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About Us

BRIEF HISTORY:

PYCA was established in 1993 and situated at 58 Earl Howe St, on the corner of Earl Howe Street and Melbourne Road, in the centre of Highfields in Leicester, an inner city area with a largely Asian community. The Pakistan Centre was opened in 1998, with support from the Leicester City Council that provided grant aid to meet building rental until 2004, when the Council stopped funding PYCA. Since then, PYCA has been paying building rent to the council generated by other resources. PYCA provides educational, leisure, advisory and support services to the wider local community in Leicester. Our training programme covers a wide variety of accredited as well as non-accredited courses. PYCA’s importance in the community was acknowledged in 2014 by the local authority who transferred their building asset to the charity as part of the Asset Transfer Scheme. We are an approved Training Centre by University of Cambridge, OCR and NOCN.

ABOUT US:

The Center provides courses, workshops, programmes, leisure, advice and support services to the Pakistani people and to the greater local community in Leicester and surroundings areas. Activities include youth activities, an over 50’s coffee club, educational and language classes, employment skills workshops, women and girls activities, advice and support sessions, community conferences and seminars, social events, health advice and information and keep fit sessions. All these activities are offered in a space which is sympathetic to the needs of our community, and a sheltered environment that particularly young people and women can feel comfortable in.

PYCA works closely with other projects in the area and is a member of the Highfields Area Forum. The Association is part of the sub-group of the Area forum that has developed “The Vision for Highfields and St Mathews”, and is also part of the executives in the development of Leicester’s Cultural Strategy, the only voluntary sector organisation representing the views of the ethnic minority community in the City.

PYCA has referred users to training providers through past ESF, SRB and NRF programs and is now working with adult and further education colleges in Leicester to provide training programs in basic skills for its community. PYCA has also worked closely with the Health Promotion Agency (HPA) in the development of healthy living projects, raising awareness for the importance of preventative measures in major disease prevention and fitness programs to increase health within the Pakistani community, and contributing to community fitness.

PYCA has also given support to other community groups in the area such as assisting a local community group to set up a childcare provision. PYCA has worked with the Princes Trust to help with attracting mentors to the MOSAICS program.

Our Vison: Equality & Progression for ALL
  • Our services are open to everyone regardless of their ethnicity, religion, colour, sex, sexual or political orientation.
  • Our users are from a wide cross-section of ethnicity – the Centre offers a range of services to a wider community, with over 50% of users coming from non-Pakistani communities in the catchment area.
  • We welcome all individuals and communities for a range of services based on community need
Core Values:
  • Actively reaching out to and engaging communities
  • Creating a safe and respectful environment to work and learn
  • Encouraging innovation to support continuous improvement
  • Delivering high quality learning
  • Developing and motivating staff to fulfil their potential
PYCA’s Legal Status:

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee (Company registration number: 4812799), incorporated on 26 June 2003 and registered as a charity (Charity Registration number: 1104329) on 14 June 2004. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association.

Quality Mark Accreditation:
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Mission Statement
“To assist members of the Pakistani and other minority ethnic individuals to develop themselves, in order to participate in mainstream society.”

Summary of objectives and activities
The objectives of the organisation, as set out in its governing document are:
a) To promote the benefit of the Pakistani and the greater community living in Leicester and Leicestershire and neighbourhood (hereinafter referred to as the area of benefit), without distinction of sex or sexual orientation, age or political or religious or other opinions, by associating together the said inhabitants and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to:

  • Provide for education, leisure and cultural needs within the community in the interest of social welfare with the object of improving conditions of life;
  • Provide for educational and training needs;
  • Offer social, recreational and cultural programmes for the community groups and individuals, offering support, advice and leisure activities;
  • Assess and assist individuals to fulfil needs and offer support and advice;
  • Advocate for the needs of the Pakistani community in Leicester to statutory, voluntary, independent and commercial sectors and to represent the Pakistani community as appropriate;

b) To reduce poverty and deprivation
c) To advance religion

How our activities deliver Public benefit
The main areas of our charitable activity and how we deliver public benefit are through the provision of direct services, information and signposting and raising the profile of Pakistani and other BAME communities living in Leicester and surrounding areas, their issues and concerns.

Our direct services aimed at providing support to individuals to develop themselves, in order to participate in mainstream society.

Pakistan Youth & Community Association (PYCA) runs various projects offering Education & Training, Information, Advice & Guidance (IAG), Young Persons Support Programme (YPSP), PYCA’s Social Engagement Programme (PSEP – part of Leicester
Ageing Together Programme), Social & Cultural events, information & signposting schemes.

The board of directors have considered the general guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission and has taken due regard to that guidance. The board consider that they are satisfied that the charity’s activities do provide a wide public social benefit.

 

ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE
Charitable activities

We provide Educational, cultural, social, advice and support services in an environment tailored to specific cultural and religious needs of our community and where young people and women feel confident, comfortable and are encouraged to become lifelong learners.

While offering much-needed services to the local community, PYCA has successfully furthered community cohesion through its inclusive approach towards members of all cultures and backgrounds.

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