The Power of One

About

Photography exhibition 'The Power of One’ comes to City Hall

Shining a light on stem cell and bone marrow donation from Black, Asian, ethnic minorities and those with mixed heritage.

Monday 30th October – Friday 24th November 2017

'The Power of One’, an exhibition of portrait photography seeking to shine a light on the difference one person can make by taking action on the issue of stem cell and bone marrow donation, is on show at City Hall, London from Monday 30th October – Friday 24th November.

A working collaboration between Team Margot Foundation and City Hall’s Peer Outreach Team, the exhibition features portraits by photographer Cath Harries of peer outreach workers from City Hall’s Education and Youth Team, patients, donors and a doctor who all devote their time to encourage people within their communities to register as potential stem cell / bone marrow donors.

Many of those featured in the exhibition are from ethnic minorities or have mixed heritage and have registered as potential bone marrow or stem cell donors – they include:

-       A number of City Hall’s Peer Outreach workers – a team of 15-25-year olds who have adopted the cause in their own time, notably 22 year old Kismet Meyon from West London. Of Indian heritage, Kismet works with community groups to raise awareness of the lack of potential donors from communities such as her own. In her own life, a successful blood transfusion was crucial to the recovery of her father who was diagnosed with a rare form of Leukaemia.

-       A Sickle cell patient and stem cell donors who support Team Margot’s work

-       Rapper and Team Margot supporter, Che Lingo

The exhibition will be held in the Map Area, City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA

Running from: Monday 30th October – Friday 24th November

Admission fees: FREE

Opening times: Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 6pm, and on Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm

Team Margot campaigns for more people to join the worldwide registers as potential bone marrow/stem cell donors, especially those from Black, Asian, ethnic minorities and those with a mixed heritage. Of patients with white northern European genetic heritage, 69% will receive cells which are a 10/10 match. In stark contrast, only 21% of Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) patients will find an equivalent match. The odds of finding a match are worse still for those of mixed heritage.

Yaser Martini, father of Margot who, aged just 2 years old, sadly passed away from a rare and aggressive form of Leukaemia having struggled to find her perfect donor match, says: “We can’t all save the whole world, but by taking a simple step each of us can make a vital difference to one person, one family, one life. We hope that people will take inspiration from the actions of those featured in this exhibition and take action too by registering as a potential stem cell / bone marrow donor.”

About Team Margot

Team Margot campaigns for more people to join the worldwide registers as potential bone marrow/stem cell donors, especially those from Black, Asian, ethnic minorities or those with a mixed heritage. In 2013, 14-month-old Margot Martini was diagnosed with blood cancer and required a bone marrow transplant (also known as a stem cell transplant) to stand the best chance of survival. To have a bone marrow transplant, a blood cancer patient must first find a willing donor with matching tissue type, and as tissue type is linked to genealogy, race and ethnicity is vitally important. There are registers of potential donors that exist; however for people such as Margot with mixed heritage & ethnicity it can prove difficult in finding a perfect match. Family and friends came together as Team Margot to raise awareness of Margot’s plight and others desperately seeking a blood stem cell donor match. Margot eventually found a “suitable” donor match and received her bone marrow transplant in February 2014. Unfortunately, Margot’s Leukaemia was extremely aggressive. She relapsed during that summer and passed away, aged 2 years and 2 months, on the 27 October 2014.

Team Margot & City Hall Peer Outreach Workers

This urgent need for more people from the Black, Asian, mixed race and minority ethnic communities to join the registers, resonated with the team of City Hall Peer Outreach Workers. Individually and collectively, the team has adopted the cause and are helping to spread awareness and encourage people within their communities to join the bone marrow register.

Photographer Cath Harries

The photographer Cath Harries, is an experienced and well published photographer with a particular focus on London, it’s people and buildings. The iconic setting of City Hall feature in all the portraits exhibited. www.cathharries.co.uk/

Peer Outreach Workers

Set up in 2006, the Peer Outreach Workers are a group of young people from across the capital that helps influence the Mayor's policies.

''Through the action of young Londoner's comes real change.'' The POWs are made up of 30 young Londoners aged 15-25yrs old from diverse backgrounds and life experiences. They are commissioned by the Mayor to engage, inspire and gather the opinions of other young people in the capital. Their work helps shape policies, strategies and services.