CARJ Liverpool Work Report 2017
Activities continue to increase in Liverpool. The highlight of the year was the visit of CARJ’s Chair Yogi Sutton to our projects accompanied by Administrator Gloria Oham.
MUSIC
The activity with the Voices of Hope Gospel Choir at St Hugh’s and St Clare’s Primary Schools has continued to flourish. Membership of the choir exceeds 70 children per week and a wide range of performances (mainly for other charities) have been given at the Anglican Cathedral, the Royal Liverpool Hospital and a variety of supermarkets and for charities such as The Brain Charity (Copies of the evaluation are available from CARJ general office).
We are examining ways in which our singers can continue to sing when they leave primary school. We have had several meetings with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Children’s and Youth’s Choirs and with the Liverpool Resonate Music Hub to encourage a seamless transition for our youngsters. Joint activities will start in January 2018.
An initiative funded by the Mark Torkington Trust started during the year. Weekly instrumental tuition is provided for 12 youngsters at St Vincent de Paul’s Primary School in Chinatown by our tutor Louise McVey.
Further projects are starting in 2017-8
PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART
Dale is exploring the possibility, with local photographer Colin Lewis, of a photograph based project for completion for an exhibition during Black History Month. The competition will focus on A Day in the Life of the families in Belvidere Mothers’ Shelter. The Corke Gallery in Aigburth Road is being approached to be a venue for the exhibition.
Another arts-related project will begin in 2017-8 when local artist Tony Brown will work with pupils in 3 schools on the decoration of large elephants as part of an ongoing project on wild animals of Africa.
FAMILY SHELTERS AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS
The activity at the Belvidere Mothers’ and Family Shelter continues and is supported by Dale and 4 volunteers. They attend the centre on 2 afternoons per week after school and work with up to 15 children per session.
The project was evaluated by Angela Murphy, Brendan Schmack and Angela Wylie and the evaluation report is at the designers. It will be ready just after the AGM and anyone who would like a copy should contact CARJ.
The Centre Manager stated that: through attending the homework club, all the children get to meet and learn about each other in a safe, informal environment, which helps prepare them for school and the local community, where they will be resettled. Dale and the team are able to guide them gently through some very difficult learning – racial tolerance and understanding, Identity and British Culture. Dales Team reflects all members of society, male / female / Black / White, and the children are able to identify with appropriate and familiar role models.
During the year we extended our after-school activities at Yates Court Homeless Centre in neighbouring Prescot. The project at Yates is very challenging but numbers continue to grow and regularly exceed 10 children. We have recently introduced 1:1 counselling.
We organised a Summer Holiday Programme for both the Homes. At Belvidere the programme was 3 times a week, and Yates it operated on 32days per week. These were a great success.
FUND RAISING & SUSTAINABILITY
We have worked hard to find funding to support our activities. Sustainability of the Choir has been ensured by each of the schools contributing to costs.
Similarly the Homeless Shelters have contributed significantly to the costs of the Summer Schools.
A successful bid was made to the Father Austin Smith Fund for funding (£350) to support a taster half term project working with Collective Encounters for Social Change Theatre Company (an Arts Council National Portfolio Funded Charity) on the design of a short theatre piece relevant to the situations of our East European and Middle East immigrant children.
Dale was successful in winning a donation from the Fords Halewood Transmission Factory Shop floor Charity of £600 and one of our Liverpool Committee, Angela Wylie, has attended several car boot sales and raised £180 for our work in the Family Homeless Shelters.
In addition to fund raising, costs are managed by the contribution of 5 volunteers in addition to the contributions of the local support committee.
CARJ Liverpool looks forward to another successful year contributing to the Mission of CARJ.
Bill Chambers