A mum has created a board game celebrating the achievements of black people past and present because she wants her son to grow up with positive representation she did not see as a child.

Fay Rose, from Greenhithe, first developed the idea of her board game, 'Excellence: Black Edition', in the first coronavirus lockdown in 2020.

The 35-year-old projects officer at Guys and St Thomas's Hospital was born in Nigeria and moved to the UK when she was one. She lived in Wales, Scotland and the Midlands for five years each before moving to London alone at the age of 17.

She said: "I grew up in predominantly white areas across the UK. There was nothing in my home really representing me, or where I came from.

"At the time, everything in media seemed to perpetuate negative stereotypes, and I knew it was not representative of black people and culture as a whole.

"So it was important for me to create something that represented black culture in a positive light, especially for my young son to see and learn about his roots and culture.

"I want him to have some representation that's positive and inclusive. And I want people from other backgrounds to enjoy it and learn something, too.

"It's really fun, it's interactive and educational, and it will hopefully spark conversation, and help people bond."

The trivia-based board game for two to six players launched in February this year and can be bought on Fay's company's website, which you can visit by clicking here. Players can take part in charades-style rounds which can help them move up the board, with five categories – geography, music, film and tv, sports and general knowledge.

The goal is to travel through Africa in an attempt to reach the winning square and the game features prominent figures from history such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X, but also current icons Anthony Joshua and Daniel Kaluuya.

While creating the game, Fay approached Justina Lambert, who, along with her husband Max, owns Max's Caribbean Kitchen in Dartford, to join her company Excellence Games Ltd, and the pair worked on the game's trivia questions together.

Justina and her husband Max Lambert have developed a sensory gift box named My Cultural Experience designed to teach people about black culture, which also includes a copy of Excellence: Black Edition, along with food, drink and products to try.

Fay said: "The great thing about Excellence Black Edition is that it’s for everyone to enjoy from all walks of life, communities, nationalities and backgrounds.

"This game may be based on black and urban culture but learning new things about other cultures is called growth! And growing as people can only ever be a positive."

Fay has been promoting her board game at events across the country, including the Afro Caribbean Fair in Nottingham, the Cocoa Festival in Epsom Downs in August, and Life 2020 in Bristol.

Many famous faces have played the board game, including The Chase's Shaun Wallace, and former So Solid Crew member Swiss.

Swiss, who founded Black Pound Day, the monthly event where consumers are encouraged to support black-owned businesses across the UK and Europe, said of the game: "The excellence game was enjoyed by myself and two children.

"I like the way the general knowledge from my era in the game allows them to learn through facts we can bond together through.

"The architecture of the game is really good. I never expected it to be so much fun."

Fay's entrepreneurial spirit does not stop there, as she has another game currently in the making.

To find out further details about her upcoming game, click here to visit her Instagram page.

The journalism graduate has also recently invested in a day nursery in Dartford which is due to open in November. She hopes it will add value to the families in her area who struggle to find suitable childcare.

Fay is keen to use this space to help families in the area with charitable offerings such as a food bank.