Changes to After School Clubs (starting 20/9/24)

As you know we have been running After School Clubs for as many years as we have been here, and we want to continue running them into the future. For a very long time we were funded by Children in Need, and they paid for the salaries of the staff, but in March 2023 they told us that they could not fund us anymore. In March 2024 we were able to ask Children in Need again for funding but again they said no. Last September we reduced the number of days we could run After School Clubs to Wednesday through to Saturday. From this September we are going to run After School Clubs on Fridays and Saturdays. We will continue to run holiday playschemes as they are well attended.

The reasons are:

• Not many children come to the clubs anymore.
• We have not been given any funding to run the clubs.
• There are more clubs run by schools than before.
• Families don’t seem to want their children to come like they did in the past.
• As the numbers have been too low it has been decided that offering 3 clubs per week meets the current level of demand and we are using our reserves to cover this cost.

We realise that this will come as a shock to those of you who come along regularly, and we do feel very sad about this. It costs over £500,000 a year to run Communityworks and it is difficult to get funding to continue and therefore when a group is not well attended, we need to consider whether it can continue.

We have thought long and hard about this decision and if the situation changes in the future, we will look at it again. I hope you understand and that you will continue to support the clubs we deliver.

These are some other sessions that run, with a couple of local options:

Race Equality Network have put together a checklist of safety guidance to keep yourself and communities safe in light of the recent riots and unrest.

In plain text, these steps are:

• Stay informed – keep up to date with reliable news sources and local authorities for information on which areas to avoid. Stay connected with local organisations such as Bradford Hate Crime Alliance and the Race Equality Network. You can also email the Race Equality Network directly.
• Misinformation – always seek verification of anything you see online or which is circulating on social media and is not an official notification. Verification can be sought by contacting the Police through the community hub.
• Avoid high-risk areas – if you know of any planned protests or areas of unrest, steer clear of those locations for your safety
• Avoid travelling alone – if you must go out, do so in groups. There is safety in numbers and having a friend can be crucial in case of emergencies. Stay in brightly lit areas and avoid wearing headphone in order to be vigilant. For example, stand to the back of platform edges and keep an eye out for your surroundings. Make sure someone knows where you are at all times.
• Emergency supplies – keep essential items on hand such as a fully charged phone, water and first aid supplies.
• Dress – for any Muslim women who wear the Hijab, consider tucking your Hijab into your clothes to prevent any Islamophobic attacks.
• Report suspicious activity – if you witness any suspicious or dangerous behaviour, report it immediately to the relevant staff of the Police.
• Neighbours – times like these can be isolating for some communities so please support your neighbours, check in on those that may be vulnerable and offer support where possible.
• Mobile phones – ensure you have access to a mobile phone that is charged, in case of an emergency.
• Communication – Racism and Islamophobia are serious hate crimes so reach out to your friends, family, employees, colleagues, volunteers and services users to offer support and provide a safe space for them to express their feelings and concerns about current affairs and how it has affected them.
• Mental health – those individuals and communities that experience racial unrest can significantly impact mental and emotional wellbeing. If you are experiencing feelings that are difficult to cope with, please visit Healthy Minds for a range of online self-help resources. You can also contact Sharing Voices or Roshni Ghar who offer culturally appropriate mental health support.
• Bradford Police have set up a virtual Community Hub. The purpose of the Hub is to collate information from our communities and provide twice-daily updates regarding what is happening and key messages to be passed out. You can pass information into the hub such as messages and posters spreading misinformation via Assistant Inspector Toby Newton-Day. This is to report tensions, engagement and potential emerging issues. This is not to report crime or anti-social behaviour – you can do this via the normal channels which are WYP Online, or calling 101 for non-emergencies or 999 if a crime is in action.

We are pleased to say that we have been funded to deliver a 40 place summer play scheme for local children entitled to free school meals. The programme runs for 4 weeks Mondays to Thursdays.

This is available for children entitled to free school meals due to parent’s income. There are only 8 places left so contact asap. Ring 01274 200589 to check if your children are entitled. 4 hours of great fun for 8 days. Give your children something to remember this holiday…..

Mahnoor Malik, one of our parents said “A lovely report for the Nursery, my daughter loves it, and I would recommend it to everyone and anyone. Congratulations to Community Works Nursery and thank you for looking after our children with the best care. We feel happy, confident, and safe sending our children to this Nursery, thank you to all staff – well deserved.”

You are very welcome to attend our AGM next Tuesday 7th December at 7pm

NOTICE & AGENDA FOR THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

OTLEY ROAD & UNDERCLIFFE COMMUNITY WORKS

Agenda

1) Chair’s Opening Remarks

2) Declaration of Interests & Apologies for Absence

3) Minutes of the AGM 15 November 2022 – Accuracy + matters arising not on this agenda

4) Approval of Statutory Accounts for year to 31 March 2023

5) Approval of Directors Annual Report for year to 31 March 2023

6) Election of Directors on rotation (3-year terms)

7) Appointment of External Auditors for 2024

8) Any Other Urgent Business

Are you thinking about getting fitter? Why not try our Zumba Class? Every adult should try to get 150 minutes of exercise each week. The class is for local people and can cater for people new to Zumba, as well as experienced people. The class is for women only and costs £1.

A special opportunity to work with Katie from Cecil Green Arts to make a big lantern for the annual Lantern Festival on 27th October at List Park

We are currently looking for a new Chair of the Board of Directors (Trustee). This is an unpaid role requiring approximately 2-4 hours per month.

The successful candidate will be a passionate advocate for disadvantaged, marginalised diverse communities, with experience of operating at a senior strategic leadership level within a voluntary sector organisation. Although not essential, we would particularly welcome applications from those with lived experience of aspects of the issues facing people within our community.