Highlights from Annual General Meeting 2023 and Sanctuary Initiatives in Swansea

Annual General Meeting 2023

Chairs Annual Report 2023 Alan Thomas

Context: 2023 UK government hostile environment even worse Stop the Boats : - Illegal Migration Act; - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill Rise in hate speech (Stradey Park hotel fiasco in Llanelli; buses incidents) Continuing backlog of asylum cases BUT - more people dispersed from hotels; - more getting Leave to Remain (pressure on local housing) Welsh Govt policy ( Integration begins from Day One ): - Nation of Sanctuary strategy being reviewed UK CoS: new Wales Co-ordinator; Sanctuary in Politics in Swansea; emphasis on streams and on campaigning; Stand Up for Sanctuary course

Management Committee 2023 Alan Thomas (Co-Chair)+ Krys Williams Carlos Ibarra Rivadeneira (Co-Chair)+ Leigh Hooker+ Stephen Richardson (Co-opted; Treasurer from April) Betul Karagoz* Martha Ako Stephanie Jones+ Carys Davies Funmilayo Olaniyan [Observer: Jim Downey*] Grace Rungua+ [Observer: Kelly Wearing] Jose Cifuentes* [In attendance: Hazel Nixon] *Left during the year + Standing down at 2023 AGM

Swansea School of Sanctuary Awards Celebration held at Swansea Arena! Awards made to: St Helen s Primary Christchurch Primary St Joseph s Cathedral Primary (reaccreditation) Bishop Vaughan

Sanctuary in Politics course UK City of Sanctuary course (7iteration run in Swansea Nov 23) Aimed at asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants 2-day residential plus online intro and follow-up Modules on: - the UK (and Welsh) political system - campaigning and making one s voice heard - working with the media 16 participants (over half from Swansea); 10 mentors Participants complete course with individual projects/ assignments

Other Highlights Major Swansea Institutions working towards national awards: - UWTSD and Swansea University - Swansea Central Library/ Library Service/ Prison Library - City and County of Swansea Asylum Seeker and Refugee Coordination (AS&RC) meetings Consultation on Future Priorities Awareness-raising and fundraising events: World Social Work Day; Tabletop sale with SASS; Waterfront GRAFFT supper; Mumbles Churches Together; These Thrilling Lies gig; etc.

Partnership Projects A Better Welcome to Swansea (with SCVS) Share Tawe (now independent; run by EYST) HarMINDise (Young Persons Resilience Project; run by ACC)

Priorities following Not an Away Day 1. Facilitating cooperation between support organizations - Better information for asylum seekers 2. Empowering refugee voices - Support Sanctuary in Politics graduates - Run Speak Up for Sanctuary locally 3. Local activities (Travelling Exhibition etc) 4. Workshops/Networking: - Sanctuary and Wellbeing for Young People (for HarMINDise) - Interfaith Conference 5. Awards: - Schools of Sanctuary; - Other Sanctuary Awards

Challenges Largely new committee Need to mobilise and motivate volunteers effectively Prioritise making refugee voices heard Push through new constitution Continue regular consultation with members and supporters Need to fund paid admin/ comms support (via both local fundraising and grants) Move from Consultation to ACTION!

Overall more than ever We can and must continue to counter the false narrative that the public is hostile. We can demonstrate that support for welcome and inclusion remains strong both in public institutions and the public as a whole.

Any questions?

Treasurers Financial Report 2023 Stephen Richardson

Appointment of Management Committee Members for 2024 Carys Davies Funmilayo Olaniyan Fru Delvis Ngang Krys Williams Martha Ako Stephen Richardson Tom Avery

Resolutions 1. Becoming a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) We agree to adopt the Revised Constitution for Swansea City of Sanctuary (SCoS) as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Association form). This new Constitution replaces the previous one which was adopted in 2012, under which SCoS was an unincorporated Association. We hereby empower the Management Committee to use this Revised Constitution as the basis for applying to the Charity Commission for registration as a CIO. We further empower the Management Committee to make any minor changes to the Revised Constitution required in order to achieve registration, so long as any such changes do not materially alter the Aims or Principles of SCOS. Any major changes, for example to the Objects, must be confirmed at a future General Meeting. The First Charity Trustees of Swansea City of Sanctuary as a CIO will be the members of the Management Committee at the time of registration, or as many of them as are eligible and willing to take on the role.

Resolutions 2. Timing of future Annual General Meetings to hold the Annual General Meeting within 90 days of the Organisation s Year -End Reasoning: To ensure that the Annual Financial Report, including both Budgets and Forecasts for the upcoming year are worked on in a timely manner that allows them to be relevant to the plans of the organisation for that future year. Currently that would mean that the AGM would be held before the end of June. As opposed to the current month of December, which is more than mid-way through the financial year.

Questions, discussion, suggestions, future plans, AOB

Thank you!