The African Heritage Alliance is a Community Interest Company (CIC) made up of black leaders from both the public and private sector who are noted within their chosen field of expertise.
This group formed the African Heritage Alliance (AHA) in response to the ever-present systemic racism that is experienced by people in the African Heritage Community (black community) when engaging with institutions and while going about their daily lives.
The AHA aims to establish a platform and place, which is now the landmark African Caribbean Centre after successfully completing Leicester City Council’s asset transfer process.
From January 2024 the African Caribbean Centre has become our home.
The organisation’s philosophy is to create a culture where we are facilitating and generating opportunities for African heritage voices to be truly heard. Another fundamental part of the organisation is to build the capability of African heritage people, as well as other disengaged groups via information, education, and collective action.
To do this the African Heritage Alliance is structured with six distinct workstreams, each with a delivery team made up of partners and volunteers and a workstream lead to set the direction and strategy for the team.
Building the capability of those in the community to master business and wealth creation, through a mix of workshops, coaching, mentoring and peer support.
This includes a business hub in the centre as well as property networking meetings.
Phoenix Agenda Supplementary School (PASS) are a delivery partner in the education space, working closely with the AHA.
This workstream is focused on the educational attainments of those in the community.
The work is also focused on a black curriculum to be introduced into Leicester secondary schools.
Those from the African heritage community face some distinct health challenges that are not always address via the mainstream services.
The Health and Wellbeing agenda looks to put in place practical strategies to address our unique health needs, in places where the community can easily access provision.
At the same time being a voice to those commissioning health provision in the city about how funds are allocated to the black community.
Our lives are governed by politics, who we are allowed to love, where we live and how we are educated to name of few.
It is essential that we are part of the political process, through supporting African heritage people to become councillors in the city, influencing the policy makers and community campaigning and organising.
There is strength in numbers and that is why community campaigning and organising is so important.
It is the collective voice of the black community that has power, and the AHA wants to play a significant role in gathering our people to collaborative for the collective good and impact.
It is well-known that youth provision has eroded over the years, yet our youth require support, provision and access to services that speak to their needs.
Led by young people, for young people, the aim is to define the youth agenda and then execute this within the centre and beyond.
Understanding the policies and legislation that impacts our community is vital. It allows us to take a proactive approach to shaping the legal process to ensure it does not adversely impact the black community.
What policies are being discussed and considered, that impact us need to be known, so we can respond accordingly.
The organisation is run by a dedicated group of volunteers who have a mixture of public and private industry experience as well as entrepreneurs in their own ventures. The leadership team is dedicated to community work and are now using the African Heritage Alliance as the vehicle to continue their endeavours.