’t see a way I could combine the two, but what I realised was that boxing is a humble sport. However, it’s still a businesswhich means you still have to sell yourself to become a brand and get noticed.

Being a DJ, and the other stuff I do, such as being a singer, is a good way to promote myself.

Balancing the two lifestyles is something I’m accustomed to as I don’t drink when I’m in camp, so I don’t mix the two careers together. I do my best not to mix the two lifestyles together, as I do my DJ work for only three nights of the week and the rest of the week, I’m training. Being a DJ is a blessing as it gives me plenty of free time to train, so the two careers work hand in hand.

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Where do you find the motivation to train, like going for a run in the mornings especially in the winter when it’s dark and cold outside?

Music, I have the best playlist. Honestly, it’s the passion I have for the sport and if you have a passion for something nothing is going to deter you from doing it. I’m a human at the end of the day and sometimes you get up and it’s freezing which puts you off from going on that run, but the passion makes you go.

Music is powerful which inspires me especially certain songs like the rocky playlists. Now I’m a professional athlete this is what I must do and not cut corners, as professional boxing is not something you can fluke your way through. You must put in the work, so anytime I do feel tired or am having a down day, I say no and tell myself to push through.

Boxing is a business which means you still have to sell yourself to become a brand and get noticed. Being a DJ is a good way to promote myself.

Who is your biggest inspiration in boxing and outside the ring?

I’m a proper nerdy student when it comes to boxing, I love so many different boxers. You’ve obviously got the greats like Muhammad Ali who is one of my favourite boxers of all time. And, like a lot of people, it is for what he did inside and outside the ring. The other great boxer who inspired me is Pernell Whittaker who was properly slick, smooth and his defensive work was amazing. Another boxer who I like is Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, he makes it so easy in his fights. Floyd Maywether is another one who I admire when watching him fight. I’m not even going to lie. I love watching Anthony Joshua fight.

He’s been the biggest inspiration to me, there is something about his presence and the way he carries himself.

The last two fights he lost, but that can happen in boxing, the problem nowadays people are obsessed with keeping the undefeated record and not testing themselves against other great boxers. That never used to be the case with old school boxers. Johnny Nelson lost his first eight fights in a row, then become the longest cruiserweight world champion. I lost my first fight and had a feeling I wasn’t good enough. Laila Ali was the first women boxer who inspired me.

Witten by: Mohammed Hersi Farah

Sport You train at the famous St Joseph gym in Newport under Tong Borg quite a few famous boxers have come from that gym what’s the atmosphere like in that gym?

I’ve been to a few different gyms as an amateur and as a professional, but this gym has such a family unit, where everybody supports each other.

There’s not one boxer in the gym that is shallow or cocky, everybody is on the same wavelength. I know I can talk to any boys in the gym and my coach, who will always be there to support me. It’s a really good stable with huge talented boxers such as Gavin Gwynne, who will push me in training. The atmosphere in the gym is amazing.

Women boxing is booming at the moment especially after the Claressa Shields v Savanah Marshall fight why do you think that is?

Women’s boxing is booming at the moment especially after the Claressa Shields v Savanah Marshall fight. Why do you think that is?

The way the world is now, it’s just changed in terms of the way women are being perceived in sport. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done, I believe boxing, along with football, are now the two pinnacle women’s sports where they are getting the fruits of their labour. Now people are seeing that women can box and have the technical skills as well, the perception of women boxing is changing. It’s funny, as I’ve seen some promoters in boxing on YouTube saying women should not be boxing and, now, they are signing up women boxers and promoting their shows.

The aim is to change the perception so more women can embrace the sport, so women’s boxing can continue to grow.

You are a DJ when you are fighting, so do you play your own music as an entrance song and how do you get that tunnel vision to go and do a job in the ring?

No, I don’t play my own music as the entrance song. The last fight, I had a Kanye West song through the wire as the lyrics to the song really connected with me, especially with the part, turn tragedy to triumph.

The music does help so does the family and friends support in the crowd, as you do absorb it all in.

Everything happens really quick. The music, the ring walks and then boom you are in the lion’s den in the ring, ready to fight.

Finally, what are your goals in the boxing game?

Boxing is a funny game as I’ve already had promoters from America and Mexico trying to put me in with big prospects.

Boxing is about building you up smartly instead of rushing into big fights, this why being with good management is key. I trust my management as they won’t do silly things. I’ve just got to be patient and make the right decisions.

Boxing is all about taking the right fights at the right times. This why having the right conversation with your manager is important when a certain opponent is picked at the right time. In my last fight I wasn’t supposed to fight Ether Konceia, but the opponent I was supposed to fight pulled out, so I was told I was going to fight her again and I was happy to fight her again as I knew I could beat her.

Do you believe fans and critics are too harsh on sports athletes today, especially in this social media era?

People need to realise that the performance they are watching takes a lot of hard work, dedication and plenty of mental resilience, At the end of the day we all human, so people bleed the same as you even though they are professional athletes. Mental health is a big thing so you have to respect athletes for being in sports, as it’s a lifetime of hard work to get where we are. Especially in boxing, it takes a lot of heart to get into a boxing ring even when it is a charity fight.

There’s nothing wrong with constructive criticism as all sports athletes expect that after a bad performance but doing it in a respective way is what I ask of fans and pundits. Boxing is a unique sport until you get in a ring and face an opponent, people don’t know how it feels.

Being a professional athlete is amazing, so all we ask for is to be respected and not treated with disrespect.

The way the world is now, its just changed in terms in the way women are being perceived in sports.

When is your next fight and where do we get tickets?

To be announced, as at the moment I’m suffering from an back injury which I’ve have had since my last fight but I just powered through as I hate being out injured and out of the gym. I’m actually resting at the moment as I need to put my health first.

When I do recover from the injury myself and my team will work together to find a new date. Update will be on my socials especially Instagram where a new date will announced.

Photo credit: Karen Priestly Photography

Borg Boxing Crew!

Witten by: Mohammed Hersi Farah

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Youth Matters Young Creatives

Exhibition Reported by: Tia -Zakura Camilleri

Wales' relationship with Sugar & Slate

Clean Slate

Often, young and early career creatives struggle to get the opportunities, platforms and support to create work of good quality. Many young people are raised (in schools and at home) with the common misconception that a career in ‘the arts’ is hardly a career at all, which can foster a reluctance to pursue your creative calling, professionally. Data gathered from a study by OnePoll, from 1,000 respondents across the UK, found that 50% of 16-25-year-olds surveyed wanted to pursue creative careers, but nearly two thirds do not feel they receive adequate guidance to do so by teachers or career advisers. Thus, it’s important to create and promote a stable and flourishing industry for people to enter, in order to demystify this issue.

In efforts to solve this problem, the Wales Millennium Centre recently opened an artist residency space as part of their Creative Learning programme. This is a studio space given to selected artists, who are young people and/or from the local community, for one month with expenses for materials/time provided.

Creatives have complete artistic freedom with no expectations of developing a finished product at the end of it. The thinking around the scheme was explained by one of the producers at Creative Learning; ‘During the consultation around our new spaces for young people, we learned that the absence of space to experiment and create had a serious impact on emerging artists’ chances to develop their work. Such spaces are often costly, and material costs on top of that make it unattainable for many. As demonstrated through our many creative courses at the Centre, we feel that it is important to allow the creation of art to be as accessible as possible. As such, we recognised the need to support diverse, young and community artists to develop their individual craft, being vitally important in creating a vibrant and diverse arts scene in Wales.’

Most recently, the artist residency space housed 19 year old Cara Walker (artist) and 18 year old Tia-zakura Camilleri (writer/poet). The two young creatives are members of the WMC Youth Advisory Board, which aims to give a voice to young people to inform aspects of the Centre, ensuring it is accessible. During their residency, they decided to create an RnD exhibition; the exhibition called ‘Clean Slate’ launched on February 3rd, focussing on the Black and Welsh identity in a modern and historical context.

‘It’s so easy for people to overlook you because you’re younger, people don’t take me seriously or listen to what I have to say; Pair that with being of Black/Asian heritage and a woman and you feel practically muted.

So, to be given this platform in a building with such kudos, amplifies our voice to those who need to hear it’ …… Cara Walker.

Often, young and early career creatives struggle to get the opportunities, platforms and support to create work of good quality.

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Youth Matters

Reported by: Tia -Zakura Camilleri

Clean Slate The WMC is the national arts centre in Wales, so when we were offered the space, we knew we wanted to explore the idea of ‘Welshness’. Granted, this topic has been poignant in recent years, but Cara and I have had millions of conversations discussing the more ‘taboo’ side of ‘Welshness’ being non-white and non-Welsh speaking. WMC actually informed our exhibition quite a lot; its locality in the heart of a bustling, diverse Butetown, juxtaposing with its proximity to buildings like the Senedd, represented the dichotomy we often discussed. In one of many chats, we were enlightened by the history of the slate industry. Welsh slate is something we are often taught to be proud of but a lot of people are unaware of its connection to slavery. It was a lightbulb moment for us. Not only did it feel like a great mechanism to explore identity, but to uncover this hidden history in a building covered in slate (next to the Senedd which is also covered in slate) was so powerful.

Once we had the topic, we had to find ways to merge our two very different art forms. We operated in a way where we responded to each other’s work with our own work. Lots of my poetry aided Cara’s artwork and vice versa. It was beautiful to be able to collaborate with another likeminded creative, and we quickly realised we wanted to use this chance to showcase an exhibition. We wanted to demonstrate the value of young Black artists and tell our own stories.

Though Cara has been featured in exhibitions before, this was the first either of us have curated of our own. The process wasn’t all smooth sailing but every setback lent itself to the final result. As an RnD, we found it really important to expose this ‘up & down’ journey to everyone and not shy away from the complexities of creating an exhibition.

So, we had a ‘journey wall’ which explained the steps we took to get here, including how we sourced the slate, what our inspiration was etc. There were two other integral features to our exhibition: 1. The public art - for all visitors to contribute to, responding to the question ‘Do you feel Welsh? Why?’, 2. Feedback box - all aspects of the exhibition were incredibly introspective, my poems really forced me to unpick each thread of my identity, so we really wanted to evoke the same introspective thought for those experiencing.

Do You Feel Welsh?

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Youth Matters

Reported by: Tia -Zakura Camilleri

Clean Slate

‘Incredible work. I wish I could have experienced this when I was a child - it would have had a huge impact on me growing up mixed in Wales’

‘The use of materials in the art is completely beautiful’

Because of the stigma and lack of appreciation for the arts, it becomes a privilege to be able to take time to refine your craft. For me, full dedication means sacrificing other ‘more stable’ work and working for free in the creative industry. This isn’t always possible for those who come from working class backgrounds, which can form a barrier to accessing the sector. The artist residency space trusted Cara and I and financed our time, so we could focus on our practice and do what we love to do without having to worry about missing out on wages.

‘This exhibition is amazing! Arddechog!

Dylech chi gyd bod yn falch o’eich gwaith!’

The exhibition can be viewed at Wales Millenium Centre Stwdio Scratch until late March.

We were really proud of what we created and hope to expand it further. We are grateful to be given this opportunity and both recognise the vital part it has played in kickstarting our career. - Tia-zakura Camilleri

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Youth Matters

Reported by: Tia -Zakura Camilleri

The History Of Slate

Welsh slate is quite prolific in its contribution to Wales. The largest manufacturer in North Wales was the Penrhyn slate quarry which was owned by the Pennant family. However, in the 18th century, the Pennants also owned four sugar plantations in Jamaica, which were upkept by over 1,000 slaves. The money generated from the plantations was invested into expanding the Penrhyn slate quarry. Richard Pennant was MP for Petersfield in 1761/67 and was chairman of the West India Committee which campaigned for the continuation of slavery. When slavery was ‘abolished’ in 1833, the family received £14,683 17s 2d in compensation which is roughly £2,236,068 today.

This view of Penrhyn slate quarry shows the vast scale of the excavations. They were begun in 1785 by Richard Pennant, MP for Liverpool and owner of large slave plantations in Jamaica. Richard Pennant (c.1737-1808) invested his profits from sugar and rum to finance and develop the Penrhyn slate quarry in Gwynedd.

Resources

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Interviews

Youth Matters

In Conversation with Luchia

L

uchia Ellul Alimikhena

I am a freelance journalist for Xcellence magazine and for my contribution to this issue, I wanted to find out how my peers feel about the new mandatory curriculum, that includes Black, Asian and minority ethic communities, contributions and history.

These are the questions I posed to Andrew and Sophia, both year 7 pupils at my school Corpus Christi.

Here is what they had to say.

.What do you think about the new curriculum changes, where the contributions of Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities are now made mandatory?

A: I think that the changes are very important to all pupils in schools across Wales.

S: I think the changes are really good, because we will get to hear about other people’s history, not just ours.

How do you think the changes will impact your learning and what do you hope to learn?

A: I think the new curriculum will impact me on a personal level, as I am of mixed heritage and, to be honest, I don’t really know much about Black history and where my heritage comes from.

S: I hope to learn a lot of knowledge about the diversity in Wales Do you understand why these changes have been made to the new curriculum?

A: Yes, I do understand, but I wish they had been made a lot sooner. Everyone’s history is important, so these changes are a good thing.

S: Yes, I think the new changes have been made so that everyone feels welcomed and to know that they are acknowledged.

Is there anything that excites you about the new curriculum?

A: I am most interested in learning more about the origins of my culture and how diversity has grown in Wales.

S: The one thing that excites me about the new curriculum is that I get to understand more about the different backgrounds of the people around me.

Do you think it is important that the curriculum reflects inclusivity?

A: Yes, it is very important that everyone is included, because history is history and it should be taught truthfully.

S: Yes, I think it is important to be inclusive because, even if you cannot relate, you can find out more by watching videos online and read stuff to help support the new material.

What do you already know about Black and ethnic history?

A: I don’t really know that much, to be honest, but I am excited to learn more.

S: I know quite a bit, as my primary school used to teach us things, but I am looking forward to hearing more at this age, so that I gain more of an understanding.

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Sophie Stonehouse Year 7 pupil at Corpus Christi High School

Youth Matters Sound Progression

Keeping Wales’s Music Industry Healthy, Flourishing and Diverse in 2023

I haven’t been to a gig in a while, so when I got the chance to see some raw, up and coming, new talent on the Sound Progression stage, at Immersed Festival in Cardiff, I jumped at the chance.

As a musician myself, I love discovering new music and seeing what artists are creating at grassroots level, but what I hadn’t realised at the time, was that a super talented mentoring team are supporting these incredible young artists from behind the scenes. During this fantastic event, full of exciting, new and original music, I heard act after act, thanking Sound Progression for this opportunity to perform.

Now, to start with, the standard of each musical act, was phenomenal. Not one bum note in the house, and all performing their own material. A real eclectic mix of genres too. The acts all have different line-ups from solo to full band, from rock to grime, but one thing they all have in common is their talent, their stories expressing life from a young person’s perspective in 2023. There is no doubt that these experiences are invaluable for young artists starting out their musical careers, and this is all made possible by Sound Progression.

A few days after the festival, it was time for me to meet the Sound Progression team at their central building. I took a lovely walk into Cardiff Central to meet them. When I arrived I was greeted by Paul (The Director) and then I quickly met two familiar faces I had seen at the festival- Leighton and Kyle. They were working in small control room, on a wicked track. This track is by one of the artists I had seen perform on Saturday; Soul singer Leah-Marie. They are helping structure this song. As we start talking all about their work, it becomes clear to me that there is something really unique about Sound Progression.

They are not just a space to rehearse and record. They are not a tick box exercise. These guys are a talented pro-team who care, and are giving young people real opportunities, and the skills they need to develop their artistry.

We talk all about the different stages and levels various artists are, and how they nurture them by creating confidence individually.

The team really know how to bring out the best from the artists, and create the conditions for organic development. It’s relaxed, friendly and calm, everyone is focused on the goal: real careers, real opportunities, real empowerment and growth for the artists

After around 10 minutes of being there, I am wishing I was young again, and I could come to Sound Progression for mentoring. Not only will they help their artists to write, produce and perform their own songs, this team also mentors them on the entrepreneurial side of the music business. I cannot stress how imperative this is in today’s music world. It's not enough to just be talented. You need to be able to promote your work, be a social media expert, understand business models, and create different income streams for yourself, in order to be remotely sustainable.

Sound Progression are on it, when it comes to the business side of things, they are teaching these young artists how to manage their careers, how to capitalise on their work and make real progress. Then there is another level of learning which we discuss, and that is the level of professionalism needed within the music industry. Sound Progression encourage their young musicians to approach their artistry in a professional way, treating their work, the environment and others, with respect. This inspires them towards a level of professionalism, that some young people may not have seen modelled before.

Jessie Grace is a Musician, Activist and Radio Presenter based in Cardiff.

Her Show is aired on Wednesdays 1.30 - 300pm on Radio Cardiff 98.7fm She covers many issues around Healing, Sustainability, Positive Futures, and work in the local community.

Get in touch with her here: @jessie_grace_music on Instagram

News Reported by: Jessica Perkins

Next, Carol arrives (manager and fundraising guru), she then gives me a tour of the rest of their building. They have a live room, with drum kit, amps, space for a full band, and a separate vocal booth. We then walk further into a communal area which has access to individual workstations, each have a variety software for the artists work on their music production skills, and create tracks with. Then we head down to the basement, Carol describes about plans they have for a new mixing room down here, as it is just the perfect space for this.

She continues to explains how they have been expanding fast over the last few years, and how there are several different ways young people can access their mentoring and musical support.

They have several weekly drop-ins all around Cardiff city where kids can come explore their musical skills with individual musical mentors. This enables Sound Progression’s work to be accessible in those communities, without the barrier of having to travel into the city centre, especially after school.

From Left to Right: Carole Blade; Claurindo Diakiesse (participants); Kyle Farrugia aka Farra the Producer and Leighton Jones

Sound Progression is free for everyone, and gives young people a real chance to express themselves through the medium of music.

They are creating tangible and achievable goals, and unbelievable opportunities. One of these incredible opportunities was an international exchange project. Funded by Wales International Arts, several of Sound Progression’s artists got the opportunity to travel to New York; record in a pro studio there with New Jersey Collective- ARAW Productions. It was an opportunity made possible by talented Producer/Artist/Mentor, Kyle Farrugia, who developed this connection over many years.

This collaboration gave the chosen artists a chance to establish a solid collaboration with american rap artists, experience different working practices, musical styles, and become absorbed within cultural exchange. This projects aim was to ‘create new music tracks aimed at raising the profile of Welsh Hip Hop Culture and elevating the artists global status’. Having collaborated and produced an EP - these artists will come back together to promote and perform the EP this summer in Wales.

www.soundprogression.co.uk

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Health & Wellbeing

One bag. Big difference Join Spring Clean Cymru 2023, 17 March to 2 April This spring, environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy is looking to inspire thousands of litter heroes across Wales to join forces to collect and safely dispose of litter from our streets, green spaces and beaches.

Last year’s Spring Clean Cymru was the biggest ever, with an incredible 17,000 volunteers getting involved in 364 events across the country.

The message this year is simple: even one bag can make a difference. Individuals, families, community groups, schools and businesses are being urged to get involved between 17 March and 2 April.

Why Spring Clean?

“Our message this year is simple: even one bag can make a big difference.

Whether you choose to clean up your own neighbourhood, your favourite beach, park or beauty spot - every piece of litter removed from the natural environment matters.”

Owen Derbyshire, Keep Wales Tidy Chief Executive

Not only does litter cost Wales roughly £70 million to remove each year, but it also has devastating effects on our marine and local wildlife. The RSPCA reports on average receiving 14 calls a day about animals affected by litter, with calls spiking in the summer months.

Litter picking is also a fun, free event that can benefit your health, well-being, and sense of pride in your community.

In a recent survey, 90% of Keep Wales Tidy’s Litter Champions (volunteers that regularly carry out clean-ups) said that litter picking made them feel good about themselves. 71% said it made them feel healthier and more physically active. And 88% said they felt they were having a positive impact on their local area.

Images supplied by: Keep Wales Tidy

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Sponsored

Health & Wellbeing How to get involved Joining in with Spring Clean Cymru is easy. Just head to the Keep Wales Tidy website and fill out the simple online form with details of your clean-up.

There’s guidance on how to plan a safe event, including step by step information on assessing risks, how you can get hold of the right kit and dispose of the litter and recycling you collect.

There are also a whole range of publicity materials to help you shout about your event.

If you’d rather join a clean-up that is already being planned, Keep Wales Tidy have an interactive map on their website too. This includes details of clean-ups being organised by their local project officers as well as open events that are being arranged by community groups and other organisations.

No one is too small to make a difference Keep Wales Tidy firmly believe no one is too small to make a big difference. That’s why, as part of Spring Clean Cymru, they are encouraging schools to get involved in the Great Big School Clean.

Schools can hold a clean-up (or several clean-ups) anytime between 17 March and 2 April, collecting as much litter as they can.

There are even special Great Big School Clean resources, ideas and activities for schools taking part.

Get involved in Spring Clean Cymru – visit the Keep Wales Tidy website www.keepwalestidy.cymru/springclean-cymru Whatever actions you’re taking, share your pictures and plans with Keep Wales Tidy using #SpringCleanCymru

Images supplied by: Keep Wales Tidy

Showing love for Wales As well as tying into the UK-wide Great British Spring Clean campaign, Spring Clean Cymru is part of Caru Cymru – Keep Wales Tidy’s biggest ever initiative to eradicate litter and waste.

Caru Cymru (a Welsh phrase meaning ‘Love Wales’) aims to inspire everyone to take action and care for the environment.

The vision is that it will become second nature for everybody to do the right thing, from taking litter home and cleaning up after their dog, recycling ‘on-the-go’, reusing and repairing.

By everybody working together to create a clean and safe environment, we can build stronger, healthier communities and make a positive difference to our planet.

Caru Cymru has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

Visit the Keep Wales Tidy website to find out more about Caru Cymru www.keepwalestidy.cymru/caru-cymru or email: carucymru@keepwalestidy.cymru #CaruCymru

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Health & Wellbeing

Advertorial

Nature is the best medicine!!

Soul Trail Soul Trail Wellbeing C.I.C is a not-for-profit organisation delivering free walks and naturebased interventions to the community, to help improve mental health and wellbeing. All walks and programmes are funded, meaning people can attend the projects and access transport to locations without charge.

Directors, Leanne Anyinsah and Enrico Temple, are keen to promote inclusivity and aim to improve mental health - welcoming people from all ages and backgrounds providing a safe space to talk, enjoy nature and connect with others.

Attendees from soul trail wellbeing sessions have significantly felt reduced stress and anxiety, increased confidence and connected with nature.

The questionnaires evidenced that attendees’ moods have on average improved by 60% from one single walk.

Soul Trail have been established for two years, delivering 10 different projects, supporting over 200 people in the Newport and Bristol community, allowing more people to connect with nature and improving mental and physical health. At least 70% of the attendees are from a minority background and/or have poor mental health.

Partnerships so far have included the NHS, National Lottery, Green Social Prescribing/ doctor surgeries, Newport City Council, Sport England, Wesport and the NatureWell Academy.

It has been evidenced that there can be huge health benefits to being outdoors and connected with nature.

Scientific evidence has shown that walking and being connected with nature can: o Improve mood o Decrease stress o Reduce anxiety and depression o Boost our immune systems o Increase fitness levels o Reduce blood pressure o Increase vitamin absorption What do they offer?

With Leanne’s skills as a psychotherapist and group facilitator, with Enrico’s Marine and firefighter outdoor skills/experience with the outdoors – Soul Trail walks add a unique twist to what you would usually encounter with other walking groups.

Through incorporating the 5 ways to wellbeing recommended by the NHS, Soul Trail aim to encourage people to: • Connect: helping people connect with nature and each other through talking, supporting and team exercises/nature-based activities .

• Be Active: through moving and walking • Be Present: mindfulness, reflection and grounding exercises • Learn new skills: mental health awareness (psycho education) and outdoor skills including foraging, hiking and learning about wildlife • Give to others: encouraging teamwork within groups, empowering walkers to build confidence leading a group or sharing their own skills.

Leanne shared, “getting outdoors, connecting with nature and talking with other people has a huge impact on my own mental health. Enrico and I love what we do, because nature gives back to us – we have such a passion to help other people benefit from nature, and its working! The demand has been amazing”.

Projects currently include: - NHS 6-week Nature Programme - Womens mindfulness walks - Mens walks & talk - Hikes - Parent/carer wellbeing walks - Youth offending team nature workshops - Diabetes Improvement programme

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Advertorial

Health & Wellbeing Nature is the best medicine!!

Soul Trail Where it all began In the midst of the pandemic, co-founder Leanne was working as mental health lead in the fire service, as well as a psychotherapist. As with many of us, she had to make the transition from face-to-face counselling into delivering sessions online. Although this was a great initiative for some and offered flexibility, for others this meant further isolation and less support. Leanne was also at her busiest period working with trauma and supporting those with poor mental health.

To promote her own wellbeing in the midst of crisis work, and to stay connected with others/the outdoors, she met for family walks every Saturday morning – rain or shine!

One evening after delivering counselling sessions, she reflected on how often her clients benefitted from being outdoors and connecting with nature. She spoke with her friend about an idea of facilitating outdoor groups to support mental health, but wasn’t aware of anybody offering this, or how to execute the idea on her own. The very next morning a friend and colleague, firefighter Enrico, rang and said, “I have this idea of getting people outside to support their mental health, and I knew I had to speak to you”!! The rest is history!

Founder: Leanne Anyinsah

Working together with their unique set of skills and adding a spin to an average walk, through providing opportunities to talk, learn about nature, connect and learn skills to help with improving wellbeing, they gave up their spare time volunteering to provide free walks to the community.

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Through hard work, time and research they became directors of Soul Trail Wellbeing CIC and secured funding for a minibus to provide free transport from inner city to the countryside. They quickly built strong connections with communities and organisations in Bristol.

Founder: Enrico Temple

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connected people from a range of different ethnic backgrounds, ages, and fitness abilities – forming friendships and connecting with nature.

People kept asking for more!

www.soultrailwellbeing.com

- I never thought I would have made it up Penyfan, with support from Soul Trail I am so proud of myself. What an achievement – ticked off my bucket list!

Soul Trail Wellbeing have a vision to provide everyone, with the opportunity to reconnect with nature, and hope to deliver more projects to the South Wales community.

They are currently looking for further funding in Wales and are hoping to expand by developing a nature agency, offering free one-to-one outdoor therapy and group hikes, mindfulness walks and nature programmes.

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Health & Wellbeing

Opinion By: Dr Mustafa Megrahi

Food and Drink Businesses and their Role in Maintaining Health and Wellbeing Food and drink businesses represent one of the biggest sectors in the Welsh economy, and they form several different sub-sectors. Hospitality venues, tourist centres, their presence at universities, colleges, schools or language schools, and sports destinations, represent some of these varied businesses. In fact, there are more than 10,000 food and drink outlets in Wales - from restaurants to take away venues, from supermarkets and wholesalers to local ‘corner’ shops.

The above outlets play a vital role in the population’s health and wellbeing, since they are how almost all food and drink products are distributed to consumers in Wales. Making sure that food is served or delivered safely and healthily to all forms of different clients is crucial, and is a key component of business responsibility and compliance on the part of food and drink businesses.

Having effective food safety management in place is beneficial in many ways: to meet regulatory authority requirements, to build the good name and reputation of a business and, ultimately, to increase its revenue and profits too. It also helps businesses identify the hazards that might affect the quality of food being sold and ensure that consumers are not adversely affected through one of several routes.

Raising awareness of the importance of applying high health and wellbeing standards among food and drink handlers, should form part of a cultural change for such workers. In order that they understand their central role in health and wellbeing for all members of the community and, so as to play their part efficiently, they need to be trained on types of hazards and their control, and on the kinds of measures to be implemented for the specific business in which they are employed.

What are the hazards that might affect the health and wellbeing of consumers through food and drink outlets?

Microbiological hazards Different types of microbiological pathogens might be found in food and drink and cause contamination. These can be bacteria, viruses, parasites, mould or yeast. Their potential sources are people, pests, water, raw or unfit food, soil, dust or waste products. Such pathogens can get to consumers through hands, equipment, hand-surface contact, food-surface contact, or cross-contamination.

Chemical hazards Food can be contaminated with chemicals, such as pesticides or weed-killers, as a result of inappropriate pest control or poor cleaning practices.

Physical hazards Physical hazards include things which are potentially harmful such as packaging materials, glass, nails, or even stones.

Radioactive materials Natural and artificial radioactive materials, emanating from the presence of uranium or thorium series elements, can come from sources such as nuclear accidents or tests and the disposal of radioactive waste to the environment, getting to human beings through ingestion or inhalation.

Allergenic hazards These are usually protein substances which cause the body’s immune system to over-respond in certain individuals.

Symptoms include, sudden weakness, abdominal pain or collapse. Food substances commonly containing allergens are: nuts, milk, soya, eggs, or gluten within certain cereals.

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Health & Wellbeing

Opinion

By: Dr Mustafa Megrahi

Measures to control hazards in the food and drink business Each type of hazard noted above can be controlled through relatively simple means, as follows: Microbiological hazards Effective instruction, supervision and training of food handlers, with clear separation of raw and ready-to-eat food, effective cleaning, and the use of disposable paper clothes or colour-coded clothing.

Chemical hazards A lockable area is highly recommended for chemical storage, separate from foodstuffs. Cleaning and pest control must never expose food and drink items to the risk of contamination.

Physical hazards Through satisfactory design, construction and maintenance, all old, worn, damaged or unsuitable equipment should be replaced. A glass breakage policy and a ban on the use of soft wood is also important in this regard.

Allergenic hazards Clear and full communication in the descriptions of dishes, drinks and their ingredients is a necessity. Listening to customers, checking that labelling is correct, using approved suppliers only, and suitable staff training are all essential prerequisites.

The systems needed within businesses to maintain health and wellbeing assurance levels.

Different procedures will help to improve adherence to health and wellbeing standards within food and drink businesses. One example is a food safety book, which includes guidelines on how to control cross-contamination, effective cleaning, chilling procedures, cooking norms and pest control implementation.

Atlantis Academy can play a role in improving health and wellbeing standards. The Academy is comprised of experts in training and education, translation, environmental protection and engineering, auditing and project management systems. In 2023 and beyond, Dr. Megrahi believes that post-COVID 19 economic strategies will have to deal with ongoing challenges: “There is no doubt that, nationally and internationally, governments and other public sector bodies will have to implement policies that reflect proper ethical standards in the way we utilise resources human, financial and technical. In this way, we will be able to tackle improved health and wellbeing outcomes, reduce resource wastage, and deal with the complexity of cultural and social issues that impede human progress.”

As the effects of the pandemic continue to affect large swathes of the world’s population, national and local officials will have to integrate ethical, solutions-based, and viable environmental policies, to reinvigorate all sectors business, professional, science, civic and non-governmental organisations. It is in this vein, that Dr. Megrahi and members of his Atlantis team are working assiduously to realise their important and attainable mission.

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Health & Wellbeing

My conversion to Islam and calling as a Doula I was born into a misplaced South London Irish and Yorkshire family. So, I thought. A challenging family with lots of hidden secrets and stories. I took myself on an ancestry adventure - always taught to ‘know thyself, know thy Lord’. I’ve recently discovered Indigenous American ancestors, a Moorish West African grandfather, South Asian (no surprise for a traveller family), a huge lot of Scottish DNA and a big revelation of travellers in all directions. I travel the globe year long and feel so comfortable on the move, carrying on these ancestral traditions.

Nicola, in her early days of embracing the hijab

My family had relocated on doctor’s orders to the seaside in Kent. I promptly returned home to the big city at 16. The UK hip hop and club scene was in full blossom and for several years we had the time of our lives at Soul to Soul, The Royal Opera House, illegal parties on the Circle Line and a full timetable of crime and naughty behaviour. Hip hop in its origin was not just music. It was a full culture of art, dance, activism, and teaching. Many of my circle became Muslim one by one, setting off all my radical feminist nerves no end. I began to read. I was already on a path to find a better understanding of life than I had found in my traumatised family. Looking for the keys to life, Islam had all the answers. As a very young woman I embraced Islam and walked forward as a Muslim.

This radical life change came about pre-9/11 and 7/7, around the time of the Iran/Iraq war and I got a taste of just how hateful the UK public can be, right away. The first cut came before I declared I was Muslim. I had worn a headscarf to a meeting where they were teaching Qur’an.

Someone assaulted me outside McDonalds in Marble Arch - completely unprovoked. That week a woman died from being pushed in front of a Tube for no other reason than being openly Muslim. Then the terrible events of 9/11 unfolded, and all hell broke loose for our community. At this point I lived in Edinburgh near a notorious estate, and it was a case of being unsafe both in and out of my home. Despite two small babies and an ever-expanding belly this did not seem to stop the behaviour of a small group of hateful folks. The police were no help at all. We were super vulnerable, forced to adjust my dress and relocate, which took a long time. Don’t believe this dialogue that Scotland is a peaceful place for those other than Scottish. Sometimes it is - oftentimes it is not.

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Nicola, promoting mothers maternal health

Over this time of great vulnerability, meeting my four babies unbeknownst to me, I was gathering data. To be fed into my life's work of supporting women and their health. Not just their womb health but the family, the environment, and the community they live amongst. All impacting their womb health and the health of their babies. I had zero idea about the impact of trauma on the unborn or breastfeeding baby, on the womb. These days we have so much more data. Gabor Mate and Resmaa Menakem can help you to delve deeper.

Health & Wellbeing

Doula Our Philosophy To nurture confidence in facilitating doula support.

At Red Tent doulas, we believe there is a doula for everyone. We believe one of the most important aspects in doulaing is to create a community of support around each doula. This will nourish her drive to walk alongside others, giving her confidence and strength from a wealth of wisdom.

My older sister looked after me during my younger years. When I had my babies, she gave me the great learning of making sure there was something I still did for myself after the baby arrived.

When my daughter reached two months, I went across the street to Adult Education massage classes once a week, for two hours.

The baby cried with her daddy the whole time, but I knew this made me more peaceful and stronger for her the rest of the week and continued.

This path took me through so many learning paths - direct and indirect. Slowly it became clear that it was a traditional midwifery path, and I had the good fortune of being adopted by a phenomenal mother figure and traditional Muslim midwife, called Rifat Peggy Nafisa Brown. In debt to the lineage of the Grand Midwives of America and the local indigenous sisters, to the radical movement back to self-led women’s healthcare in the 6’s, 70s and 80s, to the traditional ways of Islamic medicine, and just her God-led beautiful self, I began to learn more and more. We now had the science coming through the 90s onwards - the impact of our obstetric practices and the trauma and bad health, and conversely the flourishing and good health of the old ways.

Alongside the health education came the spiritual learning. After I welcomed my first daughter and before the arrival of my second, I spent many years in a religious seminary, developing my relationship with the Divine. Not just the esoteric but the practical also. You can be super holy and a terrible community member.

Close to God but polluting the earth. I wanted this thread to weave all through my life.

https://redtentdoulas.co.uk https://tellmamauk.org

Red Tent Doula

On occasions we train Muslim doulas in an exclusive safe space of solely Muslim women, to discuss our challenges and our joys in a peaceful environment.

On occasions we train Muslim doulas in an exclusive safe space of solely Muslim women, to discuss our challenges and our joys in a peaceful environment. Our community remains under attack. The Invisible Report was released last year looking at the experience of Muslim parents in maternity services. No surprise to find the expected results of poor care, bad feeling, more ill health and risk. We are being demonised, receiving daily ill-feeling and racialised healthcare, suffering the Muslim critical mainstream media. We also joined forces with Mars Lord of Abuela Doulas to form our joint venture Abuelas Red Tent, offering Cultural Safety and Anti-Racism workshops to non-profit organisations and NHS trusts.

We are creating more competency and safety. We are cocreating a space where folk are free to use traditional ways alongside clinical ways, to safely bring a baby into this world and this family. Not just with bodily integrity, but with their nervous system intact, with parents who were able to enjoy the whole experience, with no life-changing injuries to body or spirit, with celebration and nourishment. We are calling out bad practice clearly and making sure it's stamped out.

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Intentions

This magazine, has 3 primary intentions

1. To fill the gap in the FREE community magazine space 2. To provide context to wider groups of people in Wales 3. To celebrate the contributions of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities to Wales.

We hope you have enjoyed reading it, as much as we enjoyed putting it together!

Xcellence Magazine: is a product of BE.Xcellence CIC Floor 3, Cambrian Buildings, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5FL The Independent Community News Network (ICNN) is run and administrated by the Centre for Community Journalism which is part of Cardiff University’s Transforming Communities flagship engagement project. Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Culture Studies, Cardiff University, Bute Building, King Edward VII Avenue , Cardiff , CF10 3NB, 02920688750

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