CHAI stands for Care, Help And Inspire and that is what we aspire to do.
The CHAI Project runs groups in schools. The CHAI groups are open to all women who have children or grand children at the school. Our Ethos is if you get the parents wellbeing right the children’s wellbeing will follow.
Current Projects
The CHAI Project runs groups in schools. The CHAI groups are open to all women who have children or grand children at the school. Our Ethos is if you get the parents wellbeing right the children’s wellbeing will follow. We currently have 4 groups running in Oldham (Term-Time):
Monday
Roundthorn Academy
Tuesday
Werneth Primary School
Thursday
Broadfield Primary School
Friday
Greenhill Academy
If you are interested in attending any of our groups or would like one set up in in your school contact us using the form
Past Projects
British Council
Active Citizens Programme 2017 to 2018
Working with Oldham Coliseum and the British Council the Active Citizens programme was ran with the CHAI Project. 36 participants -CHAI ladies were trained up as active citizens and they then ran their own social action projects successfully. As part of this project we hosted an international delegation of 6 people from different countries for 5 days in Oldham. Also 2 chai ladies went to visit Sri Lanka for 10 days to see the social action projects there and share. Also 2 ladies went on a week long residential in London to learn about social action and share theirs.
Diabetes Awareness
Active Citizens Programme 2017 to 2018
Working with Oldham Council and Public Health, over a period of nine months the Greenhill CHAI women researched the causes, dispelled myths, learned about symptoms, treatments and management and more importantly about the prevention of diabetes. Knowledge was gained about nutrition and healthy eating. The end product was a healthy family cookbook filled with favorite recipes. 2400 copies of the book have been published and given out in the community. We have also been in the news on freeview channel. The book is downloadable for free hence the out reach has been in thousands:
https://www.oldham.gov.uk/cookbook
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9XnBIToUc4&feature=youtu.be
https://www.oldham.gov.uk/cookbook
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9XnBIToUc4&feature=youtu.be
Kindness in the community Project 2013
Working with Oldham Council Arts Development team, The Greenhill CHAI Project produced a rap video with a strong message on kindness in the community. Where we the chai ladies to write the rap, perform in the video, the video has been viewed more than 3000 times on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQq0aTTND9Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQq0aTTND9Y
The Southbank Centre, Alchemy Festival, Oldham Coliseum 2015
In 2015 Greenhill CHAI Project were part of the participatory strand of the touring Alchemy Festival working with the Director Celebrity Hardeep Singh Kholi we produced a piece of theatre called: Knives, Forks and Fingers. The play celebrated the timeless bond between the generations of women through the filter of food. Najma Khalid also performed professionally in the play. The play was toured to 4 cities, London, Doncaster, Birmingham and Oldham. This project led CHAI to take Oldham stories to a National Platform where we reached out to hundreds inspiring them through theatre, we brought celebrities like Hardeep Singh Kholi, Harvey Verdi, Anjali Mohindra to Oldham who performed stories of Oldham women.
https://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/91811/women-play-their-part
Fundraising
Each year the CHAI Project is involved in fundraising, this includes events for the Macmillan’s Coffee Mornings, Comic relief, and RETRAK Charity etc. We also cook and sell food and brick a brac at school fairs to fundraise. We have also organised sponsored treks of Ingleton Waterfalls 8km trek (over 50 women attended). We have also provided new clothing items, sleeping bags and food items to Oldham Street Angels UKEFF local Oldham Charity and Manchester Synagogue, which support the homeless and needy.
In 2017 we fundraised and transformed two villages in Pakistan, helped 26 widows and 200 children at an orphanage. Najma Khalid and a chai lady went to Pakistan with a group of 4 other volunteers to carry out the work on the ground.
In 2016 we raised £1300 for street children in Africa (Retrak Charity) by doing a sponsored 8km trek of Ingleton waterfalls
In 2017 we fundraised and transformed two villages in Pakistan, helped 26 widows and 200 children at an orphanage. Najma Khalid and a chai lady went to Pakistan with a group of 4 other volunteers to carry out the work on the ground.
In 2016 we raised £1300 for street children in Africa (Retrak Charity) by doing a sponsored 8km trek of Ingleton waterfalls
Breast Cancer Awareness 2018
Working with Prevent Breast Cancer and Dr Siema Iqbal as part of breast cancer awareness we held an event at Greenhill Chai to raise awareness of breast cancer.
AF Testing 2018
6 CHAI ladies were trained up by Health Innovation to be AF Ambassadors. A pioneering approach to improve detection of Atrial Fibrillation (AF) the chai ladies are now using the pioneering approach to improve detection of Atrial Fibrillation (AF), this potentially-lifesaving mobile heart monitor to test those in their community and beyond.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gnyag6pnd0
Theatre Events
We have ran many projects bringing communities together promoting the message of cohesion and peace. This includes visits to Manchester Synagogue, Church, Temple bringing Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Christian women together to share stories and faith.
Theatre
Oldham Coliseum- ‘The dinner Table” 2017
The Greenhill CHAI ladies were involved in a theatre production; the play was written, directed, produced and performed by the CHAI ladies themselves. The Play covered themes such as identity and was performed on stage at the Oldham Coliseum
Theatre
Safety First 2018
In 2018 Najma wrote, directed and produced a play on Internet Safety. The Hortonmill CHAI ladies and a local Police Constable performed the play for the children and staff at Hortonmill Primary School raising key awareness.
Theatre
Equal but Different 2012
In 2012 Najma wrote, directed and produced a play around community cohesion, prejudices and bullying. The Greenhill CHAI ladies performed the play for the children and staff at Greenhill Academy raising key awareness.
Theatre
Equal but Different 2012
In 2012 Najma wrote, directed and produced a play around community cohesion, prejudices and bullying. The Greenhill CHAI ladies performed the play for the children and staff at Greenhill Academy raising key awareness.
Community Cohesion Events
We have ran many projects bringing communities together promoting the message of cohesion and peace. This includes visits to Manchester Synagogue, Church, Temple bringing Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Christian women together to share stories and faith.
Cohesion Event
International Women’s Day 2017
The Women’s CHAI Project brought women together, from the Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, and non-faith. The chai ladies cooked and shared food with all the guests that attended, there was sharing of faith, culture and poetry.
Cohesion Event
We stand Together 2016
Working with greater Manchester Police the CHAI ladies ran an event bringing people from all walks of life together to celebrate diversity and learn about the importance of reporting hatecrime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8DgA3TWsvE
Cohesion Event
We stand Together 2017
We Stand Together Demo outside Kosher Restaurant, which was victim of hate crime. Chai got participants to write messages of peace and unity and made a display of these outside the restaurant. 2016 – Chai ladies attended a we stand together event at a Manchester Synagogue where we learnt all about the Jewish faith and shared stories of ours. 2016 – Gita Bhavan Temple Visit – we attended an event to learn about the Hindu faith.
Cohesion Event
Muslim and Jewish Women 2016
Tea and storytelling, ‘season of twinning’ event; with Oldham Muslim & Cheshire Jewish women. The CHAI ladies visited a synagogue in Manchester and shared stories over tea, uniting women.
https://ffeu.wordpress.com/2016/11/18/tea-and-storytelling-season-of-twinning-event-with-oldham-muslim-cheshire-jewish-women-in-the-uk/
Cohesion Event
World War 1 Centenary 2018
The Roundthorn CHAI ladies put together a fresh flower display to mark the centenary end of WW1 and remember all the soldiers that fought. This was displayed at the flower festival at St Ann Church Oldham
Cohesion Event
Festival Oldham– Flags 2017
The Chai Ladies designed giant sized flags, which reflected unity and cohesion; these were displayed in the Oldham Parish Church grounds for the Oldham Festival.
Cohesion Event
Annie Kennie Statue Oldham 2018
The CHAI ladies made rosettes and wore these, and were part of a demonstration through Oldham Town Centre remembering the suffragettes and the importance of women having a voice and voting
Cohesion Event
Manchester St Ann’s Square visit 2017
After the arena bombings the CHAI ladies attended St Ann’s Square to pay condolences, and then with the banner “Spread Hummus, not Hate” talked to people about unity and peace.
Cohesion Event
Oldham Library Book Mark Festival
In 2015 The CHAI Project ran a storytelling session In Oldham Library where we shared our childhood stories with the public and got them to share their stories too. In 2016 we had an exhibition of poems that the CHAI ladies had written and silkart paintings and read our poems to the audience. We had over 100 members of the public attend
Cohesion Event
Oldham Library Eid Event 2017
Working with the CHAI group and Oldham Library we organised an event, we produced Islamic calligraphy art, exhibited this at an event, where we shared food, sang nasheeds, read poetry, had discussions on faith, had activities for children, shared food with the community. Promoted the message of Cohesion and Unity
Mental Health Awareness
We have ran many projects bringing communities together promoting the message of cohesion and peace. This includes visits to Manchester Synagogue, Church, Temple bringing Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Christian women together to share stories and faith.
Mental Health Awareness
Mental Health Awareness 2013 to current
We regularly have Dr Siema Iqbal from Ask DOC attend our CHAI groups to raise awareness around mental health issues and other health issues
Mental Health Awareness
Adult Mental Health First Aid Certification
In 2018 , 13 Chai ladies were trained up as mental Health First aiders
Mental Health Awareness
Mental Health Awareness 2017
Working alongside Maqsood Ahmed of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, we ran workshops with women from the chai project and Tameside Newton Heath Bangladeshi women’s group to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing.
Mental Health Awareness
Mental Health Awareness 2014
Consultant Psychiatrist DR Nojural Chowdhury from the NHS raised awareness of mental health issues effecting south Asian communities at a CHAI Project event.
Mental Health Awareness
Mental Health Awareness 2014
Consultant Psychiatrist DR Nojural Chowdhury from the NHS raised awareness of mental health issues effecting south Asian communities at a CHAI Project event.
