Since 2005, the Somali Community Parents Association has been working closely within the Leicester BME community in an effort to improve the lifestyles of the people, and since officially being registered as a charity in 2009, SOCOPA has raised their game and now aim to broaden their reach. SOCOPA has no direct priorities as far as providing a service is concerned, as they tackle numerous issues that affect the community, and whilst there is no discrimination between BME sectors, there is a slight focus upon the Somali community, dealing with the youth of community as well as the older generation and the elderly.

 

Where the youth are concerned, SOCOPA runs regular study support classes in an effort at improving their chances of success in life, hiring qualified professionals to teach key areas of the curriculum such as English Maths and Science as well as the Somali language. 

Furthermore, there are regular sports activities run for the youth in a bid to promote team building and leadership skills, as well as raising the standards of physical health. Football and Table Tennis have proved popular amongst the youth for a long time now, and regularly draw in large numbers of young people to take part. SOCOPA also provides internet services to the youth for social and study needs.

 

The older members community regularly use the centre to aid with job searches, with SOCOPA providing not only the internet and computer related sources to aid with a job search, but also providing services regarding training and skills development to improve the skills of the public. Professionals frequent the centre to pass on their knowledge and help where they can, with driving instructors also providing relevant information to help with driving theory. Furthermore, the Somali Community Parents Association provides ESOL courses for those learning to speak English, in an attempt to help an isolated community merge with modern society.

SOCOPA also offers advocacy services to members of the public, helping them deal with important documentation and essentially empowering them to help theselves.

 

SOCOPA has previously worked successfully with VAL (Voluntary Action Leicester) in delievering numerous schemes and courses, and is currently working in co-operation with NLDC and Leicester College to deliver a number of important services to the public as efficiently as possible.