Event to mark Black History Month

Future Faces will mark Black History Month with an event at historic Birmingham site Back To Backs.

The latest Professional Development Leadership Series takes place at the National Trust site - which is Birmingham 's last surviving court of back-to-back houses.

The event on 4 October includes a tour of the George Saunders Collection and Home From Home Exhibition, as well as a talk from leading businessman Wade Lyn, who will describe his journey from growing up in Jamaican to setting up successful food brand Celeone Foods.

The George Saunders Collection is a collection of work by the tailor George Saunders who came to Birmingham from St Kitts in 1958, while Home From Home explores the lives of the Windrush generation and their children through a recreation of musician Mykal 'Wassifa ' Brown 's family home.

Wade Lyn (pictured) came to Britain from Jamaica to join his parents when he was seven years old.

He helped in the family business, a service and petrol station, while still at school.

After graduating 1986 with a BA in Education specialising in Craft, Design & Technology, he was recruited as general manager for Kom-Long Caterers of Wolverhampton.

After three years, Wade decided that he could do better and took the step that was to change his life and set up his own business.

“The problem with the company that I had been working for was the packaging - there was no recognisable brand, ” said Wade.

“It was clear to me that what was needed was some branded packaging that customers would come to recognise and demand. ”

It was then that Cleone Foods and the brand 'Island delight ' was born, starting from small premises in Alma Street in Birmingham with just five people.

He is a mentor for other food businesses in the West Midlands and a member of the West Midlands Minority Ethnic Business Forum.

Find out more information about the event.