20 Years of Voice, Power and Change: Celebrating Two Decades of Voice4Change England
On 24 September 2026, friends, partners, supporters, community leaders, trustees, members and colleagues came together at Hallam Conference Centre in London to celebrate 20 years of Voice4Change England (V4CE).
For two decades, V4CE has been working with and for Black and minoritised communities across England, creating space for communities to have their voices heard, influencing change and supporting organisations and movements working towards racial justice and equality.
Our 20th Anniversary Celebration was an opportunity to pause, reflect on how far we have come, honour the people and organisations who have shaped our journey, and look ahead to the work still to be done.
The evening began with an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, meet new people and reflect on the significance of the occasion before making their way into the main hall.
The celebration opened with a welcome from Neena Samota, Chair of Trustees at V4CE, who reflected on the work we have done over the past 20 years and the importance of creating spaces where people can come together, share ideas and work collectively to make positive change.
Reflecting on V4CE's beginnings and the importance of remembering where the organisation came from, Neena said, “Everything starts with a fantastic idea. That idea may have germinated with a few individuals, but it really takes a whole organisation to deliver that mission and vision. It's really important to remember our history because everything comes from a beautiful idea.”
Neena then introduced our MC for the evening, Amina Taylor, who guided us through a programme filled with reflections, conversations, food, entertainment and celebration.
Our Director, Kunle Olulode, delivered the evening's keynote speech, taking us back to 2006, when V4CE's journey began.
Reflecting on what the world, and the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, looked like at the time, Kunle spoke about the challenges that V4CE was established to address and the importance of creating a stronger collective voice for Black and minoritised communities.
Looking back on the organisation's journey and its continued presence within the sector, he said, “20 years is a long time to be around in infrastructure. Not all our peers are still around from when we set up in 2006. But we are still around and I am proud to say we still continue to develop.”
He also reflected on the work V4CE has been able to achieve over the past two decades, the different spaces in which we have been able to influence change, and, importantly, the staff, members, partners and supporters who have made that work possible.
As Kunle reminded us, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability. That comes through continuous struggle. And we continue to struggle.”
The conversation then went even further back to the organisation's beginnings.
Karl Oxford and Ila Chandravarkar, current V4CE trustees and founding members of the organisation, shared their memories of what it was like to establish V4CE. They reflected on the struggles and inequalities that prompted the organisation's creation, as well as the resilience, ideas and collective determination that helped set the organisation in motion.
Reflecting on the vision that shaped her work, Ila said, “It was to build strong, thriving communities where everyone, regardless of age, race, or social background, had a stake in society.”
Talking about the world we live in today, with rising division and a lack of cohesion, Karl acknowledged the challenges of the present moment. “There's not much to celebrate right now,” he said. But, he added, “what is, I think, something that we can generally celebrate is a new generation of people leading on social justice.”
He also reflected on the cyclical nature of social and political change, noting, “These things are cyclical. They are eras - they come and they go.”
They were followed by Vandna Gohil, V4CE's first Director, who led the organisation until 2012. Vandna reflected on V4CE's early years, the challenges faced during that period and the changes she has seen over the years — as well as some of the issues that, despite significant progress, continue to resonate today.
Reflecting on the origins of V4CE, she said, “The journey really began with the National Summit in October 2005, when over 14 BME organisations came together to ask the fundamental question: how can the interests of BME organisations be better represented in national policy making and programme development?”
Together, these reflections gave us a powerful reminder that organisations are built by people, ideas and movements. As Vandna reflected, “We were trying to bring the sector together, strengthen its collective voice, and create a mechanism through which its knowledge, its experience, could influence government thinking and decision making.”
Dr Sharmin Shajahan, Deputy Director V4CE, then took us through some of V4CE's achievements and impact over the past 20 years.
She highlighted the breadth of our work, from the organisations and communities we have directly reached to the programmes and projects we have delivered, as well as the wider impact of our influencing and capacity-building work.
Reflecting on what has enabled V4CE to reach so many organisations and communities, Sharmin said, “We didn't reach those numbers just automatically. It happened because of our really relational approach to our work. It's not one-size-fits-all. We tailor-make our support when we're interacting with any organisation.”
Sharmin also thanked the funders and strategic partners who have supported V4CE throughout its journey. Their continued commitment has played an important role in enabling us to support communities and organisations and to continue pushing for meaningful change.
Stressing the importance of bringing people from the sector, funders and partners together in the same room, she said, “It's not about the numbers that you see. There are relationships, there are conversations, there are connections there. One meeting can lead to a ripple effect.”
She also shared some findings and learning from our Sector Mapping Report, drawing on survey responses from more than 300 organisations. The report provides an important snapshot of the experiences, challenges and priorities of organisations working across the sector.
Sharmin then launched V4CE's new Organisational Strategy 2026–2030, setting out our strategic aims and the outcomes we want to achieve over the next four years.
The evening also highlighted some of the wider initiatives and organisations that V4CE has helped support and incubate over the years. These included the Pathway Fund, of which Kunle was one of the founders, as well as the London Bangladeshi Health Partnership, co-founded by Sharmin, which works to address health inequalities affecting the Bangladeshi community in London.
These stories are a reminder that the impact of V4CE extends beyond individual programmes and projects. It is also about creating the conditions for new ideas, organisations and movements to grow.
No V4CE celebration would be complete without an opportunity to celebrate culture and creativity.
Guests enjoyed a vibrant Bangladeshi folk dance performance by Docklands Theatre and Performing Arts, a V4CE member organisation.
The performance featured two much-loved Bengali folk songs, Shaadher Lao and Shonabonde.
Shaadher Lao brought the joy, energy and playful spirit of rural Bangladeshi life to the stage, while Shonabonde drew on the rich musical tradition of Hason Raja, one of Bangladesh's most celebrated mystic folk poets, whose songs explore love, longing, shared humanity and our connections with one another.
It was a fitting celebration of the richness of culture, creativity and community that sits at the heart of V4CE's work.
Guests were then invited to watch a special video created for the anniversary celebration, bringing together reflections from V4CE staff, trustees, partners and system stakeholders.
The contributors shared their experiences of working with V4CE, reflected on the changes they have witnessed across the VCSE sector over the past two decades, and looked ahead to the challenges and opportunities facing our communities over the next 20 years.
The video captured something central to V4CE's story: there is no single perspective on 20 years of Voice, Power and Change. Our journey has been shaped by the many people and organisations who have worked alongside us, challenged us, supported us and helped turn ideas into action.
Alongside the reflections and conversations, guests enjoyed a three-course meal and an evening of entertainment.
During the second course, guests were treated to close-up magic from Brian O'Leary of Care Entertainment, who brought plenty of surprises to the tables throughout the room.
As dessert was served, Asher Craig, CEO of Pathway Fund, spoke about the support Pathway Fund received from Kunle and V4CE, offering another example of the relationships and collaborations that have grown from V4CE's work over the years.
Kunle then raised a toast to 20 years of Voice4Change England, celebrating everything that has been achieved and the people who have made it possible.
The evening continued with our raffle, with tickets sold throughout the celebration and prizes generously donated by several organisations.
The evening came to a close with a vote of thanks and closing remarks from Neena, who reflected on the significance of reaching this milestone and looked forward to many more opportunities to come together, celebrate and continue working collectively for change.
Twenty years is a significant milestone, but for V4CE, it is not simply an opportunity to look backwards.
It is a moment to recognise the people, communities and organisations that have brought us here; and to look ahead with renewed energy, ambition and purpose.
The challenges facing Black and minoritised communities continue to evolve, and so does the work required to address them. Our new Organisational Strategy 2026–2030 sets out our ambitions for the next chapter, building on everything we have learned over the past two decades.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has been part of the V4CE journey: our members, partners, funders, trustees, staff, community organisations, supporters and friends.
Thank you for helping us celebrate 20 years of Voice, Power and Change.
Here’s to the next chapter.
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