Halloween Half Term

It's half term again, and UMCC is presenting special Halloween half-term activities for the kids. We've got arts and crafts, making halloween masks, environment games and a day out at Clifton Park, baking and on Friday, the final day we have a special kid's halloween party!

Download our timetable

Muslim Womens Leadership presentation evening

The United Multi-Cultural Centre in Rotherham hosted a special presentation evening after the completion of its successful Muslim Womens Leadership course centered around the One Town, One Community theme.

Special guest speakers included Cllr Rose McNeely, the Mayor of Rotherham, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr Giles Bloomer OBE, Cllr Shaukut Ali and Cllr Mahroof Hussain, who were all unanimous in wishing the women who had completed the course every success with the future.

The Mayor and the Deputy Lord Lieutenant presented the women with certificates. A forum will now be established with the continuing support from the United Multi-Cultural Centre and it will be of use to the Rotherham Borough Council, NHS, South Yorkshire Police and various other organisations.

As appears in ILM the first Urdu & English monthly free newspaper of South Yorkshire: ILM November Issue

Women's Leadership Development Course

The Women's Leadership Development Course is set to commence on Wednesday the 22nd of September until Friday the 24th of September taking place at the Carlton Park Hotel in Rotherham.

The women who take part in this course will be encouraged to develop a forum/group which can be utilised by the local council and partners for engagement around Prevent, Cohesion and other issues of mutual interest.

Fifteen women will have been supported to become potential future leaders and a new forum for Muslim women leaders will be developed and supported by the United Multi-Cultural Centre.

UMCC will be closed on Bank Holiday Monday

Please note that the UMCC will be closed on Monday 30th August for the bank holiday. The centre will be back open from Tuesday 31st August.

Leadership Course

There are still a few places left on our leadership course for women starting in September.

So if this sounds like something you would be interested in please feel free to call us for more information:

01709 360036

Pakistan Flood Appeal - 24th August

United Multi-Cultural Centre is holding a special event in Rotherham town centre in All Sainst Square on the 24th August 2010 to raise money to help the victims of the floods in Pakistan.

There will be all manner of events ongoing between 11am - 3pm including face painting for the children, Food Henna, and many more fun activities.

24th August 2010

11am - 3pm

All Saints Square

Rotherham Town Centre

New role for town’s first Asian Mayoress - A real NEET job!

For a year she was feted in her high profile role as Rotherham’s first lady. Now, Wajida Naseem – the town’s first Asian Mayoress – has stepped out of the limelight. But she regards her new “day job” as even more important than her civic role which proved to be a big success.

She is helping to spearhead a project aimed at helping young people to make more of their potential. Wajida is one of a team of three mentoring teenagers as part of NEET – Young People Not in Education, Employment or Training. And she believes that her experience as Mayoress has been a big help in honing qualities that she needs as a tutor.

During her year in office, many engagements involved meeting and talking to young people and Wajida – then a finance officer – decided that she wanted eventually to work with young people.

She said: “As a volunteer attending Rotherham United Multi-Cultural Centre I found out that it had a contract through Independent Local Sulutions. They were recruiting mentors and I applied for that position because it was challenging and something different working with new people.”

Wajida took charge of her first class of ten after successfully completing a training course. And she has been amazed and delighted by their progress.

She said: “They are youngsters who for one reason or another have slipped through the net and have found themselves without any real direction. What we have tried to do is develop their confidence and self esteem so they can go forward into training or further education. And I’m delighted that most if not all are likely to follow one or the other by the time this course finishes in September.”

Wajida and her fellow mentors, Nadia Hussain and Peter Williamson, who are based at the United Multi-Cultural Centre, help the youngsters compile CVs and prepare for interviews and give them information on where to access information about agencies and organisations they will need as they strive for a better future.

She says: “The group lacked confidence and self esteem when they arrived. In fact some were terrified at what to expect. They really didn’t have much idea about anything to do with getting a job or getting into further education.

“Many didn’t even know where places like the jobcentre were. But in a short time there has been a really noticeable transformation. And that is down to the fact that they want to learn and have been really eager. I can see how well they have bonded. They really do care about each other.”

In fact, one of the biggest success stories is the progress of two Afghan nationals who could speak little English when they arrived in the UK a year ago but have now enrolled on a college course to further develop their knowledge.

They youngsters have to attend at least 16 hours a week although that target is generally exceeded by extra work they do outside the “classroom.”

Wajida says: “This is a chance for them. Before no-one was prepared to give them that. But that is what we are giving them now and they have grabbed it with both hands.”

She was also quick to recognise the contribution by the UMCC director, Parveen Qureshi, in the project.

But Wajida is not complacent. As well as continuing the NEET project she is undergoing a gruelling leadership course in September.

- Article written by Charlie Graves – as appeared in the Rotherham Advertiser.

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