The attached article is from the Exeter Flying Post and written by Ghee Bowman of the Global Centre at Exeter Community Centre

People move to Exeter all the time – it’s a part of living in a beautiful, prosperous part of the world. I moved here from London ten years ago, my mum came to England from Germany in the 1930s. Migration is a common human experience.

Exeter’s growing black and minority ethnic population is something to be celebrated on many levels - not only with the widening variety of restaurants and good shops. Recent letters in the Express & Echo seem to point towards the ethnic mix here as a problem, but for many of us it’s a cause of celebration and a learning opportunity.

The fact that Exeter schools have children speaking many different languages, that our mosque is growing fast and planning a new building, that the faces seen on the High Street are increasingly not just white ones – all these are signs of positive change. But there is an enormous amount of ignorance in Exeter and the wider county about people and their cultures, which can breed misunderstanding, fear and racism.

That’s where the Cultural Champions come in. A Cultural Champion is a Devon resident from another culture or religion, who comes into the classroom (or workplace or community or wherever) to give people an authentic, personal view of their culture. In this way, Devon children and Devon adults can learn about other cultures and people that live here, broadening their minds and breaking down barriers.

Cultural Champions come from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds, and can deliver interactive sessions on a wide variety of topics – slavery, Islam, culture of Pakistan, ancient & modern Egypt, games from around the world, the list goes on. And because the Cultural Champions are local people talking about their own experience and their own culture, they can cut through the flannel that sometimes exists in inter-cultural situations and give clear, honest, personal answers.

The Cultural Champion programme is run by Devon Development Education from the Global Centre at Exeter Community Centre on St David’s Hill. Six Cultural Champions completed the training course last year, and are available now, for a negotiable fee. We’re currently seeking funding to run the course again this year – if you know of any possible sources, please let us know.

Feedback has been very positive. Penny Carvill from St Sidwell's school said: ‘Super lesson. Children totally on task. All were interested and motivated by presentation. Excellent props and resources. Great manner with children’. Amy Doherty of Exeter Woodcraft Folk said: ‘The henna hand tattoos and the samosa-making were very popular . . . thank you to Waqar for a really good evening’.

www.culturalchampions.org.uk