Croeso Teifi Annual Report
February 9[th] 2023 –February 8[th] 2024
Reference and Administration
CroesoTeifi charity registration number: 1173014.
St Mary’s Old School Hall, Pontycleifion, Cardigan, Wales, SA43 1DR.
Secretary
Gail Storr (from September 2021)
Trustees:
Sharon Carter: Chair
Alex MacKay: Vice-Chair
Vicky Moller: Project Director
Louise O’ Neill
John Myers
Eric Sheldon
Tim O’ Neill: Treasurer
Structure and Management
Croeso Teifi is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with voting members other than its charity trustees.
Objectives:
The objects of the CIO, for the public benefit are:
To provide aid to refugees, those seeking asylum or granted leave to remain in the U.K., who reside or wish to reside temporarily or permanently in the town of Cardigan and the surrounding area, and to promote their harmonious integration into the local communities.
The main activities undertaken to further these objectives are:
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assistance with provision of accommodation, furnishings, clothing and other requirements essential for security and wellbeing.
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arrangement with the refugees of education, providing English and Welsh language tuition, training and work activity leading to fulfilment, skills and employment.
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facilitation of access to local services e.g. health, banking, schools, job centre, as well as social activities and the sharing of friendship, knowledge and skills leading to linguistic and social integration.
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working with support organisations and members of the local community to share any or all of the above charitable purposes.
For the Public Beneft:
The trustees have understood the guidance on Public Benefit and use it to guide decisions, such as to ensure funds are used to maximise the number of people we can benefit.
The activities of Croeso Teifi explained below have helped to build community cohesion through bringing diverse people to work together as volunteers.
The publicity, fundraising and information events have extended awareness of global situations in particular the situation of Syrian refugees forced to leave their war-torn homes for camps in Lebanon and Egypt. Preparing for and bringing a refugee family to Cardigan has advanced cultural awareness, as has the provision of social opportunities for cultural exchange.
The work of the charity has provided opportunity to extend welcome, empathy and kindness, which have enhanced individual self-esteem as well as pride in the local community.
Achievements of Croeso Teif 2023-2024
The first family continue to thrive in Cardigan. With the guidance and support of members of Croeso Teifi, they are in the final stages of applying for the status of British Citizenship. The father is working full time with a local builder; the mother is volunteering at Oxfam. She is taking an online English course as well as having weekly conversation lessons with Croeso Teifi members. She is also taking an online driving theory course and giving some Arabic lessons. The children are thriving. Child number one plays football and rugby and child number two enjoys playing netball for the school.
Our second family are in the process of applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain, which needs to be submitted before the five year anniversary of their arrival in Cardigan on February 19[th] . The mother’s Cookbook was included in the Aberystwyth and Senedd exhibitions about refugees in Wales over the decades. She has also been contacted about someone cooking one of her recipes at a launch event and is learning to drive. The father is continuing to build up his barber’s business in Fishguard. They welcomed their fourth child, a little boy, in July. He was born in Carmarthen hospital and his father proudly announced his arrival on social media as ‘our Welsh Syrian little boy’.
This is the second year of resettlement in Cardigan for our third family and they are doing really well. The mother passed her IT college course with a distinction in June, 2023 with the father as the main carer whilst she studied.
The father has passed both his theory and practical driving tests. Thank you to those in Croeso Teifi for supporting him in extra driving practice. He has been volunteering at repair cafes in St Dogmael’s and Newcastle Emlyn, had an appointment with Career Wales, Restart interviews, updated his CV, recently started volunteering at Barnardos charity shop, visited Pembrokeshire College and is ready to consider a variety of courses and job opportunities. As a group, we have discussed with him his various options for pursuing his electrical engineering career, including solar energy engineering and for pursuing a practical electrician’s role. I have to thank the Croeso Teifi team for all the hard work and hours you have dedicated to finding a way forward. Also thanks to a local builder who has investigated some options for solar panel work and for giving him practical work on his site.
Their young daughter has progressed from nursery to half days at school, started in January (2024); she is a confident child with a growing vocabulary in 3 languages!
Their second baby was born in January 2024 and the Croeso Teifi community were pleased to hear of the little girl’s safe arrival. Many thanks to the Croeso Teifi team for their care and support and for driving back and forth to Carmarthen hospital! Their elder toddler was looked after by a member of the Croeso Teifi team for three days whilst they were in hospital. An energetic but joyful role. Thank you.
Both parents are continuing to make good progress with their English lessons. Thank you to the teaching team for leading this. They will also get support with their Welsh language learning after Ramadam, March 2024, from the Croeso Teifi team.
My thanks go to each and everyone who continue to support these three families. It is very rewarding to see them settled into life here in West Wales and I am sure that I speak for all of us when I say that the experience enriches us all.
Sharon Carter (Chair)
CHARITY COMMISSIO FOR ENGiAND AND WALE CROESO TEIFI Receipts and pa ments accounts CC16a For the perfod To 09f02r2023 08n2r2021 Section A Receipts and payments Unmtri¢t•(I lund• to t n•ii••t E ioth• nMrn•t£ tsth• r•rnt E to th• nwr••tÉ R••thct•d ftsnd• Endowmgffl fun Total lund• Lut y• to th• nwv••t£ A1 R•c•l t• DonaiioD$ EwJntsfiundrw81 Home Olhc• Gr8nl ESOL E 118h CCC 1fy) 8S 87$ ft)& incom6 AR) 2.8 •n tsbl•l. nv 2,890 A3Pa T¢ichin9 rninistr4tbn In8ur8n Flmil 2 Sup F4mily 3 Supv TE Family 3 SuoFu¢ Ev•nta Exwn 261 211 266 100 Sub total 1388 2,JB5 7.430 A4 A•wt and Inv••lmenl Sub tot•1 2.385 ,430 N•t ofr•c•lpWpayments) . Ab Trnn8f•rn b•lw••n fund• A8 C#8h lund• l*•t yr end Cash funds thls y•ar •nd 2,28S .2BS 4,540 2,285 2,28S 4,540 CXX R1 •ccounl•1881 ije10512024
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