19/10/2026
Bournemouth University and Dorset Race Equality Council invite you to our Black History Month event, Honouring Our Communities, on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 October at the Poole Gateway Building, Bournemouth University (BH12 5BB).
We want this to be a real meeting point between the University and the community groups and voluntary organisations doing so much across Dorset, and we would love you to be part of it, whether that's taking a space to exhibit, speaking for a few minutes, or simply coming along to listen and meet people. It's free, and you're welcome to bring colleagues, volunteers and the people you support.
On Wednesday 21 October, from 2:30 to 6:00 pm, we're celebrating people, stories and impact. We open with a keynote in PGB Studio 2, then move to the Soundstage for Community Voices, where partners share short contributions, followed by a showcase of work from BU staff and students. Back in PGB Studio 2 we'll recognise our Community Champions, students, academics, professional services colleagues, allies and collaborators, and there will be refreshments and time to talk. The afternoon finishes in the PG217 Screening Room with Grey Matters, a film about invisible conditions and real lives, followed by a panel and an audience question-and-answer session on Functional Neurological Disorder, patient experiences, family resilience and health inequalities.
On Thursday 22 October, from 3:00 to 6:10 pm, everything takes place in the PG217 Screening Room. Unseen Unheard shares the untold breast cancer stories of Black women, and we're delivering it with University Hospitals Dorset and the Wessex Cancer Alliance. We start with a keynote from Rupert Ogwuazor, a leader in Dorset's Nigerian community, and hear from Keith Withers and Emma Leatherbarrow of the Wessex Cancer Alliance. After light refreshments and a chance for community voice, we'll watch the film, then hear a panel discussion chaired by Liz Smith, Personalised Care lead at UHD, with Viv Alivizda, Belinda Pearce and James Taylor from UHD and myself. Liz and I will close the afternoon, and there will be time to network afterwards. Please be aware that the film includes personal experiences of breast cancer.
