Tag Archives: Citizens:mk

Leaders Forum 2017 sets off new campaign research teams

This year’s Leaders Forum was hosted by Jubilee Wood Primary School and attended by 55 leaders from 15 member institutions.

17 issues were raised and four campaign research teams established:

  • Homelessness & Housing (led by Suzanna Raymond of Q:alliance, Paul Griffiths and Brett Farrier-Smith of MK YMCA)
  • Mental Health & Isolation (led by Meghan Taylor and pupils of St. Paul’s Catholic School, Caro Marshall of St. Augustine’s Catholic Church and Linda McComie of Truby’s Garden Tea Room)
  • Life Skills for young people (led by Rebecca Selves of Jubilee Wood Primary School and Polly of St. Paul’s Catholic School)
  • Young Voices (led by Alan Bainbridge of MK Quaker Meeting and Hilarie Bowman of Transition MK).

Each team has members from three member institutions, a leader and co-leader, at least one of whom will attend the Twilight Training session on research methods on Monday 20th November, 5.30-7.30pm at Acorn House.

Their task over the winter months is to craft SMART campaign goals to be presented for the consent of Delegates Assembly on 5th February 2018.

Other issues raised at Leaders Forum were:

  • Bullying
  • Buses
  • Debt
  • FishermeadHate crime
  • Male role models
  • Muslim female swimming facilities
  • Parking
  • Redways
  • Speeding
  • Plastic
  • Pollution.

In post-event evaluation, this year’s Leaders Forum scored 9/10.

20 leaders complete Two-Day Training, 6-7th October

20 leaders from 12 institutions (10 member institutions) completed Two-Day Training on 6-7th October 2017.

In post-event evaluation, the trainees gave an average score of 9.5 out of 10 for the Two-Day Training course as a whole, higher than last year’s score.

A short questionnaire a few days after the course, asking about self-perception Before and After, yielded the following results:

  • 91% average increase in ‘My awareness of tools for building relational power (4.3 to 8.3 out of 10)
  • 75% average increase in ‘My confidence in my community leadership’ (4.5 to 7.8 out of 10)
  • 41% increase in ‘My motivation to make positive change in my community’ (6.2 to 8.7 out of 10).

“I feel positive and inspired,” said Caro Marshall of St. Augustine’s Catholic Church.

“There were lots of people from different backgrounds,” said Brett Farrier-Smith of MK YMCA.  “I felt empowered.”

“What a great group of people,” said Tony Berwick, Head teacher of Jubilee Wood Primary School.  “I loved talking to them.”

“I look forward to starting some positive work for Q:alliance and feel the framework you have shared is a good tool,” said Helen Pritchard of Q:alliance LGBT+ group.

“When I started this course, I didn’t feel like I was a leader,” said Linda Mccomie of St. Edward’s Catholic Church.  “Now I feel i am!”

” I have realised the importance of the leadership course and I would like to join the following ones if it is possible,” said Rooda Abdillahi, of MK Somali Community and Global Outreach Foundation.

“I went on a break from humanity for a while,” said Will Cofie, a Greenleys resident.  “This training gave me hope again.”

“It was good & practical  learning experience,” said Ahmed Saadat, a Fishermead resident.  “In fact I learn new things which I can apply in my personal and public life.”

The trainees then emarked on a series of follow-up activities:

  • Three Twilight Training sessions (Research, Action, Evaluation), 5.30-7.30pm on Mondays 20thNovember, 29th January and 16th April, at Acorn House, 381 Midsummer Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK9 3HP.
  • Three Action Learning Sets ending with final short presentation in last session, 9.30am-12pm on Saturdays 9th December, 10thMarch and 16th June, at Church of Christ the Cornerstone, 300 Saxon Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 2ES.
  • Three one-to-one Mentoring sessions with individual members of Citizens:mk Leadership Group who have attended Citizens UK’s 6-Day Training.

Attendees of Two-Day Training 6-7th October 2017:

First Name Surname Institution
Ahmed Saadat Fishermead  resident
Alifa Chowdhury Southwood Primary School
Beatrice Tz Global Outreach Foundation
Brett john Farrier-Smith MK YMCA
Caro Marshall St. Augustine’s Catholic Church
Christine Davies MK All Womens Welfare Association
Donna Taylor Smith Jubilee Wood Primary School
Helen Pritchard Q:alliance
Jimmy El-Zamek Conniburrow Big Local
Linda McComie Trubys Garden Tea Room
Maria Zimbabwe Global Outreach Foundation
Nicola Elgar Summerfield Primary School
Paul Griffiths MK YMCA
Philippa Marshall St. Augustine’s Catholic Church
Roda Abdillahi Ibrahim Global Outreach Foundation
Safa Aamir MK Muslim Association
Shammi Akter MK All Womens Welfare Association
Sofia Hassan Middle Eastern Cultural Group
Tess Price Church of Christ the Cornerstone
Tony Berwick Jubilee Wood Primary School
Wamedh Abdulkereem Middle Eastern Cultural Group
Will Coffie Greenleys resident
Leadership Group members who have attended national Six-Day Training and co-delivered sessions on this Two-Day Training
Tim Norwood
Fidele Mutwarisibo
Kurshida Mirza
Debbie Wilson
Ayser Al Jawad

Network Rail plan to help MK Academy with Redways Relaunch

Taiwo Adesanya, Management Accountant of Network Rail, recently visited MK Academy to congratulate two pupils on receiving their Young Citizen certificates.

Student Harry Smith (pictured with Taiwo) was commended for his co-leadership of the Redways Relaunch campaign during 2016-17.

Taiwo pledged commitment to organising a team of Network Rail staff to volunteer a day of clearing and cleaning the Redways around the school in October 2017.

Josephine Osei – Citizens:mk Youth Leader of 2016-17

After a year leading the Redways Relaunch campaign, 18-year-old Josephine Osei of MK Academy has been awarded Citizens:mk’s Young Leader of the Year Award.  This is a new award recognising the extraordinary talents of MK’s most able youth leaders.

“Before I started the Citizens:mk program, I was just like any other teenager who had something that they were angry about but did not have any power or motivation to create a change,” said Josephine.  “Then I attended a one day training and realised that actually I could have the power to make a real change in my community.”

In its first year, the Redways Relaunch campaign has had remarkable success.  First, a student-led survey of more than 2,000 students in five MK schools showed that, while 80% used the Redways (pedestrian and cycle paths) only 40% felt safe on them.  Most thought that three things could be done to make a difference:  improving lighting, cutting back bushes and reducing litter.

“Young people like the Redways, but want them to be brighter, safer and cleaner,” said Josephine.  “Through this Citizens program I have learnt to be a leader, one who knows what is right and does it by collaborating with people in power.  Through this journey, I have seen my actions inspiring other people and this has been very fulfilling for me.

“One thing that I have been able to overcome is my fear of speaking in an open crowd.  It has actually made me feel unstoppable.  Now, if I want to do something, I feel empowered to do it because my self confidence has increased greatly.”

In her role as campaign leader, Josephine addressed  various audiences including 70 business people gathered at MK’s City Breakfast Club at thestadium:mk.

“Josephine has increased her confidence and developed her leadership skills to such an extent she can now communicate with all elements of the community,” said MK Academy teacher Debbie Gockelen, “sometimes leading adults much older than herself.”

“I would personally recommend this role to each and every student who knows that they also want to be a part of a change,” said Josephine.

Pictured above, Josephine speaks directly to the Leader of the Council in front of 400 school pupils outside Marks & Spencer in the city centre.  On behalf of the pupils in five schools she asked for, and won, a pledge in MK’s 50th birthday year to make 50 improvements to the Redways.

Pupils get creative in fight against hate – 3.7.17

From 12th to 19th July, The Open University is hosting an exhibition of children’s art work to raise awareness of hate crime.  In a campaign organised by Citizens:mk, posters created by pupils from four MK primary schools will be judged by a panel including Arriva buses, whose marketing manager has agreed to display Fight Against Hate posters on MK buses this Autumn.  The poster competition was launched by the Bishop of Oxford in May.

Lucian Hudson, Director of Communications at The Open University and Chair of Citizens:mk, said:  “The Open University is delighted to be hosting this exhibition.  Raising awareness of how hate crime affects us all  is important to our shared vision of MK as a thriving, more inclusive and fairer MK.”

Sophia Kibirige, Treasurer of MK Muslim Association and School Governor at Summerfield Primary School, said:  “This competition is a great way for the children to express their natural kindness and show how much they want to live in a community without hate.”

At the competition awards event on 19th July, the Summerfield School choir will perform a song written especially for the campaign, ‘Love not hate’.  Prizes for competition winners include Apple computers.

Fidele Mutwarisibo, member of Church of Christ the Cornerstone and leader of the Fight Against Hate campaign, said:  “Raising awareness through this poster competition is one of our four goals for the campaign in its first year.  I am so pleased that we are all getting a chance to see and hear how much the children of MK care about this issue.”

To see and hear the pupils’ views and voices, sign up to attend the Poster Exhibition & Awards event at The Open University on Wednesday 19th July, 10.00-11.30am (arrival from 9.30).  Contact Jiten Patel, organiser of the competition,  jiten.patel@open.ac.uk .

(Pictured above are pupils of Summerfield Primary School Council after receiving their ‘Young Citizen 2016-17’ awards at the end of June.)

Ayser Al Jawad, Middle Eastern Cultural Group

What is your proudest Citizens moment?

Witnessing  important issues, being presented by normal people (citizens) working together toward a common goal and achieving it.  I observed stake holders including the city councillors from all different political parties and MPs agree to the people’s requests for accepting more refugees, to sign up to Living Wage and more.  The most recent proud moment was being part of the team that planned the Great Get Together Iftaar on 16th June.

What’s the impact of membership been on you and your institution? 

This year, our community took part in various events and actions.   We developed strong links and relationships, both personal and as an organisation., friendships with people from all walks of life and from many local and national organisations.   We achieved exposure for our work and goals, and found common ground, values, aims and passions, shared with many in our wider MK community.

What are you most looking forward to over the next 12 months?

I am looking forward to the next task;  planning and organising a Fight Against Hate summit during national Hate Crime Awareness Week which will be mid-October.  We will be supporting Citizens:mk’s Fight Against Hate campaign team.   As a community we are looking forward to achieving more, grabbing opportunities, developing and making greater impact in our society under the Citizens:mk umbrella.

Shoosmiths takes to the Redways with Summerfield pupils – 15.6.17

Seven members of staff from Shoosmiths LLP joined dozens of pupils from Summerfield Primary School for 90 minutes of litter-picking on the local Redways.

This was another good example of local businesses doing their bit to help Citizens:mk member schools generally, and the Redways Relaunch campaign in particular.

“I simply put a request out by email and all these colleagues came forward to volunteer,” said Sarah Lovell of Shoosmiths (pictured third from left).  “It’s good for us individually as well as a business to be involved in community projects like this.”

“This is fantastic,” said Pam Weston, Summerfield School head teacher.  “We want to get involved in our local community and that includes companies like Shoosmiths.”

Dentons LLP staff help pupils take on Jubilee Wood redway – 13.6.17

Four staff from Dentons LLP UMEA joined pupils from Jubilee Wood Primary School in a massive clean-up of the Redway alongside the school.  This was an action for the Citizens:mk Redways Relaunch campaign.

Working with Mitch Michener from Campbell Park Parish Council as well as Dentons, the pupils split into groups to clean different sections of the Redway.

“It’s great to see how enthusiastic the children are,” said Angela Monzione from Dentons.  “What they’re hoping to do is adopt this area and maintain it.  It’s going to happen for years to come, so it’s a project for now and for the future.”

“If we can monitor the area at least once a week, we can keep it clearn,” said a 10-year old member of the School Council.

“I’m using a litter picker and picking up some glass,” said a 7-year-old pupil, “so people riding their bikes won’t fall on it and cut themselves.”

“We love our Redways and want to look after them,” said head teacher Tony Berwick.  “Our children are learning to love Milton Keynes, and that is good news for us all.”

Click here to see short video of Tony Berwick speaking.

Bishop of Oxford backs school competition to combat hate – 25.5.17

The Bishop of Oxford, Rev Steven Croft, joined other guests from  Arriva Buses and Thames Valley Police in an assembly organised by the children of Summerfield Primary School to launch a schools’ poster competition to combat hate.

The poster competition has been overseen by the Open University, who have created the rules and will be holding an exhibition of the children’s work from 12th July with an finale Awards event on 19th July.   Click here for competition rules.

Running the competition was one of the goals set by the Citizens:mk Fight Against Hate campaign which several power-holders signed up to at the 2017 Accountability Assembly.

Pupil Noorah, aged 9, said: “We often hear about wars in other countries as well as conflicts in England. There are many times when even in this city we love so much, harmony is replaced by hate. ”

The school choir showed its love of Milton Keynes and desire to support the Fight Against Hate campaign by singing their own song ‘We Built This City’.

Jiten Patel, a member of the campaign team who works for The Open University, said:  “Summerfield School can be proud of their student who were excellent ambassadors.  They are a credit to their school and left the guests at the launch with a strong impression of the values that are being lived by Summerfield.  The head teacher, staff and parents can rightly be proud of their students.”

Head teacher Pam Weston said:  “The children thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to share their ideas and perform for their visitors. The responses of their ‘VIP’ guests made them realise that they do have a voice and will be listened to when they contribute on issues of local and national importance.”

Fidele Mutwarisibo, chair of the Fight Against Hate campaign, said:  “The moment I stepped into Summerfield I knew this mini assembly was going to be great.  The welcome by the Heateacher, the staff and the pupils was second to none.  The presence of the Bishop of Oxford, the representatives of the Police and Arriva Buses highlighted the timeliness and relevance of our campaign.  The presence of Summerfield’s governors highlighted the importance of partnership.  The leadership of pupils was reassuring.  My lasting memory from this enjoyable event was how very impressive the pupils were. They made a huge difference.”

To thank the guests for attending the assembly, the children gave each guest a box of fresh eggs laid by the school’s own hens – and served them with slices of amazingly delicious cake made with eggs from the hens.

(Photo from Mubasher Maqbool.)