Fire eaters and a fashion show were on display as an estate celebrated Black History Month.

The Grahame Park Estate, in Colindale, held the celebration last Thursday, with football workshops and line dancing also on offer to keep people entertained.

Julia Leszczak, 33, a community engagement officer at Barnet Homes, helped organise the event, which included displays and speeches about black history.

She said: “I hope we bring a lot of different people from across the community together to learn about each other’s culture. The focus is on the multi-cultured aspects of the whole estate. Without understanding each other, it’s hard to live together.

“It was a bit of an experiment putting it together. We want to make it an annual event. Everybody is having fun, and that’s what it’s all about. I’m really pleased.”

The event was organised by Barnet Homes, Genesis Housing Association, along with others such as the African Cultural Association.

Marjorie Manu, from the African Cultural Association, said: “Because we serve a lot of the community, we decided this year we would celebrate black history. We want to teach the children and their families about the various cultures in Barnet, and about the culture coming from Africa.”

The band Pryme Kingz, who appeared on ITV2’s Xtra Factor last year, also joined in the celebrations.

Jim Ball, from the Stonegrove Estates’ Youth Project, which helped run the face painting stalls, said: “It’s been really good, it’s great to see all the children and young people involved and getting a better understanding of Black History Month.

"We are a multi cultural society, so it’s really important that people understand the history, and remember to celebrate these days.”