Following a hugely successful Summer Club, Aoife, Caitlin, Molly, Adrián, Ahmed and the rest of our amazing youth team got the band back together for a big Christmas bash. There was face painting, dressing up, shenanigans, music and of course lots and lots of food.
It was a brilliant day and the perfect way to tumble down into the final few days before Christmas itself. We are constantly in awe of our young people, their energy, imagination and desire to drive real change. Thanks guys.

Santa Claus made a grand appearance at our annual Christmas party on December 19, bringing with him gifts for all the little ones. There were wide-eyes everywhere as the big man in the red suit took his seat to hear what everyone wanted on Christmas morning. As always, the food was exceptional and thank you to everyone who took the time to cook and contribute. A lovely way to spend our last evening before the festive break.

Black History Summit 2024 was a special event for numerous reasons.

It was the first time that we took the event out of Derry, moving it instead to Ulster University Belfast. This opened it up to individuals and organisations who otherwise may not have made the journey to the north west and as a result, brought us the largest crowd our Summit has ever attracted.

It was also notable for the fact that our key speaker was Kenneth B Morris, great-great-great grandson of social reformer, author and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Mr Morris made the trip from New York purely for our Summit, a commitment we were deeply humbled by.

And it was an opportunity for us to officially launch our ‘Black Heritage in NI: The Hidden History Project’, made possible by The National Lottery’s Heritage Fund.

A truly momentous day and one that saw our Black History Summit move to a new level in terms of exposure.

On August 31 2024 we joined forces with the inimitable Ed Emery, musician, author, lecturer and activist, for an evening of Kurdish and Irish music in Derry’s Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin.

It turned out to be an amazing night of dancing and joy as people from multiple backgrounds and cultures brought Cultúrlann to life.

Food, music, laughter – The perfect way to bring the curtain down on what was a less than stellar summer.

Thank you to the SOAS Ceilidh Band and to everyone who made it a very special evening indeed.

Our Brooke Park Family Fun Day took place on July 27 2024 and what a day it was! Our hopes weren’t particularly high given the largely damp summer it had been up until that point. But it turned out to be an absolute corker of a day with the sun shining from the moment we arrived until the last hotdog came off the barbecue. Thank you to everyone who attended and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Our Summer Club took place throughout July and August with youth leaders Adrián, Aoife, Caitlin and Molly back to co-ordinate things.

And they did a sterling job with dozens of children enjoying trips to the cinema, to the bowling alley, to Foyle Arena and to St Columb’s Park.

The weeks of fun were topped off with a two-day residential in Todd’s Leap Activity Centre near Dungannon, making it a summer that will live long in the memory of all those who participated.

On June 10 2024 we gathered in our offices to celebrate the work of our volunteers, without whom our charity would not exist.

It was the newly inducted Mayor Lilian Seenoi Barr’s first official engagement and we were delighted to have her with us to say a big thank you to those who keep the wheels of the North West Migrants Forum turning.

May 20 2024 was a proud day for us, the day we helped orchestrate Little Amal’s first ever visit to Derry.

Little Amal is the 12 foot puppet of  a 10-year-old Syrian refugee child at the heart of The Walk.  She has become a global symbol of human rights, especially those of refugees.

Since July 2021, Amal has travelled to 160 towns and cities in 16 countries and been welcomed by two million people on the street and by tens of millions online.  Almost 500 events unique to each community that she visits have been created for her by thousands of artists and civil society and faith leaders. Her journeys are festivals of art and hope that draw attention to the huge numbers of children fleeing war, violence and persecution, each with their own story. Her urgent message to the world is ‘Don’t forget about us’.

On March 7 2024 over 300 people gathered in the Everglades Hotel for the 2024 Advancing Race Equality Awards.

It was a memorable night for many – those who collected winner and runners-up trophies and those there representing sponsors, organisations or in support of a colleague.

The host, comedian and TikTok star Black Paddy, put on quite a show, keeping the audience entertained throughout.

The winners were:

Schools Anti-Racism Ambassadors: Strabane Academy

Anti-Racism School of the Year: North West Regional College

Anti-Racism Teacher of the Year: Edel Sweeney, Oakgrove PS

Community Champion: Hilda Orr

Advancing Racial Justice and Fairness: MSCNI

Anti-Racism Leader of the Year: Mukesh Chugh

Anti-Racism Media of the Year: BBC Spotlight NI

Young Leader Chaudhary Hamza Riaz (Ulster University

Our Mother and Baby Group began in January 2024 and quickly became part of the fabric of our week. Western Trust Health Visitors Donna McNally and Cheryl McElhinney have brought our Fridays to life like never before, advising and guiding parents on the various issues they encounter with their newborns and not so newborns. The North West Migrants Forum rings with goo goos and giggles and it is a sound we all look forward to!

We held our Christmas party in our new home in The Embassy Building on December 14 2023. It was a lovely night with Santa handing out gifts to all the wide-eyed young people and not so young people!

Our annual Black History Summit for 2023 took place in Ulster University’s Magee campus, Derry, on October 21 2023.

Around 100 people gathered in the Great Hall to hear why the diverse experiences of black and minority ethnic communities and individuals should be taught as part of the school curriculum.

Among the speakers was Dr Ebun Joseph along with Dr Hyab Yohannes and Professor Charlotte Williams who travelled from Wales for the Summit.

Those in attendance were told that it was really important the lessons from the event did not stay in the room.

“Share them with your families, friends, share them on your social media,” said our Chief Executive Lilian Seenoi Barr.

“The more we share, the greater the chance we have of building a more inclusive society.”