Initiatives
Mosaic - a Muslim mentoring network
Mosaic works towards a more integrated and thriving society where all individuals, regardless of background, are supported in realizing their potential.
Mosaic was founded by HRH The Prince of Wales and convened in November 2007 by Business in the Community, one of The Prince’s Charities, to challenge the growing concern around the issues facing young Muslims living in deprived areas of Britain.
Mosaic’s key concerns, as outlined by The Prince, are twofold. Firstly in supporting young Muslims and their peers between the ages of 5 and 25 years old who, through no fault of their own, lack access to opportunities in order to maximize their potential to make a positive contribution to society. Secondly, to address the misunderstanding that has arisen between the Islamic and Western worlds in recent years.
It runs mentoring programmes in primary and secondary schools, and works increasingly with young offenders.
Muslims constitute nearly 12 per cent of the male and female prison population, almost 4 times their representation in the total population, with some 10,000 Muslims in custody on remand or serving custodial sentences. There is growing evidence of the particularly acute difficulties faced by Muslim prisoners returning to mainstream society given the social stigma and, as a consequence, their vulnerability to negative influences.
It is possible to get involved with the work of Mosaic by becoming a mentor. Some examples of mentoring work include:
- Mentoring selected pupils through one-to-ones, group mentoring & e-mentoring in schools and community groups
- Delivering motivational speeches to pupils and teachers in school assemblies
- Offering work placements to young Muslims who may not have the social networks to gain such opportunities
- Inviting young people into your organisation on a site visit to gain an insight into the workplace.
- Providing support and guidance to Muslim Community leaders