Fostering Belonging, Honouring Black British Culture and Supporting Black-Owned Businesses
At the heart of Black Core Kent's Black History Month 2026 programme was the intention to bring people together and foster a sense of belonging.
Inspired by her own experience when she first moved to Kent, and through conversations with members of the growing Black and Diaspora communities across the county, founder Jo Oluwo recognised there was a shared need for more welcoming spaces where people could connect, feel seen and represented, and celebrate Black British culture.
With the support of a growing network of sponsors, partners and local businesses, the 2026 Black History Month programme brought this intention to life through a series of events and initiatives. Throughout October, Black Core Kent brought people from all backgrounds together to share in Black British history, culture, cuisine and experiences across Ashford, Folkestone, Hythe and wider Kent.
Black Culture & Enterprise in Motion
Black Core Kent opened Black History Month on Sunday 4 October with Black Culture: In Motion, a free, family-friendly celebration at Coachworks Ashford, bringing together local businesses, musicians, creatives and families for a day of music, culture and community connection.
Black Enterprise: In Motion featured the annual pop-up market, with eight Black-owned businesses participating, including five new businesses. The market provided an opportunity for local entrepreneurs to showcase their products, reach new customers and increase awareness of their brands.
Among the new businesses was Kromanti Rum, whose participation led to further opportunities, including having its products featured at the Coachworks bar and being selected to provide the welcome drinks at Black Core Kent's film screening event at Ashford Cinema.
The day also offered plenty of children-friendly activities, including Simeon, known as Yoga Man, who introduced the children to yoga, while People Dem Collective, who travelled from Margate to support the event, brought children together through dance and interactive activities. Their involvement added to the welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere and demonstrated the connections being built between communities across Kent.
The energy of the pop-up market flowed into the afternoon with Black Music: In Motion, featuring live performances from Ashford artists Rose Mukuze and Deon Nzou, alongside music from DJ Scenes. Organised by Fennie Muluze, founder of Scenes Ashford, the entertainment brought people together through music, dancing and a shared appreciation of Black creativity and talent.
Feedback from those involved highlighted the pleasure of seeing people from different backgrounds coming together to enjoy a fun-filled day in a space where they all felt welcomed and acknowledged.
Participating businesses include:
FBR Skincare: Natural skincare and body products
Esco Requests: Fresh juices
Kromanti Rum: Award-winning Caribbean rum
Elevate: Natural skincare and aromatherapy
Mako Flakes: Authentic Spices
Black Core Kent - Grace Crofton, Director and Jo Oluwo, Founder
A Taste of British Caribbean Heritage
Delicious Caribbean cuisine and the culture of sharing were on the menu on 10 October for the sold-out A Taste of Heritage supper club at Table in the Stable.
The menu, created by renowned Chef John Colston-Lynch, featured Caribbean dishes inspired by memories of his family kitchen, reimagined with locally sourced Kent ingredients.
Seated around communal tables in the beautifully restored Grade II-listed stable, the 40 guests enjoyed an intimate dining experience, with John's sister helping to serve the meal. Her participation reflected the Caribbean tradition of welcoming guests into one's home and joyfully sharing food that satisfies the appetite and soothes the soul. For some guests, the experience felt more like sharing a meal in someone's home than dining at a restaurant.
The evening was a celebration of how food carries memories across generations, blending traditional flavours brought from ancestral homelands with local ingredients from new homes to tell stories and connect people across cultures.
An Evening of Creativity and Connection
Black Core Kent partnered with the Folkestone-based artist Holly Oluwo of Real Reds Room and Hythe Beauty Salon to host Cut, Paste & Pour, an intimate collage workshop on Saturday 17 October.
The evening invited women to slow down, explore their creativity and enjoy time together in a relaxed setting. Through art and conversation, participants expressed themselves and connected with each other.
The workshop reflected Black Core Kent's commitment to creating spaces of all sizes where people can come as they are, share a moment together and build stronger community connections.
Honouring the People Who Shape Our Communities
In partnership with Ashford Designer Outlet, Black Core Kent created the Honouring Our Communities Trail, a month-long installation celebrating 10 people from Black communities across Ashford, Folkestone, Hythe, Canterbury and wider Kent.
Displayed at the Outlet for October, the trail featured individuals whose work, creativity, leadership and contributions help shape local communities. Each shared their personal answer to a simple but meaningful question: What does community mean to you?
By providing space for the installation throughout October, Ashford Designer Outlet helped brought those stories to a wider audience, giving shoppers and visitors from Kent and beyond an opportunity to learn about the people contributing to local community life.
The initiative was particularly personal to Jo, who wanted to recognise everyday people whose contributions to their communities deserve to be seen and celebrated prominently.
Most importantly, she hoped the trail would inspire younger generations by giving them the opportunity to see people who look like them being recognised and honoured in a place visited by local, national and international audiences.
Those featured expressed their appreciation for being recognised, with several showing interest in seeing the initiative continue. The trail also sparked new conversations and connections through social media.
By bringing these stories into such a public setting, the partnership created opportunities for the wider community to learn about and celebrate the people contributing to Kent's cultural and community life.
Creating Opportunities for Children to Celebrate and See Themselves Represented
The Black History Month 2026 programme also included activities specifically designed for Black children to participate, explore their heritage through creativity and feel seen and represented.
In partnership with Real Reds Room, located in Folkestone's Creative Quarter, Black Core Kent hosted a children's handprint poster workshop that brought together 16 children from the neighbourhood. Their artwork was then proudly displayed by local businesses along the Old High Street.
The support of these businesses brought the children's creativity into the wider community, encouraging interest and conversations about Black Core Kent's activities.
A Black History Month-themed Halloween celebration also brought together 15 children from Folkestone and Hythe, creating another welcoming space for children and families to connect and feel a sense of belonging.
Film Screening: Everything – The Real Thing Story
Black Core Kent closed its Black History Month programme on Friday 30 October with a special screening of Everything - The Real Thing Story at Ashford Cinema.
Directed by Simon Sheridan, the documentary tells the story of the other four lads from Liverpool, the soul group The Real Thing, whose rise to international success in the 1970s marked an important chapter in Black British music history.
The evening brought together guests from across Kent for a celebration of film, food, music and conversation, including an introduction and post-screening discussion with the director.
For some guests, the documentary introduced an aspect of British musical history they were not aware of. The film also encouraged audiences to reflect on the experiences of Black British musicians during the 1970s and the importance of understanding the country's shared history.
Alongside the cultural experience, the evening created opportunities for local businesses. A local Black-owned catering business provided the food, while Kromanti Rum returned as the official beverage partner, having first participated in the opening event's pop-up market.
Building a Stronger Sense of Belonging Across Kent
Throughout October, the events and initiatives created welcoming spaces for people from different backgrounds to come together and share experiences that honoured Black British history, culture, cuisine and the people whose contributions are an important part of Britain's wider history and culture.
Feedback from participants was particularly encouraging. Some shared that they felt a sense of belonging in places they had not previously considered visiting, while others expressed their appreciation for Black Core Kent creating the kinds of cultural experiences they had long wanted to see taking place locally.
That sense of belonging has been central to Black Core Kent since its founding in 2024, inspired by Jo Oluwo's own experience since moving to Kent and recognising the need for more opportunities for people to connect and feel part of their local communities.
The programme also reflected Jo's belief in the importance of education and cultural understanding. Through film, music, food, local stories and children's activities, the 2026 Black History Month programme offered opportunities to learn about Black British history and the contributions of Black and Diaspora communities in ways that were welcoming, accessible and shared.
Black Core Kent's 2026 Black History Month programmes received wider exposure through media features across BBC News, BBC 1Xtra, KentOnline and Radio Ashford, helping bring conversations about belonging, Black British history and community connection to audiences beyond the events.
Growing Support Through Stronger Partnerships
The 2026 programme brought together a growing network of sponsors, partners, local businesses and supporters who shared Black Core Kent's commitment to celebrating culture and bringing communities together.
This year, the programme welcomed several new organisations alongside established partners, whose collective support helped create more opportunities.
The support of Ashford Borough Council, Ashford Designer Outlet, Ball Contractors, Coachworks Ashford, Holiday Extras, Radio Ashford, Stagecoach, Tesco and The Salon Hythe, alongside Ashford Cinema, Real Reds Room, Table in the Stable and Scenes Ashford, participating businesses, artists and volunteers helped make the 2026 Black History Month programme possible.
Official Photographer: Sneakypeak Photography
Catering for Film Screening of Everything - The Real Thing: Pemberton’s Caribbean Bites Ltd
Acknowledgements
Our sincere thanks to every sponsor, partner, venue and supporter. Your generosity, collaboration and belief in the importance of community helped made the 2026 programme a success.
Reflecting on Black History Month 2026, Black Core Kent founder Jo Oluwo said:
"I loved how the community came out for the first event. Looking at the opening event and seeing myself reflected in the crowd was inspiring. Seeing people who don't usually go to Coachworks being there was so uplifting, as was the film screening at Ashford Cinema.
I loved the mixture of cultures, not just people from the Black community, but others from different backgrounds and heritages across Kent. Because that's at the heart of why I founded Black Core Kent, to create spaces where everyone feels welcome."
Jo Oluwo, Founder, Black Core Kent
