Servitude – Sunnah Trust

Servitude

Youth Leadership Programme

‘Servitude’ is Sunnah Trust’s one-year leadership programme which is aimed at young people from diverse backgrounds. Our aim is to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge in core leadership, as well as provide them with the experience and tools to apply and utilise these skills in their lives and communities. The programme allows young people to open up and understand contemporary issues and challenges they face and enables them to deal with these issues. Rather than focusing on any specific school curriculum, Servitude offers an exciting series of interactive workshops, energetic activities and fun-filled challenges. Servitude is specifically designed to inspire and enable each and every student to uncover their unique abilities.

The programme gives students the opportunity to discover their own potential by developing interpersonal and leadership skills, increasing their self-confidence and acquiring the motivation and ability to solve problems, resolve conflicts and bring about change. To raise aspirations and self-confidence in our participants, we organise regular trips and visits to various companies. Once our participants have completed the programme, they will be encouraged to utilise all that they have learnt to serve their communities by developing their own social action fundraising campaigns.

The programme is centred around the leadership qualities displayed by the Prophet (saw). In the words of the late Nabeel Al-Azami: ‘The prophet famously said ‘the leader of a people is their servant’- as such a leader should not be self-serving; rather, a leader should take an approach where they are seeking to serve others. In another narration, the Prophet said: ‘God will continue to assist his servant, as long as the servant is assisting his brother’. Hence, a person is deserving of Allah’s help and support when they are in service of others.’

Programme content

The following content is covered and more;
Skills and attributes of a leader and how to communicate effectively
Team building challenges/apprentice tasks
Youth conflict, productivity and positivity
How to influence and motivate others
Public Speaking and Ted Talks
Umarah’s Legacy Fundraising Campaign
Community Event

Trips include:

Willowbrooke Farm
Stubbers
Cambridge University and Masjid
Bloomberg
Bake off
Kingswood Residential
Snowdonia

INFORMATION QUESTIONS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I apply for the programme?

If you would like to apply for the programme please contact us via email admin@sunnahtrust.co.uk. All applicants must complete an application form. If the application is successful, students will be invited to attend an interview to assess their suitability for the programme. Please note, the programme is only for young people aged 13-16 years old.

What is the course fee?

The fee for the programme is £250, with £50 (+admin fee) and will cover the following;

All sessions and course materials

All trips and transportation

Weekend residential

Is there a discount?

The programme has been heavily subsidised, and along with regular sessions and trips, so unfortunately we are unable to offer any discounts. We can, however, offer further subsidies to those unable to afford the full price. We welcome you to email us at admin@sunnahtrust.co.uk and we will review each case on its merit.

When will sessions be held?

Sessions will be held once every fortnight. On occasions some trips will be held during school holidays. Parents will be notified in advance.

Is there segregation in the classroom?

There is no physical barrier segregating the boys and girls in the classrooms, although they will be seated separately. We expect students to learn and develop the required Islamic etiquette when interacting and engaging with the opposite gender, this will assist them in their current situation at school and/or later in higher education or career. The course aims to instil the values of modesty, good Islamic manners in this regard. Our facilitators and people of knowledge will be leading each of the sessions so they will ensure boys and girls abide by Islamic rules.

During the residential (weekend away) each gender will have their own dormitory and any physical activity will only be with their respective gender, to enable greater participation of physical activity. More details will be provided closer to the time of the residential.

My children have allergies and/or medical conditions, is this taken into consideration?

Please let us know on the application form if your son/daughter has any allergies or medical conditions. We will try our best to accommodate the students’ needs. If however, we are unable to, we shall be in touch.

My child has special educational needs and requires support?

We are unfortunately not in a position to support children with SEN, as this requires a specialist to be with us during all of the sessions.

Do we need to pick up our child from the centre or can they leave when the session ends?

It is the responsibility of the parents to decide how best the child gets home.

What if my child misbehaves?

We will give a warning to students who misbehave and will be following the behaviour policy. However, with any incident deemed to be serious, we shall endeavour to arrange a meeting with the student and parents to discuss the best way forward. Please remember to read and sign the behaviour policy which can be found on the course booklet.

Student Testimonial

Servitude has equipped me with the tools to come out of my comfort zone and be more confident in my day-to-day life. Servitude has made me believe in myself more, as an example we all recently climbed Mount Snowdon(ia) I honestly was like at the start I can’t do this, like as you let your eyes travel higher and higher, up the steep hills to me it was impossible. I told myself I can do it and that I was able to reach the peak if I pushed myself. (Alhamdulilah I was part of the first group that reached the peak!!)”

If I look back at who I was before joining the Servitude course compared to who I am now, I wouldn’t recognise myself. Servitude has enabled me to do so many different things, and I don’t think it would be any exaggeration to say that it has been life-changing. My experience of Servitude has been completely positive, and I have gained so many different skills and learnt so many new things because of it.

Before this programme I had no confidence whatsoever, I found it really hard to interact with others, and I had quite a negative mentality, but since joining the programme I’ve seen a huge development in my character and mindset. I have been inspired in so many different ways: by visiting Umarah’s grave and learning about her I have realised that life is short, and I have started to think about the legacy that I want to leave and the impressions that I want to make. I’m also more aware of my deen and what being a Muslim means to me. This programme has been extremely beneficial for me, and it’s honestly been one of the best experiences in my life. I’ll miss the sessions and all the people within the programme so much, but I’m really glad to have had the opportunity to partake in this course. May Allah bless all the volunteers and Sunnah Trust staff who helped me along this amazing journey, ameen.”

“Snowdon was the hardest thing I have done in my life but also my biggest accomplishment yet, I felt lucky we got this opportunity I couldn’t have done it without Servitude.”

Parent Testimonial

I can’t begin to describe how truly amazing the Servitude program run by Sunnah Trust has been. The growth in confidence I have seen in my son is incredible. The dedication of the team towards the youth is so admirable. I am recommending their program to everyone I meet. May Allah truly reward all at Sunnah Trust. Ameen.

The program supported my child greatly in building her confidence and resilience. My daughter was very shy when she began. She now has the confidence for public speaking and her communication skills in general improved. Excellent leadership programme that develops vital soft skills which are very important pre requisites to becoming a successful leader, citizen and Muslim.

The quality of the sessions, the very high quality of volunteer interactions and input. It’s a very beneficial programme and brings together various skill building techniques and experiences which are often not accessible in a single experience such as this programme . Alhamdulilah!

It’s a fantastic programme, so balanced, so well managed Masha’Allah Tabarak Allah, I feel way more young people should benefit from this!

Wonderful program with kind and dedicated volunteers. It has been a blessing for my daughter’s practice of Islam, it has brought her a sense of belonging to the Ummah and a sense of responsibility. I can’t put it into words how happy I am that she’s completed this program