Equals IW Friendship Group first open event of the new year on Saturday 25th January was held in the Breeze at the Island Harbour. Group members shared in a meal to celebrate the Lunar New Year with wider family members. Great food, laughter and happiness made the evening very enjoyable for all.
The 2020 Lunar New Year fell on January 25th and ended on February 11th 2021 with a public holiday lasting from January 24th to 30th. The peak times for celebration were the New Year's Eve on January 24th and New Year's Day on January 25th. The New Year Calendar, as it is commonly known, started on New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival on February 8th 2020.
The next Equals IW committee meeting is to take place
- Tuesday 11th February, 18.30 to 20.30
- Hare Hounds Pub (Robin Hill)
Agenda on request to the Equals IW Secretary.
The Equals AGM will be held on Saturday 14th March 2020.
Planning for the 2020 Mardi Gras Carnival event held in Ryde has started. Equals IW has been looking at the options being considered for the carnival theme.
First Choice
A theme based on the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival has been selected as the Equals IW first choice as it fits well with our organisation. The team enjoys the dance and music associated with this theme. Equals IW is exploring an idea with a Steel Pan Band through group members' London connections.
We would develop multi-coloured costumes that symbolise Trinidad and Tobago. Glittery, colourful and decorated with feathers and sequins including the colours of the National Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.
As part of the costumes we would create shoulder head-wear backpacks. Each backpack would have an interchangeable face disk to enable future use with a different theme. The interchangeable discs could show the wildlife of rain-forests, oceans, Caribbean wildlife and birds.
Recruitment of Team Members will open in January 2020.
The next Equals IW committee meeting is no longer planned for December 2019 due to the unavailability of persons able to attend.
Equals IW Committee Meeting
Due to lack of persons available at the time the meeting planned for
- Saturday 26th October 2019.
is now planned to take place in December
The Isle of Wight Beauty Pageant multicultural charity event took place recently in the lovely setting of the Lakeside Park Hotel in Wootton Bridge.
This yearly event was created by the Asian Group IW and the evening commenced with National Customs before showcasing an amazing range of National Costumes.
The evening continued with a lovely buffet meal, speeches, judging and the crowning of the winners.
Read more: Beauty Pageant Comes to IOW and Raises Money for Equals IW
Due to concerns regarding privacy copies of the Equals IW Annual General Meeting are not kept on-line but are available on request.
This national holiday is celebrated in Bali with various festivities including parades, community events and cultural and art exhibitions. Indonesia proclaimed her Independence on August 17th 1945, this year Indonesia celebrates its 74th year of the Proclamation of Independence. Every year this historic event is celebrated with numerous exciting events throughout the nation that are aimed at enhancing Unity in Diversity.
For further information Equals IW has a case study in pdf format (435k).
Kimmi the ‘Great Crested Newt’ and the Equals IW Team are Double 1st Prize Carnival Winners At the Country’s Oldest Carnival
Equals IW Friendship Group representing Equals IW continued their 1st prize carnival winning success from Newport Illuminated Carnival. The 1st Prize at the Island’s biggest and oldest carnival was against very high competition.
The team’s entry in this year's Ryde Illuminated Carnival brought joy to those watching the colourful procession through the streets. The costumes were based on woodlands, forest and wildlife associated with Bouldnor Forest which is located near Yarmouth on the Island. The team’s entry featured Kimmi the ‘Great Crested Newt’ and the included a mobile music unit transformed into a mobile forest. The woodland themes on the music unit were hand painted with support for the entry by the Equals IW teams sponsor MCEnhancement.
Kimmi the ‘Great Crested Newt’ Lights Up the Streets of Newport.
Equals IW Friendship Group (Women Group) including husbands, children and friends represented Equals IW stepped out to build on their Mardi Gras success over a number of years to enter their first Island Illuminated Carnival, Newport’s.
The team’s entry in this year Newport Illuminated Carnival brought joy to those watching the very colourful carnival through the streets of Newport. The costumes were based on woodlands, forest and wildlife associated with Bouldnor Forest, located near Yarmouth on the Island. The team’s entry featured Kimmi the ‘Great Crested Newt’ and the team entry was complimented with a mobile music unit transformed into a mobile forest. The music unit woodlands themes were all hand painted by three artists. The unit was made possible by the Equals IW teams sponsor MCEnhancement.