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Homework help to improve Fulham young people’s grades
A Fulham-based supplementary school is going from strength to strength as a new term gets underway.
More young people have signed up for the Community Education Forum’s supplementary school held at Bishop Creighton House in Lillie Road. The school offers children from low income backgrounds, some of whom are refugees, the chance to catch up with lessons in English, maths and science.
Up to 30 children, aged 7 to 16 attended on a regular basis during the last school year. There are now several more names on the register as the new academic year gets underway.
The organisation, which is a registered charity, has also begun to expand its operation and has just opened another supplementary school, this time in the borough of Lambeth.
The ethos of the school remains the same. “We provide extra tuition to help children achieve more in their primary or secondary school,’ says CEF co-ordinator Amina Osman. ‘This prevents them falling behind and gives them more self-confidence.”
The classes also provide support for parents who in some cases do not have English as their first language and are unable to help their children with their schoolwork. Also, the young people often do not have space at home to do their homework in an uninterrupted setting.
The supplementary classes provide them both with the space they need and additional help from trained tutors. It has begun to produce spectacular results. One of the secondary age pupils who received the extra help has recently obtained a scholarship to attend Latymer Upper School, Hammersmith.
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For further information contact: Phillip Cooper, Media Officer, Hammersmith and Fulham Refugee Forum, on 07889 949173; or Christian Johnson, CEF, on: 0207 381 4009 or mobile 07706 17985.
Plans to tackle extremism locally may alienate rather than protect
A government plan to tackle extremism in the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham may only have the effect of labelling the local Muslim community as ‘suspects.’
This is the warning from the Hammersmith and Fulham Refugee Forum. Blogging on the organisation’s website, spokesperson Phil Cooper said a number of initiatives had been outlined by Home Secretary Theresa May as part of the government’s ‘Prevent’ strategy. These included identifying individuals at risk of radicalisation in schools and universities, blocking access to extremist websites in libraries, schools and community centres and identifying vulnerable children who might be susceptible to extremist views. Additional government money would be made available to the local council for this and other initiatives.
The blog goes on to quote a new report from the Human Rights Commission which has found that ‘counter-terrorism’ measures have created a perception that Muslims are a ‘suspect community’ being targeted purely as a result of their religion, rather than as a result of any actual evidence or suspicion.
At a time when community programmes and support for voluntary groups was being slashed the money directed towards ‘counter-terrorism’ might be more wisely spent.
Says Mr Cooper: “In tackling radicalisation the authorities, especially the police, must work closely with the organisations that represent the local Muslim and other ethnic minority communities for it is these organisations that, day to day, know the reality of life for those they support.
“They understand that while the authorities are so heavily focused on extremism and terror threats - real or not-so-real - refugee and BME communities are much more concerned with day-to-day problems such as unemployment, housing, drug use and gangs involvement among young people, and racist abuse.”
The blog is accessible at www.hfrf.org.uk
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Further information contact: Emad Al-Hamadani, Co-ordinator, on: 020 7386 6090 or Phil Cooper, Press Officer, on: 07889 949173
You’re fired up – voluntary group leaders told
Members of local voluntary groups got to grips with their ‘inner Alan Sugar’ in a leadership training workshop.
Held at Bishop Creighton House, Lillie Road, Fulham, the half-day course aimed to help the participants in the difficult task of Leading your organisation in challenging times.
Representatives from refugee community organisations and voluntary groups all facing funding difficulties took part in the interactive workshop run by trainer and high-performance coach Jacqueline Davis.
She introduced those taking part to neuro-linguistic programming techniques to aid clarity of vision, self-confidence and the ability to adopt workable strategies.
“No-one has ever taught us how to think,’ she told the trainees. “Have you ever wondered how you can do some things effortlessly and other things you don’t even want to think about?”
After the training, Phil Cooper, from Hammersmith and Fulham Refugee Forum, which arranged the workshop, said: “This was a valuable way of helping people focus on their strengths and learn how to transfer this ability to other activities, such as managing an organisation or leading a project.”
The topics covered included: creating successful leadership strategies, developing a clear vision and purpose, acquiring the habits of highly effective leaders, and developing an emotional fitness.
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Further information contact: Phil Cooper, Press Officer, on: 07889 949173
Notes to Editors: Jacqueline Davis runs the social enterprise Igniting Minds. www.jacquelinedavis.co.uk
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