About BDA
Dedicated to sustainable development, educational empowerment, clean water access, and humanitarian relief in Balanbal, Somalia.
Balanbal Development Association
Area of Benefit: Somalia, Kenya, United Kingdom
Background & Context
Planning & Transformation
The Board and staff of Balanbal development Association have, since 2007, embarked upon a process of contemplation and planning that has transformed the current activities and facilities offered by the Centre to enable it to better serve its communities.
Our Vision
“To be a welcoming, living, neighbourly community in Spinney Hill Ward Leicester for all people to contribute to working, playing and learning together for their mutual benefit and wellbeing.”
Our Mission
- Provide a community centre that is a hub for local people and organisations to work, play and learn in Spinney Hill Ward Leicester.
- Provide and enable services that are delivered to a high standard and are open to all.
- Provide a direct voice for and on behalf of residents to ensure that local services that they identify as required are provided to meet their needs.
- To relief of poverty, sickness and distress.
- The advancement of education and training.
- We empower the Somali Communities and local residents to confront some of the problems they may experience including unemployment, poor housing in inner city areas, racial abuse and cultural alienation.
Core Values
Welcoming
The Balanbal development Association will provide a caring environment so that all visitors, service users and employees will feel welcome and at ease from the moment, they enter the Centre.
Equality
All people have an equal right to access high quality advice, support and service appropriate and respectful to their needs, irrespective of their gender, ethnic origin, health needs, age, sexual orientation or economic circumstances.
Mutual
Balanbal development Association will collaborate in a process of partnership underpinned by mutual respect with visitors, service users, service providers and employees to create a centre and services that reflect their concerns and aspirations.
Transparent
Balanbal development Association will be open and honest in all its dealings and its performance monitored, evaluated and reported to the public via an Annual Report and Annual General Meeting.
Inclusive
Balanbal development Association will establish a supportive environment for individuals, families, and communities, bringing together complementary services and activities that will address the widest possible range of needs ‐ emotional, mental, physical and spiritual.
Non-Judgmental
Balanbal development Association will establish and promote the Centre as a community hub for all visitors and service users offering impartial, practical and high quality advice, information and support on the widest possible range of issues.
Creative
Balanbal development Association will promote the Centre as a creative and dynamic environment that will encourage self-expression, the development of life skills and lifelong learning.
Adaptive
Balanbal development Association will ensure that the range of services on offer will reflect the changing needs of the community, based on regular feedback and review and responsive to change.
Exemplary
Balanbal development Association will deliver the highest quality services exceed statutory requirements. Balanbal development Association will develop the expertise of its staff to become a centre of excellence in all it does and will share its expertise.
Empowering
Balanbal development Association believes that individuals should be empowered to make their own independent choices in life and have a greater influence on the decisions affecting their life. Balanbal development Association will encourage visitors and service users to be self-directed towards making their own decisions that affect their own quality of life.
Current Work & Context
Since 2007 when the Centre opened and to the present day, the charity and the area have changed enormously. The charity, which has been almost entirely reliant on its own investment endowment to provide income to fund the building and services, has suffered from the effects of lower investment returns and high wage inflation. As a result, rather than withdraw increasingly expensive services from very vulnerable users, Balanbal development Association has operated in deficit for a number of years. The local area has also changed and it is no longer true to say that, older people have the greatest needs in the area. Overseas refugee families and lone parents are a common feature of the local area, and have equally pressing needs.
Successful UK Projects (Since 2007)
- Spinney Hill ward social cohesion multi cultural event date (19/06/2009)
- Community cohesion Multicultural event (26/09/2009)
- Arts, Craft, training for management committee (2009)
- Somali Youth Project (2009)
- After School Club for children between the ages of 7 to 14 years old (2008-2011) in Maths, English and Science (2 hours every weekday)
- Advice and information services to unemployed people
- Livelihood project implementation funded by Muslim Hands United For the Needy
- Skill training for youth (masonry, carpentry, plumbing and tailoring) funded by Somali Diaspora in UK
Successful Somalia Projects
- Orphanage in Somalia: 120 children (35 female and 85 male aged between 6 to 15 years)
- Mother Child Centre: £1,800.00 provided every month as salary, with UNICEF supplying medicines
- September fundraising event raising over £10,000 from local community for needy in Somalia
- August 2011 fundraising event raising over £20,000 from local community for needy in Somalia
- 2014 water trucking project and rehabilitation of shallow wells and Barket funded by Community Concern
- Livelihood project funded by MUSLIM HANDS UNITED FOR THE NEEDY in 2016 and 2017
Sector Expansion & Strategic Scope
The charity had previously only engaged in the humanitarian and development sector, but its board of directors approved its expansion into the other two sectors in September 2021. The development and humanitarian sectors, The Economic Sector: Research & Development. In the field of security and reconciliation, research and capacity building are crucial. BDA is dedicated to providing immediate humanitarian aid to those in need and poor people in order to help them construct health, education, nutrition, training, employment, social development, humanitarian, emergency, as well as co-creating longer-term prospects for sustainable growth and realizing people's potential. The BDA encourages the development of agriculture and fishery, infrastructure, livestock, economic empowerment, natural resources (oil, gas, and minerals), energy (wind, solar, and other sources), and climate change forecasting. The BDA's mission is to save lives and help individuals in difficult-to-reach places satisfy their basic requirements. The BDA has been teaching people in areas such as peace and reconciliation, human rights, national minorities, federalism, religion, good governance, democratization, policing methods, counter-terrorism, and environmental initiatives.
Charitable Objects
- A. The advancement of education and training
- B. The relief of poverty, sickness and distress
- C. The promotion of good health
- D. The provision of recreational facilities in the interest of social welfare with the object of improving their conditions of life.
Governing Document
Full text of the charity's governing document:
Activities — How the Charity Spends Its Money
To promote the benefit of the people of Galgaduud Galmudug and other regions in, Somalia by: (a) the advancement of education and training; (b) the relief of poverty, sickness and distress; (c) the promotion of good health; and the provision of recreational facilities in the interests of social welfare with the object of improving their conditions of life.
Income & Expenditure
£11,560
£11,060
What, Who & How the Charity Helps
- Education / Training
- The Advancement of Health or Saving of Lives
- The Prevention or Relief of Poverty
- Overseas Aid / Famine Relief
- Arts / Culture / Heritage / Science
- Amateur Sport
- Environment / Conservation / Heritage
- Economic / Community Development / Employment
- Children / Young People
- Elderly / Old People
- People with Disabilities
- People of A Particular Ethnic or Racial Origin
- Provides Human Resources
- Provides Services
Body of BDA — Organizational Chart
The operational framework uniting executive governance, specialized administration, and community program departments.
Chair
Board of Trustees (5 Trustees)
Saynab Abdulahi Gele
Trustee
Appointed: 17 July 2011
Ubah Afrahman Egal Nur
Chair
Appointed: 17 July 2011
Hashi Abdi
Trustee
Appointed: 10 November 2021
Mahad Arabey Hashi
Trustee
Appointed: 10 September 2008
Farah Bashir Sh Hussein
Trustee
Appointed: 10 November 2021
Want to be part of our journey?
Your support can help us accelerate progress and bring hope to more families in Balanbal.