Forward Thinking's UK Programme holds meetings in Bolton, Manchester and Leicester, 8th-10th February

Between the 8th-10th February Forward Thinking travelled to Bolton, Manchester and Leicester to hold meetings with Muslim representatives from local grassroots organisations, religious and heritage groups, and open access front-line service providers to discuss the challenges and opportunities currently faced.The meetings explored the excellent and positive community and grassroots projects, which serve disadvantaged areas within inner city areas, promoting youth empowerment, skills, confidence building and interfaith cohesion. Forward Thinking also met with local Muslim youth political activists in Leicester to explore the socio-economic opportunities and challenges faced by a disproportionately marginalised British Somalis. The necessity to further dialogue, address a lack of trust and establish channels for substantive communication with the Establishment to bridge the current gulf was compounded by the worrying levels of anxiety faced by communities.The visit allowed an agenda to be set and confidence to built for a future visit of David Anderson QC, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism legislation, to provide a forum in which to discuss the stigmatising effects of statutory implementations of security led policies which are deemed to be adversely affecting the Muslim community.