Peterborough Chinese community group wins King's award

Faustina Yang set up the group in 2013

A group promoting Chinese culture is celebrating after being given the highest award for voluntary services.

Faustina Yang, founder of The Chinese Community in Peterborough group, received the King's Award on behalf of the group.

She set up the organisation to help her daughter, Ilia Reveley, appreciate her Chinese heritage.

Getting the award at the city's cathedral, she said, was "really, really special".

"We're really proud to be the only one in Cambridgeshire to be getting the award this year, and the only Chinese community group to be getting this in the whole country. It will motivate us to do more.

"It shows a lot, for us as a Chinese minority group, to get an award like this."

Ms Yang was presented with the award by Lord Lieutenant Julie Spence

"The group emerged from my desire to instil in my daughter a profound understanding and appreciation for her Chinese heritage given my dual-cultural household," said Ms Yang, whose husband is British.

"Over the past decade, our modest gatherings have evolved into a thriving hub for cultural preservation and community engagement."

One of the ways the group has shared its heritage is through Tai Chi and during the pandemic it ran online sessions which attracted thousands of followers.

"We've done a lot to promote inclusion and diversity and tackle hate crime. Our biggest offering has been bringing Tai Chi to wider communities.

"Opening the doors of our own culture for other people to experience, in the hope of creating awareness and understanding."

Tai Chi practitioners sharing their expertise with others helped the group to win the award

It was the first time a ceremony like this has been held in the cathedral and included Tai Chi demonstrations and a professional singer performing traditional songs.

Ms Yang, who came to Britain 20 years ago, paid tribute to the city she now calls home.

"I think Peterborough is so diverse and welcoming. There are so many different cultures and nationalities.

"We have so many people working together to find solutions to make it a better place for all our people."