Thursday, 14 June at SADACCA at 7.30pm

Showing :

‘The Iron wall’: Film on the fragmentation of the Palestinian Gaza Strip by the Israeli authorities, backed by a powerful and brutal military machine—and the huge pain and suffering it is bringing to the defenceless people of Palestine (particularly children—1 out of 10 Palestinians are children under the age of 15.)...

‘Mountains of light’: An inspiring documentary on selfless work of thousands of Cuban doctors in some of the most remote and deprived parts of the world...

PRESS RELEASE

China mission means business

A five-strong Sheffield-led team will be heading east on Monday on a quest for knowledge.

Sheffield Positive Action Training Consortium (SPAT-C) and the city’s Black Business Forum are undertaking a trade mission to Xiamen, China from 6th to 13th September 2004 to coincide with the China International Fair for Investment & Trade (CIFIT) in Xiamen (Fujian province) – 7 11 September 2004.

The trade mission is geared towards ethnic minority entrepreneurs seeking out export/import trade, investment opportunities and towards training providers. There’ll be opportunities to meet and establish direct contacts with local and regional authorities in China for future projects.

Planned activities also include a visit to Hefei, capital of and provincial political, economic, cultural, IT, financial and commercial centre for Anhui province, offering significant prospects to small enterprises and training providers in economic development in Sheffield and also the hosting of the delegation by a small business association in Fujian Province.

The China venture co-incides with a thirteen-week, SPAT-C -run export/import training course to commence in October, launched this week with a ‘taster’ workshop: “Introduction to Trading with China”. The course will combine practical export procedures with a vocational qualification.

Setting the backdrop, Chief Executive of SPAT-C, Satish Sachdeva said: “The Project will seek to establish a ‘bridgehead’ for future development between the Sheffield BME business community and appropriate provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China, in particular within the Province of Fujian and the Municipality of Xiamen, as well as relevant state ministries, commissions, offices, bureaux, and associations in the field of investment opportunities and policy, and introduce investment promotion projects and enterprise products from across China. The visit is a follow up to a prestigious delegation of Chinese experts visiting Sheffield in 2001.

SPAT-C consultant Steve Ayris, who has convened the China mission and the export training added: “It will be an opportunity to consolidate the collaboration developed, for the benefit of social enterprise links between Sheffield and China – for the purpose of this, the itinerary will also include a visit to the township of Hefei, capital of and provincial political, economic, cultural, IT, financial and commercial centre for Anhui province. Hefei is also a key scientific research and educational base in China. This part of the itinerary is planned because the visit will ideally suit the needs of Sheffield’s small entrepreneurs in the retail and wholesale sectors. Yet another proposed event is the hosting of the Sheffield delegation by an association of small businesses in the Fujian Province and the trade & investment setup within the regional government of Guanzhou Province. We have also already received several enquiries about investment opportunities in South Yorkshire from Chinese entrepreneurs, prospects for studentships in the UK and the channelling of UK expertise to Chinese counterparts. Others may emerge after the return of the delegation, and the planned activity is needed so as to fully capitalise on these opportunities (both on behalf of the BME sector and other mainstream interests in Sheffield).”

EDITORS NOTE
The party will depart from Sheffield (Midland Station) for Shanghai, then Xiamen, on Monday at 2.50 pm.

Sheffield Positive Action Training Consortium (SPAT-C) is a Sheffield, UK-based training and economic development agency. One of the long-established economic development and training agencies in Sheffield, delivering vocational training, initially on behalf of the Council, and subsequently under ESF and LSC suppliers’ contracts, its programmes are designed to tackle disadvantages in training and the labour market access facing deprived members of the BME communities, including bona fide refugees. SPAT-C also initiate developments that have a multi-cultural and community cohesion focus.

Contact: Steve Ayris 0114 275 6815 or 07734 130517 sayris@uk2.net , admin@spatc.com

3 September 2004

SPAT-C Is pleased to announce a : Trade Delegation to China During the Annual International Trade & Investment Exhibition organised by the Government of China. From 7 to 12 September 2004.

SPAT-C, alongside the Black Community Forum (BCF), is inviting as many entrepreneurs as possible to participate in this event, so that ethnic minority and other interested entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to see first-hand the openings that exist for trade with Chinese exporters.

Normally the package would cost around £1550 per head. But, as the event is subsidised by the regional government authorities in Shanghai, The estimated cost for one week’s travel, accommodation (including air fares and food) is £1250 per delegate. This represents excellent value for money.

Who is it for?

• Any existing or aspiring ethnic minority or other businessperson who wishes to better understand the Chinese trade environment;

• Those actively looking for export/import opportunities in China;

• Community leaders/others wishing to establish direct contacts with local and regional authorities in China for future projects.

In preparation for this delegation, SPAT-C will hold:-

• a consultation meeting with those who may be interested to be held on Tuesday 20th of July, at 6pm, SYAC Centre Room 12A, all welcome.

• a half-day training workshop arranged with a Chinese trade expert.

Alongside this, SPAT-C will also run:-

• a 10-week vocationally-accredited course under SPAT-C on export/import procedures.

For more information, please contact:
Satish Sachdeva - Chief Executive, SPAT-C or
Steve Ayris – Training Consultant, SPAT-C
on Tel: 0114 275 6815 or e-mail: steveayris@spatc.org

Sheffield Positive Action Training Consortium (SPAT-C) has a number of summer activities planned for Asylum Seekers and also under its Refugee Integration Programme.

These include:

• Children’s and young peoples’ activities (10 – 16 group and 16 – 24 years group): visit by young people to museums, children’s theatre, art and crafts classes, use of computers for artwork, educational, recreational purposes – e.g. design work and computer graphics. Also sports & recreation activities e.g. learning Karate, Volleyball, Football and Swimming etc.

• Language Classes for those with little or no knowledge of English, combined with computer training.

• Activities for Women, through the SPATC organised Women’s Development Forum: bi-weekly meetings on Saturdays where women share their ideas and traditional crafts, problems and solutions e.g. family life, bringing up children, women’s health issues, activities for women such as swimming, walking, jogging. Also a women’s health course, psychological support for stress etc through a qualified expert; women’s art classes etc

• Exhibition of multi-cultural arts and crafts, oil paintings, patina art, calligraphy and sculpting. Primarily reflecting the historical, cultural and current artistic achievements of the Persian/Arabic Diaspora (under the direction of Vahid Sabbaghian our gifted resident artist). Also art forms from different ethnic traditions e.g. African, Latin American, and Indian etc.

• Public multi-cultural musical performances: Mahfil Shaadi – 2003 our annual celebration of music from Iran and the Middle East in September 2003. Also, Festival of Somali dance, poetry and folkloric music – October 2003.

• Training in oil painting, textile design (e.g. Batik) and mural art as an 8 week SPAT-C course – open to children, teenagers and a women’s’ group.

• Training in citizenship/civic education for refugees and asylum seekers as a preparation to integrate in local society.

• Training in recording studio skills for amateur groups or interested individuals from the Asylum Seeker/ Refugee community (people interested in forming musical bands).

For registration, please get in touch with Ann Wells (tel 275 6815) or Amineh Salehi (tel 281 2320). Speak to Amineh for more information.

Click and print the poster below.