History of SAKOMA

SAKOMA was set up in 2005 to support BME communities in Reading and West Berkshire with statutory consultation.

SAKOMA, along with The Forum, Reading Faith Forum, Reading Children’s and Voluntary Youth Services (RCVYS) and Reading Voluntary Action, is part of the Stronger Together Consortium.  Stronger Together work to ensure that the voice of the voluntary and community sector is able to influence strategic decision-making.

SAKOMA is governed through an elected Executive Committee which consists of volunteers from community leaders. Sakoma also has two paid staff for development and administration purposes.

R-L : Vip Mair (Chair), Owen Muganda(Vice-Chair), Keith Seville(Exec), George Mathew(Development Worker), Cecily Mwaniki(Treasurer), Yasmin Bador(Coordinator), Lukman Harees(Exec), Harish Raichura(Exec), Christine Miriko(Exec)

SAKOMA Representation

Representatives from SAKOMA are elected to sit on statutory and other partnership bodies.  SAKOMA member organisations may nominate paid staff, volunteers or trustees for election to partnership bodies at the SAKOMA AGM. 

SAKOMA representatives work on a number of statutory and voluntary and community sector partnerships working for children and young people, older people and for people with drug, alcohol, disability and health-related issues. Among the bodies that Sakoma is represented in are: Ethnic Minority Forum, Stronger Together Consortium, UNI, Reading Older People Partnership (ROPP)

If you would like an issue that is being addressed by your group discussed at a strategic level, please contact the Sakoma Executive Commitee at exec@sakoma.co.uk

Building For Strength

The Building for Strength (BfS) is a three year project of which Sakoma is one partner out of the six infrastructure organisations involved. A key outcome of the project is to increase the capacity of organisations especially harder to reach, less represented smaller groups by enabling them to develop services.
Please contact George Mathew, the Sakoma Development Worker at GMathew.sakoma@rcre.co.uk or call 0118 99510279

Stronger Together

Sakoma is part of the Stronger Together consortium of Fora (including The Forum, Reading Faith Forum and RCVYS in addition to Reading Voluntary Action) that ensures that the voluntary and community sector is able to influence strategic decision-making.
Please contact Yasmin Bador, the Sakoma Coordinator at yasmin@strongertogether@org.uk or call 0118 9584849.Please see www.strongertogether.org.uk