27 Sep 2010 - Hertfordshire County Council Languages and Cultural Awareness Week

Hertfordshire County Council

Languages and Cultural Awareness Week for Staff

27^th September – 1^st October 2010

Community Group ‘Marketplace’ Stall Holders Brief

The European day of Languages has been celebrated on the 26^th September each year since 2001. International Translation Day has been celebrated on the 30^th September each year since 1991. This year to coincide with both of these events, HCC wish to host an internal Language and Cultural Diversity Awareness Week, to highlight the wealth of languages spoken by staff and service users within the County, and also the rich cultural diversity we benefit from.  The week will run from the Monday 27^th September through to Friday 1^st October, within this time we wish to raise awareness amongst staff on the diversity of culture and language within HCC, the barriers this may create, how they can be overcome, and also to celebrate and promote what HCC has done in terms of providing services for speakers of other languages, and the benefits this has brought for staff and service users alike. 

 As part of this week we will be having ‘marketplaces’  during the lunchtimes of 12 – 2pm at each of our three sites:-

• Apsley on the 28^th September
• County Hall on the 29^th September
• Stevenage on the 30^th September 

There will be 4 or 5 ‘stall holders’ at each of these marketplaces. These will be different cultural community groups who will be invited to display cultural items and/or food.  Staff visiting the marketplace will be given a questionnaire on entry, with language and cultural related questions, e.g. what a particular word means; and will have to speak to the stall holders in order to have the questions answered and be in with a chance of winning a prize.  We are hoping that stall holders may also be able to provide other services such as henna tattooing, African headdress tying, saree draping and perhaps international recipe cards.

 We will provide travel expenses for community groups selected, and will also provide a lunch and dessert from our canteen.  In addition, we are hoping to publish photographs and an article reporting on the week in the county-wide ‘Horizons’ magazine, Herts Direct website and our internal publications.  The community groups involved will therefore be publicised throughout Hertfordshire.

 If your Community Group would be interested in being one of the stall holders during this week, please could you complete the following questions and return to your nearest Community Voluntary Service office (CVS) or to Herts County Council at the following address:

Connie McCall, Equalities Project Office r, Performance & Diversity Department, Room 202, County Hall, Pegs Lane , Hertford , SG13 8DN.  Or by email to: connie.mccall@hertscc.gov.uk  by FRIDAY 2^ND JULY 2010 AT THE LATEST. 

1.                  What is the name of your organisation/group and where are you based?

2.                  Which Culture and Language do you represent? 

3.                  What would you be able to display and/or what services would you be offering on the day? 

4.                  Which Hertfordshire   County Council Site would you want to attend: Apsley, County Hall, or Stevenage (Farnham House)? 

5.                  Would you be willing to have your photograph taken for future publication?

Finally, please could we have your contact details:-  

Name of Primary Contact:

Telephone Number/s:

Email Address: