Verdon Street party

Story: Michelle Cook

At least 200 women gathered at the Verdon Recreation Centre for a day organised by Shima Nazir of Sheffield PCT and Fatima and Fisa from MAAN, the Somali Mental Health Project.

In the main hall the party had started, with impromptu dancing and women and children enjoying themselves in the relaxed atmosphere. Music and lively banter was provided by Burngreave Community Radio. In between the women were led in chairobics and dance exercises.

There were plenty of interesting stalls from the council and various community groups including healthy eating and exercise, childcare info, drugs, police and community safety, walking, domestic violence, and computer courses.

Women relaxed under the skilled hands of talented henna artists Beauty By Chanda and were pampered with hand and back massages.

The day had an International flavour and women from other parts of the world in worse circumstances than ourselves were not forgotten, as a raffle was held in aid of the earthquake victims of Haiti.

Everyone joined together to share a delicious celebratory feast. Afterwards, women showed their talents for singing and dancing and poetry reading. It was highly entertaining. It was a wonderful day. It was really nice for all the women to come together, young, old, from all the many different cultures of Burngreave to have a great time celebrating womanhood.