## ANNUAL REPORT 2020-2021 Charity No.1157721 Company No.CE002214 ## **TABLE OF CONTENTS** Chair’s Report 3 Reference and Administrative Information 4 The Aims and Objectives of ACA 6 Our Services 7 Work experience for students / unemployed 8 The breakdown of the workload 9 ACA and Advice Barnet Project 10 Chair’s Report As a long-term strategy, our commitment is to work to - Advise and assist individual refugees and non-refugees in the areas of Welfare benefits, Housing, Immigration, Bereavement, Health and Education. - To advance education and training for employment by the provision of nursery facilities for single parents. - To advance education in African Culture, History and Language. Much has changed and now is the time to take stock of how effectively we are fulfilling our commitments and how we should prioritise our efforts over the coming years. Overall, despite a challenging external environment we are on track to achieve most of our objectives. Our focus should be on priority areas that transform the lives of our target group. To achieve our aim, we need to continue to make the most of our resources. Not just by raising more money but by changing the way we use it. Demand for our service continue to increase, however there are significant additional challenges ahead e.g., a tough fundraising environment. Our objects and funding limit the service we provide. On diversity I am proud to say that we have made a commitment to be a charity that believes in the community regardless of their circumstances, gender, race, disability or behaviour. I am committed to making a difference in changing the lives of our target group, giving them hope and helping them to realise their potential. Imelda Toby Chair The Management Committee presents its report for the year ended 31 march 2021 ## **Reference and Administrative Information** Charity Name: African Cultural Association Charity registration number: 1157721 Company registration number: CE002214 UKPRN registration number 10047863 Registered Office and operational Address: 28 Church End, Hendon, London, NW4 4JX Website: http://www.africanculturalassociation.org/ Email: info@africanculturalassociation.net Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/28aca Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africanculturalassociation/ Twitter : https://twitter.com/AfricanCultura5 ## **Executive Members** Mrs. Imelda Toby Chair Mrs. Lesley King Vice Chair Mr. Ambrose Goldersmint Treasurer Mrs. Hanna Boateng Secretary Mrs. Charlotte Boaitey Mrs. Francesca Nlemchi Mrs. Deborah Adom Mrs. Mavis Dougan Mrs. Victoria Ghanney ## **OUR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES** ## PURPOSES AND AIMS: - To advise and assist individual refugees and non-refugees in the areas of Welfare benefits, Housing, Immigration, Bereavement, Health and Education. - To advance education and training for employment by the provision of nursery facilities for single parents. - To advance education in African Culture, History and Language Our aims fully reflect the purposes that the charity was set up to further. ## ENSURING OUR WORK DELIVERS OUR AIMS: We review our aims, objectives and activities each year. This review looks at what we achieved and the outcomes of us in the previous 12 months. The review looks at the success of each activity and the benefits they have brought to those groups of people we are set to help. The review also helps us to ensure our aim, objectives and activities remain focused on our stated purposes. ## **OUR ACTIVITES AND ITS BENEFITS:** We provide general advice and information and training to assist unemployed, low income, disadvantaged and vulnerable people. In particular, African/Caribbean/Ethnic Minority refugees and non-refugees who are in condition of need, hardship or distress, residing in the London borough of Barnet as well as surrounding areas within London. UK. Most of our service users living in Barnet, come from areas with the highest level of poverty and deprivation – areas like Graham Park Estates, Colindale, Burnt Oak and West Hendon. Our service users also come from surrounding areas in London:- Harrow, Brent, Ealing, Camden and other parts of London. ## SERVICE USERS AND LEARNERS WHO BENEFIT FROM OUR SERVICES; - Disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people who are at risk of offending as well as at risk of anti-social behaviour aged 7yrs to 18yrs. - People from Black and Ethnic Minority backgrounds - Refugees and non-refugees aged 7years to 70+ years - Disabled and mental health clients, some who have recovered from long term illness and are lonely and isolated and going through difficulties of finding services available to them - Those seeking to gain skills or qualification - The NEET groups - The unemployed low-income and disadvantaged living in area with highest level of poverty and deprivation in the Borough of Barnet and surrounding areas of London. We organise adults/ female recreational and training activities, youth group projects, cultural activities, festivals and events – including the celebration of Black History Month. We offer African language translation and advice to hospitals, social services- children and family section. One of our core objectives is also to advance education in African culture, history and language. ## SKILL TRAINING We are a registered UK learning provider; apart from giving general advice, sign posting and information to the community from Mondays to Fridays 10.30am to 3.30pm, we organise skills training 4 days a week: - Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. In the following areas: - Fashion and Textile Design - Dressmaking - Pattern Cutting - Accessories-Alteration/Mending techniques - Old clothes recycling. - African Hair-Braiding/Weaving - Bag-Making - Hat Making - Assorted Crafts i.e. Cushions, Patch work, Embroidery, Curtain making The above classes enable unemployed and unskilled participants the opportunity to learn a variety of career skills to professional standards. Youth After School Classes from 7years to 18years. Most of Youth Activities were online until the Covid 19 Lock down were eased. Skill Training Classes for Adults from 18 yrs to 70+ were online during the Lockdown due to Covid 19. ## **Work experience for students/unemployed** We offer voluntary placements in positions such as Management, admin, marketing, finance, teaching assistance for both young and Older People. The mainstay of our service remains our volunteers who provide much needed assistance e.g., distributing information leaflets, assisting with delivering medication to older people as well as distributing food during the lock down of covid 19 till present. In the year under review over 1,600 volunteer hours were donated. We provide work experience/ mentoring services to many students from Barnet College and Middlesex University as well as to local School Leavers and Unemployed people from Job Centres and Employment Agencies. During 2020/2021 academic year, a total of 10 students were able to achieve their work experience with the association. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Breakdown of work Load 2020-2021
2%
3% 3% 10%
19%
63%
Lagal/Advice/Immigration Welfare/Social Ser/Benefits
Education/Employment/Misc General Advice
Health Housing
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By Age group
9%
28%
16%
47%
7-8yrs 19-25yrs 26-59yrs 60-75yrs
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By Disability
20%
51%
26%
3%
Physical Disability Mental Disability Severe Behavioural problem
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## AFRICAN CULTURAL ASSOCIATION AND ADVICE BARNET PROJECT We are a member of the Advice Barnet Project, which is a partnership of over 16 organisations in Barnet. This is to increase access to good quality legal advice, specifically in the areas of welfare benefits, debt, housing and employment, for those in greatest need who live work or study in the London Borough of Barnet, so they can avoid or overcome disadvantage by: - improving the way in which existing local advice providers from the voluntary, public and private sector work together in partnership - improving the quality of advice within those advice providers - helping more people to receive the advice they need at an earlier stage by making more efficient use of current resources and making it easier to find - identifying and then preventing commonly encountered legal problems The key project activities undertaken to achieve the overall aim is twofold: 1. The setting up of a helpline which will offer callers a single point of access to all the advice providers within Barnet. 2. The provision of high-quality training and quality assurance. **Our Services and Activities** ## **African Hair braiding and Weaving Classes** **Fashion Dressmaking and Pattern Cutting Classes** During Covid 19 face to face classes are run with few learners in class. Students have to adhere to Covid 19 protocol. Wearing facemask and working at 2 metre space apart. INDEPENDEp¥f EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRusfEES ON THE FINANCiAL STATEMENT OF AFRICAN CULTURAL A&WCIATION FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH X121 I repNt ¢)n the fina￿la1 StstWn￿l of the C¥wty for thè ￿ ended 31 Mardi 2021. are set tonpa9e1. trustees consider that an a￿111 15 not requyed for this year ￿KIe[ Sec1K￿ 4312) (A tr* Charits% 1993 {the 1993 Act) arKI that an indepa*ent exarnlrtatlc￿ ks need￿. It is my responsklilty to: to follow the p￿C￿edureS laKI d(wm in the g￿al DireCt￿ts gven by Ihe Charity Commis&on under wtion 43(7Xb) of the 1993 P£L and My examinalw)n was Wbed cArt m aeL0rd￿ with the g￿eral DirKtb)IS given by the Charity C(xnmi&%v)n. An examination includes a review of Ihe a¢xcwnling rec¢yds kept by the charity and a mparson of ￿ fin￿￿al ststement kyeseftted with Ih)se It also in¢lLxJes c(mSideration of any unusuat ttwfts or dIsc*￿￿re5 rn the ffinar￿al ststern￿ and seekirKJ exp1anatX￿ fr￿ you as trLQStees concemiro any Sud) matters. F*CtedU￿ uNJertaken rx)t wovide all the evK5ence that wcvld be requFred in an audil ￿ ¢￿￿uenty no Opin￿ rs given as to friancol State￿￿rt kyesent a Irue arNJ kir and the repJt is fffliit￿ to maiters set cArt in the accountirg requtyemths of Ihe 1993 Act have not teen mel: or ) lo whkh. in my Cvinion. att￿l￿)ft Sr￿￿1 t* to enab￿ a proper underslarKlrKJ of Mrs AxvJela Maseli 191 Brocket Way, Chigwell. Esse 21st Juty 2021 I APRll. 202• TO 31 MARCS 2•2 C.OKE 6.152 voi.uNrARY cO￿VnoNs * DONATIONS 2.140.50 126.43 TOTAL 8A1&93 FXPF.Ni>rriJRF. INSI.TrANCF. F.VFNTSAND PROJFLY ciisrs DAA[￿rA..￿AN('l￿ Rl.'PAllLS,W)RFStJRBISIYMTryr PRINllNG. If)sfAGE AND ¥fATJUNFRY t>JIPHOYE FAX EMAll. AND WF.BSIIE PREMtSE& H￿￿. Iiiw.. ALW OVERBFADS (iA% ANI) kJkLIRlC'riY WATrJi RATF. ANI) WASITr. CDIIECIION (1()V￿AN{& ANDPROFFSSIONAL LY)51 F4IJIp￿FN[s SAIARYI V()LUrn W1.￿SE￿A￿D NI M[￿T.j.1AN[..fxj 315. 72.97 424.80 1.4¥3.01 1.852.50 251.40 1.456.62 2.183.55 1rKI.58 1.WJ. .11 137.W2 TOTAI. lo.￿.04 EXCESS OF INCOME ()VI.Ji 1XTr￿D￿vRE 2A67.11 41ANL1.: JIRI)uGirr FORWARD AT I APRIL 2Q20 620B.98 BAIANCE C'AIiRIED ￿ORWA￿DAT3l MARC￿ 2ff41 1741.87 Ythy AFRICAN CiI.TURAL A￿)LIATION INANcL￿ grAT￿E￿r i- APRIL 2flO TO 31- MARUI 2f2J 6.152. £ 6,152.LM) MFmBFA￿llp VOI.l]NfARY c￿￿[Birt[ONs & tX)NA'II() Z140.SO 126.43 2.140.50 126.43 TOTALJNCM)MING RESOURC'ES 1511JO 8A1&93 iTrAN(i.: .Vl..Nfs ANI> PR()JF.(Y8 (Y) mAINlTr￿AN(Ij RI.￿All$ AND R￿1[RB1SHMEts PRImT(j. H)%'fAC31." STAII()NIRY TrJ.FTrFIONF. fAK ANI) WFlisfiT.. PWNLSISJIWJ. FllRF. AND ()Vi.lUll.A)s 17AS AND FJLL1Ric'￿y WA'17.Ji RAII.: AND WA8Tr. CY)IJ&LIION IA)VF.LN'AN(I ANDPRI)F￿$￿ONA1. C"OST l+.Qtm>MtKrs' SAlthliYI V()i.IrTrnTrisc FXPI.NSkts AND NI 315e 315. 72.97 424.80 729 1.493.01 1.852.50 584.00 257.40 1.￿.62 1183.55 100.58 424. 712.44 1.85150 251.40 1.456.62 1.$43.49 1CK1.58 1,999.&) 1.999.80 137.92 MISCTrJJANF.I)IFS 137.￿2 Td4.04 152 £ 1￿88&04 ('FSS UF ]NC%)￿. OVFJt r￿P5.￿1)ri.1JRF. 2.467.11 2.467.11 IMIANCT. BROIT61ll'Tr()RWARf) AT l& APRIL 2020 6208.98 6.208.98 BAL￿(% CARRIF.D TORWARD AT 31 MARC.'H 2021 4741A7 &741 Iw.. l*$ I1￿kJa TthT