About the BME Pact

Chairman's Statement
Board Members
Meet the Team
Priorities
Background
Official Launch

Chairman's Statement – Anayat Mohammad

I want to start by paying tribute to the outgoing Chair, David Knight, for his experienced steer, determination and leadership.

I have been involved with the organisation for the past four years, the last two as Vice Chair. In that period of time I have seen many of the challenges the organisation has faced, witnessing its development and the increasing needs of its members the organisation aspires to meet.

I believe the organisation finds itself in the most important position since its inception in 2003. The “Successful Foundations” Project, now appropriately named “Roshni” Project presents, in my view the best opportunity so far to benefit our member organisations. With it however, the organisation has entered into a period where it can make the most effective step change for its members, for the BME voluntary sector, and for itself.

Working in local government, and having a lifetime of experience working in the Voluntary Community and Faith sectors, I feel I have the right level of expertise, knowledge and experience to lead the organisation through the important year ahead. I am fully aware of the potential an infrastructure organisation such as ours has in relation to offering the right kind of support to our sector members, support that will provide significant added value to their operation, anything less renders us with no stake in the future development of communities, and the responsibilities we hold to provide a voice and representation at a local, regional and national level. Those are our marketplaces, and those are the platforms we have to operate in to bring about meaningful change to our members and in turn their constituents.

I would like to see the Lancashire BME Pact offering value for service, a strong voice and representation to and within external factors, and a support network for our members that allows them to achieve their potential for the communities they serve; I will use all my capabilities to ensure that end for our sector.

Having been involved in the recruitment of our current staff it gives me enormous confidence that we have a staff base that is equipped to meet the challenges ahead, and gain maximum value from the opportunities in the months ahead for our members.

I hope to continue the important work of the organisation, provide stern leadership and vision for its staff and members, present the best possible case to avail the opportunities of tomorrow, and take the organisation to a level that can prove sustainable for the BME segment within the third sector. I ask for your support to start that journey.

Jazak’Allah and thank you.

Anayat Mohammad
Chairman
Lancashire BME PACT

Board Members:

• Anayat Mohammad (Chair) – Co-opted Public Sector Member
• Parvinder Sohal (Treasurer) - LWNMEW
• Ishwer Tailor (Company Secretary) – Gujarat Hindu Society
• Abdul Hafiz Malik – Ithaad Community Development Trust
• Mebs Ahmed – Lancashire Black Police Association
• Ahmed Said Patel – Gujarat Muslim Welfare Service
• Sadar Uddin – Ashiana Housing & Bangladesh Welfare Association
• Sagheer Akhtar – East Lancashire Community Action Project
• Amina Iqbal – Hyndburn Asian Women’s Association
• Mohammad Rafique Malik – Jinnah

Meet the Team

For details of the core team at the Lancashire BME Pact, please click here.

Future Goals:

The Pact's future goals are as follows:

1. Ensure sustainability for our members by winning further resources – and with it increasing our staff base (we have already started to do this by gaining the Help Direct contract).
2. Developing better working relationships with our partners – such as the local authorities in our sub-region and other public bodies locally and regionally.
3. Ensuring the voice of our members, our sector, and our region is heard to bring about sustainable change for the better.
   

Background:

Many of the existing members of the BME Pact have been meeting and discussing common issues for several years. Through these meetings and through the work of the ESF Funded capacity building project in 2002, it emerged that there was a need to develop a forum through which these issues could be resolved. This saw the early stages of the development of the BME Pact, which was finally formed as an organisation in May 2003.

Official Launch:

The BME Pact was formally launched at County Hall, Preston on Thursday 11th March 2004. Those invited to the launch include dignitaries from the County Council, BME Pact members and BME organisations throughout Lancashire, as well as other voluntary and statutory organisations.

Recognising the launch of the BME Pact, the Chairman of Lancashire County Council, Cllr Vali Patel said:

“I am delighted that a Lancashire Black and Minority Ethnic PACT (BME PACT) has been formed with a pledge to build a solid foundation to tackle community cohesion across the county. The plan to expand from its current base of twelve organisations to a broader coalition would be of immense help to the significant work of the PACT.

“I am pleased to hear that the BME PACT intends to speak with one voice on issues affecting social /exclusion / inclusion, education, training, health, housing and employment across the diverse communities of Lancashire. I am pleased that the County Council has been able to help support the development of the BME PACT with money from the European Social Fund.

“I offer my congratulations to the BME PACT, wish them well for the future and look forward to working in partnership on issues of mutual interest.”