Shared Goals
A project to help residents lead healthy and positive lives is also giving people leaving prison the confidence to assimilate back into society
Alex earns his bike
pictured here is Alex, a year 8 pupil from Kelmscott School and the latest member of the S7 ACE Community Champions Programme.
The CC Programme takes participants through a journey from engagement to volunteering and then paid employment, not just with Us but with partners organisations including teaching, Police, Hackney Housing and more.
Alex began his journey when he turned up to a Sunday session and was the only over 11 that was there. Azi, former Kelmscott School Head Boy, encouraged Alex to help out. Since, Alex has supported Marcelo with the Tennis project and supports the Tuesday engagement programme for 4-11 year olds.
Alex represents the S7 Academy of Community Excellence, a Bulgarian young man, from our vibrant and diverse local area. Alex, like his Bulgarian compatriots, Geri and Halime as well as our Lithuanian stars Agne and Ausrine highlight the great addition these communities have been to our Nation.
A key part of our scheme is when a young person or young adult does 30-40 hours of volunteering we purchase a bike for them as a reward. Our partners A&S Cycles in Clapton, through owner Shameem Versamia offers us great in-kind and discounted support. The bike is then used for volunteering/work and also engaging in our cycling programmes.
Mubarakeh (well done) Alex and the best is yet to come.
East London Unites Project – Wrens Park E5/Boundary E17 – Photos
please see attached photo from last weeks launch. The East London Utd project will hopefully begin a new way of partners working together and act as a blueprint. The positive relationships with Hackney Housing and GLL have always developed on the simple basis that we have space, you can utilise this, let’s do something.
In this case, inspire this generation to follow the examples of Young Black Men such as David and Niahum, and not so young Wayne, to be proud and valuable citizens in our community, achieving in education, work and being Community Champions. Similarly the likes of Azi and Yas being positive role models to young Muslims (and non-Muslims) to instil a pride of our great nation and showing religion and culture can come together in a productive manner. Finally, the Female Community Champions, Agne, Geri, Ausrine, Zainab and Halime, who show their peers and youngers how to conduct themselves, engage in positive activities and develop transferable skills, leadership, communication, accounting, fundraising and public speaking.
This way we can address the agendas of Gangs, Prevent and Female Sexual exploitation.
The launch event saw the official induction of Paralympic Gold Medal Winner Tim Prendergast as a S7* ACE (Academy of community Excellence), along with Charles Runcie (BBC), Phillip Poole (former partnership Sergeant for Hackney) and Mark Blake (Cllr in Haringey and BTEG) we have a fab four who have all been instrumental in our inception, development and our success to date.
Tim has been a friend and colleague for a decade when he was working with Erkan Ozerek as a mentor. Erkan, now in his mid-20’s is a Deputy Leader of the Maths Dept at Lammas, a 1st class degree holder and the benchmark for all our people to inspire to be like. Tim is a humble and modest man with a desire that overcame losing his eyesight to succeed in the sports arena, but also in life. An inspiration to me and all who know him, but also the best of human beings.
We thank:
Evening Standard, especially David Cohen
London Community Foundation – Tania for her patience and support
Hackney Housing, GLL, LBWF and LB of Hackney
The S7* ACE team, especially the Community Champions and Karishma for her role in pulling this project together.
The Almighty for everything
Girls and Women United in Health and well-being
Good morning, please see attached photo from yesterdays Salaam Peace Girls and Women’s fitness session. The session started 2 years ago and was developed by Shehnaz and since has seen Community Champions Agne and Ausrine take a lead.
The project is part of our Positive Routes Tuesday Engagement Programme that sees over 120 core participants, male and female aged 4-60 engage in positive activities and wider benefits include:
Leadership skills
bringing communities together
promoting health and well-being
Developing Communities champions
reducing isolation
raising self-esteem
Sessions take place Tuesdays at Walthamstow Leisure Centre E17 8RN, come and join in one week and feel the benefits of this SABULOUS programme for yourself.
Special thanks to Simon and Scott @ GLL for their continued support and kindness.
Hands of Peace
Salaam and good morning. Halime Kamber and the team of Community Champions pulled together a SABULOUS EAST LONDON UNITES (against terrorism) initiative. Over 350 children, young people, adults (male and female) took part in sports, art, climbing walls and community engagement. The event was organised as a POSITIVE COMMUNITY reaction to the recent issues around:
Extremism – Home and Abroad
Gangs/Post code rivalries
Female Sexual exploitation
Participants from across WF, Hackney, Newham, Haringey and even Leicester took part. Special thanks to:
Ricky McMinn – For hosting the planning meeting on the 20th of Jan and all who contributed to this.
The team of Community Champions especially Halime for her vison and hard work
WFSD (Climbing wall), Essex CCC (Cricket), WF Public Health (stalls/info), Bombay Kebabs (Food), Neil Barrat (Lammas/LJP) and all who took part.
Alongside the fantastic day the first 2 SALAAM PEACE patrons were inducted, Phil Poole and Mark Blake. Both were instrumental in our inception and have continued to provide guidance and support and deserve this formal recognition.
Ismail – A real Community Champion
Pictured here on the far right is Ismail Ahmed, a Walthamstow resident of Somalian heritage. In a time when Muslims across the world and closer to home are portrayed in a negative light Ismail exemplifies all that is good about Humankind.
Ismail, a Salaam Peace Volunteer, despite his very busy family and work life, gives up time every week to work with young Somali men as part of the Blue Ocean football team. Many of these young people would otherwise be engaged in betting and substance misuse. Ismail leads by example with his kind and generous nature, harmonising the group and leading them to success in many Salaam Peace Community initiatives including the Friday Floodlight league and the Champions of Champions final on Thursday 31st March 2016.
Dr Sabir Bham, Founder/Director of Salaam Peace, “Ismail is a gentleman. He is the best of human beings. He has so much on his plate but still makes time for the community, his community. Ismail is a patient and humble individual and all that know him have love and respect for him. I am proud he is a key member of the SP family and we hope he continues to inspire us with his selfless attitude. Ismail is a Somalian Lion and a true Community Champion”
Community Champions enjoy the high life
Attached photos from our weekend away to the amazing Caversham. Caversham is n Reading and the Crowne Plaza Hotel sits on the river Thames. The weekend away was organised as a thank you to our team of Community Champions, these young people go above and beyond to BE THE CHANGE in the community they want to see. The team @ Crowne Plaza really looked after us and having the luxuries of 5 star treatment, fantastic health/leisure facilities and the back drop of such beautiful landscape made for an amazing weekend. Among the fun Erkan and myself done 1-2-1 with all Community Champions looking at 3 key areas:
Role @ Salaam Peace and areas for growth
Studies aims and need
Career guidance
We thank Jack Petchey and YOUR MOVE for their support in helping fund the weekend and thank Sarah @ Crowne Plaza for her kindness.
Reminder, we are undertaking a 50 mile fundraiser bike ride on Weds 30th March, an donations welcome…
Charli earns her number
I have been fortunate to have known Charli from the age of 4 and over the years seen her develop into a fantastic young lady. Charli did extremely well in her GCSE’s last year while at Kelmscott School and has been a standout success on the Early Help team Duke of Edinburgh award. Charli officially joined the CCAB in December and was a key part of the team that ensured the WF Launch was a success. Congrats Charli and as you know onwards and upwards.
Hackney – a Safer Place for Everyone
Good afternoon Sab,
THANK YOU so very much for joining us yesterday evening. I realise this was a BIG ask given your other commitment, but as always you rose to the challenge.
EVERYONE I spoke to or who has e-mailed this morning has said how FANTASTIC the panel was. You were a key and resounding part of this success. Your passion and wealth of experience shone through as you navigated responses to the audience so skilfully. I’ve heard you speak many times before but I was genuinely inspired by your rounded and honest answers whenever you were called on to speak. I hope you and your brothers enjoyed yourself too.
Lots of people have already said very nice things about the event. For me, we threw the six, we’re now on the board and we can build onwards and upwards from this foundation. A number of suggestions, recommendations from the panel and the audience were very well articulated. I’m confident Hackney Safer Neighbourhood Board can drive forward the best of these, continue to actively challenge what isn’t working and make more things happen in 2016-17.
I hope you like the photos. Our facilitator was Anu Omideyi www.anuomideyi.com I’ve attached the ‘programme’ as you may find the detail useful if you put something up onyour website
I’m now recharging my batteries in readiness to type up all the notes I took and the key issue / questions sheets people handed in. Interesting reading!
Let’s get together after Easter to take forward the recently renamed ‘Narrowing the Gap‘ project (with Hackney Community College, Salaam Peace, Reach Out) which MOPAC has now approved.
A very sincere THANK YOU.
All good wishes,
Nicola
pp Hackney SNB
SP Female Community Champions
Please see attached photo of our female members of our staff/volunteers team @ Bodrum Restaurant on Lea Bridge Road. We are blessed to have team of hardworking and inspirational local young women (and men) who go beyond what is expected to BE THE CHANGE in the community they want to see. Where possible, after undertaking a journey from participant to volunteer then paid member of staff we try to support their development by instilling the belief that community engagement is not about money but to have a positive impact in their community. An example of going the extra mile is Agne, who every Sunday will get to my house to pick up equipment at 9.30am for a project engaging local 4-11 year olds promoting health and well-being. Her work begins at 10am but the extra half an hour she contributes with her peers to ensure the participants who turn up at 10am have a project ready to go and offers them a Sabulous experience.
I take into account the added effort and every term we have meals, activities and events. A group of 12 staff/volunteers will be spending the weekend at Crown Plaza hotel in Caversham Reading as a thank you for their efforts over the last year and in some cases several years.
