Registered Charity Number 1174004
# **Malvern Welcomes Management Team report to Trustees & AGM**
## **Sept 2024**
## Management Team
Tony Vere – Fund-raising lead
Richard King – Treasurer
Sharon Baker – ESOL Coordinator and Disability Advisor
Karen Argent -Volunteer Coordinator
Simon Kilvington – Membership Secretary
Fiona White - website and newsletter link
Jane Stockley - Family Lead, Transport Coordinator
Penny Bijl - Employment Group, link with WCC
Grateful thanks to Ruth Forecast, long standing Chair of MT and Volunteer Coordinator, who stood down from the MT in August 2024
## **Volunteer Coordinators**
Hilary MacMillan, Karen Argent, Annette de la Cour and Ruth Forecast (until August 2024)
**Safeguarding Leads** Jean Bryant and Kate Gant
## **Update from Malvern Welcomes Management Team as regards activities and progress over the past year**
Over the past year, we have seen a growth in the number of individuals we support, with 3 new families joining the existing 9, some of whom have been in Malvern since 2018. We have seen more individuals taking driving lessons, passing driving tests, applying for higher education and other courses, securing paid employment, taking on voluntary jobs, achieving their Life in the UK tests, and starting to apply for British citizenship.
## **4[th] Community Sponsorship Family**
Things continue to progress well for this family, and we are now approaching the end of their first year in Malvern.
The two older daughters applied to university, and both have now started degree courses. They submitted their applications independently, despite their level of English being basic when they first arrived in the UK. The oldest daughter, who wishes to work with children, has been volunteering at a primary school. She has started driving lessons, and is making good progress.
The Disability Living Allowance (DLA) application for the youngest daughter was accepted. Various medical, dentist and optician appointments are going ahead. An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) was completed for her, and it is hoped that a suitable educational placement will be offered soon.
The father continues to attend ESOL and other supportive measures with Maximus. He has recently passed his driving theory test, and hopes to obtain his full licence before his international licence expires. He is volunteering in two settings.
## **Financial report** _**see separate report**_
## **Fund-Raising**
A separate group has been set up, led by Tony Vere. Ideas for fundraising activities, or other possible funding routes, are always welcome.
## **Employment Support Group**
This group, led by Harry Lofthouse, continues to meet, as it is recognised that employment is a major hurdle to be faced by the resettled families. This has been found to be the case nationally. A facebook page has been set up for volunteers to share information regarding available job opportunities. Access to the page adheres to our safeguarding and data protection procedures.
Two MW volunteers had an extremely helpful meeting with the recruitment officer from a local company. Individuals were not mentioned, but advice was sought as to ways in which Malvern Welcomes might support people into employment. It was interesting to hear that, when writing a CV, experiences such as being in a refugee camp and any type of employment can be included by framing them in a positive way. Subsequently some of the men have been employed by that company at various times.
## **Schools and education**
Volunteers have continued to give regular support in one of the primary schools, although the children they have been supporting are now confident fluent English speakers, and now require little direct support.
## **ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Programme**
Malvern Welcomes’ ESOL tutors are all qualified in teaching English and their hard work, skills and flexibility are key to the ongoing success of our programme.
Through the Community Sponsorship Scheme, Malvern Welcomes is under an obligation to provide 8 hours of ESOL support for each adult family member for the first year. Whilst this must be the priority of the ESOL programme, our team of nine active volunteer tutors continue to support other learners who are unable to access external classes.
As the most recent family welcomed through the Community Sponsorship Scheme last October comprises four adults who had three different levels of English, there were significant challenges in creating a cohesive and full timetable of lessons for each learner. The family arrived after the start of the new academic year and, consequently, it wasn’t possible for adult family members to join accredited classroom based lessons. However, the young women were able to join classes in Worcester delivered by trainee EFL teachers.
The Eden Centre in Malvern, run by Jan Watts, has continued to play an important role in the English language progress of many families, by providing once weekly community based classroom learning, with all the benefits that that offers - including opportunity to forge bonds with other members of our shared community.
Malvern Welcomes’ Conversation Café, meanwhile, has also offered learners opportunity to socialise whilst practising English in a less formal environment. It has also been an essential hub for supporting families to deal with a variety of crucial day-to-day living tasks which can be inaccessible even for those with English as a first language. Whilst this had been run on a weekly basis, now that families are so busy with study, work and volunteering, it will run on a once a month basis.
## **Forward Planning Day March 23[rd ]**
This was a productive and inspiring day attended by 28 Malvern Welcomes volunteers. We were most fortunate that Professor Jenny Phillimore agreed to attend as guest speaker. She reported on the newlypublished Commission for the Integration of Refugees, in which Malvern
Welcomes participated. She also advised and shared her perspectives during the discussion sessions.
Various ideas for the future direction and governance of Malvern Welcomes were discussed. Steps have been taken to formalise and strengthen the methods of communication between Management Team and the Family Support Group, with Minute sharing, and a Volunteer Bulletin.
**Training for volunteers:** Information regarding online Reset training, which is specifically aimed at those working in Community Sponsorship (CS) groups is regularly forwarded to volunteers. The training sessions are always of an excellent standard.
Ruth and Sally recently took part in a very thought-provoking session on racism. It is planned that a MW training session will be arranged with interested individuals at a later date.
## **Worcestershire Welcomes Refugees (WWR)**
Ruth Forecast and Penny Bijl attended the meeting in March. Natasha White reported on the latest developments in Worcestershire. Worcestershire’s application to become a **County of Sanctuary** is proceeding well (see https://cityofsanctuary.org for more information about this initiative).
**Malvern Welcomes newsletter.** Many thanks to Alison Brough and Kate Gant for their hard work in producing the quarterly newsletter. It is always well received, and highlights the many activities that the group undertakes.
## **Various Events**
**1. Refugee Week – 17 – 23 June 2024 On June 22, to mark Refugee Week,** we had a stall in Church Street, Great Malvern, outside the entrance to Malvern Priory.
**2. Trip to Barry island August 19[th]** Another successful trip was organised, enjoyed by all, despite the weather.
**3. Picnic on West Malvern Playing Fields July 28th** A lovely afternoon, attended by the great majority of the families
**4. Community Inspiration Awards, Birmingham September 20th**
Ruth, as lead for Malvern Welcomes since its inception, had been nominated for an award under the Public services category. She was awarded a very well-deserved ‘1st Runner Up’ in that category. This is a great personal achievement and a credit to the whole Malvern Welcomes Team.
Ruth Forecast, Sharon Baker & Jane Stockley On behalf of Malvern Welcomes Management Team, September 2024
**Malvern Welcomes**
**Charity Number 1174004**
## **Receipts and payments accounts**
## **CC16a**
**For the period** Period start date Period end date **To from** 4/1/2023 3/31/2024
|**Section A Receipts and payments**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**A1 Receipts**
**Grants**
**-**
**Legacies**
**-**
**Donations and memberships:**
Donations and Fund Raising
**5,089**
Membership
**949**
**Appeals(10K Appeal)**
**-**
**Gift Aid Tax Recovery**
**706**
**New Family payments(Home Office)**
**2,617**
Reimbursement of various expenses
**485**
Rebate from Wealden Leisure
**-**
Returnable house deposit returned
**-**
**-**
**9,845**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**_Total receipts_ 9,845**
**A3 Payments**
**Language Support and Translation**
English Language(ESOL)
**226**
Translation
**58**
**Family Support**
IT
**34**
Equipment
**798**
Health
**-**
Activities
**1,027**
Travel
**2,813**
Volunteer Support
**-**
New CS/ WCC Families Resettlement
**14,936**
Publications & Administration
**2,320**
Grants - for special one-off support
**1,690**
**_Sub total_ 23,902**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**_Total payments_ 23,902**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_ - 14,057**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**-**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**39,348**
**_Cash funds this year end_ 25,291**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for AR)_
**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**
**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**|**to the nearest £**
**Restricted**
**funds**|**to the nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**|**Last year**
**to the nearest £**|
||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**5,089**
**949**
**-**
**706**
**2,617**
**485**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**9,845**|**110**|
|||||**-**|
||||||
|||||**13,407**|
|||||**1,215**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**2,282**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**1,795**|
||||||
||||||
|||||**-**|
|||||**18,809**|
||||||
||**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**||
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
||||**9,845**||
||**-**|**-**||**18,809**|
||||||
||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**226**
**58**
**-**
**-**
**34**
**798**
**-**
**1,027**
**2,813**
**-**
**14,936**
**2,320**
**1,690**
**23,902**|**-**|
|||||**2,055**|
|||||**20**|
||||||
||||||
|||||**1,012**|
|||||**1,802**|
|||||**749**|
|||||**4,528**|
|||||**2,986**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**809**|
|||||**1,906**|
|||||**3,930**|
|||||**19,797**|
||||||
||**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**||
||||||
|||||**-**|
||||||
||**-**|**-**|**23,902**|**19,797**|
||||||
||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**- 14,057**
**-**
**39,348**
**25,291**|**- 988**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**40,336**|
|||||**39,348**|
|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Categories**
**B1 Cash funds**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees|**Details**
General Fund
Signature
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))|**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**25,291**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**25,291**
**-**
OK
OK
Print Name
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**|**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||OK|
|||||
||||Date of
approval|
|||||
|||||