Posted on: 22 October 2021
Black History Month (BHM) is an annual celebration of the contribution that Black African and Caribbean communities have made both locally and across the world.
Over 70 staff members joined the CNWL BAME Staff Network group for a celebration of Black History Month.
If you missed it, you can watch the recording back here.
The event opened with Varsha Dodhia, Network Co-Chair explaining why the annual celebration is so important.
“One of the reasons why we’re talking about understanding Black History Month, it allows us to start being intentional in our actions. But a real test, what it means to work alongside colleagues, understanding of solidarity, how do we put this into practice when we are together. There are various inequalities in our society, and race is one of the big ones as I cannot change the colour of my skin. Seeking justice means putting the work in together.”
Charlotte Bailey, HR Director of Organisational Development & People and Executive Sponsor for the network shared her thoughts on what Black History Month means to her.
“Our history and our heritage makes us all so different, and that means when we come together to think about delivery of care to our patients, thinking about overcoming challenges and finding solutions that we bring that history and heritage with us.”
Maria’ O’Brien, CNWL Chief Nurse reminded staff to share their stories throughout the year. 
“I really love the title proud to be, that really resonates with me as a nurse as well. Pride is one our real priorities as part of the nursing strategy, and it is about being proud of the profession but actually proud of the diversity. We should be careful that Black History Month should be celebrated not just one time of the year, we ourselves need to have a way in a strategy of how we spread that throughout the year and we celebrate.”
The Network asked colleagues to share their Proud to Be nominations, to shine a spotlight on a team or individual. A special mention was made to the following staff:
- Bie Magadlela and Joanna James, Matrons St Charles Hospital
- Marva Sherman, Lead Counsellor, Brent IAPT
- Bernie Lecointe, Administrator/PA, UCLH and HCA Palliative Care Team
- Nana Sarfo-Tawiah, Senior Procurement Manager, Procurement Team
- Janet Clarke, Olivia Odame-Larbi and Marlene Taylor, Healthcare Support Workers, Mortimer Market Centre
- Charles Somuah, Deputy District Nurse, Hillingdon
Staff can see who was nominated by visiting the Trustnet BAME Staff Network page.
Samuel Owiredu, Network Co-Chair and Sher Banu Jhala, Network Committee member led an open mic discussion inviting staff to talk about their own experience in and outside of work, plus reflect on the last year.
Jenny Lanyero, Senior Nurse at the Brent Inequalities Team shared developments she has seen in the last 12 months locally around equality and diversity.
“Over the years, I’ve seen positive changes, when I first started working in Brent most of the senior managers majority of them didn’t look like me, sound like me. But in most recent years, there’s been more people in positions that are like me. I think it’s really encouraging and motivating to have people in those roles you can aspire to.”
Nana Sarfo-Tawiah said: “It’s actually 100% supportive of diversity. I’m getting a lot of support from senior managers, we are travelling in the right direction and encouraged that we keep it up.”
Christina said: “I think it’s so important that our services and our staff reflects the communities that we’re serving. We are doing better in terms of diversity and representation, but we are still far from getting to the point where the representation across all levels and leadership and banding if reflective.”
The event closed with Ingrid Schoeman, Co-Chair of the BAME MK chapter, thanking everyone for attending joining in the conversation. She said: “Without events like this, we wouldn’t be able to see change and grow together, to hear and listen to everyone equally.”
Ingrid has written has written a memoir, detailing her life of growing up in Apartheid South Africa, before eventually joining the nursing profession to care for others.
“Having descended from a father of Black origin, and a mother who was a Coloured (mixed race), caused me to endure much rejection. During the time when I was born in Parow, Cape Town, South Africa, there were a lot of Anti – Apartheid protests against the draconian rule of Apartheid. It was during this time that my father, while walking down the street in Parow, got arrested by the police, questioned, tortured, imprisoned, and when no criminal evidence could be found against him, he eventually got sent out of the country. My father was a Black.”
If you would like to read more about Ingrid’s story, you can purchase the book on Amazon (Paperback and Kindle editions available)
Here is a list of all NHS events celebrating Black History Month. To book your place on the events in the below calendar, click here.
