Building communities that last…
Consultation and Development January 2013 Issue 1
HIDDEN TALENTS PARTNERSHIP ENTERPRISE PRESENTS
THE BANGLADESHI REGENERATION COUNCIL ENGLAND & WALES
Welcome Vision
“By 2030, the Bangladeshi Community in England and Wales should no longer be regarded as a ‘socially and economically disadvantaged ethnic group”.
I extend a warm welcome to you as you read the first newsletter of the Bangladeshi Regeneration Council in England and Wales and invite you to get involved. A disproportionate number of 442,971 Bangladeshi residents living in England and Wales are experiencing high rates of poverty and deprivation and continues to fare worse on a number of key indicators particularly in employment compared to all others. For far too long the Bangladeshi community has been regarded as one of the most socially and economically disadvantaged ethnic groups in the county. To tackle this generational deprivation in the community we are proposing to introduce a Bangladeshi Regeneration Council in England and Wales. It is founded on the fact that the Bangladeshi Community is a rich source of entrepreneurship and talent, and that the community coming together to work on the things that matter to them is a key way of unlocking that resource. We hope that you will have a valuable role to play in deciding and delivering all aspects of this vital process, and that your involvement will result in prosperous, more sustainable and successful outcome for the Bangladeshi community in England and Wales.
“By 2030, the Bangladeshi Community in England and Wales should no longer be regarded as a ‘socially and economically disadvantaged ethnic group”. Aim The overall aim of the Council will be to work towards improving the social and economic condition of the Bangladeshi community living in England and Wales. Primary Objectives - Enthuse, engage, and empower the Bangladeshi community and the civil society organisations to be in the driving seat for socioeconomic development. - Introduce and implement a series of ‘National Networks’ focusing on services that addresses deprivation related to Income, Employment, Health, Education, Skills, Training, Services and Civic Society. Governance and Involvement As a Community Regeneration Organisation, BRC will be governed by an Assembly of 45 Regional Members and a Committee of 10 Directors. Detailed information on key appointments can be found on page 6. We look forward to your involvement.
Anam Choudhury MSc Chief Regeneration Officer
National Network of Bangladeshi Community Entrepreneurs
Page 1: Welcome
National Network of Bangladeshi Community Research & Audit
Page 2: Population Study
National Network of Bangladeshi Community & Voluntary Sector National Network of Bangladeshi Community Advice & Resources
Page 3: Socioeconomic Study Page 4: Development Model Page 5: Services/Governance
National Network of Bangladeshi Community Services & Fundraising
Page 6: Community Appointments
National Network of Bangladeshi Youth & Women’s Empowerment
Page 7: Approach and Case Study
National Network of Bangladeshi Sports Development
Page 8: Recommendation and profile
PAGE 1

Population Study
The Bangladeshi population in England and Wales is a young one and has grown rapidly from 2,000 in 1951 to 447,971
2011-442,971
in 2011. The Bangladeshi
2001-283,000
population is the most geographically concentrated of all ethnic
1991-163,000
groups in London numbering 222,545 which
1981-65,000
is 6.3% of the London
London (Inner London) 164,085
London (Outer London) 58,460
population.
1971-22,000 Within London, Bangladeshis are concentrated in Tower
1961-6,000
Hamlets numbering 81,488.
1951-2,000 East of England 33,035
West Midlands (Met County) 48,809
In 2011, there were 32,589 Bangladeshis living in Birmingham, 6,592 in Sandwell and 16,324 in Oldham. There are also 10,708 Bangladeshis living in Wales. East Midlands 13,279
North West (Manchester 34,231
Almost half of the Bangladeshi population in England live in the 20 local authorities with the highest proportion of their Lower Super```` Output Area’s in the most deprived decile of Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2010. Census 2011 PAGE 2
Socioeconomic Study
Poverty Bangladeshis have the highest rate of income poverty out of all ethnic minorities with 65% living below the poverty line. Even amongst working families, around 65% of Bangladeshis are in income poverty. More than half of the people from Bangladeshi community live in low income households. poverty.org Employment Bangladeshi men and women are underrepresented in the labour market and unemployment and economic inactivity rates are significantly above national average. A quarter of the working-age Bangladeshis are workless and Bangladeshi women have lowest percentage (34%) of any major ethnic group in formal labour market. poverty.org
Education Despite recent good GCSE performance, Bangladeshi students are less likely on average to stay on in school after the age of 16. Nearly half of Bangladeshi women (49%) and 40% of Bangladeshi men have no qualifications and this lack of educational attainment contributed to lower paid jobs and poverty. Department of Education 2011 Health Bangladeshis, across all age groups, experience a much poorer level of health than average. Bangladeshi men and women are three or four times more likely than the general population to rate their health as ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’. Health Survey for England 2004
Housing Bangladeshis are most highly socially housed ethnic group and are more likely to experience dissatisfaction with housing arrangements than other ethnic groups. In 2002, Bangladeshi households were the largest in the UK with an average of 4.7 members. ONS 2002 Civil Society Language barriers, poor communication & management skills and a lack of understanding about project development and funding mechanisms mean that many community organisations are unable to fully express their needs or present their organisations well to funders or partners.
PAGE 3
Development Model
VISION 2030 Consultation on the Formation of the Bangladeshi Regeneration Council in England and Wales ‘Community led
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1 JANUARY 2013 regeneration is defined by actions that are based on the needs and issues understood by and experienced by communities themselves,
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Formation of the leadership from within the community is critical towards developing a community-led regeneration initiative National Assembly Network Forums Board of Directors
BASELINE AND FEASIBILITY STUDY A clear and powerful case of the real need for the socioeconomic development of the Bangladeshi Community in England and Wales Socioeconomic Study
Goals & Objectives
Resources & Constraints
where communities are
BUSINESS PLANNING
supported to take the
Setting out all the information that stakeholders and potential partners will require in order for them to consider supporting and working with BRC.
NETWORKS
lead in identifying and implementing local SERVICES
PARTNERS
MANAGEMENT
BUDGET
SUSTAINABILITY
solutions’. Scottish Community Development Centre 2011
NATIONWIDE PROMOTION JUNE 2013
www.scdc.org.uk
NATIONAL DIALOGUE AND CONFERENCE Involving the national community to discuss the findings, process and the structure of the Bangladeshi Regeneration Council in England and Wales Fundraising
Enterprising
Partnerships
Registrar of Bangladeshi Community in England & Wales
IMPLEMENTATION Delivering a clear set of community led regeneration services for the Bangladeshi Community in England and Wales National Networks SERVICE COORDINATION / MONITORING / EVALUATION
PAGE 4
Services and Governance PAGE 5
Bangladeshi Community in England and Wales Registrar of the Bangladeshi Community Members in England and Wales
Bangladeshi Regeneration Council 45 Elected Regional Members Assembly [1 Representative for every 10,000 Bangladeshis]
Assembly Chairperson Board Chairperson
Regeneration Team
Board of Directors 10 Elected Board of Directors
REGENERATION SERVICES National Network of Bangladeshi Community Entrepreneurs
Executive Director
Deputy Director
Mobilising national and local networks and leadership to drive the socioeconomic development that the Bangladeshi community needs
National Network of Bangladeshi Community Research & Audit Building a comprehensive picture of the Bangladeshi Community, helping to understand the community and shape its plans for the future
Regeneration Service Manager + Team
National Network of Bangladeshi Community & Voluntary Sector Strengthening the capacity of the Bangladeshi Civil Society providing a meaningful platform for the socioeconomic development that the Bangladeshi community needs
Performance Manager + Team
National Network of Bangladeshi Community Advice & Resources Communicating and informing the Bangladeshi Community about the statutory and non-statutory services available to them
Fundraising Manager + Team
Financial Management Manager + Team
National Network of Bangladeshi Community Services & Fundraising Producing innovative and exciting programmes of socioeconomic development and fundraising towards build a prosperous Bangladeshi community
National Network of Bangladeshi Youth & Women’s Empowerment Quality Control Manager + Team
Harnessing the hidden potentials of Bangladeshi youth and women towards building a better future for all
National Network of Bangladesh Sports Development Developing sport as a ‘hook’ & a vehicle to attract & engage marginalised Bangladeshi young adults in positive activity PAGE5
Community Appointments
Regional Members (RM) [45 Posts] Honorary Aim:
CHAIRPERSON [2 Posts] Honorary
Represent regional views of the Bangladeshi Community on issues of poverty and deprivation.
Aim: Provide leadership for the socioeconomic development of the Bangladeshi Community. Role and Responsibilities 1. To ensure the BRC Board functions properly. 2. To ensure the BRC is managed effectively. 3. To provide the BRC Chief Support/Guidance. 4. To represent the BRC as its figurehead. Education, Qualities, skills and knowledge Educated to a minimum masters level; have knowledge of community regeneration; have an understanding of the Bangladeshi voluntary and community sector; be professional and tactful; speak clearly and succinctly; be impartial and objective; show interest in member's viewpoints; have an ability to respect confidences; & ensure decisions are taken and recorded
Role and Responsibilities 1. 2. 3. 4.
To attend meetings of the AGM To attend Network-Committees of your choice To act as the accountable mechanism for BRC To contribute to the strategic direction of BRC. Education, Qualities, skills and knowledge
have knowledge of the Bangladeshi community have an understanding of the Bangladeshi voluntary and community sector; have knowledge of community regeneration; be professional and tactful; speak clearly and succinctly; show interest in BRC’s viewpoints; have an ability to respect confidences; & ensure BRC is heading in the right direction
NOTE Regional Members (RM) are invited to represent the following regions.
Board of Directors [10 Posts] Non-Executive Aim: Provide strategic leadership to the development and coordination of the BRC National Networks. Role and Responsibilities 1. To coordinate the development of a network. 2. To coordinate the network business planning. 3. To coordinate the network’s delivery. 4. To represent the network as its figurehead. Education, Qualities, skills and knowledge Educated to a minimum degree level; have knowledge of regeneration & renewal; have an understanding of the Bangladeshi voluntary and community sector; be professional and tactful; show interest in member's viewpoints; have an ability to respect confidences; & ensure decisions are taken and recorded
-
Regions North East North West Yorkshire & Humber East of England West Midlands East Midlands London South East South West Wales Total
Population 10,992 45,955 22,461 13,279 52,565 33,035 222,545 27,997 8,434 10,708 447,971
RM 2 5 2 1 5 3 22 3 1 1 45
Board meetings will be usually held at the BRC central office in Sandwell, Birmingham. Travel expenses will be met when representing BRC. To register your interest, please contact Anam Choudhury: Mobile: 07949600771 Email: info@htpenterprise.com
PAGE6
Approach to Regeneration and Case Study Environment is structured, predictable and explicable
- Develop shared spaces - Encourage social support networks - Identify local assets: knowledge-experiencetime
BUILD COMMUNITY
- Support local people to come together to turn individual issues into community concerns - Build skills and knowledge - Untap, mobilise and build on local assets
BUILD CAPACITY
Investment in behaviour change seen as worthwhile Opportunities for individual, family and community advancement taken up
Sense of coherence
- Build local groups
More community involvement to address deprivation issues Increased individual responsibility for behaviour change More positive health and wellbeing outcomes
A Regenerated Community
- Support local governance - Engage communities in decision making processes - Support the development of skills and knowledge on wider regeneration issues - Use local knowledge and experience to influence decisions - Develop initiatives which engender meaningful local involvement - Support independent action
BUILD INFLUENCE
Innovative, exciting, resourceful and meaningful community led regeneration programmes Source: SCDC Regeneration Discussion Paper June 2011.
Greater engagement with initiatives such as work programmes Decreased impact on public services and improved quality of life
Case Study: Bangladeshi Community Regeneration at a Local Level In 2002 motivated by the presence of the Labour Government’s New Deal for Communities Regeneration Initiative, and concerns over the continued deprivation faced by the Bangladeshi Community in Sandwell, a group of young Bangladeshis led by Anam Choudhury approached the Confederation of Bangladeshi Organisations (CBO) to initiate a Bangladeshi Community Regeneration programme with the aim to improve the quality of life of the Bangladeshi community in Sandwell. Over the course of ten years, we have successfully promoted the organisational development of CBO; introduced ten large scale community regeneration projects involving building community’s skills, confidence and resources; procured £1,551,953 in grant aid; and created twenty one community development posts in the sustainable regeneration of the Bangladeshi Community in Sandwell. CBO today is a thriving community sector organisations with over 4,000 residents registered as beneficiaries, two dedicated resource centres, praised highly in the Sandwell Council’s Review and won Channel S Best Community Organisation Award 2012. To learn more about CBO’s activities visit www.cbo786.co.uk. BANGLADESHI COMMUNITY REGENERATION AT A LOCAL LEVEL
PAGE 7
Recommendation Dr Mike Beazley
PAGE 6
Centre for Urban and Regional Studies- University of Birmingham
I have had a longstanding interest in community-led regeneration. I strongly believe that the setting up of the Bangladeshi Regeneration Council in England and Wales is a very positive initiative. It has the potential to contribute towards the much needed improvements to the quality of life for the Bangladeshi community.
The Bangladeshi The gathering of data and the establishment of a series of national networks can help to deepen the understanding and increase the awareness of the problems facing the Bangladeshi community. It can also help to identify new and innovative ways in which these problems can be tackled more effectively.
Regeneration Council in England and Wales
The strength of this initiative is that it comes from within the Bangladeshi community itself and it will have a national remit which can bring together the Bangladeshi community across the country. As a community regeneration organisation it will be able to speak on behalf of the wider community at a national level.
C/O
This is an exciting proposal that can provide a critical role in the future regeneration of Bangladeshi communities and I look forward to watching the initiative grow and develop over the next few years.
HTP ENTERPRISE Central House
Anam Choudhury: Profile
Unit 6 312-314 High Street West Bromwich West Midlands Birmingham 70 8HS
Email: info@htpenterprise.com www.htpenterprise.com www.hiddentalentspartnership.com
Anam Choudhury pictured left with his mentor the late Lord King of West Bromwich. Anam said of Lord King who suddenly passed away on 10th January 2013 aged 75 “for nearly two decades I have been privileged to receive his mentorship which gave me great inspiration, knowledge, motivation and encouragement. He has been the people’s Lord whom I deeply admired and respected. He will never be forgotten and will remain enshrined in our hearts and minds forever”. Born in Sylhet, Bangladesh on 1977, Anam is the youngest son of Sheikh Abdus Salam Choudhury and the grandson of Sheikh Abdul Hakim Choudhury, both of whom were Academic and Islamic Scholars. Anam’s career in community led regeneration began in 1996 as a Community Researcher for the former Sandwell Health Authority. In 1999, Anam was appointed to the first Greets Green New Deal for Communities Regeneration Team leading its research and outreach team. In the development of the Greets Green Regeneration Plan 1999, Anam played an instrumental role in the engagement of the isolated community groups and organisations building trust, confidence and partnerships between the community groups and the mainstream agencies. Over the years, Anam introduced a series of community regeneration concepts such as ‘hidden talents’, ‘the mirror’, ‘building bridges’ and the ‘tree of concern’ to encourage and empower local residents and the community organisations to take up ownership of their own regeneration process. In 2002, Anam started working as a Regeneration Activist and Entrepreneur. He was appointed as a Community Representative to the Greets Green Partnership (Regeneration) Board, Sandwell and Birmingham HMRA (Regeneration) Pathfinder Board, School Governing Boards, and the Sandwell Leisure Trust. Over the course of the last decade Anam successfully provided organisational development and leadership to over 10 community organisations in Sandwell & Birmingham including the Confederation of Bangladeshi Organisations and Soul City Arts; developed proposals to secure resources and contracts worth £3.1M from various trusts, foundations, and statutory agencies; Inspired and empowered 30 residents as community workers and organisers; and introduced and managed over 40 innovative community regeneration and development projects focusing on addressing generational poverty and deprivation within the deprived communities. In 2007 Anam was conferred with a Master of Science degree in Urban Regeneration Research and Public Policy from the University of Birmingham and currently pursuing a PhD degree on ‘sustainable neighbourhood renewal in developing countries’. He is the founder of Hidden Talents Partnership, HTP Enterprise, Sports2Work and many other community based organisations across deprived neighborhoods and communities. Anam’s ambition is to become a proficient Social Scientist and aims to support the professional development of 2000 Social Scientists by 2030.
PAGE 8