Newcastle City Council Celebrates Nigerian-Born Worker for Supporting Children and Families

Newcastle City Council has recognised a Nigerian-born Family Help Practitioner as part of its Black History Month celebration. This recognition highlights the valuable contributions of Black employees and communities to the city’s life.

The council introduced Oluwafisayo Atanda on Instagram as part of a series celebrating individuals making a difference in Newcastle. She works within the Children and Families Directorate.

Oluwafisayo, originally from Nigeria, has been working in Newcastle for several years. She is passionate about supporting children, young people, and families, promoting inclusion, and learning from others’ experiences.

Supporting Children and Families

Her role involves working directly with families, visiting them, and helping them identify their strengths and overcome challenges. She also collaborates with partner organisations to provide support to people across the city.

According to the council, her work contributes to the broader effort to support communities and ensure families have access to the assistance they require. Oluwafisayo expressed her particular appreciation for Newcastle’s reputation for being welcoming and its diverse community.

Speaking about Black History Month, she said that the occasion was more than just celebrating shared heritage.

“I really believe that the more we talk and listen to each other, understand past experiences and share our stories, the stronger and more inclusive our city and our communities will become.”

Her comments underline the importance of creating opportunities for people from different backgrounds to share their experiences and contribute to conversations about the communities in which they live.

“The more we talk and listen to each other, understand past experiences and share our stories, the stronger and more inclusive our city and our communities will become.”

Newcastle City Council said Black History Month provides an opportunity to recognise the contributions Black people have made throughout history, while also creating space for contemporary voices and experiences to be heard.

The council’s recognition of Oluwafisayo also reflects the increasingly diverse workforce serving Newcastle’s population, with people from different cultural backgrounds playing roles across the city’s public services.

A Stronger, More Inclusive Newcastle

For Oluwafisayo, that contribution is particularly focused on children, families and young people.

Through her work, she helps families build on their existing strengths, navigate difficulties and connect with organisations that can provide additional support.

The council thanked her for sharing her story and for the difference she makes to children, families and communities across Newcastle.

The recognition comes as cities and organisations across the UK mark Black History Month, with this year’s celebrations providing an opportunity not only to look back at Black history but also to recognise the contributions being made by Black people in communities today.

For Newcastle’s Nigerian and wider African communities, stories such as Oluwafisayo’s offer another perspective on the contribution of migrants and people from the African diaspora to the North East.

And, as Oluwafisayo put it, listening to and understanding one another can help build a stronger and more inclusive Newcastle.