An interview with Mo Tarrah, group member

What type of project / service / group are you?

Community Group

What activities or services do you provide?

We promote environmental activities and emphasize the links to health benefits of such activities. One of the main activities we do is promoting healthy eating, gardening and recycling. We are currently running an allotment project where we encourage Somali families to take part so in the future they can eventually have their own allotments and grow their own organic vegetables.

We are a volunteer driven organisation and we are aiming to retain some of our volunteers so as we can offer them employment in the future

Are your services targeted to a specific group of people?

We mainly target Somali families but we also try to use our allotment as an integration tool to bring other communities together

Are your services targeted to people living in a specific area?

Yes, they are targeted to people living in Slough

When did your project / service / group came into being? How did it all start?

The group started in 2005. I came in contact with Fabiola from The Seeds Trust and through her we managed to rent an allotment plot in Chalvey. There were 2 other key organisations that helped us develop, namely Slough Race Equality Council and Slough Council for Voluntary Services. We managed to secure two grants with the help of those organisations – Awards for All and Community Champions.

What are you most proud of in terms of your achievements?

Personal development of the volunteers and the management committee of the group is one of our most important achievements.

What are your goals for the near and distant future? Where do you see your work / project in a few years' time?

The sky is the limit – watch this space for future developments.

Somali Environment Action Group Contact Details: 

Address: FOR CORRESPONDENCE ONLY C/O 1st floor, 29 Church Street, Slough, SL1 2PP
Telephone: 01753 576 996 / 01753 578 877
e-mail: mohadtarrah@yahoo.co.uk
Preferred method of contact: e-mail
Entry updated: 27/03/2006