An Ipswich organisation that started its life with a £250 grant and a dream to ensure a more inclusive place for people to live is marking 25 years of incredible work.
On Sunday, BSC Multicultural Services (BSCMS) members will gather for a huge celebration at Trinity Park to mark the last quarter of a century.
The group annually brings people together through its Global Food and Pita Festival and the One Big Multicultural Festival, as well as runs its business awards to recognise BME businesses across Suffolk.
In January the group was a recipient of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2022.
Boshor Ali, the group's chairperson is among the founders of BSCMS, which began its life as the Bangladeshi Support Centre in 1998.
He said: “Thanks to BSCMS’s contribution, we would like to think Ipswich and Suffolk is a far better place now than it was when I was growing up in the 1980s. There are clearly more ethnic minority people in Ipswich and our organisation now reflects this change.
“As a community organisation, we have been actively involved in promoting cooperation between different communities through our various projects. We now work more closely with other organisations (both statutory and voluntary) to make the town a better place for everyone.”
The group's treasurer Mahbub Alam Shamim said the founders had no idea at the time how far it would go.
A proud sportsman, Mr Shamim said the group's work to organise many sporting and recreational activities was a personal highlight.
He said: “The biggest change I have seen is that more ethnic minority communities are now getting involved in sporting and recreational activities in Ipswich and beyond. Increasingly, more women are also participating in sporting activities, which is very important.
“I am very hopeful of the future. Ipswich and Suffolk are more diverse and this also offers a lot of opportunities for the future.”
Growing up in the north of England company secretary Mojlum Khan witnessed first-hand how minority communities became segregated from the wider society and why it was an important step to ensure a different experience for those living in Ipswich and Suffolk.
During lockdown, the group created thousands of emergency food parcels to deliver to people's homes across Suffolk.
Also, the charity regularly provides hot meals to those that are homeless in Ipswich.
Mr Khan said: “Thanks to BSCMS’s proactive work in Ipswich and Suffolk, the whole county is now more safe, tolerant, inclusive and prosperous than it was 25 years ago.
“We faced many challenges and difficulties over the last 25 years, but every challenge and difficulty also come with opportunities. We need to focus on the latter and make Ipswich and Suffolk a better place for those who will come after us!”
Its Tower Street base provides drop-in support services with people from across 50 nationalities utilising the sessions.
Shayra Begum, centre manager for strategy, said: “I am proud of our drop-in support services. Why? Because during my time as an Advice Officer we have expanded our service and currently we are supporting people of more than 50 different nationalities, especially the fact that more women are now benefiting from BSCMS in a bonus.
“The diversity of people accessing our service has been the biggest positive change. This obviously reflects the social and demographical change in Ipswich and Suffolk over the last 25 years.”
Many of the current members were encouraged to come aboard and take on community work by the founders - a decision they do not regret.
Mohammed Alam, centre manager for operations, has worked on creating training projects to upskill members of the community.
He said: “BSCMS is much more than work; it is almost like an extended family. The work I have done over the years has given me so much satisfaction. I am very grateful for this.
“I would like to think that we are at the heart of the community, contributing to the success of the town and its prosperity, involving people in our work by removing barriers to integration.
“We would of course like to be around and build on the last 25 years."
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