Rochdale Mosques pioneer Bank Holiday project

Date published: 26/08/2008

A programme of mosque-led initiatives in Rochdale included a successful Bank Holiday training project on Saturday 23 August 2008 in fellowship with the borough Safeguarding Children’s Board and different youth/community groups.

Representatives from Bilal & Al-Quaba Mosques in Wardleworth, along with participants from the Golden Mosque & Jamia Heideria in Spotland, joined forces with the Wardleworth mosques’ youth clubs, Deen for All and the community group Sports for All (SFA), to respond to changes in child protection legislation and raise awareness of welfare & safety matters in the local Madrasah sector.

Supported by the council’s Community Cohesion portfolio holder, Councillor Sharif, and facilitated in alliance with GMP Rochdale’s Community Race Relations Officer, Councillor Sharif commented, ‘As members of families, communities, faith-based environments and a diverse society, we are all working together to protect and care for children. Several local mosques took part in a Communications Project last year, followed up by weeks of First Aider training, and this latest programme is typical of the developments that are initiated from within the Muslim community itself. Perhaps we need to be more public about all the fine work that has been quietly going on, with great success rates and patent self regulation.’

Each participant on the Bank Holiday project received a valid certificate in child protection training from the Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Board (RBSCB) Quality & Training Officer. Bilal Mosque in Wardleworth provided the course venue

An earlier course was completed at the Mustafa Mosque in July and other mosques & community group representatives are scheduled for ‘ twilight ’ training sessions on Friday 29th August 2008, to be held at the Neeli Mosque in Deeplish - as part of the same borough alliance and partnership programme.