Trustee Annual Report 2022- 2023 This is the Trnstee Annual Report of Migrant Support Service, registration numEtr NIC107476, and principal address at Office Unit F, Mtyfair Business Centre, 193-205 Garvaghy Rd, Portadown, BT62 IHA. It covers the perlod of the ISI April, 2022 to the 3151 March, 2023. On the date of approval of thls report, the charity trustees were Alicja Moates, Brendan Macpartlin, Frank Brady, Hemlterio Mendes, Gary Moates, and Francisca Soares. Ml8rant Support Service re8lstered as a charity on 23rd March 2020. It is unincorporated and governed by a Constitution. Its charltable purposes are welcome and suppor¢ .migrants who happen to be our neighbours and integrate them into a community of right relations where they can flourish and enjoy equal opportunities and parity of esteem. The current projecL Walking with Migrants. is funded by the National Lottery and h&8 undertaken to improve, over three years, the lives of some 900 Migrants living in the ABC Council and general Mid Ulster area by offerln8 advice and support on a rdnge of social issues as well as advocatin8 on behalf of the individuals and thelr family. What we have done in the 2022-23 We envi5a8ed four avenues of action relevant to newcomers namely, settling down, finding employment, building community, recovering from the Pandemlc, and dealing with the costf-1Wlng Increases. Categories of Action Immigyration issues No. of Cases 392 face to face meetings Aetivities As we progress beyond the Brexit deadlines, we are faced with increasingFly difficult immigtation cases. We had alx)ut 275 face- to-face meetings linked with settlement status, Biometric Residence Card applications, and visas. Settling in 350 The c&s¢s concerned National Insurance number. Child Benefit. Rate rebates. return penalties. Driving Licence etc. Employment issues 379 The cases concerned T&x credits. HMRC overpayments; Universal Credit, Writing CVS, Job application& Pension, PIP (Disability Allowances); research on the living wage as distinct from the minimum wage. Scanned with Camscanner
Sharing Learning 155 People Of155 enrolled for English about l 00 individuals have successfully completed a language module and have shown a noticeable improvement in their English proficiency. Many have already secured employment. Approximately 30 children were registered for Romanian cl&8ses where they enhanced their skills and fornied new friendships. Community Services 125 The cases concerned crime preventio assisting with contracts, and help with cnergy suppliers. Training Events Concerning mental health and wellbeing Food Poverty 1030 people 140 Food Vouchers, 90 Referrals to the food bank. 800 Xmas dinners in collaboration with the Knights of Columbanus and Drumcree Community Centre. Outcomes- what we have achieved Immigration issues came to the fore with Brexit and reqUId European residents to apptyfor settlement. By helping with this we enabled hundreds to settle and 8ain confidence and increased independence. Maria, for instance, said: "l just wanted to say a huge thank you for all the help and support you gave me during my settlement application. Your advice and resources made everything so much easier and helped me to feel more confjdent about starting my new life. I really appreciate all the hard work and dedication you put into helping people like me find stsbility and new OprtUnitIes. Thanks io you, I can now look forward to this exciting new chapter with real excitement and confidence." The schools are good in these parts and newcomers want to see their children get into education. Poverty is an obstacle and causes anxiety. Lengut4 for example. found that help in this area lifted her anxiety and stress: "l am immensely thankful for your supNIrt in securing free school meals and unifornis. Your assistance lightened our financial burden and enabled my child to thrive in their education. Your dedication to helping families like mine is truly appreciated. Thank you for making a meaningful difference in our lives." Learning to speak English is key to many aspects of integration and not only involves imparting learning and skills but also reduces isolation, builds community. and emw)wers people with confidence in their daily interactions. Felicia's experience w&8 that it made a differenrx: "I just wanted to say a big thank you to your organization for all the help you've given me in learning English. Your classes and resources have made such a difference - not only have they opened up new opportunities for me, but they've also ly)osted my confidence and made my life richer. I'm so impressed with your dedication to educatiotL and I feel lucky to have benefited from it. Thanks for empowering me to Communicate effectively and achieve my goals!" Scanned with Camscanner
Successes, Challenges and Learnings from Experience The project. Walking with Migrants, was developed and is delivered by members of the migrant community who serve as trustees, staff, and volunteers as well as those who seek our services. Their skills are crucial in achieving our prow)sed goals. We learn from each other as we work together. We also use user feedback is crucial to identify the needs of migrant communities and areas of improvement in our services. We aim to build on the strengths of those who walk with us and in that way build their confidence. Assistance with settling down incaSed peoples, confjdence in controlling their lives and claiming their rights. People who attended the English felt empowered to pursue job opportunities and become active members of the community. By helping with settlement status, benefits, and skills development people learned how to access their entitlements, gained in self-suificiency, and leveraged their unique strengths and experience to contribute to their communities. Newcomers are entitled to the many services provided by many agencies but not knowing their way afflund is a big obstacle. In providing inforn]ation and referring onwards we have made good conneclions with the relevant statutory agencies &5 well as the Food Bank and th¢ local Borough Council (ABC). We have organised joint events with the PSNI and been materially supported by the Knights of /Columbanus. The rise in the cost of living has been a challenge, as it h&8 for everylx)dy, and our fijnders have responded well to needs that arose in this context. Brexit has changed the position of EU citizens who are resident here. So far the immigrntion authorities have ensured that the transition has gone successfully but we think cases will be more diificult to deal with further changes in the immigration rules. There is a scarcity of immigration advice in Northern Ireland and we see a need to skill ourselves up to deal with the need. 750 people benefitted from ow activities in the past financial year. The beneficiaries are migrants living mainly in the Ix)roughs of the Am]agh City, Banbridge. and Craigavon Council and of the Mid-ulster Council. They originated mostly in the Portuguese-speaking countries of Europe, Asiffj Africa and Latin America as well as European and Middle Eastern countries. The activities and services were delivered by 3 paid staff and 16 volunteers. The totsl expenditure on these activities amounted to £99,005 during that year which w&8 met by a total gross income of £116,393. These activities flowed from the purposes of Migrant Support Service and are beneficial to the newcomers involved. No harni has followed from the charity's purposes. Signe on behalf of the Trustees Francisca Soares, Trustee Brendan MacPartlin, Trstee Date: /eq/2Q? Scanned with Camscanner