Building Bridges in Burnley team at St Peters Church with the Archbishop of York for Racial Justice Sunday
Building Bridges in Burnley, trustees and volunteers taking part in the Health and Wellbeing Mela organised by our very own Dr Yasara Naheed. A fun day for all the community held at the Burnley Campus, Barden Lane on 20th May 23.
Building Bridges in Burnley celebrating the Kings Coronation in Queens Park, Burnley. The rain held off and although Burnley were playing at home a good turn out for some fun, food and free activities.
Women for Peace talk on their recent visit to Palestine held at the Faith Centre, Burnley Campus on the 28th February 2023.
A huge honour to be awarded the Medium to Large Community Group of the year Award at the inaugural Burnley Above and Beyond Awards on the 1st March 2023. We dedicate this award to all the volunteers who have been a part of BBB over the last 20 years. A special mention for Peter Pike, Colin Wills, Diana Holden and Mian Abdul Waheed who are no longer with us but played a huge role in shaping the organisation. Fitting also that founding member, Rafique Malik could join us on stage to collect the award.
BBB Annual Fundraising Meal 14th November
Annual fundraising dinner at Aroma in Burnley to kick-start interfaith week. A wonderful evening with friends new and old. Bishop Philip loved his signed Burnley FC football!!
BFC/BBB Football Tournament held 29th October 2022
Another successful annual interfaith tournament in partnership with Burnley FC in the community.
Held at the brilliant #LeisureBox. Big thank you to the parents, volunteers and staff at Cliviger Primary and Daneshouse FC for organising the teams.
It is with great sadness that we inform you that one of our founding members and former Chair of Building Bridges in Burnley Colin Wills MBE has sadly passed away.
Colin was headteacher at Stoneyholme Primary school for many years and after retirement was instrumental in bringing people together through Interfaith work dialogue. Colin served as secretary in the early days and was a member of Lancashire SACRE, helping develop and deliver the RE curriculum in our schools. Colin was passionate about Burnley and was awarded an MBE by her Majesty the Queen for services to his hometown.
Colin will be dearly missed by all that knew him and in particular the Building Bridges in Burnley family.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.
Afrasiab Anwar
Chair
Building Bridges in Burnley
'A proper MP.' Burnley Council Leader's tribute to town's former long serving MP Peter Pike who has died at the age of 84
The Leader of Burnley Council has paid tribute to the town's former MP Peter Pike who has died in hospital at the age of 84.
Coun. Afrasiab Anwar said: "I was really saddened by the news that Peter had passed away.
"When he was MP he was very supportive of the work we were doing at Daneshouse FC and visited our projects on a number of occasions.
I then got to know him through his work with Building Bridges in Burnley, he would always attend and was passionate about promoting interfaith dialogue.
He was at the last online meeting just a few weeks ago, even though he was unwell, and it just shows his commitment to the cause.
I enjoyed our chats about Burnley FC and the Clarets Trust, which he loved and was very passionate about.
He was always someone I could turn to for sound advice particularly when I joined the Labour Party and became a councillor. "
The former Labour Party politician served as MP for Burnley from 1983 to 2005 after joining the party in 1956. A big Burnley FC fan he was chairman of the Clarets' Trust.
Coun. Anwar went on to say Peter was a 'confidante and mentor' to many in the local party and will be missed by all who knew him especially the charities he supported, in particular Emmaus who he would tirelessly organise fundraisers for.
The leader added: "Peter could quite easily have enjoyed a quiet life post retirement but the fact he continued to serve the town and its people is a measure of the man. He was Burnley through and through and as many have said 'a proper MP."
"Peter will be dearly missed and thoughts and prayers are with his family especially Jane and Carol."
Thankyou to Pennine Community Credit Union for the invitation to their AGM and the kind donation of £2500 in memory of trustee Peter Pike. The meeting was attended by our members Cllr Bea Foster, secretary Chris Sollis and Chair Cllr Afrasiab Anwar MBE who was keynote speaker.
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Burnley Council is lighting up Townley Hall in blue and yellow to mark the borough's solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
Meanwhile a peace vigil is being planned in Burnley town centre on Wednesday .
Council leader and chair of Building Bridges in Burnley Chair Councillor Afrasiab Anwar said: "We want to send out a message that we have the people of Ukraine in our hearts and minds during this terrible time.
"We hope that the peace will return to Ukraine quickly and that its citizens can continue to enjoy a life of their choosing under a democratically elected government, not one imposed upon them by another state through force and deadly violence.
"Townley Hall is being lit in the Ukrainian colours to signal our support for the people there in their hour of darkness."
Building Bridges in Burnley is working with the council and faith communities to organise a peace vigil which will be held in the town's Peace Gardens on Wednesday 9th March, starting at 12.30pm. Everyone is welcome to attend the short event.
Town gathers to say a final farewell to former MP who was a 'voice of the the people' for over two decades
Family, friends and fellow politicians were among the congregation of mourners who paid their respects at the funeral of former Burnley MP Pete Pike
A champion for Burnley, the town he loved and called home, a campaigner for social justice and a devoted family man with a 'mischievous' sense of humour
Leading the service and the tributes to Mr Pike, who died last month at the age of 84, the Bishop of Burnley the Rt Rev Philip North described him as man who was passionate about equality, community cohesion and social justice. "He was a man who recognised that everyone is equal and should be treated as such," said Rev North. "In Burnley he worked tirelessly to bring together people from the white and Asian communities together."
The bishop added that while the country was facing a time of political unrest surrounding allegations about the Prime Minister Boris Johnson it was easy for people to say that politicians were all 'in it for themselves' adding:
"The man we are laying to rest today is the antithesis of that. He used his skills and gifts to help others throughout his life and not just as an MP."
The moving service was attended by family, friends, the Mayor and Mayoress of Burnley, Coun. Mark Townsend and his wife Kerry, former politicians and representatives of the organisations and charities Mr Pike was involved with, including Building Bridges in Burnley and Emmaus, Mr Pike's funeral cortege passed Turf Moor.
A devoted Clarets fan, mourners lined the route to pay their respects and Mr Pike's Clarets scarf was draped over the coffin.
Tributes were paid to Mr Pike by both of his two daughters, Carol and Jane, who spoke with affection about him as a loving father and husband to his late wife Sheila. Jane said: "We grew up in a home full of love and we were taught to embrace people from all cultures. My dad stood for his principles of social justice and fairness and his Christian faith was very important to him."
Jane also spoke about her dad's dry humour and great sense of fun including an occasion when she was appearing in a play with Burnley Youth Theatre and her dad shouted from the audience 'that's mine' when he spotted a book Jane holding a book she had borrowed from home to use as a prop.
Among the hymns sang during the service was Love Divine, which has special meaning for the family as it was played at the wedding of the Pikes and also at Sheila's funeral when she died in 2017.
During the service the Leader of Burnley Council Coun. Afrasiab Anwar gave a reading from the writings, sermons and speeches of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and he praised Mr Pike as a 'proper MP.' He said: "I don't mean any disrespect to any of Mr Pike's successors but that is exactly what he was. Growing up in Burnley I knew who Peter Pike was before I even knew what it meant to be an MP. He was a fantastic ambassador for the town and when he got involved in a project he saw it through right to the end and always kept in touch and he was still actively involved with all the projects he took an interest in up until his death."
Personal tributes were paid to Mr Pike, who served the town as MP for 22 years, from 1983 to 2005, by fellow politicians Sir Simon Hughes and Alistair Burt. Although they did not share the same political persuasion the trio became friends through their work to end apartheid in South Africa.
They made several visits to South Africa and met with all sides, treating them with respect and dignity to bring about the end of apartheid.
Sir Simon said: "Peter fought tirelessly and actively against apartheid, it was something that bound the three of us together and resulted in a lifelong friendship."
Jokingly describing themselves as 'The Unlikely Lads' Sir Simon said that, despite Mr Pike's ill health, the trio had even talked about a last trip to South Africa.
Burnley born opera singer Kathleen Wilkinson sang The Lord's My Shepherd and Pie Jesu at the service which was followed by cremation at Burnley.
In honour of the national service he completed with them, the Royal Marines flag was flown at Burnley Crematorium. The committal held there was led by the Rev Paul Payton who is the curate of St Peter and St Stephen's churches in Burnley.
A Memory from one of our Trustees, Sajda Majeed
Such sad news about Peter Pike. My last memory of Peter was in the Town Hall this summer.
That particular sunny Tuesday afternoon at the Town Hall will stay with me.
Peter looked really well. He received the Mayors Medal from Lord Wajid on behalf of Building Bridges in Burnley. As we stood in the Council Chambers he shared stories with us from his time as a Councillor, he made us all smile/laugh.
I finally had the opportunity at the age of 40+ to thank him for showing me around the Houses of Parliament when I was 10 years old.
Our paths had crossed over the years, but I had never had the chance to say thank you for making that particular school trip so special for me. He smiled and said, I am pleased you enjoyed the trip. He genuinely seemed pleased. Lovely man. Rest in Peace Peter Pike.
Members of BBB presenting Revd Liz Jewitt with a framed photo of memories and times spent with BBB.
Liz will be a much missed member of BBB as Liz has been a very much part of the organisation since the beginning. We wish her well on her new ventures.
Building Bridges in Burnley awarded Mayors Award
On June 1st BBB was awarded the Mayor of Burnley's award for their work in the communities during 2020. Five members, Bea Foster, Peter Pike, Christine Sollis, Sajda Majeed and Kaye Turner of BBB were invited to the former Mayor of Burnley, Lord Wajid Khan's parlour to be awarded the medal on behalf of the organisation.
Women for Peace Palestine Burnley Amos Trust- Run the Wall 2021
We joined with other runners and walkers from Palestine and around the world to cover the 750km length of the Israeli separation wall over the weekend of 26 - 27 March 2021. We walked 120km to raise awareness of the human cost of the Wall, to demand freedom of movement for Palestinians and to help raise £15,000 to rebuild a Palestinian home. Please help us. Amos Trust normally takes a team to participate in the Palestine marathon in Bethlehem at the end of March but this year, for obvious reasons, that didn't happen, so instead we ran and walked the wall. The day was a great success raising awareness and funds. Even though we couldn't run or walk together, we can stand together. Thank you for your support.
An evening vaccination clinic took place at St Peter's Health Centre for those with complex needs. A show of great partnership work between COTS [Church on the Street] Pastor Mick Fleming, Clinical Directors Dr Yas Naheed & Dr James Fleming of Burnley East & West Primary Care Network and Building Bridges in Burnley.
Thank you to our Community Covid Champion officer, Christine Sollis for pulling it all together.
Home | The Church On The Street Minstries (cots-ministries.com)
A Ramadan message from Bishop of Burnley, Philip North, for the Muslim community
Children and young people enjoying half term and sharing the message of Covid safety with their parents. Easter eggs being given by the Churches to celebrate Easter with their Muslim friends.
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