Chichester charity brings African food, fashion and culture to Chichester

The event, dubbed ‘Infusion’, was organised by Chichester charity UKSWA and took place at the Chichester City Arts Centre on Saturday October (21).

Ukswa offers support to black and minority ethnic students, social workers and migrants throughout Sussex, helping them find comfort, safety and a sense of wellbeing in otherwise unfamiliar surroundings, and Saturday’s event stayed true to that diversity of spirit.

‘Infusion’ featured traditional African music, food from all over the world and a fashion show designed to showcase clothes from a wide variety of cultures.

For the people UKSWA helps from one day to the next, it was perhaps a taste of home, but for others, it was a chance to experience life from a different perspective.

Organiser Vivian Kingshott made clear that’s exactly what UKSWA is all about. Speaking to the Chichester Observer ahead of the event, she said: “It's all about diversity, inclusion and raising awareness. There are so many people living or moving into the area that feel isolated. So we just wanted to help create a safe space in which they can feel welcome and at home.”

Speaking afterwards, she added: “Everyone came together quite nicely, and the members of the community who came along were really positive about it. They told us we need more stuff like this in Chichester. It’s a new venture, and we don’t have an advertising budget, so that was a really good result.”