DEVON & CORNWALL REFUGEE SUPPORT
COMPANY LIMITED
A private company limited by guarantee


ANNUAL REVIEW 2009

7 Whimple Street, Plymouth, PL1 2DH     Tel: 01752 265952     Fax:   0870 762 6228
Email: dcrsc@btopenworld.com   Website: http://dcrsc1.cfsites.org/

	PAGE
Mission Statement	3
Editorial Comment	3
Statistics	4
A Review of Our 10th Anniversary Year	5 - 7
Our 10th Anniversary Celebrations	9 - 11
Talks & Presentations	11- 12
A Calendar of Events	13 -16
Project Support Review	17 - 27
Part 1:   Casework	17 - 21
Part 2:   Challenges for Project Support Workers	21 - 23
Part 3:   An Inside Perspective As part of the Team	23 - 27
Volunteers	28
The Food Programme	28 - 32
The Clothing Store	33
The Internet Suite	35 - 36
The Reception Desk	37
The Website	39 - 40
A Special Article by Mr. John SHINNER	41
A Financial Statement	42
A Financial Review	43 - 44
Funders & Logos	45
Acknowledgement	46
Staff, Trustees & Other Volunteers	48
DCRC Contact Details	50

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Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support aims to build a practical support system
for Asylum Seekers and Refugees (ASR)
and to ensure that they benefit from their legal rights
by using all the available services.

DCRS assists ASR to maintain their dignity
and provides them with practical support in rebuilding their lives.

EDITORIAL COMMENT

Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support Council (DCRSC) became a Private Company Limited by Guarantee on
1^st January 2010.

It is now officially known as a Registered Charity under the company name of:

Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support Company Limited
(DCRS Co. Ltd.)
a Private Company Limited by Guarantee

The shortened title will be DCRS.
Although we are now known as DCRS, there will be references to DCRSC in this publication
as this Review covers 2009... when we were still known as DCRSC!

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Our 10^th Anniversary year has now come and gone and I would like to express the Trustees' thanks in particular to Mrs. Christine REID and to all who were involved in the organisation of the many functions throughout the year.   Small charities like ourselves rely heavily on the enthusiasm and commitment of our volunteers and this past year was no exception.   There is a full report later in this Review.

You'll be able to read the details of how many Service Users we were able to advise and support during the year in this Review, which is an amazing number and confirms the need there still is in Plymouth to support asylum seekers and refugees.

You may have noticed that we are now a Company limited by guarantee, but this makes no difference to our charitable status.   We have also changed our name ever so slightly, by dropping the word "Council".   We are now known as DCRS instead of DCRSC.

In my 2008 Review¹, I said that there was only another 12 months funding left from the LankellyChase Foundation² who help to fund our Food Programme.   Fortunately, this Foundation agreed to fund us for a further three years, but at a slightly reduced amount.   This reduction was not a great surprise to us considering the economic climate we are in and we are grateful for their continued support.   You'll find a full report of our Food Programme later in this Review.   The fact that over 1,600 food parcels have been put together and distributed, indicates the continued need and the amount of work put in by our volunteers!

 

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As I mentioned last year, together with START³ (Students & Refugees Together) and Refugees First⁴, we formed the Plymouth Asylum Seekers & Refugees Consortium⁵ (PASRC) on the advice of the Social Inclusion Unit⁶ (SIU) of Plymouth City Council, who would have found it difficult to agree funding to three separate organisations.   It has also meant that the three charities now meet regularly to make sure we are not duplicating work or bidding for similar projects from the same funders.   A Trustee from START chaired the first year and I, as the Chair of DCRS, am in the Chair for the second year.   We are particularly grateful for START's Trustees to have allowed one of their staff to act as Secretary for both years, and for one of the Plymouth & District Racial Equality⁷ Council's (PDREC) staff to act as Banker.

Through this Consortium we are able to make our concerns more effective to such agencies as the SIU or the United Kingdom Borders Agency⁸ (UKBA).   We have also invited Refugee Action⁹ to attend our meetings, as their expertise is helpful to us.

Our Clothing Store is still very much needed with almost 2,000 service users making use of this facility during the year.   You will see from the Clothing Store report later in this Review that a Coordinator is needed for this service, as Mrs. Margaret SHINNER has had to step down due to health reasons.

Our Internet Suite, reported fully in this Review, has been used regularly and greatly appreciated by our Service Users. As our report states, this facility has been significantly extended during the year.

 

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Our Web site: http://dcrsc1.cfsites.org has been a very good source of publicity and information and I would like to record our appreciation to our website designer for her interest in us and the time she has given to us.

I will finish on a very exciting note.   The latter part of 2009 saw a bid go to The Big Lottery Fund, and we have recently heard that we have been successful.   This will mean that we can increase our staffing by four and also increase our Drop-in Days.   This is wonderful news for the existing work we do and for what we plan to do in 2010.   Our volunteers have always been vital to our organisation, but with our Reaching Communities project, funded by The Big Lottery, we shall be relying on them even more.

I cannot complete this report for 2009, without mentioning our Staff.   Their commitment to our organisation has been and has always been over the years, really outstanding, and on behalf of the Trustees we cannot praise them too highly.   We hope, with the increased staffing in 2010, their workload will be made a little easier and a stressful job made a little less stressful.


Just some of our valiant volunteers!

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2009 saw the 10^th Anniversary of the formation of DCRSC.   We felt it would be appropriate to recognise this is some way, to acknowledge the work that has gone into providing practical support to Asylum Seekers & Refugees for the past decade.

Over the years since Sam KALLON¹⁰ had his vision of providing support and help, there were many problems to overcome and hard decisions to be made.   All this was seen through with a determination to succeed in helping the people that arrive in the City of Plymouth.

It was the intention, throughout 2009, to raise the profile of DCRSC in the local and regional community, and it was more than fitting that the first Citizens of Plymouth, the Lord Mayor & Lady Mayoress made time to visit our Centre in January 2009.   They met, the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Staff and Volunteers and chatted to our Service Users.

We were honoured again in March, this time with a visit by Baroness COX¹¹ , a great fighter for Human Rights, and she particularly asked to see a group of our Sudanese Refugees.

We had display stands and personnel available at various events in the City including, Refugee Week and the Respect Festival.

During Refugee Week we held an Open Day at the Centre which was more of a social occasion.   This allowed our Service Users to meet our Staff and Volunteers "off duty" so to speak, and to share a little time together over a buffet lunch.

 

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Our Annual General Meeting in June was a success and this was held alongside a Festival Day at Sherwell Hall.   The hall was decorated with photographs and displays and there was entertainment and speeches.   This also gave the opportunity to meet and greet friends old and new.   Some had played a part in DCRSC over the previous ten years and we shared a wonderful International lunch together, again, with some of our Service Users who came along.   The Lord Mayor & Lady Mayoress also attended this event.

The year ended with a visit to the Centre by the newly-elected Lord Mayor & Lady Mayoress, who spent a lot of time talking to Staff and our Service Users, and even posed for photographs with them.
We are particularly thankful for the coverage the local press gave us this year.

On a personal note, I should like to thank all those who supported me in making the Anniversary Year arrangements the success they clearly were!   Thank you!

Where do we go from here – will we still be providing practical support in the next ten years?  
I found this quote¹² ... which I think sums up what we're all about...

 

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Several Talks and Presentations were given to Faith Groups, Students, Women's and Men's Groups and other organisations during 2009 and this helped to raise the profile of DCRSC.
The main objective of these talks is to tell the truth about Asylum Seekers & Refugees (ASR) so as to dispel the many myths and rumours that are spread around, often through ignorance.
For example...

"They do walk straight into our Benefits System, they walk straight into employment or Social Housing."

What utter twaddle!   Asylum Seekers are not allowed to work!   We accept that there may be flaws in our Immigration System but that can be applied to any scenario or to any situation.
The Talks that we give have always been very well received and audiences have often said they have helped them to understand the situation surrounding ASR.
For example...

"Why do they feel the need to flee the country of their birth?"

All of these reasons are well covered in the media.

One of the first things we explain if the difference between an Asylum Seeker, a Refugee and an Economic Migrant.   The latter is neither an Asylum Seeker nor Refugee who come to the UK for shelter and / or safety.   An Economic Migrant is someone who chooses to come to the UK to work.   We find there is still a lot of confusion over this and we have been told after our Talks that this simple explanation certainly helps in better understanding the plight of ASR.

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We're always willing to visit any group or organisation to talk about our services and how DCRSC provides practical support.   If you know of anyone interested in hearing further please contact me or Geoff READ.   Contact details for DCRS are shown on the back page of this review.

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Wednesday, 14^th January
Visit to DCRSC of Lord Mayor Brian VINCENT & Lady Mayoress Pauline MURPHY.

Sunday, 25^th January
Presentation to the Wesley Methodist Church¹³, SALTASH by Mrs. Lorna M. SEWELL.

February 2009
Mr. Geoffrey N. READ attended a Reception & Briefing by the Army Presentation Team¹⁴ at The Citadel, Plymouth.

Tuesday, 10^th February
Presentation to the Ladies' Guild, Eggbuckland by Mrs. Christine REID and Mr. Geoffrey N. READ.

Thursday, 22^nd February
Presentation to the Plymouth Area Adult Network Group (PAANG) by Mrs. Christine REID.

March 2009
Presentation to the African House Community by Mrs. Patricia BAXTER.

Thursday, 5^th March
Visit to DCRSC by Baroness Caroline COX (Founder of HART-UK¹⁵, the Humanitarian Aid & Relief Trust).

Sunday, 15^th March
Presentation to the Morning Service at Emmanuel Church¹⁶, Plymouth by Mrs. Patricia BAXTER.

 

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Saturday, 28^th March
Presentation by Mrs. Lorna M. SEWELL to the Trinity United Reformed Church¹⁷, Plymouth, during their Coffee Morning and Bring & Buy Sale.

Wednesday, 29^th April
Visit by Mr. Peter ALEY to DCRSC.   Peter is Head of Safer Cities & Communities¹⁸, Plymouth City Council.

May 2009
Visit by Reverend Martin WARREN and some of his parishioners from the Shebbear & Sheepwash Churches out on Dartmoor.

Sunday, 14^th June
Many faiths were represented at an Interfaith Service at Sherwell Church¹⁹, Plymouth.   The theme of the presentations was 'Welcoming a Stranger'.

Friday, 19^th June
DCRSC Open Doors.   DCRSC opened its doors for all Service Users to meet and greet friends old and new.   This was an opportunity to socialise with friends and to share some refreshments.   It was emphasised that this was a social occasion so no business matters were undertaken on this day!

Thursday, 2^nd July
Presentation to St. Augustine of Hippo²⁰ (RC), St. Austell and the Justice & Peace Group²¹, St. Austell given by Mrs. Christine REID.

Wednesday, 23^rd September
Another visit by the parishioners of Shebbear & Sheepwash Parishes.

 

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October 2009
A number of visits during October 2009:
 • Visit by Jane FARLEIGH, Regional Director of the UK Border Agency²².
 • Visit by Linda GILROY²³, MP.
 • Visit by Alison SEABECK²⁴, MP.

October 2009
Mrs. Christine REID, our Food Programme Coordinator was interviewed on Radio Devon²⁵ and Heart FM²⁶ during October 2009.   Mr. Geoffrey N. READ accompanied Christine on each occasion.

Saturday, 3^th October
Dr. Penelope KEY gave a presentation to St. Peter, St. Paul & St. Thomas of Canterbury²⁷, at Bovey Tracey.

Thursday, 15^th October
Visit of Ms. Gill TISHLER, Director of the Plymouth Citizens Advice Bureau²⁸.

Tuesday, 20^th October
Mrs. Christine REID and Mr. Geoffrey N. Read attended Notre Dame School²⁹, Plymouth on the occasion of their Harvest Festival Liturgy.

Saturday, 24^th – Sunday, 25^th October
DCRSC had a Display Stand at the Plymouth Respect Festival³⁰ in the Guildhall, Plymouth, manned by some of our volunteers.

 

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Wednesday, 11^th November
Mrs. Christine REID and Mr. Geoffrey N. READ gave a presentation to the South Devon Branch of Amnesty International³¹ at Totnes.

Sunday, 13^th December
Mrs. Christine REID and Mr. Geoffrey N. READ gave a presentation at the Toy Service held in the Baptist Church³², Hope.

Visit to DCRSC by Baroness Caroline COX in March 2009

 

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