Ashiana is the Urdu word for nest - a safe nurturing place for growth and development, which is indicative of the approach and atmosphere we have tried to apply here at Ashiana. Our aim is to improve quality of life for those living in Sparkbrook, by creating opportunities for improvements to their social, physical and economic wellbeing, and supporting them to achieve their aspirations. Ashiana Community Project is a registered charity based in the heart of Sparkbrook, Birmingham. It was established by local residents in 1997 to offer a community resource that is inclusive to all local people. Sparkbrook grew rapidly in the late Nineteenth Century in the latter part of the Industrial Revolution with private housing originally mainly occupied by the more affluent skilled working class employed in Birmingham's manufacturing sector. The area became home to newcomers to the City and, for some, the UK; firstly a substantial Irish community settled in the area and then, since 1945, the areas has attracted settlers from New Commonwealth countries. The largest representation is currently Pakistani and Pakistani/Kashmiri ethnic background. Birmingham is the UK's second city and continues to attract a large number of students and migrating families from a wide variety of ethnic, educational, religious and cultural backgrounds. Even so, or perhaps because of it, several Birmingham wards have been highlighted as deprived poor areas
