Book: Environments for All Chapter: 4.0 Case studies Section: EfA in Leicester Metadata: Details Buy this book

Leicester is a richly diverse city and the EfA team has worked to bring the different communities together through projects that link different faiths, different social backgrounds and cultures.

An initial project worked closely with three main groups: Gujarati Muslims, Gujarati Hindus and Sikhs. While the project crossed religious boundaries the groups shared similar backgrounds. The opportunity for these groups to engage with each other to discuss their environment proved very successful and a Rangoli garden was created.

Other projects have followed, including:

1. Staff helped the Braha Samaj Community Centre and BTCV to organise events for the Nauratri and Diwali Celebrations. Approximately 50 families attended every night for the duration of nine nights. The Nauratri evenings included worship, religious dancing and informal environmental awareness training. The Diwali celebrational event brought about 325 people together and also drew in several environmental groups.
2. In Braunstone (near Leicester), the EfA team worked in partnership with the first Asian mayor for the town to run an environmental Multicultural Day in March 2004. This celebration of diversity also highlighted the value of joint working by the voluntary and statutory sectors in Leicester and Leicestershire.

The project began in 2001 and issues around cross-cultural understanding have improved steadily, thanks to the determination of community volunteer officers. One worker said: 'The best by-product of our work is that many entrenched negative values and beliefs are gradually eroding.This is happening because our work gives people from all parts of the community a chance to get to understand each other while improving the environment. We have made great strides towards eradicating many of the "isms", such as racism, sexism, homophobia and islamophobia.'

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