British Somali Community Centre
Striving to inspire young people and families towards better life chances
Services & Projects
Our Services & Projects
BSC strives to inspire young people and families towards better life chances and we are actively doing this by setting up classes, seminars and an assortment of services which individuals can pick from. What makes The British Somali Community different is that we create long term relationships with each and every member we work with. From health professionals to mothers and young people, BSC makes that effort to actually form bonds which creates a family relationships between all individuals and a sense of community.
Supplementary School
Saturdays 10am - 2pm
Our Saturday mixed school aims to enhance the educational achievement of young people by cultivating them through subjects such as Science, English, Math and Arabic. We also do after school food prep and healthy eating classes. On average we have up to 80 children between 5 years old to 17 attending in which we consistently assess and observe to fulfil their education needs.
Booster sessions Saturday - 2pm - 4pm
We are offering booster sessions for those who attend our supplementary school to engage in a new fun and unconventional style of learning. Every week will be different to allow your child to excel in their school work by developing listening and speaking skills using interactive sessions including quizzes and presentations. Sessions will be free and will begin directly after end of supplementary school from 2pm-4pm.
Annual Award Ceremony
The Annual Award Ceremony is linked with the supplementary school and compliments the children's achievement very well. As a result the self esteem and confidence of the child will soar as they are rewarded for their achievements and their consistent effort during the school year. Other activities include cultural celebrations, sports for boys and girls and family trips with summer activities.
Parent Support Project
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays
In order to support children we must also help support parents and families. BSC made the effort to provide learning opportunities for parents while their children are engaged in activities. This service also helps supports children who need general support by providing an advice service and giving referrals.
Activities Include
ESOL classes ,health, education and community safety seminars and workshops. Activities include sewing, henna, Arabic, parent conferences and outings. We also work with multi-agencies to provide safe and secure advice.
Youth Safety
Wednesdays & Thursdays - 10am-4pm
The Youth Safety project is designed to help families who have children and teens involved or at risk of becoming involved in gang violence. We also target to support children who have anti-social behaviour and provide a safe space for them to speak. The youth safety project will enhance and promote awareness while preventing statutory interventions by providing practical support.
Activities Include
At BSC we involve various multi-agencies for one to one advice or group sessions for parents and children. As a way of helping we also signpost ,recommend and give referrals as well as workshops.
Women, Young Women, and Girl's Empowerment Project
The sessions seeks to help young girls and women of all backgrounds build self-confidence, gain a sense of leadership skills and acquire transferrable skills for the workplace. A programme to create a collective and connected voice to develop solutions and empower a community with confidence to understand. At BSC we also aim to empower women through education an example of this is our ESOL classes. The English class builds confidence and empowers women to speak about their experiences. The aim is to use social action model to explore and challenge issues around 'violence against women and girls' in the community young women's programme also is provides healthy alternatives and creative recipes for a healthier lifestyle. This program is also supporting women by providing training and leadership program's for future career prospects.
Activities Include
Open debates series, women support group, group seminars, one to one sessions, leadership roles, advice against sexual exploitation. Informing on rights of marriages and registration. Sports, gym and healthy recipes.
The Cultural Advocacy
Wednesday (biweekly) 10.30am - 12pm
The CAP project is aimed to support community groups and organisation to promote the well being and support of individuals and families to look after their mental health. These activities include one to one consultation by health professionals to discuss the specific needs and experiences in our community.
Elderly Somali Women's Project
The aim of this project is to reduce stress and isolation for older Somali women who have been identified as housebound due to barriers they face living in this country.
Activities Include
At BSC we involve various multi-agencies for one to one advice or group sessions for parents and children. As a way of helping we also signpost ,recommend and give referrals as well as workshops.
Project FGM
Contributing to the eradication of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has been a key goal of BSC since its founding over 20 years ago. We have run a number of projects focused on the goal and raising awareness of FGM through empowering the Somali community. This project is aimed to focus on helping young women and girls eradicate reject any sort of violence against women and allow girls to be well equipped to speak out and debate issues concerning them.
The Himilo Project: which operated 2011-13, worked toward this by empowering different sections of the Somali community to speak out against the practice, during workshops, seminars and debates. Currently, BSC trains professionals who work with children, in schools and hospitals, on what FGM involves and how to prevent it.
