Community outreach for Muslim residents

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A community group doing outreach to support Muslim residents, including the young, elderly and refugees, is making the most of a £500 community grant.

Bracknell Islamic Cultural Society (BICS) was awarded funding as part of the Wokingham Borough Equality Forum’s Community Diversity Grants.

This financial support enabled the group to carry out community outreach to support residents, depending on their needs or preferences.

It enabled the organisation, which brings together those with Islamic faith from 26 nations, to continue its work to bring together their members and build cohesion. The key groups it works with are:

• Elderly residents – focusing on health and social isolation
• Young people – bringing them together
• Refugees – helping them settle into the area

Community Outreach for all ages

• Encouraging healthy lifestyles by organising a trip to Wales hiking – majority of people registered were elderly
• Keeping people healthy and happy at home by providing items to help keep them warm at home, food and exercising
• Monthly outreach work with refugees and encouraging them to integrate into the community
• Volleyball and football sessions for younger people
• Ramadan youth night at the mosque
• Plans to organise coffee mornings soon to help with socialising for the elderly

How it makes a difference

Basit Kuko-Iyii, chairman of Bracknell Islamic Cultural Society, said: “This grant has been very helpful for us to get our community of 26 different nationalities and different age groups to work together to keep healthy.

“This does not only bring unity but also help us to solve loneliness and keep our community healthy.”

About Bracknell Islamic Cultural Society (BICS)

BICS is a non profit organisation serving Bracknell Forest community, and surrounding areas like Wokingham, particularly the Islamic minority for more than 10 years.

The group’s primary aim is to build bridges of peace and unity across our multicultural society.

Through a diverse set of activities, BICS aims to introduce Islam in its purest form as a tolerant and compassionate way of life.

It offers mosque services, as well as community outreach.

About Community Diversity Grants

Bracknell Islamic Cultural Society was one of the awards in our 2022 Community Diversity Grants.

In total, £5,000 was awarded by the borough’s Equality Forum to nine organisations to provide innovative and imaginative approaches to promoting inclusion locally.

The groups awarded all work to tackle inequality and discrimination in the area.

This article is part of a series showcasing how the borough is working to celebrate diversity, tackle inequality and make a difference to parts of our community.