A third week

After a week on holiday I went to catch up with Arry Nessa and find out how the Apna programme has been running. The space looked as lovely as ever - laid out in readiness for a Calligraphy workshop this afternoon to be run by Farzana Patel. 

Arry told me that the third week of the Apna programme has continued to be very busy indeed. The Apna Walks programme was understandably weather-dependent, but the sun brought out  a large group of Asian women anxious to walk together and explore the area. Wednesdays Life Skills session had been a big success, and the henna sessions with Habiba Shenza continue to be popular.  Clearly, local interest in the Apna project is still growing, and we've even been able to let a few groups of women use the space to hold their own meetings. 

One of the few worries has been the lack of running water and toilet facilities, but our very helpful landlord, Dr Lal, visited today and met with the Khans, who rent next door's shop (what was the rest of  the Old Natwest Bank!). It looks as if we'll be given a key and so access when necessary to their facilities. 

Our first week - and into the second!

The first week at the Apna has been really eventful. Arry Nessa has done an incredible job organising and managing the project to this point - and now delivering workshops and sessions. In return she has been meeting lots of interesting and interested people; been excited and stimulated by people's enthusiasm and ideas; and enjoyed the positive spirit that everyone has brought to the space. 

Today, for example, she helped Habiba Shenza deliver a busy taster session in mehndi (above). Then after a brief lunch break the first of the Apna Walks took a group of 15 ladies down to Victoria Park and back (starting gently!). Then Janina Cerbetowicz (below) joined her with some examples of her collection of South Asian textiles, including some extraordinary 'War Rugs' - from the Pakistan/Afghan border region, where motifs from today (cars, helicopters, grenades - see the examples below) are combined with traditional shapes and forms. An unsettling symbiosis of the old and the (unfortunately) contemporary. 

The Apna now looks beautiful; it;'s a calm and tranquil place to visit, and the experience of the first week has been that it also fulfils a need for the community...watch this space!

A week on...

A week on and Arry is about to open the doors at the Apna in Haslingden for its third day. The inevitable rush to complete things - getting the graphic displays on the windows; touching up paintwork; filling holes in the skirting boards; that last vac...and more, was hectic and so it was a pleasure to relax on Wednesday morning, sit down, and open up shop.

So far we've had a lot of interest; and visits from friends, neighbours and people from the community - most wanting to find out what Apna@theOldBank was all about. Arry Nessa, helped by Habiba Shenza,  has done a great job in talking to everyone and explaining our hopes for the space, and she's also been able to sign up a few volunteers to support the work and help run classes and workshops - which start next week.

It's worth saying again that the Apna has grown out of the work of the Different Moons project. The main project is continuing to interview and record stories from the South Asian communities locally, and the Apna has developed as we've discovered in the course of our work that so many people, mainly local women from the Asian communities, feel the lack of having a meeting place locally where they can talk, learn, try new skills - and simply meet one another. The Apna is an attempt to see if we can help with this. 

As happy as Arry

Laying carpets has finally transformed our Apna space from a dusty shell into a nicely comfy and welcoming place. This afternoon we went shopping for last minute items - glue, sanding blocks, something to put the water-cooler on and such things - and when we arrived back in Haslingden and opened the front door we discovered that the nice carpet man had finished his work and - well, Arry immediately did an impromptu dance of joy! 

So, a big thank you to Ian at Classic Carpets in Haslingden for his generosity in donating the carpet to the Apna project! Now we're just a few days away from when it opens on Wednesday 5th August and during the first week we're inviting people to drop-in and find out about the centre. Come along and have a chat, pick up a brochure about us and the classes we'll have on offer - and join in!

The key!

We have the key for our new space - APNA@theOldBank - on Deardengate in Haslingden. Yesterday I visited with Habiba Shenza and Arry Nessa (above). There's a lot to do if we want to open in three weeks time. At the moment working on the premises is hampered by having no electricity - as well as no water, but the landlord says he'll have it connected within the next week. 

Meanwhile we've had a new carpet donated, and we're waiting to hear from Rossendale Borough Council and Lancashire BME Network as to exactly what support they'll be able to give us. The success of the pop-up, drop-in centre will largely depend on volunteers and voluntary hep - so if anyone is interested in offering their support, whether its their time, expertise or a donation, then please get in touch. 

A new space in Haslingden

We had an exciting day as we've managed to sign a 3-month lease on a pop-up centre right in the heart of Haslingden - 69 Deardengate! It's the little shop squeezed between Impressions mens hairdressers and the Quick Save convenience store! It once used to be part of Haslingden's National Westminster bank. 

There's lots to be done before we can move in...and with the month of Ramadan about to start we've decided not to open up until later in the summer. But from June onwards we'll be cleaning, painting and furnishing the premises in readiness. 

The idea is to be a community space where people can meet, hold classes and workshops, and have small exhibitions. It's not a large space by any means, and so the focus will be on providing a room and sessions for women from the South Asian communities. Arry Nessa is coordinating the project with support from Horse + Bamboo; if anyone wants to know more then please contact us on 01706 220241 or bob@horseandbamboo.org. Watch this space...!

Mrs Azfar

Recording interviews with some of the first people from South Asia to travel to Rossendale and make it their home is still continuing as part of our project. We've already reached the number we expected, but we're continuing to add a few more interviews from people with unusual stories, and to achieve a good balance of gender and language backgrounds.

Today I went with Shamshad Khan and we interviewed Mrs Azfar. She lives in Weir, near Deerplay, on the moor between Bacup and Burnley - well apart from the South Asian communities at the other end of the Valley, in Haslingden or Rawtenstall. She has spent half a century living and working like this; a life with her own family and children but cut-off from most of the local South Asian community.

To live so apart is unusual in itself, but the Azfars lived and worked a small hill-farm, with 9 acres of land. She and her husband farmed sheep and cows, and she still retains their land which is 1600 feet above sea level. Today the weather was unusually glorious, but it must often have been a hard life. Her story is all the more fascinating as the idea of farming was a dream of her husband, now sadly passed away. He didn't come from a farming background in Lahore, and in fact was a draughtsman when they married - but they saved to fulfil his dream and buy their land in Weir. Finally, when farming was no longer sustainable they built and operated a petrol station across the road, where she says they made many friends. Now she lives with her daughter Ayesha and her husband and family.