Faith is put in new £7m centre

AHEAD of its time . . . how the new community centre could look

A £7million multi-faith community centre could be built in Oldham, if planners give it the green light.

The national charity, UK Islamic Mission (UKIM) has submitted an ambitious design to Oldham Council to convert the derelict Werneth House in Manchester Road, Oldham.

The former Sun Alliance Insurance building was bought by the organisation for just under £4million, and it has spent more than £100,000 preparing the plans.

If it is successful, a further £3million will be spent on turning it into a flagship building, open to people of all faiths.

Several open days will take place at Werneth House starting next week as part of a consultation exercise, and UKIM expects to hear if it can go ahead with the plans by early October.

Project director Abdul Hamid Qureshi said the ambitious plans would see a facility 20 years ahead of its time established in Oldham.

He described it as “unique,” and said the organisation behind it wanted it to be “a flourishing and self-sustaining, vibrant business and community centre.” It will house a restaurant, gym, education centre, book and clothes shops, a welfare service and offices.

It will offer courses to develop leadership for gap year students, and promote peace building and interfaith activity.

Mr Qureshi explained: “It will offer proper, professional training to prepare imams to deliver education in mosques, but no activity will be exclusive to Muslims.

“It will provide a nurturing environment, people will be taught to work hard and gain skills, and it will be open to everyone in the community, whether they are Muslim or not.”

If given the go ahead, the development will bring 70 full and part time jobs to Werneth in a building which has been on the market for four years.

Mr Qureshi said it had began to deteriorate and residents had been complaining about the grounds being used for anti-social behaviour and drug-taking.

Plans for the community centre include a hall for seminars, weddings and other family and community functions, as well as education and business uses.

Courses will be run in partnership with universities, concentrating on areas such as peace, understanding societies, and interfaith studies.

And it will join with partners to offer a mentoring programme to nurture tomorrow’s business, political, education, faith and community leaders.

It will have a prayer space and a designated multi-faith area, in what UKIM believes could be the only initiative of its kind in the country.

The organisation already has 35 mosques across the nation, 6,000 children in education, 70 imams and 100 part-time teachers.

Open days will run on Tuesday (1-5pm), Wednesday (10am-2pm), August 17 (11am-2pm) and August 18 (3-7pm)

Anyone interested is urged to go and find out more about the plans and give their views.

People who want to visit outside those dates can contact Mr Qureshi on 07931762283 or email ahamidq@gmail.com