A Decade of Impact – and a Cake Cut with a Sword

This evening, I had the enormous pleasure of joining African Families in the UK (AFiUK) as they celebrated their 10th anniversary – a remarkable milestone for a charity that has spent the last decade supporting, empowering, and standing alongside migrant families in Oxfordshire and beyond. The civic party included myself, The Lord Lieutenant and MP for Oxford East.

Founded in 2015, AFiUK was born from the simple but powerful idea that no family should have to navigate life in a new country alone. Since then, it has grown into an essential one-stop source of support – helping families understand UK systems, championing cross-cultural parenting, running youth programmes, and promoting community health and wellbeing.

The atmosphere tonight was warm and joyful, and it was a celebration that reflected the very heart of AFiUK’s mission: community, culture and children.

One of the most memorable moments of the evening was the cutting of the birthday cake – not by me, but by the young people themselves, using the High Sheriff’s sword. Leading the moment with great poise was Sofia, one of my brilliant High Sheriff’s Cadets. It was both symbolic and deeply touching – young leaders quite literally stepping forward, supported by a charity that believes in them.

And that belief is clear across everything AFiUK does – from their JENGA youth programme and My Place My Science initiative, to parenting support through BOMA and safe spaces like Women's Voices and Men’s Groupings. This is about more than service delivery – it’s about identity, dignity and aspiration.

Of course, no tribute would be complete without celebrating the extraordinary Jacqui Gitau, AFiUK’s co-founder and driving force. Jacqui is a remarkable presence – fiercely committed, endlessly energetic, and completely uncompromising when it comes to doing what’s right for families and children. Her leadership has shaped a decade of progress, and I suspect the next ten years will carry her imprint just as strongly.

As High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, I’ve dedicated this year to “Hearing the Young Unheard.” And this evening, I saw – and heard – a generation full of pride, purpose and potential.

Congratulations to everyone at AFiUK. What you have built over the last ten years is extraordinary. And what you are nurturing for the next generation is even more exciting.

Here’s to the journey ahead.