Eastbourne Cultural Communities Network, Units 4 & 7, Cavendish Business Centre, 86a Cavendish Place, Eastbourne, BN21 3RR Registered Charity No: 1115365 News Archives Change of Address We've had a move around with our offices at Cavendish Business Centre and as a result have changed our address slightly. We now occupy units 4 & 7 but all our other contact details remain the same. Feel free to pop in and check out our new office ...once we've unpacked of course! Get a Taste of Technology Our friends at the Global Information Centre, Tideswell Road are offering opportunities to find out more about computing and technology from mobile phones to digital cameras with free taster sessions from 21st to 25th September. Click here  for more details. Bangladesh Celebrations  ECCN supported the "Banglar Mela" Summer event held by Shunar Bangla Association. The event took place at the Redoubt Fortress on Sunday 12th July from 1pm - 5pm and ECCN attended with our information stand and supported some of our favourite entertainers too. Lions, Drums and Dancing On Sunday 7th June, ECCN took part in the Motorcyscles, Meanders and Mayhem day hosted by Eastbourne Lions and RotaryClubs. The event took place on Eastbourne's Western Lawns and entertainment we provided included ECCN's own ECADO drummers and Folk Dancing by our Portuguese friends. "SpeakUp" ECCN were one of many attendees at the “Representation and Advocacy for BME groups in East Sussex ” event on 31^st March 2009. The event was organised by SpeakUp (Forum for Voluntary and Community Sector in East Sussex ), Sompriti and UNI (South East BME Network). Reports from the event will be available in May and photos were taken by volunteer photographer - Jol Czes Sun and Fun at Sunday Funday The sun shone and the music played as hundreds of people joined us at the Redoubt Fortress for our Sunday Funday on 26th April. A combination of music, dance and art workshops meant that there was plenty of fun for all the family all day long and we'd like to thank the performers, traders, artists and guests who made the event such a success. Happy New Year ECCN celebrated the Thai New Year or Songkran Festival as part of Eastbourne Festival on Monday 13th April. Mai Thai Too restaurant on Seaside Road was packed with guests sampling Thai traditions, culture and cuisine. We would like to extend our thanks to everyone at Mai Thai Too for hosting the event and for the fantastic food which was enjoyed by all, and also to the many guests including Deputy Mayor Councillor Miah for helping make the day such a success. Don't forget, ECCN are continuing to support Eastbourne Festival with our FREE Sunday Funday at the Redoubt Fortress on Sunday 26th April so please come along and join in the fun! Abseiling Challenge On Saturday 4th April, ECCN Project Worker Sally Taylor abseiled down Eastbourne's Congress Theatre dressed as Noddy to raise funds and awareness for ECCN. This event was organised by the Rotary Club of Eastbourne and sponsorship we raised will be split evenly between ECCN and the Make A Wish Foundation. We would like thank all those who supported her and offer a very special THANK YOU to Sally for her bravery and also congratulate her on winning the prize for best costume on the day too! Drop In Sessions From Monday 9th March we will be organising a series of drop-in sessions at our offices. We will provide a welcoming, safe environment and visitors will have an opportunity to set up a one to one meeting with the invited speaker at a later date, should that be required. We can also provide an interpreter in order that they may access our services more successfully.  Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require further information.  Toddlers Dancing Every Monday afternoon, ECCN is holding Toddler Dancing Classes at the WRVS Centre, Hyde Road. All parents and toddlers are welcome to attend for musical fun with an international theme. Each class costs £1.50 but includes the services of a qualified and CRB checked teacher and refreshments. For further information, contact our office or just pop along to one of the sessions, we'll be pleased to see you! November Bring-a-Dish Our Bring-a-Dish event on 22nd November was hosted by The Hart pub on Cavendish Place. It was an opportunity to make new friends with Eastbourne's local LGBT community in a fun environment. The event was from 2pm to 4pm and entry was free. "Polska Uczta" - "Polish Party" Our Bring-a-dish event on 18th October highlighted the history and culture of Poland at St Agnes' Church Hall, Whitley Road from 12.30pm to 2.30pm.There was be dancing from popular group "Maki" and lots of food, information, music and fun to be had for all. English Classes ECCN English students received their graduation certificates from The Worshipful Mayor and Mayoress of Eastbourne Greg and Claire Szanto. Our new term has begun but it is not too late to join our mixed nationality classes at £2 per hour. We welcome everyone of any age from different communities to come and learn English with our fully qualified, experienced teachers, as well as meet new friends. For more information on how to join or if you are a qualified teacher of English looking for some extra work, please contact our offices. Thai Smiles Next in the series of UNITE (Uniting Neighbourhoods, Integration and Trust in Eastbourne) Bring-a-Dish events was Thai Smiles. A celebration of Thai culture and history with the chance to sample some culinary and musical delights. This was a colourful and fun-packed event and chance to make new friends and have fun. Sussex Cream Tea This month we highlighted our own beautiful Sussex and hosted a 'Bring a Dish' on Saturday 30th August from 3pm to 5pm at St Philip's Community Hall on St. Philip's Avenue opposite the Fire Station. This was a free, family event where everyone was invited. Eastbourne RNLI Regatta ECCN provided entertainment at the Eastbourne RNLI Regatta on Sunday 24th and Monday 25th August at the Eastbourne Lifeboat Station at Sovereign Harbour. The varied performances included traditional Portuguese folk dancing, Thai dancing, Hip Hop, a jazz pianist and Polish folk music as well as the Eastbourne Community African Drumming Organisation (ECADO). WRVS Heritage Project Recently ECCN worked in partnership with the WRVS Heritage project which collects memories and memorabilia from the older members of our communities. Irene Mensah spearheaded this interesting trip down memory lane, delving into the memories of the members of our older Jewish community. So began a 10 week journey of discovery for us and for the Eastbourne Hebrew Congregation themselves. Spring afternoons nursing mugs of tea and munching homemade cake, immersed in the fascinating lives of this interesting race of people. Each week, a different aspect of Judaism was approached leading to layers and layers of historic memoirs. Examining artifacts of Judaica ranging from items of specific religious clothing to wedding candelabra and sepia photographs from days gone by. Irene has produced an artist's book, and a selection of images, inspired by these afternoon sessions which were frequently punctuated by outbursts of laughter and tears. Thanks to the WRVS for initiating and funding this project. Portuguese Bring-A-Dish Sunday 22nd June saw St Agnes Church Hall, Whitley Road play host to a fantastic Portuguese party as part of ECCN's series of Bring-A-Dish events. There was food, live music and plenty of interesting people to meet. U.N.I.T.E. for Nepalese Delight ECCN staged the second of our UNITE (Uniting Neighbourhoods, Integration & Trust in Eastbourne) Bring a Dish events celebrating Nepalese hostory and culture. The event, supported by Eastbourne Borough Council's Community Grant, was held at the WRVS Centre, Hyde Road on Saturday 31st May from 12pm to 2pm and offered the chance to learn about the history of the brave Ghurkas and enjoy performances of traditional live Nepalese music. Mayor's "Thank You" Party On Friday 25th May, ECCN provided the entertainment for the Worshipful Mayor of Eastbourne Councillor Mrs Pooley's "Thank You" evening, celebrating her year in office. This was an excellent opportunity for us to say our own special thank yu for her continued support over what has been a very exciting year for us. The entertainment itself took the form of Polish folk singers, Thai dancing and African drumming followed by an improvised combination of all three and was very well received. Click here to see the Eastbourne Herald's online article and photo - LINK  Gambian Night / Bring-a-Dish As part of our themed Bring a Dish events under the banner of "U.N.I.T.E" - Uniting Neighbourhoods, Integration & Trust in Eastbourne, we are delighted to have held our first - Gambian Night. This was a free event for anyone from anywhere of any age to come and sample a slice of Gambian life - its food, language, music and culture. Eat, Meet and Move Your Feet Saturday 29th March ECCN held it's Eat, Meet and Move Your Feet event at Bourne School as part of Eastbourne Festival. The event showcased music and dance from many countries and cultures including Nepal, Poland, Phillipines and Gambia. There was also an opportunity taste food from around the world and learn more about different cultures with information tables manned by representatives from local communities. The event was opened by the Worshipful Mayor of Eastbourne Councillor Mrs Pooley and we have received excellent feedback form those who attended. Keep an eye out for details of upcoming ECCN events including a Bring-a-Dish planned for later this month. ECCN Annual General Meeting ECCN held it's AGM at it's offices in Cavendish Place on Saturday 16th February at 5pm. It was an opportunity for anyone interested in joining the committee or getting involved with projects and events to come along and find out how. Official Office Opening - 3rd November 2007 ECCN is happy to announce the official opening of it's new Central Community Base was held on Saturday 3rd November 2007. The Worshipful Mayor of Eastbourne was in attendance along with representatives of the various international communities and local organisations. We would like to thank everybody for supporting the opening and making it such a fun and successful event. The Eastbourne Herald were in attendance and their article which appeared in the paper and online can be found here. Public Meeting - 10th November 2007 We held a public meeting at our Central Community Base in Cavendish Place on Saturday 10th November at 11am. It was an open invitation for everyone interested in finding out more abour the work of ECCN or interested in volunteering or joining the committee. Our new home ECCN have moved into dedicated offices in the heart of the town centre. These new premises comprise an office and an activity/meeting room where we hope to be able to run small events, drop-in sessions and other activities to serve Eastbourne's multi-cultural residents. We will be holding an official opening event early in November. We have also appointed two Project Workers to help provide activities and events to help bring communities together within the town. Our new address is at the bottom of the page and on our "contact us" page. ECCN on BBC ECCN's 1st Birthday celebrations were attended by a reporter from BBC Southern Counties. A report and short film have been included as part of their "Forty Eight Hours" feature here http://www.bbc.co.uk/southerncounties/content/articles/2007/03/27/forty_eight_multicultural_feature.shtml ECCN win the lottery The Eastbourne Cultural Communities Network (ECCN) has scooped a substantial grant from the BIG LOTTERY REACHING COMMUNITIES FUND for a five year project based in Devonshire Ward to set up a central community office base to welcome and provide friendship opportunities for all newly settled and long term resident communities. The grant of £259,633 will help fund rental and equipment costs as well as a project co-ordinator and two part-time community workers. This will be the first time that such focused attention has been given in this way to satisfy the need in Eastbourne for advice and support to the increasing number of residents from around the world who have chosen to stay in the town. The grant will also fund a series of community events, festivals and celebrations, and provide an opportunity to ask the diverse communities in the town how they want to find out more about each others’ cultures and celebrate the diversity and differences that characterise contemporary Eastbourne. The grant is good news for the hardworking committee who held Eastbourne’s first International Friendship Day in February, which drew some 500 residents to a local community school for a festival of dance, music and food. Many appreciative friendships were made among the international guests and there were many hugs between new friendly strangers! The ECCN recently celebrated its first anniversary and new charity status and the members all agreed that the group and its work remains essential to the town’s international profile in building understanding, tolerance and good humour among residents. The group is chaired by Kim Ramakrishnan aided by Project Worker Jeanne Nippers and supported by a committee with members from Thailand, Poland, Singapore, the UK, Japan, the Jewish Community and others. Members of the ECCN who support and attend the events have come from Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Scotland, England and Ireland and have shared cultural riches from international schools, dance groups, martial arts groups and traditional and modern music groups. The ECCN have developed strong working partnerships and friendships with Eastbourne Borough Council, local arts, community and Black and Minority Ethnic groups in Eastbourne and Hastings, voluntary groups and charity groups in surrounding districts. The ECCN committee hope that the group’s new status and profile will bring more people from communities that want to share and celebrate their cultures, beliefs, dances and songs. The ECCN is seeking offers of expertise, ideas, contacts and help with its forthcoming events. The next event is a community party where everyone brings a dish of food to share. BRING-A-DISH will be held at Stafford School, Bridgemere on Sunday 13th May Sunday from 1-4pm. Plans are also afoot for a huge summer event with a global bazaar, packed entertainment programme, opportunities for commercial food and retail units to participate and sell international food and items from around the world. The ECCN committee will be working hard to publicise these events so watch out for the leaflets, come to the events and join the group!