About Us
Somali development services (SDS) is a community centre formed in 2001. incorporated in 2004 to support the Somali community, new arrivals, black, minority and ethnic (BAME) people to ensure that they are able to participate and thrive in Leicester city’s economic, social and community life. Since 2017 SDS has been operating as a community interest company (CIC).
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We have a vision where new arrivals are respected, healthy, have choices and equal opportunities.
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SDS was established to safeguard the well-being and human rights of Somali people and other new arrivals in Leicester city through education, advocacy, Information Advice and Guidance, empowerment and support.
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SDS’s values provide a framework within which it operates. SDS is a democratic organisation with a flat hierarchy that encourages participation from all the members.
SDS is a non-political, non-religious and non-profit organisation. It is free from discrimination on any basis.
The organisation is committed to understanding and meeting the development needs of the community by being responsible, effective, responsive, achievement-oriented, collaborative, respectable and respecting others, behaving with integrity, accessible, inclusive, honest and open.
Feedback from AIG users
Our Impact
The vast majority of clients and service users we speak to tell us about how greatly the services at SDS have impacted their lives. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we managed to secure laptops and digital devices to many of the families whose children were being home-schooled as result of the lockdowns. Our Building Better Opportunities and Strive and Thrive projects have transformed the lives of those who have participated. Since their inception, we have helped nearly 170 individuals, gain employment, further their training with qualifications and progress into successful careers and education. Between 2020-21, we have helped some of the most underprivileged youth in our community reintegrate into education, with 114 participants reporting to have had improved their ability to learn. In our 2021 survey, an overwhelming number of our advice, information and guidance service users said that they would rate their experience as ‘Excellent” (68%).
