Transforming Local Infrastructure in the city

Second meeting of the day: 1000 at Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL). We're meeting to discuss Transforming Local Infrastructure, the latest tranche of money to be released by The Big Fund. I'm not going to try and explain how this one works here - my head hurts enough trying to understand it myself. If you want to find out more, faithful reader, then visit the Transforming Local Infrastructure website.


As well as ourselves and VAL, there are nine infrastructure service support groups represented here this morning, each of which has expressed an interest in this bid:

• Communities in Partnership (CIP)
• East Midlands Racial Equalities Consortium (EMREC)
• Imagine LeicesterShire
• Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation
• Leicestershire Cares
• Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living (LCIL)
• Leicestershire Ethnic Minority Partnership (LEMP)
• Mainstream Partnership
• The Race Equality Centre (TREC)

This is the first of two meetings at VAL on this topic today. The morning meeting is looking at a potential bid for this funding in relation to the city; the afternoon meeting is doing the same, but for the county. I have to dash out of this meeting after only three quarters of an hour (along with Iris Lightfoote) to get to the meeting of the Stronger Communities Partnership at 16 New Walk. I'll be back at VAL for part two of this meeting in a couple of hours though!

VCS CEO LEADERSHIP NETWORK WELCOMES MAYOR

First meeting of the day: 0800 at Leicestershire Aids Support Service (LASS), Regent Road. This breakfast gathering of the Voluntary and Community Sector Chief Executive Officers (VCS CEO) Leadership Network is meeting with Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and Deputy Mayor, Councillor Rory Palmer.

Leicester Council of Faiths doesn't have a Chief Executive Officer; it would be a bit mad to have a CEO in an organisation with 1.5 full time equivalent (FTE) staff - including the CEO. But I have the backing and blessing of our Chair to be here this morning and no one protests at my presence.

I came to the first of these meetings, perhaps as long ago as two years back, but then missed several on the trot and eventually dropped off the invite list. As well as ourselves and LASS, there are ten VCS organisations represented here this morning:

• Action Deafness
• Action Homeless
• Apex
• The Centre Project
• Community Advice and Law Service
• Giving World Online
• Lighthouse Learning
• Network for Change
• The Race Equality Centre (TREC)
• Stride

A sub group has been working on concrete proposals to put to the Mayor, aimed at strengthening relations between Leicester City Council and the Voluntary and Community Sector. These are focused, innovative and practical and they're all well received by Sir Peter and Councillor Palmer.

All in all, I'd describe this as a happy, positive and warm meeting, where everyone wants to work together to achieve the best outcome for the city and the sector: which are not mutually exclusive. I was glad to be a part of the Forum this morning and I look forward to being involved on a regular basis.

Learning a few home truths from the riots

Here's the First Person column from today's Leicester Mercury:

Learning a few home truths from the riots 

Riaz Ravat considers the repercussions of the violent events of England's 'Angry August' 

While the country reflects on the actions of indignant and unrepentant gangs who have destroyed livelihoods and in some cases more sickeningly, taken innocent lives, the post mortem into "Angry August" has already begun. However, the riots must be seen within a much wider context of what defines the nation. 

A day after the disturbances, St Philip's Centre organised for a group of faith workers to come together to show solidarity with traders and police in the city centre. Over decades, many residents of our city have worked tirelessly to create and uphold our reputation as not only a diverse city but also a resilient one. We were supposed to be different. The faith communities' public show of unity sent a message to the violent perpetrators: You can hurl rocks but you can't harm our resolve. 

The police who deserve our wholehearted support have been hamstrung by a culture of fear. We owe them gratitude for their bravery and commitment to maintaining order. Some politicians, however, need to stop the political "ping pong" and give the police and our justice system the apparatus required to arrest and convict those who have defamed our city and country. The courts need to re-inject public confidence through appropriate sentencing. 

Those who have looted, damaged properties, destroyed essential charity services, killed innocent citizens and terrorised others have benefited from a deregulated society which has struggled to define what it stands for and what its vision is. This vacuum has created a "concierge culture" where responsibility lies elsewhere rather than beginning at home. 

A particular contrast is with the people of North Africa and Arabia. Many of whom are losing their lives daily. While they fight for freedom, the rioters here console themselves with flatscreens and Rolex watches. They have rejected dictatorships while we have embraced designer labels. They have demanded the tools of democracy while we have blunted ours. This contrast is vivid but brings home several home truths about the materialistic, egotistic society we've created. 

While some rioters may have escaped the law, they have been apprehended by the law of unintended consequences. A song dear to my heart reads "At the end of the storm there's a golden sky". The efforts of the community clean-ups in Clapham and the Sikh community protecting Mosques in Southall have highlighted that we may well have accidentally fallen upon the Prime Minister's vision of the Big Society, the irony being that this has been achieved without a penny of Government investment. The usually cumbersome and inconspicuous British have rediscovered their confidence and commitment to each other in the face of aggression. 

Riaz Ravat is based at St Philip's Centre in Leicester.

This week's visitors

Regular update on the number of visits from different parts of the world in the week just ending.

1. United Kingdom 460
2. United States 116
3. Germany 53
4. France 36
5. Ukraine 32
6. Russia 31
7. Romania 27
8. Latvia 26
9. Canada 25
10. Hong Kong 14

This week's total: 820 (last week's: 858). These are aggregates of figures from the top ten countries only. Blogger's stats software doesn't show me numbers of pageviews below the tenth-ranking country.

The world map at the top of this post is the graphic that I see on the stats page. The darker the green, the more pageviews from that country. I can see different versions of this map for "now" (whenever that is), today, this week, this month and "all time" (which seems to mean the last 12 months). They're updated each time I look at that them.

HOW WE'LL KEEP OUR PROMISE TO VOLUNTARY SECTOR

The Leicester Mercury's First Person column today is by Cllr Manjula Sood, Assistant Mayor and Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths.

How we'll keep our promise to voluntary sector 

Assistant city mayor Coun Manjula Sood reflects on the city's vision for those who help others 

We are clearly living in challenging times. While the public sector is bearing the brunt of national financial pressures, the impact is being felt far more widely. For many years, the fortunes of the public and voluntary sectors have been closely linked – not least because the voluntary sector relies so heavily on the financial support of the public sector. 

So the pressures on public finances are being keenly felt by the many voluntary organisations that provide valuable help to citizens. 

When Sir Peter Soulsby was elected as city mayor back in May, he announced his commitment to build a strong relationship with Leicester's voluntary and community sector.

Indeed, one of his 100-day pledges was to set out a vision for the voluntary sector, based on positive work with the many groups in the city. 

I am leading that work and I am delighted to be doing so. When I first came to Leicester over 40 years ago, it was a very different place. The changes I have witnessed are partly due to the efforts of voluntary groups that were established to support different elements of our community. 

I have been an active supporter of these groups – both as a councillor since 1996 and especially during my time as Lord Mayor.Reaching out to our communities through these groups has allowed the city council, along with other public sector organisations, to build strong bridges with everyone – no matter what their background or status. 

It is that ethos we want to continue to develop. We see the council working closely with the voluntary sector – not just through those groups traditionally funded by the local authority, but the many groups and individuals who we cannot fund but who do equally valuable work. 

We're already planning a major summit – hopefully to be held this autumn – when groups and individuals involved in the voluntary sector can come together with the council and others to map out a way forward. 

It is clear that funding will be a critical issue. We know there are difficult times ahead. So it's all the more important we engage with people right across the voluntary sector, explore how they can develop better business skills, use the limited funds available to best effect and open up different channels of funding. 

Despite the financial challenges we are facing, I strongly believe this is a really exciting time for the public and voluntary sectors to work together and tackle these issues in an atmosphere of mutual respect, which I'm sure will benefit the people of Leicester.

A wheely good way to raise awareness

The Citizens' Eye column in today's Leicester Mercury leads with this article about current developments at Network for Change. I taught basic literacy skills and Creative Writing at Network for years. It's a terrific organisation and there's really nothing like it in Leicester, let alone in the whole of the East Midlands. I love Network for Change and all it stands for; I'd support just about anything they do there.

A wheely good way to raise awareness 

By James Black

A director of mental health support group Network for Change is going on a sponsored bike ride to raise awareness of mental health issues. 

Operations director Darren O'Brien, who has worked for Network for Change for 18 years, will travel from Leicester to Bradford to highlight the good work done by the organisation, which has been facing financial difficulties. 

A keen cross-country cyclist, Darren will be aiming to complete 40 miles each day. His 170-mile journey begins on August 23 and takes in much of the Pennine Way along the route. 

The Network for Change resource centre on London Road, Leicester, has been threatened with closure if the group is unable to secure the required funding. It costs £100,000 a year to provide supported housing, activities and advice services to vulnerable people. 

But many of the charitable grants it used to rely on are no longer available. 

Last month, city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby visited the charity to hear the personal stories of people who use the group and how it has helped them. 

Sir Peter has promised to return "within weeks" to give his decision on whether the group would be allocated funding. 

Darren believes that Network for Change offers a unique service vital in the rehabilitation and support of people suffering from mental illness. 

He said: "One of the main things I like about working for Network for Change is that the staff members and the people who use our service are equal partners. 

"We work with users to suit their individual needs and try to improve their lives." 

As well as highlighting the good work done in Leicester Darren also hope to draw attention to The Soteria Project, a national charity based upon the ideas of American psychiatrist Loren Mosher. Mosher was critical of using drugs to treat mental illness, favouring emotional support in a residential environment. 

He said: "I feel the values and ethos of The Soteria Trust are very much suited to Network for Change." 

If you would like to sponsor Darren's bike ride visit: www.charitygiving.co.uk/bradfordorbust

SHARING IS CARING: FLASHMOB IFTAR

At Victoria Park this evening, supporting the "Sharing is Caring" Flashmob Iftar. Iftar is the name given to the evening meal with which Muslims break their fast each day during Ramadan. Similar events were held here during Ramadan 2010. They were successful and attracted some positive media attention; I only got to go to the last of the weekly meetings though. I'm glad to see this return and I'm keen to see how it goes this year.


Harry, Grace and I have been down to De Montfort Hall and Gardens to get our wristbands for Summer Sundae Weekender, checking out what's happening onsite the night before the festival proper begins tomorrow. It's just a short step over to the Pavilion, where the Flashmob Iftar is taking place. The point of this is to extend charity and hospitality to some of the people who virtually live in Victoria Park or who are based in some of the hostels nearby. I used to teach in some of these hostels, when I worked for Leicester City Council's ReMit and Reach programmes, so I'm interested in this event from more than one perspective. I'm also happy to get Harry and Grace involved.


There are more people here this evening than I recall being at the one I managed to attend last year - both from the local Muslim community and the intended beneficiaries of the event. There's more of a mixed turnout in terms of people helping out from other communities. In the photo below, Sughra Ahmed and Selma Ravat (from the Islamic Society of Britain) flank Lesley and Alan of Street Pastors. Lesley and Alan are wearing hi visibility orange  vests, which say "Community Mediator" on the back. they also appear to glow in the dark, judging by their effect on the picture!

When I introduce the kids to some of my friends here, more than one remembers that I told them how Harry stood up for Leicester's Muslims at school, when rumours and falsehoods were being spread about them in the days before the English Defence League visited Leicester in October last year. I was proud of him for doing that and am glad it's not been forgotten.


This event - and others to follow weekly on Thursday evenings during Ramadan - has been organised by Farhaanah Surti on behalf of the Islamic Society of Britain. It's been coordinated largely through the Sharing is Caring page on Facebook.

"We must show united front"

I posted yesterday about members of Leicester Council of Faiths and of St Philip's Centre out and about in the city centre, during the clean up after the disturbances on Tuesday evening. Here's how that's reported in today's Leicester Mercury, linking it up with other positive responses by the community in general.

"We must show united front" 

Peaceful protestors were among those out on the streets of Leicester yesterday to try to prevent further violence. 

A group of about 30 people gathered at the Clock Tower waving banners and playing music from about 3.30pm. 

They were led by 18-year-old Austin Williams, of St Mark's, Leicester, who helped organise the demonstration following a meeting of residents and community groups in Highfields. 

Mr Williams said: "We've been voicing how we feel about the riots and doing what we can to prevent them. 

"We're all about getting kids to harness their energy and make a difference." 

Faith leaders also joined together to offer comfort and support to people and businesses affected by Tuesday night's violence.

Representatives from the Christian, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh faiths visited some locations which saw trouble, including Granby Street, the cultural quarter and the Highcross [no mention of the Bahá'í community being involved, although Minou Cortazzi, who represents the Bahá'ís on the Board of Directors of Leicester Council of Faiths - and is its immediate past Chair - is at the front of the photo.]

The event was organised by Riaz Ravat, of the St Philip's Centre, an Evington charity which promotes inter-faith relations in Leicester. 

He said: "We've been appalled by the incidents that have taken place. There's quite a bit of anger and, as faith communities, we need to show a united front." 

Suleman Nagdi, of the Federation of Muslim Organisations, said: "We need to send a message that an attack on one section of the community is an attack on us all." 

Resham Singh Sandhu, chairman of the Sikh Welfare and Culture Society [sic], said he had spoken with Sikh youths in East Park Road on Tuesday evening who were guarding not only their temple and shops from potential attack, but also the mosque. 

He said: "I'm saddened this has happened but we're lucky we respect each other in Leicester, because we have to look after each other." 

The Right Reverend Christopher Boyle, assistant Bishop of Leicester, said: "We've endeavoured to show solidarity for the city of Leicester and its citizens" 

Volunteers also took to the streets during a clean-up operation in the aftermath of the trouble. 

About 15 volunteers met at the Clock Tower at 9am after word of the event spread on social networking websites. 

Aimee Packwood, 25, of Clarendon Park, a member of Voluntary Action Leicestershire, said: "The fact people have come out to clean up shows more want to make this kind of difference, rather than what happened last night. There was a peaceful protest but it was hijacked by people who wanted to cause trouble." 

Representatives from the city wardens were also on hand to help out.
Fosse warden Jethro Swift said: "What happened last night was atrocious but cleaning up is the right thing to do. It shows the great community spirit we have in Leicester." 

City MPs condemned the violence and praised police. Leicester South MP Jon Ashworth was due to speak in Parliament today to put pressure on the Prime Minister to confirm Leicester had all the resources to support police dealing with incidents. 

He said: "What we have seen by a small minority is shocking and, though we have not witnessed the criminality of the scale of other cities, there must be no excuse for the burglary and vandalism our city experienced last night. 

"I want to commend the bravery of the police in Leicester who have been consistently excellent on the frontline." 

Leicester East MP Keith Vaz said: "The damage this senseless criminality has caused will not be tolerated, however, we need to get to the bottom of the reasons why this tiny minority have behaved in this disgraceful way."

MAYOR OF LEICESTER: YOBS WON'T RUIN OUR PROUD CITY

This open letter from Sir Peter Soulsby, Mayor of Leicester, is published today on the front page of the Leicester Mercury.

Yobs won't ruin our proud city

I know that the people of Leicester share my anger and sadness at the disturbances that have taken place in the city.

These were carried out by a small group of people – mostly very young – who have no regard for others, or for their community.

This is not what Leicester is about. Leicester is a proud, harmonious and peaceful city – and the actions of local people since the disturbances have demonstrated, once again, that our true community spirit is alive and well.

I would like to thank the police for their thoroughly professional work to keep our streets safe, and the council staff who have done so much to help clear up and keep disruption to the minimum.

But, most particularly, I would like to thank all of you who have spoken out in support for our city – people from all communities, the business and voluntary sectors, our sporting clubs, neighbouring councils and our MPs.

Our city council will continue to work very closely with the police and other agencies to ensure that people can go about their business as usual.

I am always impressed by the way Leicester people pull together in times of need.

I know you will all share my determination that the behaviour of a very small minority of people should not have a lasting impact on our city, and that we will all continue with our efforts to make Leicester an even better place in which to live and work.

Peter Soulsby

Pouring oil on troubled waters

Visits have been made today by members of Leicester Council of Faiths and St Philip’s Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society to city centre businesses and shops, to reassure them that the faith communities are united in our condemnation of the anti-social behaviour that was seen on our streets last night.

Members making these visits included Councillor Manjula Sood (Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths), High Sherrif of Leicestershire Resham Singh Sandhu, Suleman Nagdi, Marcus Solanki and Minou Cortazzi, among others.

Councillor Sood said today, "Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected and few events cannot be allowed to define the Leicester we know and love. Many of us have worked in this community for many years and we will continue to work with our neighbours and friends for One Leicester."