Students take part in an Inter-Generational project at a hospice in Hackney where they create autobiographical ‘Lifebooks’ for some of the residents.

A guest post by Umair Saeed

Knowledge to Action is a British charity and a grassroots educational programme that specialises in character development and community social responsibility for students attending Islamic faith primary and secondary schools across the UK.

We work with thousands of students in over 100 schools across the country to set up projects that give the children from a very young age, an opportunity to get involved with volunteering initiatives and community based activities. Our goal is to encourage community building and social cohesion through understanding and experience.

This year, for the first time ever, we are planning to get stuck into the great opportunity that is Refugee Week 2017 in order to give our students a better understanding of what it’s like to be a refugee in the UK. At the same time, we hope to share with Refugees our own experiences of what it’s like to be a child growing up in modern Britain!

We’re currently planning a project to take place in Refugee Week 2017 that involves some of our schools in London, Leicester, Blackburn, Manchester, Bradford and Birmingham inviting young refugees along with their families to their respective schools for a conversation session. This, we hope, will involve the refugees sharing stories and experiences in order to practice their English with Key Stage 4, 14-16 year old students. It’s our hope that this kind of activity can become a permanent feature within the schools if successful.

Given that Refugee Week 2017 falls within the Islamic month of Ramadan, We also felt that this would be an ideal opportunity for the students to share an ‘Iftar’/ end of fasting meal with their guests. What better way of sharing exiting tales whilst practising English than over a good cup of tea and spicy samosa!

We’re very much looking forward to bringing loads of wonderful cultures, smells and experiences together and hope to share stories and pictures with you all in the process.

If you have any questions related to our Refugee Week 2017 activities or feel as if you may be able to help out, please feel free to give our project developer, Umair Saeed, a shout at umair@ilm2amal.org