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Swansea Bay Asylum Seekers Support Group Minutes of the Annual General Meeting 25 March 2003, Swansea Guildhall Minutes by Lauraann. Meeting commenced: 7.30pm. Present: Hans Popper, Karen Cooke [Eastside Residents], Josie Akhurst, Marilyn Thomas, Alan Thomas, Ruth Davies [Heyokah], Tony Young, Nesta Steffens, Janice Jones [Catholic Women's League, CWL], Joan Welsh [CWL], Bronwen Malik, Naz Malik [AWEMA], Lauraann Grobler, Veronique Dembo, Sylvie Butterbach, Tom Cheesman, Shahid Altaf, Cristina Cifuentes, Jackey Amey, Tracey Sherlock [DPIA], Nissa Finney [STAR], Maria Longley [STAR], Ben Lockwood [STAR], Keith Halfacree
Tom advised that with reference to committee participation, the following have expressed an interest: Pam Cram- Minister in the Methodist Church in Morriston; Glynnis Cullen - a colleague of Shahid's in police training and a Men's Hairdresser; Vanessa Bucolli - Oxfam Media Network (Cardiff); Pam Wilson - Quakers
It was decided that committee members should be prepared to commit to meeting at regular intervals to oversee group activities, to be collectively responsible for the management of finances. It was suggested that bi-monthly meetings to review issues and what needs doing would be adequate.
Tom Cheesman Shahid Altaf Lauraann Grobler Cristina Cifuentes Tony Young Nesta Steffens Sylvie Butterbach Veronique Dembo Josie Ackhurst *Max Kpakio *Vanessa Bucolli *Pam Cram {* = were elected at later a meeting in March)
Tom advised that while Heyokah Centre is thriving on Friday Afternoons, in order to expand to other areas we would need to apply for funding or have fundraising events consisting of Asylum seekers and locals. We would also need more people to run these centres and activities. The Council is dispersing people further from the town centre and is not catering to those areas. We need more centres in areas such as Townhill, Blaenymaes, Gendros, Manselton, Morriston, Port Tennant. We need transport to ferry the football team to training and their supporters to and from football matches. We need people with cars who are willing to volunteer their time. We have been considering providing an Internet café at the Heyokah Centre, but require people with some knowledge or expertise in computers to make them usable. We need to review the constitution to improve it and discuss the formalisation of volunteer roles for Asylum Seekers. We could thing of creating roles or volunteer titles to benefit Asylum Seekers and encourage them to volunteer.
C.F asked where we are going to get the money from if we do decide to expand and B.M wanted to know what the group's funds are. T.C advised that the group currently has £900 - £1000, but require £200+ each time for setting up events. B.L advised that Star have offered to put up some of their grant to benefit Asylum seekers by arranging fundraising events. Star are organising an event for the 2 May at Jazzy Anthill which could be the start of similar fundraising events to be held there. Jazzy Anthill has offered their venue once a month to raise funds. We could arrange some events at the Chattery in the Uplands as well on a regular basis. There is a different clientele with more available finances. It was suggested that taking ideas for fundraising to drop-in's may be a better idea as the Asylum seekers and refugees are there and may participate. Regarding who volunteers to do which activity, L and C.F suggested going through all the topics up for discussion first then allowing people to choose what they prefer to do [SEE BELOW]. The following activities are currently taking place or being arranged for the future. Heyokah Centre Drop in is for Asylum seekers to meet each other and locals in a safe environment. Accommodation providers have not provided such a place and the Turkish community has set up their own. Heyokah Centre is every Friday from 4pm - 7pm. Regulars and volunteers advise new comers about us and referrals are made by Refugee Council etc. People with disabilities and single parents find it particularly safe and some have stated that it is the only place they actually feel safe here in Swansea. The demand varies. It is understood of course that the exact conditions cannot be reproduced elsewhere, but other centres may fill some of the required functions and should not be a place where officials work to open up to the public. T.S is working with the council regarding drop-ins at Morriston for Friday mornings and T.Y feels that Manselton is more in need and he can help there and in Blaenymaes by talking to the residents. B.L would like to see one set up in St Thomas and is prepared to put some time into running it. J.A said that people in the area have already expressed an interest in working in groups and were interested in welcoming Asylum seekers when they first heard that dispersal to Swansea would take place N.M suggested that our approach for the next 12 months should be to set our priorities for what needs to be done and then work on the cost thereafter. N.M is looking at ways to do a pilot project in Swansea with the Legal Services Commission. That project could be brought to our committee and developing the capacity and issues of funding and personnel could be possible through his organisation (AWEMA). He has applied for funding for his project for 3 years. He added that we need to develop a work program and decide what were doing, how we're doing it and what we need to do it. He can provide human resources. C.F feels that strong links to the community need to be built and that should be our priority. T.Y mentioned the relevance stating the issue about the council doing up houses and the residents going to the press regarding the houses being renovated for asylum seekers. Once the council calls meeting with the residents the problems are resolved. N.M stated that our committee should know who is arriving in Swansea in advance to allow us to provide welcome support. He feels that we should writ to the council to demand that we be given names and addresses of those coming. V.D rightly stated that asylum seekers are here in Swansea for months sometimes before they find out that they need to go to the Refugee Council or where they can go for legal help and immigration advisory services. Many do not know what services can be accessed and where from. M.T suggested that we give our information to them through the housing providers and Refugee Council. R.D suggested working with groups like the Red Cross and Undod who are getting funding for this type of outreach work N.M will look at sources of funding and applications in the name of SBASSG through his organisation. CWL will support asylum seekers continually.
Veronique Dembo needs a letter of support for her immigration appeal on 2nd May. T.C mentioned that Dynamics Circus Group are integrating people with special needs and looking for examples of Good practice with young ethnic people. Presswise and Ethical Media are having an event on 24 April in Cardiff. Searchlight, the anti-nazi league requires a speaker and a stall for their event on 27 March. There will be a Folder setup at the Heyokah Centre to hold all e-mails so people may check any news they may not have received.
NEW DROP- IN CENTRES: Nesta Steffens / Tony Young / Lauraann / Marilyn Thomas (as a helper at the centre not an organiser) / Tracey Sherlock (limited time available) / Christina Cifuentes SWANSEA WORLD STARS FOOTBALL CLUB: Ben Lockwood FUND RAISING etc: Tom Cheesman FUNDING BIDS - NEW PROJECTS: Naz Malik COMPUTERS & INTERNET: Ruth Davies / Shahid Altaf / Lauraann REVIEW OF CONSTITUTION: Bronwen Malik / Alan Thomas / Marilyn Thomas VOLUNTEERS - FORMALISE ETC: Marilyn Thomas / Ben Lockwood NEWSLETTER AND WEBSITE: Nissa Finney / Lauraann LETTERS OF SUPPORT AND INTERPRETATION & WORK IN SCHOOLS: Sylvie Butterbach / Tom Cheesman AWARENESS RAISING: Nesta Steffens / Josie Akhurst ON CALL FOR SPECIFIC TASKS AS & WHEN THEY ARRIVE - TIME LIMITED: Nissa Finney / Jackie Amey
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