Preston Muslim Forum

Business Plan

2005 – 2007

 

Registered Charity Number:           1064609

Company registration number:      3054937

 

 

Contents

 

1.     Executive Summary………………………………………………

2.  Vision, Mission & Aims………………………………………….

3.  Management Board……………………………………………...

4.  Staffing Structure…………………………………………………

5.  Organisation Structure…………………………………………..

6.  Marketing…………………………………………………………

7.  Fundraising……………………………………………………….

8.  Work Programme 2004-2005……………………………………

Appendix 1…Global Perspective ……………………………..

Appendix 2 (Projected Budget-2006-2007)…………………..…

 

 

 1. Executive Summary

Preston Muslim Forum (PMF) is a registered charity and established as a company limited by guarantee. Established in 1991, it operates in the inner deprived wards of Preston.

 PMF’s team of one full time, three part time staff, 9 executive board members and numerous local volunteers provide variety of local services and high-level advocacy functions. At a local level we have a drop in centre, which provides Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) on life long learning pathways and employment. Our staff and volunteers also provide general help and advice on social, welfare and health issues. This is in addition to surgeries from Department of Works & Pension, Job Centre plus, Pension Services, Police, Housing, Council Tax, MP, Citizen Advice Bureau, Immigration  and so on being held at PMF.

To meet ever-growing demands from the community and especially the young people, the additional facilities at Castleton Road are now up and running.  This venue is known as ‘Hamaara Centre’ (Our Centre) and delivers activities related to young people, senior citizens and women.

PMF’s board members play an active role in aiding and guiding the policies of local statutory providers and ensure that the needs of the community are met. PMF has evolved into partner organisation and is recognised as a significant and valuable partner at strategic, tactical and operational level.

This 2 year business plan has two central themes:

• Consolidation and expansion of existing services
• Diversification of other services

The plan puts forward 10 strategic aims. The objectives may be over-lapping and most of them reflect what we already do. The core theme however remains ‘moving-on’, a combination of expansion and diversification.  PMF is now in an ideal position to embark on some bold initiatives and start building on the existing skills, knowledge and experience.

The plan heavily relies on continued support from our current partners and forging new alliances. The strategy to enhance the current staffing profile echoes our commitment to achieve the aims, as set out in this plan.

The organisation has been positively changing the lives of ethnic minorities in Preston for the past 12 years. This plan sets out a one-year future for it’s continued success.

 2.0         Vision, Mission and Aims

 2.1     Our Vision

 A striving, healthy and prosperous Muslim community actively contributing to the benefit of society as a whole.

 2.2     Our Mission

 To ensure that the Muslims and the local community at large actively contribute to, and benefit from regeneration and community development programmes by enabling people to engage, inform and participate through various learning initiatives.  PMF strives to foster understanding and co-operation between communities by developing community led solutions and advocating fair, effective and culturally sensitive public policies. 
 

2.3       Our Strategic Aims:

 2.3.1     Advocacy

• A pro-active advocacy tool for community development and regeneration
• Acting as a voice for disadvantaged communities

 2.3.2     Health

• To work with other mainstream and strategic agencies to improve the health of the community and strive for health equality
• To explore and research the health needs of the community with special emphasis on women, young people and people with disability

2.3.3     Information, Advice & Guidance (IAG)

• To strengthen the current provision of IAG
• To develop IAG network partnership with other community organisations which are currently not providing IAG services but have access to large ethnic minority captive audience, within the most deprived wards of Preston

2.3.4     Employment

• To build on strong foundation already laid in assisting unemployed into the labour market
• To develop further links and joint partnership with Job Centre plus, Connexions and ERDF to promote employment initiatives and opportunities to the disadvantaged groups

2.3.5     Women Development

• To empower women who are at the margins of society and encouraging their participation at all levels of community life
• To promote life long learning initiatives enabling women to be confidant and self-reliant

2.3.6     Youth Development

• Develop youth centred policies with the view to enhance their attainment and personal development
• Set up work programme and work closely with mainstream agencies to address the issues related to social disorder, drugs and alcohol abuse, juvenile crime and so on

2.3.7     Volunteer Development

• To actively recruit, support and train volunteers to engage in their own personal development

• To develop policies and recruit volunteer co-ordinator to manage volunteer’s activities
  

2.3.8     Fostering and Adoption

• To undertake basic need analysis
• To encourage community to be participative and receptive

2.3.9      Environment

• Link with statutory and voluntary organisations to develop and deliver projects related to environment
• Promote awareness of environmental issues

2.3.10    Capacity Building

• To work with individuals and community groups to develop their potential and capacity in self empowerment
• To undertake the capacity building and networking projects by utilising PMF’s skills, experience and knowledge, with the view to meet PMF’s vision and mission

2.3.11  Inter-Faith

• To work with mosques to build their capacity as an organisation
• T wok with Islamic scholars to develop initiatives related to social cohesion
• To ensure that the needs of young people from the Muslim community are met by encouraging their participation and opinions on issues that affects them.
• To be pro-active in multi-faith activities

2.3.12  Social co-hesion

• To work with Muslim young people to instil sense of British identity
• To work with home office, police, other relevant agencies and the mosques to tackle to nuisance of violent extremism
• To ensure that the needs of Muslim youths are met and their frustrations taken on board with a view to ease their path to participate in civil society, including informing and education to relevant agencies.

3.0     Management Board
Board members:

                Iqbal Patel

Yasmin Shakur

Fateema Maste

Latifa Patel

Ibrahim Member

Tasnim Bodi

Junaid Kalang

Sabbir Musa

Co-op member: 

Siraz Natha

 

Chief Officer:

Anis Faruki

 

 

 

 

4.0     Organisation Structure - 1

Current management board – 2005-2006

 
 

  

5.0     Marketing

 
PMF has recognised the need to market and advertise the good work it has done to:

• Raise it’s profile
• Make other organisations aware of PMF’s activities
• Attract funds and volunteers

 PMF has considered following approaches to market itself. The strategy is a mix of professional and community based marketing techniques:

 5.1         Website

Website has already been developed and running.

 5.2         Information Pack

Information packs are being reviewed and redesigned to include appropriate information for maximum impact

 5.3         Panel Display

Panel display is now regularly used to promote PMF in the events such as open days, conferences, exhibition and so on

 5.4         Press Release

The unlimited opportunities offered by the media will now be utilised on regular basis to promote and publicise PMF

 5.5         Leafleting

PMF intends to embark on a concerted leaflet campaign through residential and business avenues

 5.6         Posters

Increase in number and size of posters is planned for various publicity purposes. This will also be distributed to local business and other voluntary and community organisations

 5.7         Events

To attend community network events throughout the year, to raise profile of PMF.

 5.8         Meetings

To have increased presence at key strategic meetings such as LSPs, community network, Surestart etc

 

6.0     Fundraising

 PMF’s funding strategy in the next 12 months will be to maximise funding from various sources such as statutory bodies, trusts and foundations and local patrons. Income generation strategy has not been full developed yet.

The ever increasing demands on the PMF’s resources means that PMF is now more committed to redouble its efforts in securing funding to match it’s level of services and also for sustainability of capital projects and staff expansion programme

PMF is on the final stage of exploring funding through voluntary donations from individuals and local businesses

 The usage facilities at the Hamaara Centre will be regulated through £1.00 per annum membership fee for all users. This will be administered by the Centre Manager.

 The 2^nd tier of membership fees will include:

• £1.00 per annum for primary school age
• £2.00 per annum for secondary school age
• £3.00 per annum for 16-24 age group

This will be administered by the youth advisory group

 It has been decided to deliver an equality awareness course, which will be delivered to organisations that need training and advice for it's staff. The charging policy will vary according to duration and details of the training. The approximate charge for a half-day training session will be in the region of £250 - £300.

 Other initiatives planned are as follows:

• To ensure medium and long term financial sustainability of PMF by exploring various funding streams, link up with funding bodies, attend courses and workshops related to funding. Organise bazaars, charity dinners-activities etc.
• Closer working relationship with statutory agencies to develop meaningful partnership such as secondments, specialist projects and delivery of services to generate income.
• Increase of room hiring facilities to colleges, outside organisations, community groups, surgeries.

 

7.0     Work Programme / 2005 – 2007

• Move to better and bigger property, which is accessible and visible to those who currently do not access.
•  Enhance provision of IAG to advance guidance enabling excluded men and women into education, employment and training.
•  Extension of IAG services to diverse community facilities, i.e. outreach services.
•  Develop E2E (ESOL to Employment) strategy with Job Centre plus and connexions.
•  Deliver and extend teachers training course to enhance personal development and teaching skills to community volunteers.
•  Develop youth activities and life long learning routes with youth services Drugsline, Preston City Council, Police and other appropriate agencies delivered from Hamaara Centre and funded by Young People’s Fund.
•  Increase of students and IT courses at UK on-line centre and development of IT provisions.
•  Recruit and expand organisational structure to include lead volunteers and paid staff members
•  Expand provision of culturally sensitive services such as forced marriages, counselling, divorce, mental health etc to women through FCDO.
•  Widen the usage of Hamaara centre to include activities related to youth, older people, women and people with disability
•  Training, development and delivery of community learning initiatives through volunteers such as courses/training in ESOL, basic skills, reading/writing, citizenship.
•  Promote PMF venue as hire facilities to generate income.
•  Addition of surgeries from Benefits Agency or Citizen Advice Bureau, Immigration and Social Services.
•  Expand activities for older people such as Luncheon club.
•  Secure funding from statutory agency for a post at PMF.

 

APPENDIX 1

The Preston Perspective

 

  

The National Perspective

 

(Muslims indicates population of South-Asia origin only)

 Source: Office for National Statistics 2004

www.socialexclusionunit.gov.uk