|
|
BME Pact Events
- BME Celebration Evening - 28 November 2008
- Black History Month
- Calendar of Religious Festivals
- Preston Faith Forum Events
- Review of 2008 Health Mela
BME Celebration Evening - 28th November 2008
On Friday 28th November, between 6pm and 9pm, the BME Pact will be hosting an evening of festivities to celebrate its members' achievements and successes in 2008.
The BME Pact has attracted a number of valued new members in recent months and impressive strides have been made both by groups and by individuals over the course of the year. New accreditations, training courses, social events and successful exam results are just some of the many reasons for the celebrations.
To be held at Accrington Town Hall, the evening will feature many kinds of entertainment, a buffet and news from members across the county, with displays and presentations taking place to ensure that all groups are represented and that the event is fun and informative for everyone.
A copy of the event programme and menu can be downloaded here. (PDF - 684k).
Chief guests will include Dr. Krishna Sarda, Chief Executive Officer of the Ethnic Minority Foundation, and Cllr. Hazel Harding, Leader of Lancashire County Council.
The event can be attended by invitation only. For more details or to receive an invitation, please contact us at the BME Pact office.
The Nguzo Saba Centre recently teamed up with RESPECT, Lancashire Constabulary and other partners to host a social evening to mark the culmination of Black History Month. The event toook place on Wednesday 29th October at the Truth nightclub on Glover's Court in Preston.
The event featured the One Voice Choir, poet Mark Smith, music by The Uncomfortables and by solo artist Ruth Armitt.
The coming weeks and months feature many festivals and special days for members of the BME Pact. It is difficult to provide a comprehensive list but some of the most notable dates include:
2008
- 24 November - Sikhism, Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur
- 28 November - Baha'i, Ascension of Abdu’l Baha, son of Baha’u’llah
- 8 December - Buddhism, Bodhi Day (Gautama’s attainment of enlightenment)
- 8 December - Islam, Hajj (start of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca )
- 11 December - Islam, Eid-Ul-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice)
- 22 December - Judaism, Hanukkah (festival of lights)
- 25 December - Christianity, Christmas Day (Birth of Jesus Christ)
- 29 December - Islam, Al Hijira (Islamic New Year)
2009
- 5 January - Sikhism, Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh
- 6 January - Judaism, 10th Tevet (fast day)
- 7 January - Islam, Ashura
- 7 January - Rastafari, Christmas Day (Ethiopia)
- 14 January - Hinduism, Makar Sankrant (the sun’s journey into the northern hemisphere)
- 18 January - Christianity, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
- 27 January - Buddhism, Losar (start) - (Tibetan New Year)
- 27 January - Judaism, National Holocaust Memorial Day (UK)
- 31 January - Sikhism, Birthday of Guru Har Rai
- 8 (or 15) February - Buddhism, Parinirvana; Nirvana Day (anniversary of Buddha’s death)
- 9 February - Judaism, Tu B’Shevat (Jewish New Year for trees)
- 24 February - Christianity, Shrove Tuesday
- 25 February - Christianity, Ash Wednesday (First Day of Lent)
- 2 March - Baha'i Nineteen Day Fast
- 9 March - Islam, Milad un Nabi (birthday of the Prophet Muhammad)
- 10 March - Judaism, Purim (commemorating deliverance from extermination in Persia)
- 11 March - Sikhism, Hola Mohalla (three day festival of mock battles, religious discussions and music)
- 21 March - Baha'i, Naw-Ruzz (New Year)
- 21 March - Zoroastrianism, Jamshedi Noruz (Fasli) and Jamshedi Noruz (Qadimi) - (New Year's day)
- 22 March - Christianity, Mothering Sunday
- 26 March - Zoroastrianism, Khordad Sal (Fasli – the birthday of Zoroaster)
- April - Buddhism, Theravada New Year (celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April)
- 3 April - Hinduism, Rama Navami (birthday of Lord Rama)
- 5 April - Christianity, Palm Sunday (start of Holy Week)
- 7 April - Jainism, Mahavira Jayanti (birth of Lord Mahavira, “founder” of modern Jainism)
- 9 April - Judaism, Passover (commemorating the liberation of the Children of Israel from Egypt)
- 10 April - Christianity, Good Friday
- 12 April - Christianity, Easter Sunday (Resurrection of Jesus Christ)
- 13 April - Sikhism, Vaisakhi (Sikh New Year Festival)
- 14 April - Sikhism, Birthday of Guru Nanak (founder of the religion)
- 18 April - Sikhism, Birthdays of Guru Angad Dev and Guru Tegh Bahadur
- 21 April - Baha'i, Ridvan – first day of 12 day festival
- 21 April - Judaism, Yom Hashoah (Jewish Holocaust Memorial Day)
- 21 April - Rastafari, Anniversary of Haile Selassie’s visit to Jamaica
- 29 April - Baha'i, Ridvan – ninth day (Baha’u’llah’s family at the Ridvan garden)
- 2 May - Baha'i, Ridvan – twelfth day (Baha’u’llah’s departure from the Ridvan garden)
- 2 May - Sikhism, Birthday of Guru Arjan Dev
- 9 May - Buddhism,Wesak or Buddha Day (Buddha’s birthday)
- 23 May - Baha'i, Declaration of the Bab
- 23 May - Sikhism, Birthday of Guru Amar Das
- 29 May - Judaism, Shavout (the Festival of Weeks)
- 29 May - Baha'i, Ascension of the Baha’u’llah
- 16 June - Sikhism, Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev
- 5 July - Sikhism, Birthday of Guru Hargobind
- 7 July - Buddhism, Asala – Dharma Day
- 9 July - Judaism, 17th Tammuz (fast day)
- 9 July - Baha'i, Martyrdom of the Bab
- 23 July - Rastafari, Birthday of Haile Selassie
- 23 July - Sikhism, Birthday of Guru Har Krishnan
- 26 July - Zoroastrianism, Khordad Sal (birthday of Zoroaster as celebrated in the Qadimi calendar)
- 30 July - Judaism, Tisha B’av (commemorating a series of tragedies on this day)
- 17 August - Jainism, Paryushana (start of 8 or 10 days of fasting)
- 17 August - Rastafari, Birthday of Marcus Garvey
- 19 August - Zoroastrianism, Jamshedi Noruz (New Year’s Day in the Shenshai Calendar)
- 22 August - Islam, Ramadan (start of the month of fasting)
- 24 August - Zoroastrianism, Khordad Sal (birthday of Zoroaster as celebrated in the Shenshai calendar)
- 11 September - Rastafari, Ethiopian New Year
- 19 September - Hinduism, Navaratri (start)
- 19 September - Judaism, Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)
- 28 September - Hinduism, Dussera (Celebrates Lord Rama’s victory over the evil demon Ravana)
- 28 September - Judaism, Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
- 3 October - Judaism, Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles)
- 9 October - Sikhism, Birthday of Guru Ram Das
- 10 October - Judaism, Simchat Torah (completion of the yearly cycle of weekly Torah readings)
- 17 October - Hinduism, Diwali, the festival of lights (also an occasion for celebration by Jains and Sikhs)
- 2 November - Rastafari, Coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I
- 24 November - Sikhism, Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur
- 28 November - Islam, Eid-Ul-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice)
- 12 December - Judaism, Hanukkah (festival of lights)
- 18 December - Islam, Al Hijira (Islamic New Year)
- 25 December - Christianity, Christmas Day (Birth of Jesus Christ)
- 27 December - Islam, Ashura
On Friday 21st November, the Preston Faith Forum will be hosting its special half-yearly event, which will begin at 6pm at the town hall. The Forum will be holding its annual general meeting in May 2009.
Health Users' Forum - 2008 Health Mela
On
March 8th 2008, the Lancashire Gujarat Health Users' Forum hosted its
annual Health Mela at its usual venue - the GHS Centre in Preston.
The two chief guests wereProfessor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal College of Physicians, and Surinder Sharma, National Director of Equality and Human Rights for the Department of Health.
Now in its seventh successful year, the GHS Health Mela has become nationally recognised as a model of best practice for health professionals wishing to engage with BME communities. It has been applauded by health representatives from central government, the Department of Health, the Healthcare Commission, NHS Trusts and many other professional organisations.
In correspondence with Professor Romesh Gupta, Professor Gilmore wrote: "I was struck by the enormous energy, commitment and enthusiasm at the Mela, and for me it reinforced the value of individuals contributing to the community in which they live and work. Not only are there huge opportunities to improve individual health, this is also an invaluable tool for maintaining the health and well-being of the wider community and relationships between those of different ethnic backgrounds. I know that this initiative will go from strength to strength under your inimitable leadership."
A review of the 2008 Mela can be downloaded here. (Word document - 958k). More details can be found on the Lancashire Gujarat Health Users' Forum website.
Disability Hate Crime Conference
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) invited a wide range of voluntary and community groups to attend its free Disability Hate Crime Conference on Monday 10th December at the LACE Conference Centre in Liverpool.
The CPS wants more people to know about its new policy on dealing with discrimination and with hatred towards people with disabilities. It wants to encourage more people to report Disability Hate Crime and wants to give disabled people more confidence in the CPS and in how criminal cases are handled.
Preston Faith Forum Interfaith Event
Preston Faith Forum held its Annual Celebration of Faith Communities in Preston. The theme was ”Faith and Hope." The event was held on Friday 30th of November 2007, at the Vajravarahi Kadampa Centre in Preston.
Guests were able to listen to presentations from the different faith communities in Preston, in the form of prayers, dances, songs and poetry. The event also featured a tour of the Buddhist Centre and Meditation Rooms.
"rePRESENT" Theatre Show
rePRESENT is a multimedia theatre show that was held at various Lancashire venues. Produced in response to the bicentennial of the abolition of the slave trade, it examined the history of slavery and its impact on the modern day.
Nguzo Saba Centre's 10th Anniversary Celebrations
The Nguzo Saba Centre gave members of the public an opportunity to meet its staff and volunteers on Saturday 1st September on Preston Flag Market. The group was hosting a showcase event with a variety of performances to celebrate ten years of playing a crucial role within the African and Caribbean community of Preston. Attractions included an exhibition of the archives of the centre and the wonderful activities with which it has been involved.
Preston
Hobbies Fair 2007 - GHS Centre
On Sunday 18th November 2007, the Gujarat Hindu Society hosted the Preston Hobbies Fair, a day long event comprising all kinds of interesting activities and pursuits. Some of the many featured hobbies and activities included:
- Dance performances
- Aikido
- Music / bands
- Card making demonstrations
- Woodwork demonstrations
- Indian crafts
- Model railways
- Henna painting
Various societies were represented and visitors were encouraged to engage in activities such as lace making, scrabble, stamp collecting and music.
The fair was supported by Preston City Council and the Rotary Club of Preston Amounderness.
Are You Interested in Dance?
"Style and Heritage" is an important project exploring African people's dance. We will cover all styles including salsa, samba, capoeira, reggae, soca, soul, classical and traditional African dance. We have contracted a leading dance company from this region, Merseyside Dance Initiative (MDI) to deliver training. They were charged directly by the Arts Council of England to develop African people's dance and have worked with some of the world's leading exponents from Africa, the Caribbean and Europe. They, in turn, have contracted some of these dancers, choreographers and dance companies to work with participants. It is a rare and valuable opportunity to get this experience. MDI will also provide qualifications for those wishing to develop dance further. The project will culminate in a showcase performance in Preston at the end of the year and another in Liverpool in 2008, Capital of Culture Year.
In addition to dancers, the project also has designers creating outfits and costumes, musicians creating original music and hopefully, it will shortly have photographers and video artists developing images, DVDs and a website to promote the events and the individuals involved. Individual participants will leave the project with a qualification, a personal portfolio of images and recordings, a vast amount of experience almost impossible to obtain elsewhere and the real possibility of future work either performing or managing workshops.
If you are interested, please contact the Nguzo Saba Centre for details. This project is open to anyone between the ages of 13 – 21. You do not have to be of African origin (African, African Caribbean, black British, mixed race/heritage). If you fall outside of the age range but are still interested, please contact the Centre anyway (Christina or Carol) on 01772 883733or by e-mailing nguzosabacentre@yahoo.co.uk.
Explore Lancashire! (June - October 2007)
Ithaad
Community Development Trust Ltd ‘Women’s Economic Development
Project’, with the support of Lancashire Countryside Services and
Pendle Borough Council's tourism team recently organised a ten day programme
in Pendle. This programme was organised for housebound women, to give
them a chance to come and explore stunning areas of unspoilt countryside,
and places of tourist attractions in Pendle. Through these activities
it also sought to create awareness, community cohesion and learning opportunities.
The ten-day programme not only gave women a chance to enjoy a pleasurable
day out with the family, but also allowed them to participate in the following
learning programmes:
- World of wool – demonstrations of sheep sheering, spinning wool and weaving.
- Orienteering – use of maps to discover hidden locations.
- Badger Discovery – learning about Britain’s favourite mammal.
- Eid Extravaganza – family activities, country crafts and guided walks.
- Scarecrow making.
- Canal Cruise and Picnic at Foulridge.
Brussels Visit Review Evening
On
19th April 2007, the Pendle Pakistan Welfare Association hosted a showcase
event looking at the recent Brussels trip, which was mentioned in our
last newsletter.
The original visit took place in January and representatives of the member organisations that took part presented a report and pictures of their time in Brussels. Mr Sajjad Karim MEP (Liberal Democrat) who sponsored this visit also spoke at the event.
Preston Muslim Forum - Employability Workshops
The fact that people from the BME community are at a disadvantage in securing meaningful employment is well known. In order to address this issue, the Preston Muslim Forum recently held a series of Employability Skills workshops - one day training events delivered by Anis Faruki, the Chief Officer of PMF. The training was designed to meet the requirements of people from the BME community and especially those who have been out of work for a long time or stuck in menial jobs due to a lack of language skills. The project was funded by Preston Employment Partnership.
For more information, please contact Anis at PMF 185 Deepdale Road, Preston PR1 6LJ – telephone: 01772 889000.
Community Futures 'Change Up' Conference
The conference was held at the Lancaster House Hotel in Lancaster on 27th February. It examined the government's Change Up programme, which provides funding support for initiatives designed to help community and voluntary organisations to work together, communicate better and have a stronger voice in policy-making. Featuring music and dance, the conference was also a celebration of partnership working and of how much can be achieved if people work together.
| All contents copyright 2008 Lancashire
BME Pact, a company limited by guarantee. Co. reg. no. 4865661. |
 |