Purbanat CIC has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

It is our great pleasure to inform you that, Purbanat CIC has been awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Purbanat started its journey in 2014 as a theatre group. Over the years, Purbanat extended its activities to the other areas of arts and creative activities. Purbanat identifies and engages its targeted communities responding to the issues that affect the communities using arts and creative activities as tools.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh Independence, Purbanat is collecting oral history from the Birmingham-based activists during 1971 and to archive them in Birmingham Library. Purbanat is also running regular sessions for the local women and children from their Small Heath office including music, fitness, films, sewing etc. Purbanat is also a recognised centre for Arts Award for young people, provided by Trinity College London.

During the pandemic, Purbanat expanded its activities beyond arts and responded quickly to help the community. An emergency hotline was opened for vulnerable community members to provide support from shopping to mental health during lock-down and isolation. This support was received by approximately 200 families in Birmingham. Purbanat also arranged weekly online sessions for non-English speaking community members to disseminate the right information about COVID and ran promo videos in different languages to encourage community members to vaccinate. Purbanat's efforts were highly appreciated by the Cabinet Office.

Purbanat proudly appreciates being able to engage more than 100 volunteers who contribute a huge number of voluntary time to support Purbanat’s programme on and off basis. Our diverse volunteers’ age group is 7 to 64.

Our projects are run primarily by qualified and experienced arts practitioners with our volunteer team (we have volunteers with theatre and art teaching qualifications and experience in delivering arts activity; JNC Youth Work qualifications, Social Workers, Counsellors, and others qualified to deliver the Youth Achievement Awards & Arts Awards). We work closely with other art organisations delivering arts-based activity in the community.

Murad Khan, Our CEO AND Artistic Director said: ‘’ I am happy that this highest Award for Voluntary sector in the UK is for our volunteers who do extra for the community. This Award will inspire us to better coordinate the volunteers and develop skills and expertise so that these valuable efforts can be utilised more for the communities and volunteers as well.’’