Anti Racist Cumbria’s education work started in 2020 when nearly 80 Cumbrian schools pledged to become actively anti-racist. A pilot audit with 30 schools showed how valuable regular support was, leading to the creation of an Anti Racist Education Lead (AREL) role to help schools strengthen their policies and practice. In 2025, Westmorland and Furness Council funded a year-long AREL post, now led by Daniela Kazuko Münzel with strategic support from Shabnam Anam, helping schools take practical steps across Philosophy, Policy and Pedagogy. Alongside this, we also run free half-termly ‘School Surgeries’ and deliver The Fell We Climb training. 

Make it your mission to be an Anti Racist Educator!

If you’re based in the Westmorland and Furness area, your council has provided funding for access to our Anti Racist Education Lead. By getting on board with support from our AREL, both individually and collectively as a school, you can create a culture of anti racism in the classroom that inspires your peers and students and influences an anti racist approach to the curriculum, as well as effecting change in policy and procedure.

We believe that anti racism is everyone’s responsibility and that proactively engaging in learning anti racist practices is empowering for schools and individuals alike. 

More about the AREL Team

Daniela Kazuko Münzel has recently qualified as a Secondary Art Teacher, and joins us from a previous career in Children’s Rights, Anti-Oppression and Public Health. As well as including visits with selected schools across the W&F area, she’s working on in depth anti-racist learning and strategy alongside Shabnam Anam. For more information on how your school can participate, contact our AREL, Daniela Kazuko Munzel dani@antiracistcumbria.org

Shabnam Anam is an intersectional educator and facilitator who’s passionate about creating inclusive, empowering spaces. With extensive leadership experience in the Primary sector, she now lectures in Primary Education with a focus on Race & Education. As a specialist consultant, she offers bespoke, authentic support to teams and individuals—whether that’s developing anti-racist leadership, providing mentoring and coaching, strengthening governance and trustee practice, or exploring race, gender, and neuro-inclusivity. Her work centres on practical solutions, reflective practice, and helping people and organisations grow with confidence and integrity.

Anti Racist School Surgeries

ALL Cumbrian schools can access our half-termly School Surgeries where you can gain insights, share resources, discuss ideas or talk through issues, as well as networking with other schools.  Westmorland and Furness schools can access for FREE and we’ve made the service available to Cumberland schools for a very small donation fee. Here are the dates for your diary:

Wednesday 14 January 2026 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Monday 2 March 2026 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday 22 April 2026 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Monday 22nd June 2026 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Book here:

Westmorland & Furness booking link

Cumberland booking link

The Fell We Climb

The Fell We Climb is a multi award-winning short animated film made using the personal experiences of Black and Brown children here in Cumbria. To support and encourage anti-racism across the county, we have created free educational resources and lesson plans for all schools in the county with the support of CDEC and Grayrigg School.Access to the film and supporting resources have been offered to every school, alongside the FREE Philosophy For Children (P4C) training in Anti Racist critical enquiry. The training will support teachers to discuss racism, in particular everyday racism in their classrooms in a safe, age-appropriate way.

Read about it in detail here in our info pack.

Over 3000 pupils across Cumbria have seen the film so far and the feedback has been really impactful.

We have the 2026 term dates now available, book here!!