|
|
Lancashire BME Pact News
Support for Adult Carers
New Chair & New Goals
Help Direct - BME Engagement Project
Roshni Project
BME Pact Newsletter - Issue 8
Jabien Graduates from Leadership Programme
Preston Women's Refuge - Anniversary Celebrations
Lancashire Forum of Faiths Charity Dinner
Routes to Solidarity Newsletter
Members Invited to Take Part in Leadership Programme
Pact Members Attend Preston Mela
County Council Support - Ged Fitzgerald
News Archive
There
is an opportunity for our member groups to become involved in the recruitment
of clients for a short term Caring
with Confidence project (for which funding ends on 30th September
2010).
The project involves training delivery to unpaid carers in a series of free workshops. Members who become promoters will be able to earn £20 per person engaged for the first workshop and £10 per person for subsequent workshops. The workshops will last 3 hours and refreshments will be provided. Special arrangements will be made for those fasting.
This is a valuable fund raising opportunity and a project that delivers important help to local carers. However, time is pressing so if you are interested in discussing this further please contact me as soon as possible.
Jabien Kauser - Development Outreach Officer.
Tel. 01254 398959. Email: jabien@lancashire-bme-pact.org.uk
On
7th July 2010, the Board of the Lancashire BME Pact elected its next chair
to lead the organisation though the most testing time for Black &
Minority Groups in Lancashire. Anayat Mohammad took on the important role
to head the leading infrastructure organisation after David Knight stepped
down after 4 years in the post.
Anayat said, “At a time when the coalition government has made the voluntary sector landscape a fight for survival, we aim to ensure Black & Minority Ethnic groups in Lancashire don’t lose out as a result of the massive cuts in resources planned for this year. We believe community groups are on the front line of sustaining communities, and as such support to them should be fundamental to empowering change to our citizens in Lancashire.”
The Lancashire BME Pact was established in 2003 to provide a voice, and support and empower BME third sectors groups to operate on a level playing field. The organisation has been working tirelessly with its member base to make a difference to local communities. The umbrella organisation driven by key figures on its board is looking to increase its member base to continue the important work of offering support to voluntary groups in the sub-region.
The Chair's address can be seen here.
Help Direct - BME Engagement Project
Lancashire BME Pact has been awarded funding to run this project for 18 months in Hyndburn, Ribble Valley & Rossendale. We have appointed a BME Engagement Worker, Nialla Rashid, who will be coming out to promote the services of Help Direct with groups in these areas.
The aim is to get more people from the Black and Minority Ethnic community to use the Help Direct Service.
Help Direct is a service which has been developed for all adults in Lancashire. It will provide the practical support, guidance and information you need to get the most out of life. Your local help direct team will help you to find the right way forward – one that works for you.
For more information, please contact Nialla on 01254 398959
In 2009, the BME Pact was awarded a three year project by the Big Lottery to provide infrastructure support to third sector BME organisations in Lancashire. The new staff are now in place and a new name has been chosen for the project. "Roshni" means 'shining light', which neatly summarises the aim of the project.
The
project's aim is to shed light on all aspects of running a successful
project by developing and supporting the BME Pact members' structures
and partnerships in order to maximise communication and share good practice.
The team will be able to provide help with:
- Compliance
- Governance
- Direction
- Finance
- Networks
- Funding
The first step in developing a successful organisation is to understand the basics and to get them right. Consequently, the project team will produce a self assessment pack to enable members to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Support will be given to address areas of weakness and to build on existing strengths. Information sheets will also be produced covering all aspects of setting up a successful organisation. For example:
- Setting up a committee
- Roles & responsibilities
- Preparing a constitution
- Monitoring & evaluation
- Business planning
- Marketing
- Managing your money
- Accounting & book-keeping
- Charity registration
- Health & safety
The project will provide outreach support, newsletters, a dedicated website, events and networking opportunities. For more details, please contact us.
A new leaflet can be downloaded in two parts in PDF format. Please use the links below.
Leaflet - outer
pages. (PDF format: 1.4MB.)
Leaflet - inner pages. (PDF format:
1.6MB.)
Newsletter Issue 8 Now Available
Edition 8 of the BME Pact newsletter is now available. It can be downloaded in two parts in PDF format. Please use the links below.
Outer
pages. (2.5MB - PDF format.)
Inner pages. (2.4MB
- PDF format.)
Jabien Graduates from Leadership Programme
Lancashire
BME Pact's Development Outreach Officer, Jabien Kauser, has recently graduated
from LEAD, a highly acclaimed business leadership programme funded by
the Northwest Regional Development Agency. On 13th July, she met with
other delegates from the programme at the Shahi Qila restaurant in Blackburn
to complete her 10 month programme and to receive her graduation certificate
from Sir Bill Taylor.
The programme was managed by Enterprise4All in conjunction with Blackburn College and, as chair of the board of governors at the College, Sir Bill congratulated Jabien and all the delegates for their achievements, saying “Commitment, vision and stamina are all vital elements for business success and it’s clear from your work on the LEAD programme that these are attributes that you all possess.”
"I joined LEAD because I wanted to help make improvements in the BME sector," explains Jabien. "The programme has certainly helped me to re-focus and get a clear sense of how we can best proceed. We'll be developing the organisation according to a properly considered business model and examples of best practice, and I'm confident that this will help to ensure our future sustainability and effectiveness."
Preston Women's Refuge - Anniversary Celebrations
Preston's Women's refuge celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2009 and to mark the occasion, it invited members of the Lancashire BME Pact and other guests to a special event on 2nd December at St. Johns Minster in Preston.
The Chief Guest Speaker was Dr Aisha Gill from Roehampton University and the topic of her presentation was‘Violence Against Women, Crimes of 'Honour' and Forced Marriage: Is there a link?’ Other speakers included Chief Superintendent Tim Jacques and Lorraine Norris, Chief Executive of Preston City Council.
Highlights included exhibitions and displays about Preston Women’s Refuge’s work over the past 15 years and the launch of the organisation's new name. The celebration also included a short formal AGM.
Lancashire Forum of Faiths Charity Dinner
The
BME Pact Board officials and members were delighted to support the Lancashire
Forum of Faiths Charity Dinner held at the Gujarat Hindu Society in Preston
on 20th November. The event, which attracted attendance from across the
North of England, demonstrated again the strides faith communities are
making to break down barriers and bridge divides between faiths and people
of non faith. The Gujarat Hindu Society proved a fitting venue to celebrate
the great work of the Lancashire Forum of Faiths, and the evening was
enjoyed by all.
Anayat Mohammad, Vice Chair, Lancashire BME Pact said: "At a time of serious social dislocation between communities in the United Kingdom, particularly in areas of high deprivation, and the concerted efforts of Government strategies to mend these issues, it is faith communities that are showing the greatest impact in bringing different communities groups together to build cohesion. Faith communities with the assistance of organisations such as the Lancashire Forum of Faiths are now making their presence felt around the strategic table; with few resources multi-faith organisations are leading the way through inter-faith work contributing to building good relations. I can only see bigger and better things from this inspirational work."
The national Inter-Faith Week was marked during 16th-20th November 2009. The Lancashire Forum of Faiths is a member organisation of the Lancashire BME Pact.
Routes to Solidarity Newsletter
A
new newsletter has been launched for everyone involved in fighting the
poverty and discrimination experienced by black and minority ethnic women
and their organisations, particularly in the north of England. Issue one
of Routes to Solidarity contains the latest project news, updates on coming
events and useful resources.
The overall project goal is to create a stronger BME
women’s sector, with increased strategic and influencing power,
particularly in
the north of England. The project, funded by the Department of Communities
and Local Government, offers a unique opportunity for ethnic minority
women and their organisations to collectively share their experiences,
and to act on the needs and issues they experience.
Issue one can be downloaded here. (PDF file - 570K.)
Members Invited to Take Part in Leadership Programme
Business owners and managers from BME communities are being invited to take advantage of a £9.5 million business support programme funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency. LEAD is a 10 month leadership development programme that was originally piloted by Lancaster University but which is now being delivered by 13 different providers across the North West.
One
of these organisations is the not-for-profit business support company,
Enterprise4All, which is delivering the programme in association with
Blackburn College and which is particularly keen to see greater levels
of attendance by women and people from minority ethnic backgrounds.
"People from BME communities - especially women - are currently under-represented on the programme," says E4All's Mubarak Chati. "This is a real shame because it's clear that LEAD has a very positive impact on the companies that take part in it. Previous delegates reported, on average, improvements in turnover of around £200,000 with a corresponding rise in profits. That's obviously an enormous improvement for many companies and it demonstrates the value of the programme. We don't want BME businesses to miss out on the benefits of LEAD and so we're doing all we can to encourage eligible business people to come forward."
LEAD is open to North West companies (including social enterprises and community interest companies) with between 1 and 20 employees and requires between two and three days' commitment per month on the part of all delegates. The programme emphasises leadership and strategy and comprises a mixture of interactive workshops, management exchanges and inspirational masterclasses presented by high profile business leaders. These and other elements emphasise the importance of senior managers being able to step back from the day to day routines and to give thought to how best to grow the business - rather than simply how to run it.
Working with cohorts of up to 25 businesses, the programme will be delivered mainly from Blackburn College's prestigious new University Centre.
More details about the programme and the funding support that is available can be found on the Enterprise4All website or by calling Mubarak Chati on 0845 607 0786.
Pact Members Attend Preston Mela
On
Sunday 15th June, the Preston Mela once again took place at Avenham Park
in Preston. Now in its 11th year, the event is a popular summer feature
and an important platform for promoting community cohesion. The stall
holders and visitors enjoyed excellent weather and the turn-out was very
impressive, with live music, fairground rides, craft stalls and traditional
South Asian foods all adding to the sense of occasion.
The Gujarat Hindu Society took a stall at the Mela, selling a variety of vegetarian foods that drew large crowds throughout the day. The event itself ran from noon until around 9pm and drew an estimated 10,000 visitors.
Organised by Preston Mela Trust and Preston City Council, the Mela is intended to to celebrate the heritage and culture of the city's South Asian community. Mayor of Preston Councillor John Swindells said: "Preston Mela is a superb event attracting thousands of people from across the North West. It a celebration of the city's diverse and vibrant culture and recognises the contribution the South Asian community makes to the city."
In December 2008, key officers from the Lancashire BME Pact met with Ged Fitzgerald, the Chief Executive of Lancashire County Council. The authority has been a long-standing supporter of the Pact and its work but this was a welcome opportunity to discuss future plans and strategies for ensuring that minority ethnic groups continue to play a vital role in the re-development of the county.
Speaking
at the meeting, Mr Fitzgerald said “Strong links have been developed
between Lancashire County Council and the BME Pact in recent years. With
an excellent base in place, we need to continue to develop these connections
and push forward with new ideas.
“Each of the communities who make up the Red Rose County has a vital role to play in moving Lancashire forward to develop a bright and sustainable future. Bringing organisations together, including the voluntary, community and faith sector, helps new ideas to come to the table in areas such as regeneration, training and many other activities.
“By making these strong and enduring partnerships with the community, the County Council can meet the county's needs and continue to push for success.
"I’d like to congratulate all those who have previously been involved in the work of the BME Pact, and look forward to working with them in the future.”
| All contents copyright 2010 Lancashire
BME Pact, a company limited by guarantee. Co. reg. no. 4865661. Lancashire BME Pact is a Registered Charity No: 1136057. |