Bangor Malayalee Association
Connecting Culture, Building Community
Bangor Malayalee Association (BMA) is a vibrant community organisation based in Bangor, Northern Ireland, UK, dedicated to uniting and celebrating the cultural heritage of the Malayalee Community from Kerala, India. BMA fosters a sense of belonging and unity among the Malayalee diaspora in Bangor, offering opportunities for skill development and community engagement.
our vision
"To foster a vibrant and inclusive community that celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Kerala, strengthens connections among Malayalees in Bangor, Northern Ireland, and promotes unity, support, and cultural exchange. Through shared traditions, social engagement, and collective growth, we aim to preserve our identity while embracing the diversity of our new home."
our mission
"To empower and unite the Malayalee community in Bangor, Northern Ireland, by preserving and promoting Kerala’s rich cultural heritage. Through community events, educational initiatives, and social engagement, we strive to foster a welcoming environment that nurtures identity, inclusivity, and mutual support. Our mission is to bridge cultural gaps, celebrate diversity, and enhance the well-being of our members while contributing positively to the broader society."
our values
"We are committed to fostering a strong, supportive, and culturally rich community for Malayalees in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Our values guide our mission and shape our initiatives:"
• Cultural Preservation
• Inclusive & Diversity
• Community Support
• Respect & Integrity
• Education & Awareness
• Social Engagement
Bangor
Bangor, a small coastal town in Northern Ireland with population of around sixty-five thousand (2021) has the history dating back to the bronze age settlers in 500BC. Celts, Vikings, Normans, English and the Scots came, settled in and contributed to the town as we see today. Bangor is known in history for its connections with monks, saints, abbeys and castles.
St Comgall founded Bangor Abbey in 558 AD, a century after the advent of St Patrick the patron of Ireland. Bangor Abbey was restored by St Malachy in the twelfth century after it was destroyed by the Vikings. King James 1 awarded Bangor to Sir James Hamilton and granted the status of a Port City in 1620. Scots arrived with Sir Hamilton and worked had to rebuild Bangor. Bangor Castle which is the present day Council Hall was built as the residence of Sir Hamilton and then changed to Castle Ward as a descendant of Hamilton was married to the Ward family.
Victorian era of the Nineteenth Century saw the opening of Railway line from Belfast to Bangor and beautiful Victorian houses overlooking the bay of Bangor attracting holyday makers from Great Britain and Ireland.
Edwardian era at the beginning of the twentieth century saw the growth of Bangor with the openings of marine gardens, the Ward Park, hospital, grammar schools, technical school, gold club, picture house etc. In 2022 Bangor was awarded city status.
Arrival of first Malayalees in Bangor
The story of Bangor is getting more interesting with the arrival of Mallus after Celtics, Vikings, Normans and the Scotts.
Labour government under Sir Tony Blair decided to recruit overseas nurses to deal with the crisis in NHS.
Grafton, a Belfast based recruiting company came to Delhi to recruit nurses from India for Four Seasons Health Care who had hundreds of care homes across the country including three in Bangor. Grafton recruited a number of Malayalee Nurses.
Mrs Rose Shaji, Miss Linda George and Mrs Pennamma Babu arrived in Bangor in March 2002. They are the first three Bangor Mallus!
More nurses and their families arrived Bangor in 2003 and the following years. Malayalee nurses who came lived together until their families arrived.
Malayalees helped each other like family members for shopping, child minding, hospital appointments etc. They got together for socialization, praying, going for picnics, celebrating Kerala festivals etc. It is not an exaggeration to say that their children grew up like cousins in extended families. They lived in close proximity and during 2005-06 there were 14 Malayalee families living in Marquis Manor apartments.
Bangor Malayalee Association
Malayalees received warm welcome and support from the employers, colleagues and different church communities. However the advent of a new group was not without challenges. Mr Varkey Abraham took the initiative of liaising with local politicians, council, police etc. A need was identified to organise the group into a formal organisation to celebrate our culture, present ourselves to the local community and to build networks with the local services and organisations. Malayalees had started to form organisations in different parts of the United Kingdom at that time.
Bangor Malayalee Association (BMA) was formally organised with Mr Varkey Abraham as the President, Mr Aijin Jose as the secretary and Mr Jimmy Jose as the Treasurer and celebrated Christmas in 2006. North Down Borough Council and the Council’s community development officers Ms Linda McAllister and Ms Claire Newell prolifically supported BMA during its initial phase. Association received commendable support from Mr Stephen Farry who served as the Mayor of North Down Council during the time. BMA availed council facilities and some funding to organise community programmes.
Community Integration initiatives
BMA did a number of targeted initiatives to engage with and involve each and every member of the Malayalee community. BMA took relentless efforts to engage with some reluctant Malayalees to ensure the inclusivity of the organisation. It also cultivated the culture of companionship to the envy of other organisations for its unanimity.
BMA executive committee members visited every Malayalee family multiple times in the first few years to ensure every Malayalee is part and parcel of the organisation. BMA involved in every aspect of Malayalee life including assisting to get jobs, liaison with embassy, celebrating the success of individuals, sharing sorrows etc.
BMA made active links with the North Down Council and the PSNI. Mr Varkey Abraham served as a member of Policing & Community Safety Partnership representing BMA and collaborated widely with the Good Relations programmes of the Council.
Newgen BMA
Like many community organisations, BMA went into an unexpected hibernation during the COVID-19 pandemic. With gatherings halted and activities paused, it was a quiet time- but not the forgotten one.
Now, post-pandemic, the association has emerged not just active, but revived – with renewed energy, fresh faces and stronger than ever commitment to celebrating Kerala culture in the heart of Bangor. Children of our members grew young and independent with stronger muscles, creativity and peerstrength. Post COVID Kerala seeing massive migration of its young people to different parts of the world for studies and work and around 30 new Malayalee families arrived in Bangor.
BMA Youth
Our youngens, the community and the association. They are our future and our pride. BMA youth group was formed in 2023 and started playing an active role alongside BMA. It has a formally elected executive committee and chairs (Girl Chair and Boy Chair).
The youth group actively participates in organising and celebrating our traditional festivals. These events are not only cultural touchstones but also opportunities for young members to showcase their artistic talents and ability to work together for the successful coordination of games and projects like “chayakada” , thereby strengthening their connection to their Mallu peers and their cultural heritage.
Bangor Malayalee Association (BMA) Today
BMA took a decisive step in December 2024 with the election of a hybrid leadership inclusive of members who are here for more than two decades, who came in the recent years and the those who are born and brought up here. BMA is venturing a number of new initiatives:
- Digitalization of member’s directory.
- Photography and Story telling etc
- Maximizing the utilization of social media.
- Website for BMA
- and many more to come
