Sham-e-Jamei
Thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund, we have been awarded a grant to hold community lunch gatherings:
Sham-e-Jamei.
This marked the first of 20 events which will be held over the coming weeks and months.
We aim to create an inclusive, safe, and welcoming environment in which people can make new friends and form long-lasting bonds with one another.
These gatherings will prioritise bringing together the most isolated and vulnerable members of our community, including the elderly, disabled people, and disadvantaged women.
With it being such a successful start, we hope to see the community grow week by week!
This week as the weather started to brighten up, we decided to invite the community to the park for a picnic, as well as dinner at our community centre.
We hosted a dinner at our community centre which was a great opportunity to catch up with some of our beneficiaries and discuss what further assistance we may be able to provide.
Our dinner event was a celebration of different cultures from across Iran. Many of our guests were new arrivals to the UK who loved that they could attend an event that felt like home. Some even surprised us with a performance of folk dances!
Sham-e-Jamei became more than just a gathering—it offered emotional support, friendship, and practical help to those from disadvantaged backgrounds, refugees and their families, elderly individuals, and people living with trauma or mental health struggles. These weekly events helped service users feel valued and heard while giving younger generations the chance to connect with others who understand the experience of balancing dual cultures.
The success of Sham-e-Jamei was driven by the involvement of our community. Volunteers with lived experience of refugee journeys, local residents, and participants all played a part—whether through helping with organisation, leading cultural activities, or sharing their skills and traditions. We are so grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund for supporting this work, which has strengthened our community, improved well-being, and left a lasting legacy of connection and support.
