CIC34 COMMUNITY INTEREST STATEMENT Company: Culture Junction CIC Accounting Period: 24 June 2025 to 31 May 2026 Culture Junction CIC was incorporated on 24 June 2025 to deliver creative, cultural and wellbeing programmes for South Asian communities, particularly Bengali and Bangladeshi communities in Greater Manchester. Our work is rooted in 25 years of community building experience and a deep commitment to ensuring that South Asian people can access arts, cultural heritage and wellbeing support in ways that are culturally familiar, inclusive and meaningful. This statement sets out the community interest activities carried out by Culture Junction CIC during our first accounting period, 24 June 2025 to 31 May 2026. ESTABLISHING THE ORGANISATION As this was our first year of operation, a significant part of our work involved laying strong foundations for the organisation so that we could serve our community effectively and sustainably. This included: Conducting community consultations: We conducted community consultations with South Asian community members to listen to their experiences, understand the barriers they face and ensure that our programmes were shaped by the voices of the people we exist to serve. These consultations informed our planning and helped us identify where Culture Junction CIC could make the greatest difference. Setting up our online presence: We created our Facebook page to begin building a community following, sharing information about our work and engaging with South Asian communities across Greater Manchester. We also established our website, creating an accessible and welcoming digital home for the organisation. Applying for funding: We researched and applied for several funding opportunities to support the delivery of our community programmes. This included a successful application to the National Lottery Community Fund for GBP 20,000 for Melody Circle, as well as applications to other funders to enable us to grow our reach and impact in the coming year. We were also awaiting the outcome of our funding application to Sport England. All of these activities were undertaken in direct service of our community interest purpose, ensuring that Culture Junction CIC could build trust, reach the right people and deliver programmes that make a real difference. MELODY CIRCLE Our flagship programme during this period was Melody Circle, a two-year musical project delivered with the support of GBP 20,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund. Melody Circle brought together South Asian community members across generations and backgrounds for regular music jamming sessions and wellbeing activities rooted in South Asian musical traditions. Melody Circle sessions were facilitated with the invaluable support of Anamika Cultural Group, one of Greater Manchester's longest-standing South Asian cultural organisations. Drawing on Anamika's 25-year legacy of cultural programme delivery and its deep-rooted relationships within the community, the collaboration ensured that sessions were led with authentic expertise, cultural sensitivity and a genuine understanding of participants' needs. Sessions took place in a welcoming, women-inclusive environment and incorporated traditional instruments including harmonium, tabla, khol, keyboard, cajon, percussion, djembe and santoor. For many participants, these sessions offered a rare opportunity to reconnect with their cultural heritage in a supportive group setting, reducing social isolation and improving mental and emotional wellbeing. The programme was particularly valued by community members who face barriers to mainstream wellbeing provision, including language barriers, cultural stigma and a lack of culturally appropriate spaces. This is a two-year project which started in January 2026 and is ongoing. BANGLA SCHOOL Culture Junction CIC supported the delivery of Bangla School, a programme of Bengali language and cultural education for children and young people. Bangla School helps UK-born young people maintain a connection to their linguistic and cultural heritage, strengthening intergenerational bonds within families and the wider community. For parents, the programme offers reassurance that their children can grow up with pride in their identity. For young people, it opens a door to their heritage, their history and their community. COMMUNITY ADVOCACY AND SIGNPOSTING Throughout this period, Culture Junction CIC provided informal but vital support to community members navigating complex and often daunting public systems, including housing, health services and safeguarding. Many people in our community struggle to access the help they need due to language barriers, fear or a lack of trust in institutions. By offering culturally sensitive and compassionate signposting in both English and Bengali, we helped individuals find the right support at the right time and helped them feel seen and respected in the process. CULTURAL EVENTS AND CELEBRATIONS Culture Junction CIC organised and participated in community cultural events during this period, including Bengali New Year celebrations and South Asian Heritage Month from 18 July to 17 August 2025. These events brought people together across generations and backgrounds, celebrating the richness of South Asian culture and creating space for community pride, joy and connection. Cultural events of this kind play an important role in combating social isolation, building community cohesion and ensuring that South Asian heritage remains a visible and valued part of Greater Manchester's cultural life. WHO HAS BENEFITED All of our activities have been open to and designed for the benefit of the wider community, with a particular focus on South Asian and Bengali communities in Ardwick, Longsight and Levenshulme, areas among the most deprived in England. Our programmes have reached women, young people, older community members and families, many of whom face multiple barriers to accessing mainstream arts, wellbeing and cultural provision. We are proud of what we have built in our first year as an organisation and we look forward to expanding our reach and impact in the years ahead. Signed on behalf of Culture Junction CIC: Signature: Ferdousi Hoque Name: Ferdousi Hoque Position: Director, Culture Junction CIC Date: 21 August 2026

No consultation with stakeholders

No remuneration was received

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration