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Registered as a Charity by the Northern Ireland Charity No. NIC100003
Strabane Ethnic Community Association AGM @ SECA Office 05/7/2018 @ 7.00PM
Present: See attached sign in sheet.
Apologies: B.Rojkowicz, J.Lokugamage & N.Rao
SECA Chairperson M.Fritea welcomed everyone.
Minutes of Last Meeting
Minutes were read out by K.Rao.
D.Guram proposed minutes
J.Mc Intyre seconded minutes
Chairpersons Report
SECA CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT 2017/2018
I would like to welcome everyone to SECA’s 14[th] Annual General Meeting. My name is Marius and I have been the acting Chairperson since June 2016. SECA’s new centre has been very successful these past 3 years. It is frequently in use, not only by SECA members but by other community groups as the premises is huge and it is situated in the heart of the town.
SECA has been open for 14 years now. It is the only ethnic group in the North West that has been active for this long. I believe that SECA has been successful because of the dedication
from the SECA committee members. I would like to thank SECA committee members past and present, SECA members and volunteers for supporting the group. I would also like to thank the community groups that we have worked with throughout the year.
This year SECA has worked with a variety of people from community groups to schools, some of these groups are: Customized, Western Health Trust, Melmount Forum, Strabane Advocate Group, Dennett Interchange Summer Scheme, Shantallow Area Partnership Foundation, Clooney Estate, St Marys PS, Gaelscoil, Sion Mills PS, St Catherine’s PS, St Marys Cloughcor PS, New Buildings PS, Holy Cross College and also visited Neighbourhood Renewal Partnerships
This year has been a great success with our 13[th] Multicultural night with over 300 people attending and the 3 day Diwali festival in which 6 primary schools took part that had over 1000 people overall in attendance. Special thanks to Daljeet Guram for putting all her time and effort to this event without her would not be possible. SECA had many successful event throughout the year.
This year SECA participated in the St Patricks Day Festival in the town, with street stalls representing many of the different groups in the town. We had he SECA Samba Band, back this year along the new carnival parade route. As the council opted for a Multicultural Ireland theme for St Patricks day in Strabane, SECA came up with a full day of events, filling Castle Street in the town with a variety of food, music and performers.
A Chinese Dragon and Lion Dance, Tai Chi workshops, a tea ceremony, as well as a Chinese choir and a Chinese Fan Dance, Bollywood dance workshops, Rangoli Art and Indian translations, African drumming and Spanish Flamenco dancers, Thai workshops, Polish arts and crafts, music and singing, Polish and Brazilian translators, and Russian doll making.
SECA has always taken part in the Strabane St Patricks Day parade, but this was a spectacular day for Strabane, and we are really happy SECA was invited to participate again this year, on a bigger scale. Modern Ireland has many cultures to celebrate, on its national day, and for this year, we wanted to host as many of these additional events as we could, side by side with all the traditional Irish cultural events.
SECA has delivered a number of projects and training programmes in schools and to other community groups such as diversity training and cultural awareness programmes.
I would like to thank all our funders, particularly DfC Ann Mc Murray and Patricia McLaughlin, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, OFMDFM, AIVC and Cutomized Training Services.
Thank you Marius Fritea
Treasurers Report
K.Rao read out the report on behalf of Bozena as she was unable to come due to work commitments.
She said Housing Executive does not show on the accounts as they pay the facilitators directly.
J.Lokugamage enquired about net savings drawn from last year and why out going payments is more than our incoming.
K.Rao apologized she never budgeted for Summer Scheme properly as it was SECAs first one. That there was more expenditure on arts and crafts and snacks etc.
K.Rao also explained that DfC give SECA the same amount every year and they don’t allow for any extra expenditure each year. For example each year all the bills such as insurance electricity, stamps, phone bill etc increased but DfC budget stayed the same for 4 years.
J.Lokugamage reiterated about stamps and that all members should be emailed instead of postage. He said every penny counts for SECA. He praised K.Rao for her work with the accounts.
J.Lokugamage proposed accounts.
J.Rao seconded accounts.
Project Coordinator Report
Project Coordinator Report 2017/2018
This project year has been very challenging for me but an enjoyable one all the same. SECA had its first Summer Scheme. 27 children attend. SECA’s Summer Scheme took place 3 days a weeks for 4 weeks. For each week we had a different theme. The children that took part in the scheme were from different ethnic backgrounds and local children that are living in NR areas in Strabane. The ages ranged from 6 years - 12 years. Week 1 was Music week. We had facilitator Ronan Mc Kee of Play Percussion come and give Music Lessons on African Drumming and Percussion. Week 2 was Arts and Crafts, we had an art teacher come and teach the children how to make clay animals, she also taught them about colour charts and how to mix colours. That week we also had a day of baking where we had a chef come in and teach the children how to make healthy snacks. Weeks 3 was dance week. We had a Daljeet Guram come in and teach the children Bollywood dancing. Also that week we had Minecraft workshop. Week 4 was sports weeks. This was held in the cricket club where kids were taught how to play quick cricket by Bobby Rao. The summer scheme was held in SECA offices apart from the last week where we had use of Strabane Cricket Club. This summer scheme was a great success, at the start of the summer scheme the children were very shy and didn't really interact with each other as in some cases they might not have met children from
other ethnic minorities. But by the end of the summer scheme that had changed as they all became friends and formed relationships.
16th September 2017 SECA held our 13th Multi Cultural Food, Music and Entertainment Night at St Patricks Hall 413 people attended. Our 13th Multi Cultural Night took place in St Patricks Hall, Strabane. On the night we had food from 6 different countries Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, Poland, Romania and a new country this year which was Thailand. The attendeds got the chance to go round all the different tables and taste the different foods. Once food was finished we had our entertainment from Ultimate Bollywood, Polish singing, local singers, Pop Tap Dance Academy, Bagpipes, Irish Dancing, Sollus Dancing and Flamenco dancing. The people that attended where a local and we also put a bus on from Derry as we invited some Derry groups, some of the groups that came where Northside 50plus group club and St Brigids Womens Group. On the night we also paid tribute to Bobby Rao who has now retired from SECA.
4th September 2017 SECA began Diwali preparation with New Building PS, St Marys Clougchor PS, St Catherines PS, Gaelscoil Uí Dhochartaigh, St Marys Strabane PS and Sion Mills PS with 191 children taking part. Members of SECA go into the school to start preparing the children to take part in our schools presentation which takes part in the Alley Theatre. We teach the children about Indian culture, the country India and about the festival of light Diwali.
19th October 2017 SECA held our Diwali Schools presentation at the Alley Theatre. Six local schools took part in the presentation, the six schools were from across the community: St Catherine's, St Mary’s Primary, St Mary’s Cloughcor, Sion Mills Primary, New Buildings, and the Gaelscoil Ui Dhochartaigh. The children preformed for each other their interpretation of Diwali through music, dancing, and acting. Afterwards they all received some Indian food. 237 people took part (191 pupils and 46 classrooms assistants).
21st October 2017 SECA held the 2nd day of the Diwali Festival at SECA offices. SECA held workshops in Sari Tying, Henna and Rangoli Art. People from the Strabane community came to this event and they got to experience a cultural experience of Indian traditions. 81 people attended
28th October 2017 SECA held the final night of our 3 Day Diwali festival at St Patricks Hall. All guests were served food first of vegetable and chicken pakoras, matter paneer, traditional chicken curry, pilau rice, naan bread and popadoms. After that the Mayor of DCSDC was asked to come and light the Diwali Lamp. After there were performances of different type of Bollywwod dance including traditional Indian, Bollywood and Rajasatni,Dancing, some of these groups were local Strabane people and some were Derry and Letterkenny. After the entertainment there was an Indian fashion. Everyone that took part in the fashion show where volunteers and they where all local girls and boys. 637 people attended the event.
9th December SECA held its annual Children Christmas party at SECA offices. The children played games and had a visit from Santa Clause. 25 children attended
SECA held a range of cookery demonstrations in Polish, Indian and Brazilian food, we visited groups such as CRAFT, Connect Youth Group and Strabane Youth Council
17th March 2018 the same 33 children took place in the annual St Patricks Day parade, they where in conjunction with St Marys Castlefiin PS, there was over 60 children that made the samba band. SECA also held with St Patricks Day parade by organising a Multi Cultural Court in Castle Street. There was a variety of food, music and other other performances, representing some of the cultures from China, with Chinese Dragon and Lion Dance workshop, Tai Chi and qigong workshops with a small tea ceremony, as well as Chinese lanterns, Chinese opera masks and chopstick competitions workshops, a Chinese choir and a Chinese Fan Dance, Bollywood dance workshops, and Rangoli Art and Indian translations, Rangoli Art, African drumming workshops, and Spanish Vienna Hearts workshops Spanish Flamenco dancers, Thai workshops, Polish arts and crafts, music and singing, Polish and Brazilian translators to teach a few words and phrases of Polish and Portuguese, Russian doll making, as well as local artist doing portraits and caricatures.
Myself provided educational workshops in Anti Racism and Diversity Training in local schools such as Holy Cross and St Marys, also local community groups such as Connect Youth Group, Fountain Street Community Centre, CRAFT Training Services, Strabane AYE Project, and Strabane Youth Council. Each group was given a presentation about different cultures and religions. They were taught some facts about India, shown some Indian clothes and jewellery and afterwards they were given a quiz on what they learnt that day. The children that attended these awareness sessions where ages 16years - 17years old. These children learnt that there are many cultures and religions all around them and that everyone should be treated equally. They all received certificates.
SECA worked along with Cuztomized Training Services to provide 10 week English Classes, 13 people began this course with 10 people competing it, receiving an Essential Skills Qualification. SECA also provided 10 week Polish classes for young children which was facilitated by a Polish teacher. SECA also held various health nights such as Alcohol Awareness, Mental Health Awareness, and also provided free health checks.
SECA has worked with over 20 cases in regards with helping with housing, benefits, visa and passport information. As I am a qualified Welfare Rights Advisor I am able to provide members with benefit information and tell them their entitlements.
This year our volunteers have been very busy with nearly 600 hours racked up in voluntary work. Without our volunteers none of projects would have been possible so I would like to thank them all for their continued support. We ended the year of with a party in Masala for all the volunteers where over 50 volunteers received a certificate.
I would like to complete my report by thanking the SECA committee for all you help and guidance throughout the year. You have all helped me to fulfil my job roll. Also a special thanks to Jennifer SECA admin staff for her continued help. I look forward to working with all of you in the future and making SECA even more successful.
Thank You Kamini Rao
Election of Accountants
SP Mc Caffery have been elected to continue as SECA’S Accountants for the incoming year 2108/19 proposed by J. Lokugamage and seconded by J.Rao.
AOB
It was suggested that there were some changes made to the constitution in Sections 5.1 and 6.2. It should be changed to Strabane District Area instead of Council Area. These changes were agreed.
K.Rao said that this year SECAs funding for Diwali got rejected.
D.Guram suggested for all the schools to do a non- uniform day to raise funds. All schools have been contacted and they have agreed to do so.
SGN are also meeting with SECA to discuss the Diwali project and to see if they can fund anything to it.
An application was also sent to Halifax Foundation NI and Big Lottery fund.
All local councilors were informed only P.Gallagher replied.
K.Rao also wrote to councilors again. SF councilors contacted the office and have agreed to help.
There will also be an ASDA Bag Pack.
D.Guram said it was very disappointing that we did not receive the money and that we heard about it at such late notice so we couldn’t apply for anything else.
The meeting closed at 8.20pm.
K.Rao thanked everyone for coming.
Signature _____ Chairperson
Signature Secretary