MYMN Mother’s Day Event

Blackburn resident Dr Naushad, a practicing Anaesthetist in Lancashire Teaching Hospitals heads the Meet your Muslim Neighbour Blackburn team. Here he writes for the Shuttle about why the group have organised a Mother’s Day event.

A noun that fails to truly capture the lifetime of sacrifices made by one individual; A full time occupation entailing sleepless nights, smelly nappies, whiny kids and a limitless supply of patience and love; The invisible superglue that binds together diverse personalities and remains calm within a storm, A single versatile figure – The mother.

The appreciation for the mother transcends race, culture, caste, religion and nationalities. It is a universal role acknowledged in all corners across the globe. Yet one that remains grossly under-valued.

 

We are a part of a community based voluntary group called Meet Your Muslim Neighbours (MYMN). Our volunteers are from various professional background including doctors, dentists, teachers, opticians, accountants, architects etc with one common objective. Our aim is to build cross cultural bridges between the communities, break down the barriers, so as to enhance social cohesion, foster strong relations and reinstate shared values.

 

As a voluntary organisation, we have organised many successful Open Day events and exhibitions in various museums, libraries, colleges, town centres in and around Blackburn along with conducting school visits. Meet your Muslim Neighbours also supports local food banks, charities and blood banks.

 

We are organising a Mother’s Day event, inviting primary school children across the town to take part in a Poster designing and Poem writing competition culminating to a day-long prize distribution event on the 6^th of March 2016, to pay tribute to their deserving loving mothers with an attempt to bring the communities together.

 

Our local MP and the Mayor and Mayoress have agreed to participate in the prize distribution event on the 6^th of March in Blackburn Central High School Main Hall campus, Blackburn. The event will focus around the whole family with various activities; exhibits for people of all ages, fun arts and crafts tables, along with some mouth-watering snacks and refreshments etc.

 

We have distributed over 3000 flyers to more than 14 schools already, who have come forward to take part in this unique opportunity to tap and explore our young generations talents in paying tribute to their mother. Expecting large number of children participating, we have planned to divide the prize ceremony in to specific time slots from different schools. Winners and their families will all be invited to attend the ceremony on Sunday, March 6, where exhibitions along with various activities for all ages are also planned.

 

This has hugely been a successful event (now in its fourth year) by Meet your Muslim Neighbour’s St Helens team. It has received wide coverage and is a well anticipated event of the year of St Helens. We would like to replicate this in our own neighbourhood to celebrate our similarities and appreciate our differences.