HISTORIC SOCIETY BUILDS LINKS WITH BRISTOL SOMALI COMMUNITY
The Society of Merchant Venturers has presented funding to the St Pauls-based Somali charitable trust, Amana.
The trust , which was founded in 2000 to address the cultural needs of Somali children in Bristol, now has a 150-place supplementary school, parents forum and youth group which all work together to help raise the attainment of Somali youngsters.
The donation from the Merchants’, which totalled £12,000, has been delivered over a two year period and has helped Amana to take on its own premises, on Grosvenor Road in St Pauls, as well as a paid administrator.
Richard Thickpenny, executive co-ordinator at Amana, said: “With the help of the Merchants’ funding we have been able to position the organisation to respond directly to the needs of our community.
“We now have a new management committee which has given us strategic direction. We are also working closely with key partners across the city including Barnardo’s, the Local Education Authority and the University of the West of England.
“Amana is well known in the community and has really started to bridge the gap between schools and Somali families, this can only help to raise education standards and in turn offer a better quality of life for Bristol Somalis.”
Current projects Amana has co-ordinated include; a Somali Youth Forum, Education Awareness Days (where Somali parents learn to understand the differences between SATs, GCSEs and A Levels), adult education programmes and an initiative to help educate Somali families dealing with Autism.
Nick Hood, Master of the Society of Merchant Venturers, said: “What Amana are doing for their community strongly relates to a core objective of the Society – to promote learning and the acquisition of skills by supporting education.
“By directly responding to the needs of the community, Amana has been able to support members of the Somali community to understand the English education system and to help key education professionals understand the needs of the Somali children in Bristol schools.”
“We wish them all the very best for the future.”
For further information on Amana visit www.amana.org.uk or call 0117 955 0456.
To find out more about the Society of Merchants Venturers, its members and key priorities visit www.merchantventurers.com
ENDS
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