CALF-Events CIC

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How We Work

   Mission: CALF-Events CIC brings stories and creative arts programmes to life in museums and heritage spaces for children aged 0–16, while equipping African, Caribbean and dual-heritage creatives to deliver high-quality work for young audiences.

  Vision: We envision a world where every child feels connected to diverse cultures, empowered by storytelling, literacy and the arts, and proud of their identity and heritage. Through joyful and unforgettable experiences, we aim to foster wellbeing, social harmony and lifelong engagement with arts, culture and heritage, helping build a more inclusive and representative creative sector, and a fairer society for all.

Governance 

CALF-Events CIC is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company governed by a Board of Directors who provide strategic oversight and ensure all activities deliver public benefit. The organisation operates through a lean, project-based management model, commissioning and coordinating teams of creatives, educators, and professionals to design and deliver funded programmes. This approach enables us to remain flexible, responsive, and to invest directly in creative talent while ensuring high-quality delivery for children, families, and communities.

 Our Values

  • We honour our heritage, wherever it’s told
  • We nurture creativity
  • We act with openness and integrity
  • We collaborate and build meaningful partnerships
  • We place community at the heart of our work
Our Directors

DIRECTOR,
Community & Audience Development

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 Sade FADIPE 

Welcome to CALF-Events

I believe every child deserves to feel proud walking into a museum. I started this work of belonging in 2018 by setting up Kiddie-Writers, leading to CALF-Events during the pandemic as a way to bring families together through storytelling. As a writer myself, with a background in English Linguistics, Primary Education and Creative Writing & Publishing, I understood both the power of stories and what young, British people of dual heritage need: to see themselves in such spaces and to believe that they belong. In February 2025, with so much support growing around me, I formalised our practice into a Community Interest Company:  CALF-Events CIC.

Museums and heritage sites often carry colonial-era narratives that can leave African and Caribbean families feeling like visitors rather than participants in their own history. I’m changing that, not by asking these spaces to be different, but by walking in anyway, with stories that are ours to tell. Today, we partner with five heritage spaces (and the list is growing) including Saffron Walden Museum, Manchester Museum, St Albans + Galleries Museum and of recent, the London Archives. This is CALF-Events: stories, culture and heritage, told by us, for every child.

DIRECTOR
Policy & Compliance
Florence Olajide
  Florence OLAJIDE 
An educator and writer, she holds a BA and an MA honours degree in Education. She was a teacher and headteacher for many years in Greater London before becoming one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools in England. In 2014, she established Florence Elizabeth Publishing Limited with her daughter, the celebrated author of Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun, Tola Okogwu. Together, they published the Daddy Do My Hair series.
Currently, Florence runs her own educational consultancy providing school improvement services to educational establishments and an advocacy service for parents. Her memoir Coconut, an Amazon Best Seller, was published in 2021. She is also the author of The Stolen Daughter, a Historical Fiction novel set in the 1880s West Africa (Modern day Nigeria), at the dawn of colonisation.
She lives in Kent, England, and is married with three adult children and two grandchildren.
DIRECTOR
Creativity & Performance
Margaret at Ignite
  Margaret OMONIYI
Committed to celebrating culturally diverse children’s literature and performance through interactive events, workshops, and storytelling, is one of our dynamic directors. She brings on board her extensive experience in arts education, community outreach, and performance production.
The founder of Margaret’s Music Ltd, an outfit she established in 2014 following her career as a full-time primary school teacher. Her company offers high-quality music and performing arts education to children aged 0–17, with additional training pathways for young adults developing their teaching and creative skills. Based in South London, Margaret’s Music is rooted in inclusion, ensuring accessibility to families from all economic backgrounds.
As an LMDA-accredited drama instructor and passionate arts advocate, Margaret brings this ethos to CALFE. She is committed to providing underrepresented children with access to literary and performance spaces, ensuring they see themselves reflected on the page and stage. Through her leadership, CALFE continues to grow as a platform for empowerment, joy, and cultural representation.
OVERSIGHT DIRECTOR
Jennifer Foster
 Jennifer FOSTER 
As a non-executive director, Jennifer brings a dynamic blend of journalism, broadcasting, and literary achievement to the board. Beginning her career as a financial journalist in London, she developed a strong foundation in storytelling, analysis, and communication before expanding into broadcasting and publishing.
As a published author and the founder of Littoral Publishing Ltd, Jennifer has demonstrated a deep commitment to amplifying diverse voices and fostering creative talent. Her passion for literature and community engagement aligns closely with our mission to inspire young audiences through storytelling and the arts.
Jennifer’s creative leadership, editorial expertise, and strategic insight add a distinctive perspective to the organisation, supporting both our cultural vision and long-term growth.
OVERSIGHT DIRECTOR
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  Charles SOMORIN
Charles is a seasoned business leader and strategic advisor with over 30 years of cross-sector experience in governance, organisational design, and execution. A Fellow of the British Computer Society and Member of the Institute of Directors, he has advised at board and executive level across public sector, fintech, and major infrastructure programmes, including the City of London Corporation and Transport for Greater Manchester’s Bee Network.
His expertise spans governance framework design, target operating model development, and translating strategy into measurable outcomes. Charles brings particular depth in equity, equality, diversity, and inclusion — having led institution-wide EEDI reviews for major public bodies.
As a Non-Executive Director of CALFE CIC, he contributes a rigorous yet people-centred lens to governance, ensuring the organisation remains strategically grounded, accountable, and purposefully aligned to its community mission.
Project & Management SUPPORT

A team of creatives enrich our reach by engaging communities; expanding our impact each year. This approach ensures we attract the right expertise to every project, creating high-quality, enjoyable experiences for children and their families.

Manchester coordinator
Carrol May Coleman-NELSON, based in Manchester,  is the author of the much-loved Dolly May children’s book series. Her goals are to promote the representation of African-Caribbean and dual heritage children in literature. To help children to see themselves represented positively, fostering self-esteem, confidence, and academic success. Inspired by her struggles to find inclusive books for her children and grandchildren, Carrol began writing to fill the gap. Since publication delivered reading workshops in schools giving pupils, parents, and educators access to empowering, relatable stories that reflect their lived experiences.
As well as the creator of her Dolly May Children’s Wear Brand to accompany her books perfect for all little adventurers. Member of the Kiddie-Writers Forum, now the Regional Coordinator for Manchester with CALFE CIC (Children & Authors’ Literary Fanfare Events). Carrol played a leading role in CALFE’s first northern event in partnership with The University of Manchester Museum and secured partnership with the Manchester Literature Festival for 2025.      
Carrol’s extensive community experience includes Volunteering for 3 years as one of the Board of Directors for the Voice of Black and Asian Ethnic Minority Trafford (VBMET).  Continues to champion inclusivity through storytelling and aims to expand CALFE’s reach across Greater Manchester and beyond.
Patti Sloley
Hertforshire coordinator
Patti Sloley, based in Hertfordshire, Ghanaian-born Patti Sloley is a TV Chef and cookbook author, on a mission to introduce the finest in traditional West African cuisine through recipes inspired by her mother! Dubbed the Queen of Spice by Michelin Star Chef, Jean Christophe Novelli, Patti runs interactive and fun spice workshops, telling stories and taking people on an adventure!

One of Patti’s aims is to use food to help children confidently explore the potential of the diverse cultures around them. Patti, also a judge of the Young Chef of the Year Award, is passionate about her demonstrations to school children. Their collective enthusiasm and excitement at trying new flavours and seeing spices and ingredients from West Africa is empowering. It helps to break down barriers and every child deserves this. She believes in catching them early and giving them an experience of a lifetime.

Patti is also, Front of House and a resident chef at the Novelli Academy, where her creative style and natural artistry come through in her vibrant dishes. Patti maintains the perfect balance between creativity and conformity and her ability to step out of the norm defines her.

Essex coordinator
GURPREET Tumber, based in Essex, is a dynamic and passionate educator with a diverse background in law, languages, and inclusive teaching. Holding an LLB Law degree, a Primary PGCE with a specialism in languages and SEN, as well as CELTA certification, she brings a rich, interdisciplinary approach to her work in education and community engagement.
With over 15 years of experience as a primary school teacher, Gurpreet has witnessed the transformative power of storytelling particularly in reaching children who need it most. A trained Bhangra dance instructor and certified Forest School Leader, she integrates movement, culture, and nature to foster holistic development in both children and adults.
Essex raised, Gurpreet supports author Sade Fadipe in developing outreach and events that celebrate cultural diversity and inclusion. She also teaches English to migrant women, serves as a Trustee for Culture Chelmsford, and leads youth groups and cultural dance workshops across the region. Her work is rooted in the belief that arts and education should empower learners of all ages and backgrounds, making her a vital force in CALFE’s mission to amplify underrepresented voices and build joyful, inclusive communities.
Advisor - Finance
Jumoke QUADRI is a seasoned education management professional with over 20 years of experience and a strong background in Accounting. As a School Business Manager, Education Consultant, and Strategist, she has led impactful, community-based initiatives across education, youth development, health inequalities, civic engagement, and NGO management.
Renowned for her expertise, leadership, and communication skills, Jumoke works across multiple sectors, advising and mentoring emerging leaders. She is a member of the Institute of Administrative Management (UK), a professional mentor with the Prince’s Trust, and serves on the Advisory Board of NCVO. She also holds governance roles in several UK educational institutions, chairs a trust of academy schools, and has been a member of the Kiddie-Writes Forum since its inception.
Jumoke is the CEO of Nurturing Foundations, an award-winning initiative dedicated to supporting governments and education ministries. The organisation empowers individuals—especially children and young people—by developing their skills, capacity, and confidence, enabling them to thrive as global citizens. Creative, hardworking, and purpose-driven, she is deeply committed to leadership development and nurturing the next generation.
     Advisor – Branding
Tolu SHOFULE,  member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Association of Illustrators, Tolu serves as the Branding and Media Advisor for CALFE CIC (Children & Authors’ Literary Fanfare Events), a UK-based initiative championing culturally diverse literature for children aged 4–11. Based in London, Tolu is an accomplished illustrator, author, creative designer, and international publisher of children’s books. His multidisciplinary background in architecture, illustration, and character animation combined with a lifelong passion for drawing, enables him to bring originality, technical precision, and storytelling depth to every creative project.
At CALFE, Tolu plays a pivotal role in shaping the organisation’s festival Identity and creative direction. He leads the development and visualisation of annual themes, designs compelling digital assets for campaigns, and ensures a cohesive, vibrant presence across all platforms. His work translates CALFE’s mission into engaging visual narratives that resonate with children, families, and communities.
 Tolu continues to strengthen CALFE’s brand presence and enhance its ability to inspire young audiences through inclusive storytelling.

      Doyin LANA

 Doyin LANA, Designated Safeguarding Lead, Doyin provides sound advise on Safeguarding and risk assessment to the team, she is also Lead Host at the ONLINE CALFE events, and volunteers her time to supporting other hosts.
Amaka Ekwegh

          Amaka EKWEGH

Amaka EKWEGH, yearly Amaka, hosts the CALFE Bookstall. She also volunteers her time to curating the organisation’s LinkedIn presence.
Helping CALF-E GROW

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