BCBN 3rd Annual Event – The Date Palm Project
BCBN raises £205,800 for the Date Palm Project and BCBN Grant Initiative
Over 500 people attended the BCBN 3rd annual event on Monday 24th February 2014 at the Great Room, Park Lane to raise an incredible total of £205,800 for the Date Palm Project and BCBN Grant Initiative. Without the contributions of our partners, sponsors and guests, in terms of time, effort and donations, we would not have been able to achieve so much.
Our special guest, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Nick Clegg, spoke passionately about the rehabilitation of offenders. In his exclusive press interview to BCBN, he applauded the project for its ground-breaking collaboration between St Mungo’s, National Zakat Foundation and the Better Community Business Network.
“The Date Palm Project really epitomises the kind of reforms I want to see with the criminal justice system. This is taking young offenders who are alienated from their communities, ostracised from their families [and] pointing them in the right direction…”
The Deputy Prime Minister is a keen supporter of BCBN causes and commended the charity for its key role in working with local community projects.
“As someone who is a great supporter of grass root projects, I do think BCBN is a model for others to follow.”
The Date Palm Project (London) is a ground-breaking supported housing project that seeks to transform the lives of young Muslim prison leavers, reducing re-offending rates and helping them to become independent and useful members of society. The project is a unique collaboration between the National Zakat Foundation, St Mungo’s (the homeless person’s charity) and the Better Community Business Network, each bringing their own expertise to tackling the disproportionately high rate of re-offending amongst the young Muslim prison population.
In conjunction with the Date Palm Project (London), BCBN launches its Grants Initiative. This initiative will distribute up to £3000 per month to small but credible community projects which are able to demonstrate the positive impact that they add to the local community. The Initiative will run throughout the year, alongside BCBN’s more headline efforts.
St Mungo’s Broadway is a homelessness charity and housing association our clients are at the heart of what we do. We provide a bed and support to more than 2,500 people a night who are either homeless or at risk, and work to end homelessness and rebuild lives.
National Zakat Foundation’s is a ground-breaking initiative which aims to utilise Zakat funds and voluntary donations collected in the United Kingdom for the benefit of local, deserving recipients. This group includes some of the most vulnerable members of our community, including widows, orphans, refugees, the aged as well as the homeless.
BCBN Grant Initiative aims to empower UK charities and credible community projects with grants awards of up to £3,000 per charity every month
