GlobalARRK:
Global Action on Relocation and Return with Kids Charity Number: 1170455
Trustees' Annual Report for the Period April 2022 – End of March 2023
h t t s : / / w w w . l o b a l a r r k . o r / p g g
REFERENCE & ADMINISTRATION DETAILS
The Trustees
Name Role Date of Appointment Lisa Jane Burden Brain Trustee 30 January 2023 Matthew Pincombe Trustee 19 September 2022 Sophia Lopez Khan Trustee 19 September 2022 Dr Onyoja Momoh Trustee 08 April 2021 Dr Isabel Ruth Lamont Trustee 08 April 2021 Duncan Millard Trustee 09 February 2021 Retired this year: Ian Burden November 2021 - March 2023 Miranda Theobald July 2021 - May 2022
The Organising Committee
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Rosalind Osborne | CEO |
| Amy Carlse | Parent Support Coordinator |
| Virginy | Social Media Moderator and Volunteer Befriender |
| Sarah | Social Media Moderator |
| Garri | Volunteer Befriender |
| Jhilmil | Volunteer Befriender |
| Elanor | Volunteer Befriender |
| Eilidh | Volunteer Befriender |
| Laura | Mental Health Lead |
| William | Parent Support Volunteer |
Description of Charity's Trusts
Type of Governing Document : Constitution
How the Charity is Constituted: Charitable Incorprated Organisation Trustee Selection Methods : Appointed by the chair and other trustees
Objectives and Activities
Summary of the Objectives of the Charity as set out in its Governing Document:
The charities objectives are:
To relieve the needs of children and families at risk of, or undergoing, international custody and residence conflict including international parental child abduction, by:
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Educating families and the public, raising awareness of the risks of relocating abroad and the possible legal implications for families
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Supporting children and parents in need who are ‘stuck’* in a foreign country
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Advocating for the rights and best interests of children and parents who are ‘stuck’* abroad
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Providing families with information and signposting to mediation, counselling and other support services
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Encouraging and undertaking research and study into such issues and publicising the useful results
*The term ‘Stuck’ means: unable to lawfully return to live in the country they consider ‘home’ with their children after an international residence / custody dispute with the other parent
Mission :
To prevent international custody disputes and reduce their devastating impact on children and parents stuck in a foreign country by raising awareness and connecting parents to support services to meet their needs.
Vision :
A world where few families go through international custody crisis but when it does happen the family have all the support they need
Values :
We work with Compassion, Courage and Persistence to reach our mission!
Summary of the Main Activities Undertaken for the Public Benefit in relation to the Charity's Objects:
GlobalARRK is a user led charity with a strong community of volunteers many of whom were once were stuck in another country and share similar experiences. We support ‘Stuck Families’ by assessing their needs and providing information, signposting to expert legal professionals and specialist charities (eg domestic violence, immigration, homelessness etc) and speaking to parents to offer emotional support via a free call back helpline and befriending support. We also offer parents the chance to join our peer support groups and befriending support. Parents report that our peer support groups reduce isolation and increase empowerment enabling them to act legally and continue to care for their children. The aftermath of International Parental Child Abduction (IPCA) can be devastating: emotionally and financially. For the child it can mean several cross-border upheavals, exposure to high conflict and violent situations and can even result in the loss of contact with one parent and we will be supporting directly over the coming years. GlobalARRK has a solutions-based approach and tackles the root causes of IPCA.
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"
"When we fled, I had only one
suitcase for my and my baby.
I was petrified as I boarded the
plane, praying it to leave quickly.
We spent 32 hours travelling
across the world back home.
I didn't see any other way to keep
myself and my baby safe."
A Stuck Parent
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"
"The younger me didn't
realise that when I took a
plane to leave my home in
search of new experiences as
a late teenager, I was giving
up the chance to have my
loved ones close by when I
became a mother."
A Stuck Parent
----- End of picture text -----
Educating and Raising Awareness
The problem:
International Family Law regarding the wrongful movement of children across borders is complicated. Parents and the wider public struggle to understand it which can lead to parents unwittingly falling foul of the law or ending up ‘stuck’ in a foreign country.
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"
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“If I had known about this
Hague Convention I
would have seriously
reconsidered having a
child abroad” - A Stuck
Parent
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77% 70%
said they were unaware they said that if they had been would be unable to return made aware of the Hague home with their children Abduction Convention it would unless the other parent gave have affected their decision to permission emigrate
(Taken from our contact form (273 responses) and survey (52 response) this year.
We raise awareness via our Website, Social Media and via interviews and other media.
In October we re-vamped our website and have received 21,190 views this year. Our Facebook Page reach is 49,472 with 326 new likes. We have 2.4K Followers on Facebook.
We introduced Instagram last year to aim to reach out to younger parents and we have a reach of 2681 on Instagram. On Twitter we have11,769 tweet impressions.
We have given interviews for Resolution’s Podcast, Sky News, VICE and Resolution’s newsletter.
Family Support
The problem:
Parents are ‘stuck’ in a foreign country and struggling to cope. They are at high risk of harm from intimate partner violence / domestic abuse and other risk factors such as poverty, isolation, homelessness, lack of immigration status, mental health issues.
" “I had a baby abroad with someone from my home country. As soon as our child was born, the abuse started, slowly getting worse. I realized this man didn't love us, and didn't want what was best for our child. I suffered emotional, sexual, financial, psychological and occasionally physical abuse” – A Stuck Parent
DOMESTIC ABUSE
85% report having suffered partner violence / domestic abuse
58%
44%
FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES
LEGAL REPRESENTATION
58% say there are experiencing financial difficulties
- 48% say they don't have legal representation
37%
38%
LANGUAGE BARRIERS
INSECURE HOUSING
37% experience language barriers where they are 'stuck'
38% are living in insecure housing
20%
IMMIGRATION 20% have immigration issues
Our Parent Support Activities and Impact:
We have supported 346 new and 298 existing stuck parents this year. We have given free supportive calls to 293 families .
88 parents have been added to a peer support group. We sent 3,113 supportive emails .
We have dealt with 87 safeguarding concerns.
We have signposted 178 parents to local charities or organisations that can assist them.
We have sent 223 Information Guides to parents.
We have supported 27 parents with specialist Relocation advice from an International social worker.
Our befriending team of 9 volunteers have befriended 30 stuck parents with 121 calls .
" “GA offered me a safe haven, when everything around me was falling apart and nobody understood what was happening to us, even the ones who were trying to give us advice. Unless you have been through this process yourself or are very close to someone who has, you cannot know the dark web of suffering and despair that it plungers you into. ..Having the support of the others stuck parents has been a life-saver in my darkest, scariest moments, when I feared the worse, and was confronted with such cruel and overwhelming waves of attacks by my narcissistic ex. It was invaluable to have these amazing, strong people hold my hand through it all, with unwavering support amidst such darkness.” – A Stuck Parent
56 parents have filled out our feedback form this year
90% said the calls were extremely helpful
90%
91%
said the information guides were extremely helpful
said the lawyer 85% connections were extremely helpful
95% said they would recommend GlobalARRK to a friend
Befriending
“The phone calls have helped me to take my own needs seriously and to take real steps.” A Stuck Parent["]
121 calls completed
10 safeguarding issues reported
30 alerts for extra support flagged
9 volunteers
Befriending training and on-going support provided to 'past' stuck parents
30 parents befriended
“Having someone to talk to who listened and was really encouraging and supportive” – A Stuck Parent["]
Cost of Living Crisis Hardship Grant
In December 2022 we raised enough money in donations to support 8 parents with a Hardship Grant. This year many families have been struggling more than ever to pay the bills and keep the lights on. One mother said she would spend it on:
“Electricity bills and council tax payments. I'd like to take my daughter swimming/to the movies or an indoor play park. It would help to relieve the huge financial stress. I just received the outcome today that we aren't able to relocate so all hope for a better situation has gone out of the window.”
Below we have shared how some stuck parents used their hardship grant or the impact it had on them and their children:
- “I went food shopping with my littles yesterday (they were able to get a food treat each) and I paid the electricity bill so we’ll be able to have a Christmas meal and electricity for January.
Am in tears: this has meant so, so much to me. I was feeling utterly without hope and seeing my littles surprise and joy in the supermarket was truly something special. Receiving the grant has helped me remember there is goodness in the world. And given me back some sense of hope. “
Legal Support
We have 27 law firms in our legal network from a range of countries: NZ, Australia, Netherlands, United States, Portugal, Canada and France. These firms all offer pro bono consultation and follow are ethical code of practice. This year we referred 237 parents to an expert lawyer.
Workshops
We have hosted workshops for our stuck parent community to help provide information, connect our community and enhance emotional support.
Advocating
The problem:
Relocation proceedings are often unaffordable and can take many years to be resolved in court. Therefore, many families are unable to apply to go back to their home country and are ‘stuck’ in a foreign country where they struggle to survive. Some ‘stuck’ parents take their children ‘home’ without permission from the other parent and are then accused of ‘international child abduction’ under the Hague Convention 1980 which can have devastating consequences for families.
Our Activities and Impact:
This year we have published and promoted our Principles for Change document which is available on our website. It has helped to inform other organisations and public bodies on this little understood issue. Over the next year we will be working with other organisations to advocate and campaign on behalf of our Stuck Parents leading up to the Special Commission meeting in October 2023.
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"GlobalARRK really care, they are
helpful and attentive" A Stuck
Parent
"It was great to speak with a
friendly, supportive and
knowledgeable person." A Stuck
Parent ["]
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Research
The problem:
There is a general lack of research and data on this subject so systems are not well informed and families are suffering as a result.
Our Activities and Impact:
GlobalARRK and partners are currently undertaking a piece of research on how being unable to return to live in the country you consider ‘home’ after an international family law dispute can typically affect mental health.
We will be hearing from those who have experienced proceedings involving the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspect of International Child Abduction, international permanent relocation/ leave to remove applications or wardship proceedings.
It is a collaborative research project between Dr Laura Kean (Dr. Laura Kean, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, NHS Borders,), Dr Onyoja Momoh (Centre for Private International Law, University of Aberdeen) and GlobalARRK.
"Everything was stacked against us. Even with the evidence of DV, unemployment, poverty and homelessness it was clear I wasn't going to win a relocation home"- A Stuck Parent["] "Unless you have been through this process yourself or are very close to someone who has, you cannot know the dark web of suffering and despair that it plunges you in to. It's as if you are drowning, in the middle of an endless ocean." - A Stuck Parent["]
Thank you!
We are incredibly grateful to all of our supporters including:
Our Funders:
Beacon Lodge The Souter Charitable Trust Allen Lane The Foyle Foundation The Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ)
The Legal firms in our network:
Kennedy Partners Lawyers Heyeur Jessop MacDonald & Partners LLP Cabinet Moissinac AVRA LEGAL STG Advocaten De Boorder Advocaten Medlicotts Norris Ward McKinnon Langseth Divorcio & Familia Advogados Domènech Abogados K J Smith Solicitors TV Edwards LDJ Solicitors Moore Barlow Weightmans Stephensons Solicitors LLP Bindmans Macnabs Brethertons MSB Royds Withy King Paradigm Family Law Dawson Cornwell MK Family Law
Statutory Declaration:
The trustees declare that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the commission in exercising their powers or duties.
Brief Statement of the Charity's Policy on Reserves: We aim to have between three and six months running costs.
Brief Financial Review Details: This year we were extremely grateful to have received grant funding from the Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ), Allen Lane, Beacon Lodge, The Foyle Foundation and the Souter Trust to the total of £25,000.
We have also been supported by many of our ex-service users who then fundraise for us. This year they have been doing sponsored runs, walks and birthday fundraisers. Along with our Hardship Appeal at Christmas, we have raised £3,097 in individual donations and £3,483 in Legal network donations this year.
Due to working remotely our core costs have remained low with the majority of our spending going on salaries, IT and other basic running costs.
We have a fundraising strategy and pipeline in place to further support the financial sustainability of the charity and to be able to increase the depth of support we can provide to beneficiaries.
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GET IN TOUCH
info@globalarrk.org
https://www.globalarrk.org/