My first memory of the Grand was coming here to attend events organized by Race Council Cymru.
The inspiration and motivation to put together our group, The Nigerian in Wales Association, came from Race Council Cymru and participating in their events. It was just so joyful to see different ethnicities coming together and showcasing their cultural heritage, it made me realise that my community was missing in all of this. That was what inspired us to start the Nigerians in Wales Association. To be able to be a part of everything that was happening here.
I also remember the cafe downstairs used to host several events that I used to come to. There was a women’s round table which used to be organised by Introbiz Swansea and West Wales. It was such a lovely event where you met women from diverse working backgrounds and ethnicities.
The purpose of it was to provide a networking platform for career-focused and business-driven women as well as women from diverse working backgrounds, so it was anything from women working in academia to professionals working in banks. It was just an amazing opportunity for women to meet and talk about their work and how they can network with each other.
Thinking about the sort of memories I’ve created just by coming to the Grand is like going down the memory lane. When I look at the future and I think back on my memories, my desire or my vision for this place would be to see increased racial diversity. With the newly established Multicultural Hub, it’s really good to see all the diverse communities interacting in one space. I hope that this hub will become a place where communities can exchange their cultures, share their heritage and art. Also, going forward what I really want to see is infusing the hub with the traditional, local Welsh culture forming a truly inclusive cultural collective.
