diversity news SUMMER REVIEW 2014 £2.00 PEOPLE IN CALLED TO HARMONY SERVE THE HOMELESS FACE PAINTING DIVERSITY BY SIOBHAN DEFICIT IN WOODRAY BUSINESS Denise Pearson EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Todadiversity news Summer Review 2014 - Issue: 8 Contents Publisher: Keith Seville Editor: Shirley Anstis Features Editor: Mehrunissa Khan Graphic Design: Today Magazine Design Consultant: Raj KC Admin Assistant: Alexandra Gittens Reporter Shanice Medford Community PR Oscar Manjengwa 6 Called to Serve the Homeless 42 Lu Cozma Karen’s story Local Singer/Songwriter Illustrator: Mark Chandler 8 Reading Carnival 44 Face Painting Today Magazine Prospect Park, May 2014 Meet Siobhan Woodray Abbey House Arlington Business Park 10 People in Harmony 46 Travel and Leisure Reading Making mixed race matter Temples and Bicycles in Thailand Berkshire RG7 4SA 12 Berkshire Black Business 48 Diversity Deficit in Business Motivate and Inspire In the boardroom Tel: +44 (0) 870 414 5252 Fax: +44 (0) 870 414 5353 14 Denise Pearson 50 Puzzles [email protected] www.todaymag.co.uk Exclusive Interview Sudoku and Crossword Today Magazine is a wholly owned 20 Fashion 51 Horoscope subsidiary of Today Publishing Children’s Fashion Check out your star sign Limited. Views expressed in Today Magazine are those of their respective authors and do not 28 Asian Women of necessarily reflect those of Today Achievement Publishing Limited. The publishers Honoured at cannot accept legal responsibility National Awards for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility for the standing of advertisers or editorial 32 ABI College contributions. All prices and credits Academic, Business, are accurate at time of going to Innovation press but are subject to change. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly 35 Book Review prohibited. Today Publishing The Secret Limited cannot be held responsible Thoughts of for any unsolicited material. Successful ISSN 2054-8206 Women © Copyright 2014 Today Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved. 36 Karma Printed by: Premier Print Group Indian/Nepalese Bow, London, 020 7987 0604 Restaurant and Bar Today Magazine 3 Our previous edition covered various social events and community organisations as pictured below. Welcome to Todadiversity news Shirley Anstis, Editor Welcome to our review of summer 2014. In this edition we cover education, music, business, fashion, travel, art, dining and community. Our cover star is Denise Pearson: from 5 Star performances to going solo via Thriller Live and Front cover - Special 2013 The Voice, Denise has covered the range. She has decades of experience yet her latest album ‘Imprint’ seems current. She gives us some insight into her life and work from growing up in Berkshire to touring with The Jacksons. She is a hardworking and impressive lady. Reading Community Carnival reminds us of the colourful spectacle that is carnival, with its Caribbean inspired music, food and dance. Many local people and organisations were involved and the pictures give you a flavour of the day. For many, serving their community is a local calling but for one Berkshire resident, Karen Roach, this meant travelling to South Africa. She shares with us what her life is like now, the people she serves regularly and how it fits in to her greater sense of her life’s purpose. Our business articles on Diversity, and Berkshire Black Business reminds us of the importance of being visible and successful for our communities and ourselves. The Asian Women of Achievement Awards demonstrates this. We also include beautiful images of children’s fashion and appreciate the expressive art of face painting. There’s time too to explore the fantastic music of Lu Cozma. If you fancy a taste of India then you could read our review of the recently relaunched Karma Restaurant, situated by the river in Caversham. This serves tasty Front cover - Spring 2014 Indian food, cooked traditionally. Further afield we explore holidaying in Thailand in our piece Temples and Bicycles. Do take a look at our book review ‘The Imposter Syndrome’ which is based on lots of research and explores why gifted and talented people may lack the Follow Us: confidence to make progress in their lives. First you can see if this sounds like you and then you can decide what to do next. Do let us know what you think of TODAY and engage with our twitter feed @Today_Magazine and on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/todaymag http://www.facebook.com/todaymag Enjoy! Shirley Anstis MA, B.Sc, MBACP http://www.twitter.com/Today_Magazine Today Magazine 5 something to experience. I marvel at their request for the opportunity to sing more worship songs; the clapping Community Community of hands and dancing that emerges out of those who do not have a place to lay their head or call home. I am being humbled. I not only have a new Greek family in the leadership team but a family of over 400 in the people we serve,” Karen relates while fighting back tears of joy. CHALLENGES OF THE MISSIONARY LIFE Being a missionary is no easy feat. Karen has to cope with financial concerns, racism, intimidation, frustrations, Karen’s story from South Africa: security risks, health issues and sometimes an unhealthy environment - while trying to grow significantly in her Christian life. Karen explains “The whole idea of mission is in the testing of Called To Serve The Homeless your faith, not only in responding to the she was moved by the news coverage The charity with which she is involved call but in preserving while you are on of the atrocities in the then apartheid also has measures to rehabilitate the course. The biggest challenges for me When Karen Roach was a teenager Karen credits her maternal grandmother to study Theology and system in South Africa and prayed for street people back into society and are finances and cultural differences but in Jamaica during the mid-1980s, if for influencing and helping to mould Counselling and in my final year God to use her in some way in that help as many as possible to find a I have seen God come through time and someone told her she would one day her faith during her childhood years. Christian Life and Ministry.” country. “I actually forgot about that job and home. time again, usually at the last moment – become a missionary of the gospel “Sunday School played a very important Since LST, Karen has been exploring prayer until 2013 when God reminded “I am so blessed to be a part of this at times providing less than I anticipated among street people, she might have part in my early years and some of the several ways to impact her local me of my heart for South Africa. I team and to be able to do much needed but I still trust that whatever situation I laughed them to scorn. She had set her Bible verses I know now were learnt community with the gospel, comprising decided to take a year out and explore work among the homeless in Cape find myself in, He is more than able to sights on nursing, or any profession in Sunday School.” The Inter-School voluntary fundraising for various this and discover if God was leading me Town.” Karen continues to develop her provide and whatever he has provided which would make her rich and famous. Christian Fellowship (ISCF) at the charities in the UK such as Cancer into future ministries,” she shares. In ministry and has a desire to meditate on is enough for my need. I am learning to For this Christian woman from the secondary school she attended, St. Research, and establishing a Christian January 2014, Karen left England to start God’s Word day and night. She hopes focus on the joys and not the pain.” Caribbean, who is now a missionary Catherine High School, also played a counselling service in the UK. her missionary work in South Africa, soon to be able to stand up, like David, Karen is also actively involved in among the homeless in South Africa, major role in Karen’s Christian growth. volunteering with an organisation for and preach without preparation but as broadcasting on a Christian radio the leading of the Lord has proved to CALL TO HELP SOUTH AFRICA the homeless in Cape Town, Bread4Life, a result of such meditation. station in South Africa, CCfm. No be quite an amazing adventure even FIRST CALL TO MINISTRY During 2014, her life was set to make a which ministers to and feeds up to 400 doubt, Karen Roach’s mission in South though the route is sometimes strewn After leaving high school, Karen move to a new country. When she was people per day. PRAISING GOD WITH THE HOMELESS Africa will have a lasting effect on those with colossal challenges. No matter migrated to the United Kingdom where aged thirteen and still living in Jamaica It is among the poor and destitute in Karen is often astonished at the whose lives are touched by her acts how stubborn life’s hurdles, Karen is she spent many years in the corporate Cape Town that Karen shares food, enthusiasm of the street people to serve of kindness and love of God. Equally convinced, now more than ever, that world as a Project Manager. After three sweat, laughter, tears and the Word God, in comparison to the negative important is that Karen’s mission God will always use her to spread the years of working in the professional of God. She has sacrificed modern attitudes of many who have comfortable among the homeless has strengthened gospel to hundreds of people and help services with PricewaterhouseCoopers comforts and the company of family and lifestyles.