On the 7th October, the Multicultural Festival took place in the Harlow town park, organised by PATACC. The theme of the event was ‘Celebrating our Sisters’, and many different organisations arrived to show their support, such as Essex Police, the Harlow Youth Council, and many others, including charities.

The festival takes place every year, and the varying stalls that are set up provide many interesting activities to take part in, as well as sharing food, entertainment, and music from different cultures. It is free to attend, and everyone is welcome-in fact, the more people that show up, the more fun the festival is!

Another one of the organisations that set up a stall at the festival was the Harlow Youth Council, a group of young people who want to make sure that Harlow is fun and accessible for everybody who lives there. The stall was focused on mental health and people who inspire them, so children were invited to the stall to decorate a coaster for somebody they took inspiration from, such as friends, family members, and admirable celebrities like Marcus Rashford. Another thing that enticed people was a bubble machine, to show that the Youth Council were approachable and fun, and to make any children who might have felt nervous enjoy themselves more.

Sandrine Munyakazi, youth council coordinator, and Julie Cochrane, community development worker for children and young people, said that:

‘Harlow Youth Council were delighted to be part of the Black History Multicultural festival again this year. PATACC did an amazing job of bringing the community together, and Youth Councillors had a really enjoyable day running a stall with an activity for children and young people.’

Overall, the Multicultural festival was a really engaging and vibrant event to be a part of, simply an unmissable experience if you want the opportunity to explore different cultures and have a bright, colourful, enthralling time. It’s also a very child-friendly function, so a unique and relaxing day out for families. It’s always been important for us as a community to represent and celebrate all cultures and people, and we hope that the multicultural festival continues on for many years to come!