Working For A Brighter Tomorrow.
Over the last 25 years EMCA has worked with some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups including Children, elderly and Women to give them most needed services and support. in order to realise its objects eMCa has worked closely with many charitable organisations, local authorities and local business for the benefit of the wider community.
Since establishing the Centre of excellence – al-nagashi Masjid and Centre – EMCA was able to provide essential services to the Muslim community in london, providing Prayer facility, lectures, nikah services, afterschool classes and ramadan and eid celebrations.
al-nagashi Centre is now a household among eritreans and local Muslims. it has become their first destination for religion obligations and holding their events and occasions.
Location/User Community
ALNAJASHI CENTRE is ideally located within it is grassroots community member; currently over 22 different language user, the centre is also surrounded by local service user. The centre is walking distance from Vauxhall Underground/ over ground Station, and centrally located to the area as a whole. This has resulted in increased levels of users over the last year as the publicity and a range of its services have increased. The area still has an acute extent of deprivation, which is measured by the proportion of the local authority population living in the 10% most deprived ward in England, ranked Lambeth as 79th and (13th in London). Lambeth has 3 wards in the top 10% most deprived wards and 16 (almost three quarter of all wards) in the top 20%.
Stockwell has one of the highest numbers of people with poor health amongst people without long- term limiting illness.
Stockwell had the largest increase in people under 16 between 1991 and 2001, whilst all other wards had decreases. A low proportion of these are in married families and many are in single parent households.
Stockwell is one the most deprived wards, with one of the highest proportions of deprived households, and the highest proportion of severely deprived households.
The current premises lease has run out and there is no clear security arrangement for the organization existence. However, we have pressed hard for a new lease to be accepted but negotiation was stalled and the council did not demonstrate an understanding of community value Surveyors and building consultants were commissioned to provide recommendations and estimates.
As a result of their reports, the need for major and urgent renovation work was identified in 2008. The building work was split into 3 phases. The first two phases covered work that was essential to the upkeep of the deteriorating buildings/ roof and in some cases may cause Health and Safety issues in some areas. Phase I was completed 2008. Phase II needs to be started concurrently and its start are currently subject to the appropriate funding being secured. Phase III is planned after securing the purchase of the building.
The offices, training and general user is insufficient for the current needs of EMCA- Alnajashi centre user. With forecasted growth of approximately 12% annually in the user community, possible alternative solutions were exhausted and being looked at. This mean it is vital for the EMCA to expand it is available space moreover, the needs of the community is increasing year after year therefore it is in the council interest to support the sustainability of Alnajashi centre services and to support the purchase of the building to continue to become a centre of excellence.
