In 2007 BEST partnered with Newcastle City Adult Learning and received various equipment in sewing and embroidery, hairdressing, hat making and bead-making. In 2008 BEST received funding from Big Lottery Fund to carry out a project called Strategic Social Cohesion. The aim of the project was to provide the apparent lack of leadership within the BME community and such help solve the problems of, unemployment in the BME community, cultural and religious divisions amongst the different communities, social exclusion, and reduce anti-social behaviour.
In the course of the project ‘Strategic Social Cohesion’ we achieved the following over 250 new learners enrolled for and benefitted from our programmes within various activity groupings in the course of the project, training courses in sewing and embroidery, hat making and bead making were undertaken, as well as Mentorship programmes, the learners came from diverse ethnic groups within our catchment areas. Our plan of community cohesion and integration through training and skilling of people from diverse backgrounds was ultimately achieved.