Reaching2 DecadesOf Working

Together

ANNUAL REPORT 2011 / 2012

2

3 The Foreword

4 The Structure

5 The Aims / The Vision / The Mission

6 The Partnerships

8 The Mosques

10 The Timeline

12 The Opportunities

22 The Future

23 The Financials

The Contents

3

The Bolton Council of Mosques completes two decades

from its initiation in 1992 with some remarkable

achievements and engaging the community in a

whole host of opportunities whilst tackling some real

challenges around community cohesion.

It is without doubt the hard work and efforts of the

past office bearers, Faruk Mangera, Tariq Mahmood,

Sabir Khan, Zafar Iqbal, Ismail Adam and Moulana

Mohammad Adam, that the legacy of work and effort

continues to pave a way for the future generation.

In this exciting and challenging year, we have

delivered a plethora of services directly to the Muslim

community, including Counselling, Bereavement and

Funeral Services, Health Initiatives and much more.

The re-engineering of service delivery, funding

commitments and the “more for less” drive gives

the need for the Executive team and staff to take on

additional responsibilities at a strategic and operational

level.

The volunteers that support us on a day to day basis

make a big difference to help us achieve some of the

projects. The relationships with our partners such as

Bolton Council, the police, NHS and other community,

Faith and Voluntary sectors has truly been embedded,

demonstrating this as part of the Bolton Family and the

One Bolton partnership.

Our work with the Interfaith partnerships at the faith

leaders forum, endorsing the One Bolton plan and

delivering opportunities to the wider community of

Bolton is a real strength and one which should be

celebrated.

The BCoM commits to representing the Muslim

Community of Bolton at various levels, some of the

engagement at strategic level may not be visible but

is of fundamental importance, with the fruits of the

discussions and approaches to be seen in years to

come.

This Annual Report clearly demonstrates our strength

in delivering to the highest level as well as contributing

to the Local Strategic visions and action plans. I hope

you enjoy reading the report and hope it connects you

to the work at the Bolton Council of Mosques.

Dr Kamran Khan

Chairman

TheForew rd

4

The StructureBolton Council of Mosques is an umbrella organisation

representing twenty two Mosques in the town as

a non-profit Muslim voluntary organisation. Two

members from each mosque represents on the

Management Committee, who then elect the office

bearers (Executives).

The management Committee members meet on a

bi-monthly basis to discuss community matters. The

chart below shows the structure and appointments.

Nominated By The 22 Mosques

Dr. Kamran Khan (Chairman)

Imteyaz Ali (Vice Chairman)

Asif Patel (Secretary)

Bashir Shama (Vice Secretary)

Rashid Nadat (Treasurer)

5

Our vision is to develop a successful, confident, and self-conscious Muslim community that makes a full and

valuable contribution to the economic, spiritual and civic life of Bolton.

The Vision

Our mission is to develop the framework for addressing

issues affecting local Muslim people through effective

partnership working and the promotion of unity and

harmony, tolerance and respect amongst the residents

of Bolton. We will strive to consult, contribute, help

develop and where needed deliver excellent services

which meet the needs of the communities residing in

Bolton, by providing a gateway to service providers,

enhancing access and participation and developing

the Muslim community.

The Mission

• To provide a means to strengthen Muslim Engagement in Bolton.

• To develop partnerships that enable us to ensure service providers are responsive to the community’s needs.

• To identify and address the social, religious and economic needs of the member mosques and the

Muslim community.

• To contribute positively to diversity and equality, helping to raise awareness and increase cultural understanding,

thereby promoting cohesion in our town

• To promote unity, harmony and respect between and within our communities.

The Aims

6

We would like to take this opportunity to thank

the BCoM staff, mosque commitee members,

executives, community champions and our partners

for their ongoing support and engagement. Without

them, we would not be able to deliver on the many

initiatives that make a difference to the people we

serve.

The Partnerships

2006/07

7

• Project 360

• The Spinney

• Bolton Coroners

• Bolton Registrars

• Lodestones

• Bolton Schools

• North Bolton Support Group

• Various Community And Voluntary Groups

8

The Mosques

Darul Uloom Ghosia Mosque Masjid Ibraheem

Masjid e Aqsa Ashrafia Darul Quran

Aleef Mosque Al Falah Mosque Al Rahman

Working with the local mosque communities for over two decades.

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Masjid e Usman Masjid e Noor

New Madina Mosque Noor ul Islam Salaam Mosque

Sughra Mosque Taiyyabah Mosque Zakariyya Mosque

Makki Mosque

Jamiah Alavia Mosque Madina Mosque Makka Mosque

10

The Timeline1990

Informal meetings of

community leaders

exploring solutions

to joint challenges

1996Expansion of

organisation aims

to cover social and

health

2001Further broadening of

aims and formation of

Bolton Council of Mosques.

BCoM formed including

community forums.

2002BCoM base

established with

recruitment of

specialist staff

2002Inter-mosque football

competition, Madrassah

engagement and community

champions development

1st in the country

2004Secured first SLA

for young women’s

project.

2004Launched

BCoMmunity news

publication.

1993First in the country for

people to come together from

different communities and

set up a service level

agreement with Bolton

Council for weekend

burial.

1992Formation and

initiation of

organisation

1998With Bolton registrars

established the deputy

registrars service. Volunteers

from the Muslim community.

1st in the country.

1998Established

humanitarian aid

programme

1997Established

circumcision clinic

1st in the country

1990 Two Decades

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2011Hajj and Umrah

vaccination clinics

piloted with massive

success.

2011Weekly

circumcision

service agreed.

2010EDL Demonstration

Partnership approach

coordination

20101st male youth work

Platinum award in

Bolton

2006Wider delivery

of youth

programmes

20071st female

Platinum award

in Bolton

2007New youth and

community cohesion

programmes and

recruitment of

specialist workers

2007Launched

mentoring and

counselling

project

2007Website

launched

2007The MRI Scan protocol

signed and custom

designed. The 1st in the

country for the Muslim

community.

2007Community

burial vehicle

acquired

2008BCCP initiated

leading BCoM

innovative

approach

2008Expanded to new

premises to meet

increased

demand

2009MRI expanded to

North West, proposal

and formal bill

presented at the

House of Lords

2009BCoM leadership

development programme.

The 1st in the country

focussing on future muslim

leaders and

champions

2009Partnership

approach to

cemeteryexpansion

plans

20096 community HUBS

initiated & supported

with champions

2012Of Achievements

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The OpportunitiesThe next section demonstrates the key delivery

areas undertaken in 2011/2012. Whilst BCoM

delivers on the core areas of delivery, it is not

possible to measure the day to day enquiries

and discussion which keep thefront of house

busy at BCoM directing enquiries to the staff and

executives to manage and respond.

Dog fouling in the streets, refuse collection, street

lighting issues, and responding to media affairs

are some of the day to day issues we forward and

collaboratively deal with our partners.

Health &

Wellbeing

Children& Young People

Interfaith Engagement

Community Development

Bereavement& Funeral Services

Mosque &Masdrash

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The health agenda at the BCoM goes from

strength to strength. The support from volunteer

doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health

practitioners has been invaluable.

The Health Forum has met out of hours to discuss

strategies and delivered a number of opportunities

and initiatives for the benefit of the Muslim

Community.

Health & Wellbeing

Vaccination Clinics

Pilgrims booked into the programme delivered by Muslim GPs,

Nurses and admin staff, who volunteered for this noble cause.

450 people were vaccinated in 2011/12.

Mental Health Champions

Ten volunteers attended a training course to become Mental Health Champions.

They left feeling very enthusiastic about passing on the knowledge they gained to their

respective communities.

Supporting Hear 2 Help

Hear to Help offer hearing aid support services such

as simple checks, GP referrals, advice and training on

correct maintenance and fitting, and advice on types of

hearing aids and equipment to help with hearing loss on

a monthly basis at the BCoM Hub.

Professional Development Programmes

Our monthly health education programmes have been a great

success, not only for existing medical practitioners, but also for

students who are training for a career in the field.

Circumcision Clinics

Fifteen years on, due to demand, the Bolton’s Circumcision

clinic with a renewed service level agreement to run as a

weekly service from the Pikes Lane Health Centre.

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The Part-Time Youth Workers support a number

of groups to capacity build them to deliver and

engage in opportunities.

Partnerships with Bolton Lads and Girls Club,

3rd Sector Children and Young People services,

BWFC Community Trust to name a few allow us

to promote a diverse range of oppertunites and

initiatives.

Children & Young People

Supporting Shorai

Shorai Conflict And Prevention Martial Arts has been a huge success in the Rumworth,

Crompton and Halliwell areas. This year several members also went to Manchester to

compete in the WKC English National Championships.

Education And Employment Programmes

In partnership with the University of Bolton a programme was delivered to help young

people plan ahead for their higher education and work. Skills such as CV writing, job

applications, interview skills and techniques and team building exercises.

Girls Only Programmes

Each year, a range of girl’s only classes are delivered.

This year’s classes included Healthy Eating / Cooking,

Self Defence, Henna, Cake Decorating, Archery, Myers

Briggs Training and much much more.

Supporting Xplode

Xplode is a magazine made by young people for young people

of Bolton. The team put forward a proposal to O2’s thinkbig

scheme, and were successful in securing a small budget to get

their Idea off the ground.

Arabic Language Classes

The Arabic Language class has been such a massive success

with young people, that new adults and girls only classes are

being implemented too.

15

Supporting Disabled Young People

The Bolton Council of Mosques reading group is managed by volunteers through

Bolton Shared Care. The Volunteers support young disabled people, within a Madrasah

setting, learning more about their faith and culture.

10th Annual Inter-Mosque Football Competition

The 10th Annual inter Mosque football competition took place,

and aimed to encourage primary school children from years 3

to 6 to participate in improving inter-community relations.

Saturday Night At The Bolton Lads And Girls Club

Every Saturday evening our male youth worker supports young

people to engage in positive activities at the Bolton Lads and

Girls Club.

Residential Experience

Young people once again took part in a weekend of fun at the water park adventure

centre in Coniston. The event is aimed at young people who don’t get the opportunity

to explore the beautiful outdoors of the country side, or try some water sports.

Supporting Youth MP Elections

Bolton’s Youth MP election’s, part of the National UK

Youth Parliament group, with two muslim candidates

supported this year. Elected Youth MPs learn about the

needs, interests and concerns of young people on both a

local and national level.

We have invested and continue to allow the

Manager to give time to the Children and Young

People’s 3rd Sector Strategic Forum as the Vice

Chair.

This support is crucial to ensure that the voice

and partnerships working with the Children and

Young Peoples Services in Bolton is heard and

developed together. Some of the work delivered is

showed within this report.

16

Bolton Council of Mosques as a partner with the

other faith groups in Bolton are really proud to

demonstrate the partnerships formed and the

collaborative working that has seen us in this year

work our way through some challenging scenarios

as well as delivering on key principles.

Moving on unscathed and strengthening the

relationships after the demonstration by the EDL

in 2009, the Bolton Council of Mosques interfaith

engagement continues to be at forefront of our work.

The work undertaken shows the depth of our

involvement and one which will see 2012/2013 and

beyond to be more of a priority as we engage with

the wider communities to dispel myths, tackle

misconceptions and open our doors for meaningful

and collaborative discussions.

Interfaith Engagement

The Holy Quran emphasis that all... in spite of difference of colour, language, faith and nationality is a single brotherhood, because all are creation of One God and the descendants of set of parts (Adam and Eve), the find... at each person in the sight of Allah (the God Almighty) depend on how he or she has fulfilled their obligations to other people.

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Interfaith Executive Representation

Meet every two months with the board of Trustees and contribute’s to the Interfaith

Vision and Action plans. Additional Sub Committee involvement is also undertaken for

specific pieces of work.

Interfaith Support Group

Meets every 3 months with other faith groups and projects that are involved in inter-

faith dialogue and activities.

Civic and Strategic Engagement in 2011/12

•Holocaust Memorial Day

•Genocide Memorial Day

•Faith Leaders Forum

•Stronger Communities Partnership

•Vision Steering Group

•Inaugural ceremony - Civic Sunday to

welcome the new Mayor of Bolton

•Promoting the One Bolton brand and Bolton Family Values

•Partnership approaches and dialogue

Faith Trails, Assemblies, Talks and Training in 2011/12

We undertake the Delivery and manage requests for the

following areas:

•Mosque visits

•Assemblies in Schools and talks

•Promotion of Fast Breaking in Ramadhan

•Statutory and Partner guidance and support

Delivering And Supporting Partnership Interfaith

Community Events in 2011/12

•Spirit of Bolton

•Charity Events

•Prayers for Natural Disasters

•Inter-Faith Sports Activities

•Eid and Diwali Celebrations

•Hate Litter Campaign

•Interfaith week

•Community Licensing Services

•One Bolton 5K Legacy Run

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Supporting Love Bolton Hate Litter

Female volunteers supported officers from Bolton Council in the Big Bolton Tidy up in

Rumworth. The initiative was part of the Love Bolton Hate Litter Campaign which aims

to encourage people to take responsibility for tidying up their own local area.

Over 40’s Drop-In Groups

The overwhelming success of our over 40’s men’s drop-in group has resulted in

the formation of an equivalent female drop-in. The drop-ins aim to deliver activities,

information and opportunities in an engaging social platform.

Interfaith Chaplaincy Programme

Twenty Four candidates from the interfaith community

took part in this year’s interfaith chaplaincy programme,

The Programme was an innovative and generic course

exploring Chaplaincy from an inter-faith perspective

specifically Christian, Hindu and Muslim participants.

Supporting The Bolton 5kRun

Once again, several budding athletes representing the BCoM

took part in the One Bolton 5k run to help raise money for

charity and promote fitness locally.

BCoM Counselling

Our counselling service helps local people from all

backgrounds deal with issues like bereavement, depression,

phobias, addiction and relationships.

Developing community champions, supporting

the establishments of groups in different areas in

synergy with the local Mosques and Madrasahs,

our successful over 40’s Male and Women drop-

ins are some of the projects delivered.

This area is a crucial part of our delivery and

engagement, allowing us to grow a successful,

confident and self conscious Muslim Community

that makes a full and valuable contribution to the

economic, spiritual and civic life of Bolton.

Community Development

19

Bulk Buy Utilities In Bolton

Organisations from the Christian, Hindu and Muslim Communities got together at

Bolton Town Hall to get involved in collating how much the faith communities spend on

Gas and Electricity and to look at ways of purchasing these services collectively.

Careers Convention

Over fifty people benefitted from employers, service providers

and educational establishments giving valuable advice and

guidance to the attendees.

Supporting The ICOC 4th Annual Competition

Fourteen teams from across Lancashire and Greater

Manchester took the crease to play for the prestigious winning

trophy. The Cricket festival, brings together a mix of players

from our diverse communities.

Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) In Bolton

This year over forty delegates from across the country attend the Muslim Council

of Britain Central Working Committee Meeting at the BCoM’s Conference Suite,

discussing the needs of the Muslim Community in Britain.

Embracing Other Cultures

BCoM hosted a variety of events embracing other

cultures, such as Somali community leaders meeting,

and the commemoration of Somaliland’s 20th

Anniversary of Independence.

Majority of the projects are progressed with the

aim of sustainability and to grow independence

within the community structures with other

projects setup as pilots to allow us to understand

the need and requirements.

All in all, 2011 has been a tough year to do “more

with less funding” and achieving some real

breakthrough in project delivery.

20

Two decades on, the bereavement and funeral

services takes a leap into providing a one stop

shop for all Muslim families in Bolton.

The dedicated team of volunteers and the

relationships between the stutory and private

service providers has helped BCoM to pave a

way to become a first class service. The team at

BCoM over the last year has been inundated with

requests to support other towns and cities to

setup a similar model and reap the rewards for the

hereafter.

Bereavement And Funeral Services

Funeral Vehicles

The BCoM Burial service was gifted with a customised funeral vehicle. Essa foundation

once again supported the provision of a top of the range fully fitted vehicle to serve the

funeral and burial work in Bolton.

Cemetary Walkway

With the support of the local community and the Essa

Foundation, we have managed to introduce much needed

pathways within the Cemetary where graves have been in

place for over the last 20 years.

Ghusal Training

Ghusal training offered an opportunity for new members to

learn the ropes and for the established volunteers to ensure

that they were carrying out the rituals correctly. The training

consisted of washing the deceased and the shrouding process.

MRI Scans Supported

A Post Mortem service using MRI Scans for selected non-

suspicious deaths has been established in the Greater

Manchester areas developed now to manage and support

across Greater Manchester.

Burial Of Islamic Literature

Working in partnership with Heaton cemetery, we have facilitated the disposal of

Islamic literature for a number of years. Hundreds of people benefitted from this

summer’s burial.

21

The backbone of our infrastructure is the

progressive and united forum which meets on a

bi-monthly basis. The Mosques and Madrasahs

play a crucial role in serving the local community’s

needs.

Governance support, training, development and

collective decision making, have been some of the

areas engaged in 2011/12. Some additional areas

of engagement can be seen in the report.

Mosque & Madrasah

Decision Making

Bi-monthly meetings bring together the representatives of the

22 Mosques to make collective decsions on key issues and agendas.

Community Information Boards

A number of Mosques joined our Community Notice Board

project, positioning a notice board outside to promote social

and community projects and programmes.

Launch Of BOBC Madrasah Collection

Each Mosque signed up to undertake fundraising with the

mosque communities in January 2012. This may be with

collections on the Friday Jummah prayers, in Ramadhan or at

other organised activities.

Madrasah Matters Quality Management System (QMS)

The Madrasah Matters QMS is a working document intended to support committees

and headteachers in fulfilling their statutory responsibilities and provide guidance. It

was launched to all affiliated Mosques and Madrasahs in Bolton in March 2012.

First Aid At Madrasah

Thirty two teachers from Bolton’s Madrasahs took part in

a First Aid at Work course which gave each a designated

first aider, with key knowledge in a variety of areas.

22

It is now clear more than ever that the challenges

we face are about long-term survival, especially as

forecasts for economic improvement and media

portrayal of the Muslim communtiy is consistently

negative.

Charities such as the BCoM with a faith element have

to accept the economic reality and ensure that, as

far as possible we control our funding position and

manage our finances to give the best chances of

achieving sustainability, even if external factors are

beyond our control.

It is very natural for the BCoM to focus on short term

issues and immediate tasks, forgetting that it is only

by continually innovating and creating new knowledge

that we can ensure our own survival.

The BCoM is a catalyst for new ideas, stimulating new

ways of operating that might not otherwise have been

discovered. There is no doubt that past and present

leadership has strived to rise in the storm, rather than

drowning in the waves.

They have kept focus and continued without losing

track of our goals due to organisational introspection

but facing the future creatively. This has made

the difference between seeing the obstacles and

challenges not as an insoluble problem, but as a series

of opportunities that support the Muslim community

to make a full and valuable contribution to economic,

civic, and spiritual life in Bolton.

The expectations on community delivery, civic

participation and Leadership management does

not reside at the top of our organisation. Successful

organisation’s today point to leadership from top

to bottom and across their organisation, thus very

importantly we will strive to build leaders not just

through our affiliate Mosques and Madrasahs, but

in the wider community to support us to develop

the framework for addressing issues affecting local

Muslim people.

The Future

23

Incoming Resources

Community project grants 229,310

Youth Development 10,745

Community services 21,302

Rental Income 30,033

Funeral Services - Cemetery Pathway 8,128

Other 411

299,929

Resources Expended

Payroll and NI 123,362

Community Services 38,207

Professional Fees 3,399

Training and Activity 24,175

Administration 82,542

Depreciation 15,435

287,120

Balance carried forward 12,809

Note the Balance is pre-allocated expenditure to be incurred in 2012/13.

The Financials

1 Vicarage Street

Bolton

BL3 5LE

Tel 01204 363680

Fax 01204 363681

Email admin@thebcom.org

Web www.thebcom.org

We complete the Journey by thanking all the people

who have supported the work and given their time and

commitment to BCoM. We are very privileged to have

a team of staff and volunteers who gave that extra to

help our Community.

The activities shared in the Annual Report can

only be sustained through active engagement and

participation by all our Stakeholders to whom we

extend our appreciation and gratitude.

We hope you enjoyed reading the Annual Report and

please feel free to visit our office or website for further

information.