Contents

• Chair's forward
• Introduction
• An Overview
• One to One Service
• Community & Regeneration
• Health
• Working together
• Users Analysis
• Service Providers and Users
• Transforming our services
• Hamaara Centre
• Way Forward
• User Information 

Chair’s Forward

 During the last year there have been many exciting and significant developments making year 2003-2004 a challenging and busy year.

Iqbal Patel

Chair

Preston Muslim Forum

Introduction

This report summarises Preston Muslim forum’s work between April 2003 and March 2004. It describes our main achievements during these 12 months and also talks about the challenges we have faced, some of which are continuing.

Vision Statement:

 Following is the staff and volunteers responsible for day to day running of the organisation:

Name                      Role

Siraaz Natha           Policy & Resource Lead  (Volunteer)

Ismail Seedat          Immigration/Passports (Volunteer)

Sabiha Rashid        Community Development Officer(F)

Anis Faruki            Community Development Officer(M)

Saleemah Bargit    Admin.Officer

Nafeesa Ahmed     Admin Assistant

Following members sit on the management committee and are responsible for steering strategic issues:

Name                          Profession                

Iqbal Patel                   Sales Executive

Farooq Patel                Charted Accountant

Arif Barber                  Solicitor

Yasmin Shakur            Co-ordinator-Residential Homes

Khadija Aziz               Qualified youth worker

Fateema Master           Probation Officer

Latifa Patel                  NSPCC-Child welfare

Ismail Patel                 Local priest

Sohail Nawaz              Accounts Manager

Siraz Natha                  Diversity Advisor
 

An Overview – Last 12 months

• Develop and maintain a clear future direction for the organisation
• Ensure we have a sound and secure finances by exploring diverse funding initiatives
• Seek continuous improvement in the quality of all our services by reviewing the existing processes and adopting good practices
• Listen to views and experiences of service users
• Raise organisation’s profile

 The report covers the progress we have made towards meeting all these priorities. There is still room to make further progress in the future.

 Listening to the views and experiences of those who use our services continues to be our most important source of feedback.

 The environment in which we operate is experiencing significant changes and presented us with a number of challenges, for example:

 Increase in number of organisations providing similar services

• Volatility of funding opportunities
• Funders quite rightly demanding better value and cost effectiveness for their funding
• The growth of PMF had impact on it’s infrastructure and resources and there has been need to review this to ensure that our costs are met and kept within an acceptable level

One to One Services

Information, Advice and Guidance continues to be the core services and also one of the most popular. This involves drafting a plan of action, completing application forms, conduct mock interviews, assisting with job search including networking with relevant agencies such as employment services, NOW network, LSC, training providers and connexions and monitoring client’s progress.

Performance 2003-2004

The Female Community Development Officer is in process of undertaking NVQ 4 in Advice and Guidance, which on completion will bear the hallmark of a quality and professional service.

Life long learning courses for women and ESOL for men continues to grow since they were first established. Additional classes have been set up at PMF to meet the growing demand.

Job Centre plus advisor received highest numbers of referrals from PMF compared to his other outreach surgeries in Preston.

The Male and Female Community Development Officers (MCDO & FCDO) promote volunteering as a credible entry route into employment and for personal development purposes. Further work is under progress to promote the concept of volunteering within the community.

FCDO and MCDO have succeeded in recruiting 9 plus 5 additional volunteers respectively.

Community and Regeneration

 Following community led projects have been delivered:

• Level 1 youth project
• Development of life long learning courses
• Courses in ESOL, Henna painting, bead work, personal development.
• Multi sports Mums and Daughters
• Women’s Healthy Cooking and eating sessions
• Mens’ Health Sessions on healthy eating, exercise, relaxation, aromatherapy and fun activities for 50+ age group
• Health 4 All sessions for men offering medical check ups
• Presentation for older people on Diabetes, Blood Pressure and Tuberculosis.
• Research Project-Barriers in to employment for Asian Women
• Set up of outreach surgeries
• Preparation and distribution of Culturally Sensitive Health Packs
• Organised visits to local mosque for Inland Revenue staff
• Arranged to establish Islamic prayer at the local school assembly 

Following 3 new women’s groups have been supported to deliver regeneration activities:

 Preston Muslim Forum is a non-religious organisation and cherishes the values of social cohesion. The organisation journey since it’s inception over a decade ago from a community action group to a full-fledged partner organisation is acknowledged and respected equally by the  community and the service providers alike. PMF has worked hard to bring different communities and groups together. This is evident from the assistance and expertise PMF has provided to numerous groups over years to establish, function and deliver community and regeneration activities, from the secular perspective. PMF is proud to lead the agenda and is fully aware of its social responsibility.

 Mosques – Prayers and Participation:

 We have already embarked on some bold initiatives such as:

• Encouraging local mosques to set up and promote community and regeneration activities. The responses from some of the mosques have been positive and the negotiations are underway to develop a joint project.
• To deliver course to help Madrasah Tutors gain teaching skills and qualifications as part of the ‘Teaching Skills’ project. Large number of young people in Preston attends Madrasahs where local volunteers act as tutors. Many community tutors though learned in their subjects have no formal training in teaching. The customised programme will cover all aspects of modern teaching benefiting tutors and children alike.

This initiative will not only widen the IAG sphere but will also enable mosques to engage with community in other constructive activities and contribute to social cohesion.

Health

PMF assisted Primary Care Trust in organising Men's Health Screening and advice sessions through mosques. The participants were offered full body check up and general health advice.

PMF in partnership with University of Central Lancashire conducted survey among Gujarati Males on self-management of diabetes and cultural impact on the health beliefs. The findings of the survey will be incorporated in the final report to be produced by the University.

We also organised interactive Men's Health sessions for elderly people and covered topics such as herbal medicine, exercise, healthy and positive living, aromatherapy and food. Age Concern and NWDA supported the project.

PMF is active in addressing community health issues and have organised presentations and workshops related to smoking cessation, tuberculosis and blood pressure.

Working together

Working together supports our commitment to be more enabling and responsive to our client’s needs and also assist in our aim to achieve continuous improvement in the quality of project work.

 PMF works closely with:

Preston City Council

Lancashire County Council

Lancashire Constabulary

PLTP

Preston College

Age Concern

University of Central Lancashire

NOW network

Job Centre plus

AvenCentral

 In addition to already established links, PMF has also succeeded in developing further links with the agencies and initiatives such as CRT, Preston Domestic Violence Forum, ADS advisory group, Community Futures, TUC, Harris Museum, Connexions and so on

 PMF also represents the community it serves at:

Surestart( Fishwick & St. Mathews) Executive Board

Sure start East

H4 All-PCT Steering Group

BME Pact (Lancashire)

Inner Preston Regeneration Partnership

Faith Forum

Primary Care Trust

Women’s Task Group

Local Area Network

Preston Community Network

Preston Mela

Users Analysis

 As highlighted by our Chair in his forward, the constraints related to staffing and resources during most part of the year 2003-2004 has severely undermined PMF’s ability to deliver effective and professional services, as reflected in the comparative analysis below: 

The quality and breakdown of the service users however remained unchanged as the following comparative data shows:

Service Providers & Users:

''After working permanent nights in a factory since last 10 years I had lost motivation and hope of securing another job. The male community development officer at PMF advised me of other available career options, assisted me in completing application forms, preparation of CV and mock interview. I now work as an administrative officer in the government department. Thanks to PMF this career change has been one of the most rewarding experience of my life'

Male Client

'After being on a long-term sick leave I was desperate to update my skills to enhance my job prospects. The female community development officer assessed my situation and enrolled me in ESOL class run by Preston College at PMF and also arranged with Preston College to have one to one session for skills related course. I am currently doing courses in ESOL and carpentry and feel more confident about my job prospects'

Female Client

PMF continues to work resolutely towards the improvement of lives within the community, and we value it immensely for the bridges it has built-and enabled our services to cross

Lancashire Constabulary

Ethnic Minority Partnership Manager - Jobcentre Plus

Development worker – Families & Children together (FACT)

Transforming our services:

Hamaara Centre:

We envisage our additional facility to be fully operational by May 2004. Hamaara centre will deliver following services among others:

We will also encourage other organisations to use the venue for organising other community and regeneration activities.

Way Forward:

User Information 2003-2004

Numbers of users

Breakdown of users

 Preston Muslim Forum, 17 Holmrook Road, Preston PR1 6SR – Telephone: 01772 889000