NAME: Shajan Miah

TITLE: Fundraising Director

NOTES: ADN Report.

I am one of the founding members Anondho Dhara Newport (ADN). Since the formation of A.D.N, my role has changed and developed alongside the people that I have worked with.  I have worked in partnership with various agencies in developing education, health, and social activities that was identified by individuals in the community. My extensive involvement in finance over the last five years have enabled me to become the Finance Director where my primary role is to identify and raise funds for projects and ensure long term sustainability of A.D.N. Under my directorship A.D.N. has raised over £35,000 in the past few years from organisations such as Newport City Council, Comic Relief, BME, GAVO, WCVA, Sports Council for Wales, Children & Young People’s Partnership, Gwent Police and many others.

We are very grateful to all the funders who continue to support us time and time again. Special thanks to the Big lottery, Award for all Wales, WCVA, CFTF, SwitchOn and all the other agencies and organizations for their continued support.

We have delivered more than we expected but our work doesn’t stop there. Currently, I am leading the fundraising team in securing funding to employ community development officers, admin and support staffs for A.D.N. to help the organisation grow. Also, we have bigger things planned for the coming years and they include; Service delivery outcomes in line with the business plan, to be an approved community procurement organization by the Welsh Assembly Government, WCVA, Newport City Council and other big organisations, to secure service level agreements (SLA’s) between agencies and organisations.

NAME: Bilal Meah

TITLE: Office Manager

NOTES: ADN Report.

I am one of the directors of A.D.N. and now the office manager. I am responsible in making sure the office runs as smoothly as possible and to manage my office sub-committee group. That do the day- to-day running of the office and to help them in areas were needed. I also insure that A.D.N generates as much income as possible by marketing and hiring out the office to the community and organisations.

A.D.N. has relocated into a new office in the heart of the BME communities in Newport, with work shops running on a regular basis with a fully equipped ICT suite, it has achieved great recognition from local and national organisations. Although the new office is serving the community I am always looking at finding a bigger and better office/centre with the limited funds we have to ensure we give the community the best we can. We as voluntary staff at A.D.N are always looking to improve the community, which I think is a great achievement for A.D.N and a great benefit for the community.

Through voluntary work with the organisation I have gained valuable skills and knowledge in community work and because of this I am at present working for an organization that deals with substance misuse in the BME community’s and am enjoying my time with the organisation very much.

NAME: Shamim Miah

TITLE: Education & Culture Secretary

NOTES: ADN Report.

For the past 12 years I have been a member of Anondho Dhara Newport (A.D.N.) Recently, I have been given the opportunity to become one of its directors. With the skills I learnt as an A.D.N member and the training I received I was appointed the director of ‘Education & Training’. This has not only boosted my confidence but has also allowed me to help the local community.

One of our successful training courses that we provide is ‘Switched On’ which is an IT course A.D.N. provides in its office. We also run British citizenship workshops, Arabic classes and more recently I approved two more projects‚ which benefits final year English and Maths GCSE students and male adults who are being trained basic IT skills. In the near future, I along with my A.D.N. team, are planning many more projects to benefit the community at large. We hope to work with Newport University to provide more courses for the community at the A.D.N. office. I personally believe that Anondho Dhara has achieved many goals over the past 15 years and would achieve many more over the years.

NAME: Dulal Meah

TITLE: Director of Health and Wellbeing

NOTES: ADN Report. Word Count: 249

As the director of Health and Wellbeing I am responsible for providing information and advice to members of the community regarding there health and showing them how to live a healthy lifestyle. Working with Newport Bangladeshi Women’s Association (NBWA) ADN has provided people with help and support regarding there health over the years. We also regularly provide literature on a range of health issues at our office for the community which are available for free. I have overseen and promoted classes which have taught many members of the community how to live a healthy lifestyle by exercising more and to stop smoking.

I have always been a strong believer in helping the younger generation so that when they are older they do not face the same health problems many of the older generation have and still are facing because they were not given information about how to lead a healthy lifestyle. We have run workshops and classes, sometimes jointly with other organisations, to show the effects of alcohol and drug misuse. All this is part of ADN’s commitment to tackling the problems the youth face today and to help the community at large. Over the years ADN has become an important organisation for the local community especially for the Bangladeshi community as we have and still are providing essential information, advice and support to those who need it. It is for this reason why I was involved with ADN from the very start and will long continue to be.

NAME: Saifur Rahman

TITLE: Youth Secretary

NOTES: ADN Report. Word Count: 371

We must remember that today's youth are tomorrow's leaders, the faces of Britain and for many youths in Newport of Islam too. Work, school, family, religion, sports, and extracurricular activities pull parents and children in many directions. What Anondho Dhara Newport ADN does is to provide support for each youth so that in the future they become the best they can be thus helping not only the local community but also society at large.

Many young people lacking direction and focus often display destructive behaviours such as violence, theft, drug and alcohol abuse and promiscuity. They are often isolated from the ‘root’; their parents and community, therefore are disconnected from the guideposts designed to help them through the difficult years of adolescence. We try to provide a good example, stability and support for these youths.

ADN has achieved these outcomes by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. It has helped many families strengthen there character, develop youngsters into good citizens, and enhance both mental and physical fitness. We expose the youngsters to positive peer groups; provide them with skills and training to help them shape their future.

I can confidently say that the help ADN provides for youths is excellent as I found direction and empowerment at the age of 16 when I became a member of ADN. Ever since then, I have tried to build confidence and support to other youngsters within the local community.

ADN’s Youth Team under my leadership has achieved so much in such a short time. Recently we raised over £1,500 for Charities by organising Charity Dinners, Sports events etc. We have organised outdoor and indoor activities for youngsters to build there team working and leadership skills. More importantly we have shown youngsters how peaceful Islam really is by providing Islamic classes on subjects which they may not talk to there parents about. We have also brought out there creative sides by hosting Islamic Art competitions.

I attend to expand the ADN Youth Team by providing more activities. Some of our future planned activities include: Camping trips, BBQ, Trip to Europe, Football league, Boxing and Martial Art Gym, More Art competitions, Social gatherings [every Saturday], Islamic Culture courses, Attending Islamic lectures, and many more.

NAME: Abdul Jolil

TITLE: Treasurer

NOTES: ADN Report.

In my dual capacity as a director and my role as the treasurer for Anondho Dhara Newport (A.D.N.) for the past 2 years I have been witness to the positive developments that A.D.N. has undergone. My role as treasurer for A.D.N. involves many responsibilities, some of which have been managing and prioritising expenditure, short and long term financial planning – including producing an annual budget and monitoring it throughout the year, paying bills and keeping records of financial transactions, invoicing, regularly reporting to the committee on the financial status of the organisation, putting together and presenting the end of year financial report to the AGM. These multiple responsibilities have been a fine tuned balancing act and keeping on top of this has been an enjoyable challenge. I have learnt a lot with my time with A.D.N.

The two most recent major achievements that have been made are in the form of gaining charity status and also becoming a Limited Company. This has opened up further avenues and allowed us to tap into funding revenues that we weren’t able to access prior to becoming a registered charity. This has made A.D.N. more accountable to the Charity Commission, Companies House and to all the donors of funds which in my view is a step in the right direction to get A.D.N. into becoming a professional and transparent organisation.

It is important to note that A.D.N. currently has no stable forms of income revenue and relies solely on various funding streams to maintain the offices and to continually keep in employment a small number of admin staff, who undertake fundamental admin work, carry out the organisations day-to-day operations and to help A.D.N. grow into a professional body. In my view A.D.N. has used the various funds it receives efficiently, utilising every last penny to allow the best and most effective use of what is very limited funds. We at A.D.N. have done the best with very limited resources in the past and it is because of our love for the community in Newport and A.D.N that it is my belief that we will continue to serve the community no matter what the next few years brings us. It is this love that we have for the community that public and private support for A.D.N. has grown over the years. I feel that the organisation has not yet reached its full potential and with further support and development there is so much more we can achieve and so many more people we can benefit.