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IRMO Annual report 2012IRMO Annual report 2012
Indoamerican Refugee Migrant Organization
IRMO A n n u a l r e p o r t 2 0 1 2
2Indoamerican Refugee Migrant Organization
Contents3. Director’s report
4. Staff and volunteers
6. Coordinatior’s report
7. Legal, Immigration and Welfare Advice
8. Volunteer scheme report
9. English for work report
10. El costurero
11. Parental learning support
12. Personal and Community Well-being
13. Yoga
14. Translation and Interpreting
15. Funding Strategy
16. From Latin American Youth Forum to LAYEntertainment
17. Satisfaction survey
18. Accounting Policies And Practices
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3Indoamerican Refugee Migrant Organization
IRMO Annual report 2012
Wearedelightedtopresent IRMO’snewannual re-port.Duringthislastyear,IRMOcontinuedtoprovidedho-listicandwell-roundedsupporttotheLatinAmericancom-munitythroughtheimplementationofthefollowingprojects:Immigration Advice, Social Welfare and Housing Advice,English forWork, Parental LearningSupport, ElCosturero,ourwomen’sgroup,Communityandpersonalwellbeing,ourvolunteerschemeandtheLatinAmericanYouthForum.2012hasbeenachallengingyear for IRMO.Thisyear,wehave focused on improving the internal organisation ofIRMO,whichhasallowed IRMOto improve itsproductivityandexplorenewopportunities.Furthermore,inresponsetothechallengingeconomicclimatewhichconfrontsthethirdsector,IRMOisproudtohavebegundevelopingandimple-mentingacorporatefundraisingstrategy.
IRMOcontinuestorepresenttheLatinAmericancommunityvoice, throughout2012IRMOspokeatvariouseventsandpoliticalmeetingsregardingissuessuchaschangestoIm-migrationLawandthecutsonpublicspending.FurthermoreIRMOasof2012formspartofCLAUK,acoalitionofvariousLatinAmericanorganisations,whoseaimistoraiseaware-nessoftheissuesfacingthecommunityandrepresentthecollectiveinterestsofthecommunity.Oursupportrangesfromlegaladvicetoyogaclassesandisnotonlyaimedatonesectorofourcommunity;itisaimedatallsectors,fromchildrentowomen,newarrivalsandfami-lies.IRMOproudlycontinuestobetheonlyorganisationofitstypethatofferssupporttotheLatinAmericancommunityinSouthLondon.
We thank our clients for their monthly donations andspecificallywewouldalsoliketothanktheWalcotFounda-tion, Vodafone, Lloyds TSB and Levenes for their financialsupport. Furthermore we would like to thank our follow-ingpartnersforcollaboratingandworkingwithus;LondonLearningConsortium,Senami, theBrixton Pound, and thefeministlibrary,amongothers.Weareforeveringratitudetoourvolunteersandstaff,withouttheirdedicatedanddeter-mineddesiretofurtherourcause,noneofthiswouldbepos-sible.Wewouldalsoliketosendamessageofgratitudetoallourpartners,beneficiariesandfriendsfortheirsupport.
2013willbethe26thyearofIRMO’sexistence,whilstnewchallengesandopportunitieswillarise,IRMOwillcontinuetostriveforitscause,thatbeingthewelfareofourcommunity.IthankyouforbeingapartofIRMOandinviteyoutojoinusinsupportingandbuildingourcommunity.
John David Perez Narvaez Director
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4Indoamerican Refugee Migrant Organization
Tatiana GaravitoCoordinator
Sara MunozKey contact coordinator
Beatriz ViolParental support Coordinator
Beatriz MartinezEl Costurero,
women’s project [email protected]
Maria Regina [email protected]
Accountant
Pamela SmartAdvice and Guidance
in social welfare Coordinator
Tony Chadler Fundraiser and trainer officer
Jose Enrique LopezPersonal and community
wellbeing Coordinator [email protected]
Lucia VinzonVolunteer scheme Coordinator
Morgana ZuccoliEnglish for Work Coordinator
Mario Stifano Translator and interpreter
Laura VillegasSenior Legal Adviser
Staff
Elizabeth Ocampo Jhon David Perez Narvaez Virginia de la ValleMichael WattsManagement Comitee:
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Volunteers Alamo Miriam Alvarez Forero Diana Andom Saba Appleby Tess Barba Anna Bassett Holly Baum Anna Becerra Alejandro Blanco Rafael Blanco Rahiza Brioso Carlos Brown Chris Burbidge Joseph Cabrera Andrea Calzadilla Perez Roger Cardillo Mariarita Carrasco Carles Castillo Paola Chandler Tony Conradi Anita Corry Emma D’Agostini Erika Decaru Josh Delussu Maria Giovanna Domingues Filipe Dominguez Carmen Dos Santos Cristiana Ewart Edwart Exley Mick Foth Roberto Garcia David Garcia Ludivia Gonzalez Maria Gopalakrishnan Vivek Granada Lucila Grijaldo Yolanda Guasch Anna Victoria
Hacking Dan Hale Fiona Harris Mark Heap Dan Holland Felicia Horn Caleb Hurrell William Jackson Trevor Joelle Anna Josep Helen Just Peter Keen Jenifer Kirkwood Sara Koshinski-Silva Nathalia Lopez Ruy Lorefice Analia Martinez Mercedes Martini Andrea Marinez Damian Melendez Giovanna Mc Carthy Helen McAlinden Carrie Panesar Lucy Paolini Elena Park Kim Parkhouse Sarah Pedroza Juan Felipe Peña Susy Peter Sofia Pilpel Chloe Pineiro Beatriz Presland Victoria Pryce Lauren Reyes Carlos Sabriye Zahara Salazar Maria Salome
Salischiker Analia Santander David Santiago Debora Silbermann Randi Jamila Smith Zoie Stewart Olivia Teira Helena Ururita Maria Isabel Velasquez Iovana Vinas Maribel Walker Barry Whyte Cheryl-Ann Williams Maya Yesufu Sulemana
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Coordinator’s report WearepleasedtopresentourAnnualreport2012contain-ingareviewoftheservicesandprojectsthatweaccomplishedthisyear,wearealsopleasedtoannouncethatwemanagedtoserveover3500clients fromLatinAmericanbackgrounds. Thismeansthatwehaveincreasedthenumberofbeneficiariesbyover1000;thisisalsoreflectedinthenumberofvolunteerswhojoinedusdur-ingthisperiod.Iwouldliketoinviteyoutoreadthisreviewpagebypagetoreachtoabroaderperceptivefromourprojectcoordina-torsaboutthereasonsbehindourwork,theneedsandsociologi-calchangesofourcommunityandhowacollectiveofpeoplehaveenthusiasticallyworkedtoimprovethewellbeing,conditionsoftheLatinAmericancommunityintheUK.This year,wemade some strategic improvements to the internalstructureofourorganisationinordertofurtherdeveloptheserviceswecurrentlyofferandhelpestablishservicesthatweaimtoprovideinthefuture.Oneoftheactionsfor2013willbetoputourenergiestowardsfindingamoreappropriatespacebecauseourofficeisnolongersuitabletoholdthenumberofactivitiesthatwerunandthecoveragethatwepursue.Nevertheless,thisshortageofspaceal-lowedustostrengthenthenetworkswithsisterorganisationswithwhomwehaveworkedincollaborationtoachieveouraims.Thinkingaboutoursocialimpactandhowweenvisageourcommu-nityintheyearstocome,thisyearweworkedwithsisterorganisa-tions from the sectorand joint important campaigns suchas theLatinAmericanRecognitionandtheMigrantInternationalDaywhichhaveledtotherecognitionofourcommunityathigherlevels.IRMOalsorecentlyjoinedtheCoalitionofLatinAmericanorganisationsintheUK.Weareconfidentthatthiscollaborationworkwillhelpourcommunitytoraisetheirprofileandgainbroaderaccesstofunda-mentalservicesandinformation.
Iespeciallyencourageyoutofollowourjourneyin2013;IRMOisnotonlyacharitythatoffersservicesandprojectstoimprovethewellbeing of the Latin American communitymembers but also acollectiveof peoplewho shareadreamandgive thebestwithinthemselvestomakeithappen.
Tatiana Garavito Coordinator
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Legal, Immigration and Welfare Advice
DuetorecentchangestoEuropeanmigrationregulationsandtheeconomiccrisis,in2012IRMOhadtoincreaseitsprovisionoftwolevelsofimmigration-relatedlegaladvicetocoverover1500people.Thisincreasewassimilarto2010whentherewasadeadlineforfami-liestorequestinclusioninthefamilyregulationprogramme“Familyexercise”.MuchofourworkwasfocusedonlegalsupporttodependentsofEu-ropeancitizensundertheTreatyofRomeincaseswherefamilymem-bersstilldonothavedocumentsgrantingthemfreedomofmovementtoentertheUnitedKingdom.96%ofthe132applicationsforFamilyPermitEEA2andFamilyVisitresidencepermitsweresuccessful.57 people obtained permanent residence which means a radicalchange to their lives given that they now have the right to work,healthandeducation,withtheserightsalsoextendingtoallmembersoftheirfamilies.Anotherimportantachievementforthecommunityisthefactthat60peopleweregrantedBritishcitizenship.While thisstatusgrantsnofurtherrightsthanthoseconcededunderindefiniteleavetoremain,itprovidesagreatsenseofreliefforthosewishingtotraveltoothercountriesintheEuropeanUnionwithouttheinconvenienceofapply-ingfortourism,transitorfamilyvisitvisas.Oneofthemainreasonsforthebreak-upofmigrantfamiliesisthepersonalcircumstancestheyfacebecauseofmigration.Overcrowdedconditionswhichprovidenopossibilityofahealthyemotionallifetomaintainbalanceintherelationshiparethecauseoffriction,whichleadstofamilybreak-up.Thisisreflectedinthe22divorcecasesweadvisedonduringthecourseofthisyear.Duringtheyear,wecontinuedtorepresentpeoplewithhistoricalap-plicationsmadesince2002.Twopeopleobtainedresidenceafterhav-inglivedintheUnitedKingdomformorethan14years.Onechild,
bornintheUKtoundocumentedparents,obtainedBritishcitizen-shipbecausetheyhadlivedherefor10consecutiveyears.Thenew immigration lawwhichcame intoeffectonJuly9,2012dealtamortalblowtothepossibilityoffamilyreunionfordepend-entsofBritishcitizens.Thecostsoftheapplicationandthefinancialbackingneededare sohigh that inmany cases our clients havebeenforcedtorenounceArticle8oftheirhumanrights-therighttoafamily.Mostofthemdonotmeettherequirementsoftheim-migrationoffice,particularlybecauseofthelackofflexibilityinre-quirementssuchastheneedtohaveasingleemploymentcontract.Due tomigrationwithin the European community,migrantswithresidencepermitsandahistoryofmorethansixmonthsofemploy-mentintheUnitedKingdomacquiredtherighttowelfareserviceswhentheyareunemployedoronalowincome.Thisyear,weas-sistedmorethan600userswhofoundthemselvesinthesecondi-tions.Mostoftheseconcernedstatesubsidiesor“Taxcredits”. Laura Villegas Senior Legal Adviser
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Volunteer scheme IRMOcurrentlyconsistsofateamofmorethan60volun-teers who give their time, knowledge and enthusiasmmaking itpossibletorunalloftheorganization’sservicesandprojects.TheobjectiveofourVolunteerSchemeistoprovidevolunteerswithvaluableworkexperienceinordertostepintoLondon’scompetitivemarketandhelpthemtodevelopalongrangeofskillsbyinteract-ingwithinamulticultural,cooperativeandinspiringenvironment.During2012wehaveworkedwithover100volunteers from thefivecontinents,andwehavewelcomed15peoplecompletingplace-mentsandinternshipsfromItalian,SpanishandEnglishuniversitiesandjobcentres.
IRMOofferstheopportunitytotakeuprolessuchas:artfacilitators,children and youth workers, accountants, fundraisers, advisors,Englishteachers,jobhunters,translators,interpreters,onlinecom-munitymanagers, receptionists,projectassistants,psychologists,andmanymore,giventhewidescopeofourservicesandprojects.Throughregularlyrunworkshopsandtrainingsessions,volunteershavetheopportunitytogainnewskillsandtoputthemintoprac-tice.OurlatestworkshopsincludethetrainingofKeyContactsandAdvisorsregardingtheUKhealthsystem,customerserviceandim-migrationadvice.Wehavealsostarteda trainingprogramme forProjectCoordinatorsandAssistantsfocusingonmanagingandde-velopingprojects.Duetodemandandrapidgrowthofourorganisationinthelastfewyears,adjustingthesystemstohandleahighervolumeofactivi-tiesandresourceshasbeencrucial;amoreefficientinductionsys-temwasintroducedthroughthecreationofadetailedvolunteer’smanualandaseriesofprocedureguides.Newroleswerealsocre-atedsuchastheKeyContactCoordinator,ProjectAssistants,EventCoordinatorandMonitoringandEvaluationAnalystwhowillwriteaSocialReturnonInvestmentreporttobelaunchedin2013.
Thisyear,inordertocelebrateandthanktheinvaluablecontribu-tionofourvolunteers,wehaveorganizedourannualvolunteer’sparty which turned out to be an unforgettable day.We are alsoproudtoannouncethatsincelastNovember,allourvolunteersbe-cameactivemembersofIRMO,allowingthemtotakepartintheassembliesandtovoteforortobeelectedasdirectors.Inordertoshareideas,experiencesandtobecloser,wehavecre-ated amailing list and a social networkinggroup for volunteers.Wehaverecentlyre-launchedourLinkedInprofilewherewesharetrainingandworkopportunitieswiththem.2012hasbeenayearfullofchallengesandimprovementsandwehavemanagedtostrengthena teamofvolunteers,whonotonlycontributetotheorganisationbutbelongtoittooandhavemadeIRMOtheirs.Theyaretheforcethatmakeseverythingpossible.Wewould liketousethisopportunitytothankallourcommittedandlovingvolunteersof2012!! Lucia Vinzon Volunteer Scheme Coordinator
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English for work Since2010,Englishforworkprojectprovidesthecommu-nityofSpanishandPortuguesespeakersinLambeththechancetolearnandimprovetheirEnglishandtoincreasetheirjobopportuni-tiesthroughEnglishclassesandone-to-oneemploymentandtrain-ingsessions.In2012,thankstothesupportandthecontributionofWalcotFoun-dation,wecarriedonwithEnglishforworkactivities,becomingoneoftheveryfewSpanishandPortugueseorganizationsinSouthLon-donofferingtheseservices.Duringlastyearweran288beginnerclassesand288elementaryandintermediateclasses.InadditionwerananintensivecourseincollaborationwiththeLondonLearningConsortium,givingafurther21furtherpeoplethechancetolearnEnglish.
Moreover, we provided 630 one-to-one employment and trainingsessionsformorethan288beneficiaries.Asresult,morethan96studentsfinishedtheir level,16studentsmovedintofulltimejobs,62studentsmovedintoaparttimejob,15studentsbecamevolunteersand15studentstookpartinvoca-tionaltraining.Furthermore,thankstoourreference,38studentsarenowstudyinginprivateschoolsandcolleges. Afterexhaustiveresearchbasedonstudents’economicandsocialcircumstances,wedrewthefollowingdescription:(see graphics right)
Morgana Zuccoli Project Coordinator
Sex
MaleFemale
Fieldofwork
CleaningServicesCateringConstrucctionOthersNannies
AreaofResidenceinLondon
South
EastNorth
West
Employmentsituation
EmployedUnemployed
SpainColombia
Bolivia
Ecuador
VenezuelaArgentina
ParaguayPanama
Guatemala
BrazilPeru
Cuba
DominicanRep.
EquatorialGuinea
Nationality
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El Costurero Ourcommitmenttoequalityandwomen’srightsisembod-iedinthecontinueddevelopmentofElCosturero(TheSewingBox).As in 2011, El Costurero has continued to run activities to raiseawarenessofissuesthattypicallyaffectwomen,butalwayswithacriticalapproachandwithdoorsopentoanyoneregardlessofgen-derorbackground.
Thisyearwehaveorganisedasewingworkshop,twoartworkshopsattheNationalgalleryandat iRMO’sofficediscussingtheroleofwomeninhistoryandart,atalkaboutthemythsofromanticloveanditsrelationtoabusiverelationshipsandwewillfinishthisyearorganisingasecondhandmarkettoraisefundsforthepartythatiRMOwillhold inDecember, for theoccasionof the InternationalMigrantsDay.Untilnow,weareproudtosaythatouractivitieshavebeenhighlysuccessful in termsofattendances,participationanddebatecreated.
ElCosturerostartsin2013notonlywithexcitementbutalsowithspecificplanstodevelop.Havingseenthesuccessofouractivitiesandtheincreasinginterestofourcommunityintheempowermentofwomen,ouraimfornextyearistotakestepstowardsthefuturedevelopmentofourSocialEnterprisewithLatinAmericanwomen. Beatriz Gilino, Women’s Project Coordinator
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Parental Learning Support Since 2010, the ‘Learning & Inclusion Centre for LatinAmericanFamilies’ProjectoffersaserviceforLatinAmericanfami-lies livinginLondoninasituationofdisadvantage,exclusionandpoverty.During2012morethan25 families, includingmorethan50chil-dren, joined theactivitiesof the ‘LearningParty’group. Inasso-ciationwith ‘Theeasy learningstreet’projectand ‘Teléfonode laEsperanza’,thoseactivitiesconsistedofofferingaspaceoffunandlearningforchildrenandasetofstrategiesforparentstobeabletoaccompanytheirchild’sprimaryeducationthroughrecreationalandeducationalactivities.Apartfromthoseactivitiestherewasalsoa toy library of didacticmaterial in English, including books andgamesavailable.WealsowenttotheUnicornTheatre,LondonZoo,theScienceMuseumandtheVictoriaandAlbertMuseum.Those activities supported children in their education. We wit-nessedthisduringthesessions,andparentsalsoreportedthattheirchildrenmadeprogress at school. This had a positive impact ontheirmotivationandself-confidence.Inadditiontothisactivity,anotheroutcomethattheprojectachievedwasimprovingintra-familialrelationshipsthroughspendingqualitytimetogether.Parentsreportedthatafteraweekofproblemsandworries,theywerehappytohaveaspacewherechildrenwerethepriority.Throughtheircommitment,theyalsodevelopedimprovedawarenessoftheimportanceofspendingtimewiththeirchildren.They feltmore confidentwhenhelping childrenwith theirhome-workandfeltthattheywereearningtheirchildren’srespect.Thechildrenwerealsohappytospendqualitytimewiththeirparents:‘I likeshowingmymotherwhatIcando’, ‘Iwould likeeverydaytobeSaturdaysothatmydadandIwouldalwaysplaytogether.’Related to that, the communicationbetween them improved, forinstance,parentsreportedthattheirchildrenwantedtosharewiththemwhattheyhaddoneatschool.
Inaddition,thesessionswerealsoaspaceofsocializationbothforparentsandchildren.Someparents reported that thesesessionswereusefultoincludeformeetingpeopleinasimilarsituationasthem.TheyalsonotedthatthiswasveryusefulforpeoplewhohadjustarrivedtoLondonandmightfeelisolated.During the summer, we carried out an evaluation in which theparticipantsoftheprojectwereinvolved.Usingparticipatorytools,someof theparents involved in theproject reflectedontheout-comesachieved.Inadditionthoseparentsandotherswhohadre-centlyjoinedthegroupassessedtheirneedsandsuggestedwhichservicesandactivitieswouldbeusefultobeincludedaspartoftheproject.Thisledtotheplanninganddesignofanewprojectwhichweaimtofundandinitiateduringthefollowingyear.TheprojectincludestheactivitiesnotedaboveandalsoincorporatesahomeworkclubandEnglishclassesforchildren,andadviceservice,workshopsandtalks for families inorder tosupport themincovering needs forinstanceineducation,healthandhousing,amongothers.Toconclude,during2012,theprojectwasconsolidatedandfurtherdeveloped.We continued to implement the plans for the projectwhichbeganinOctober2010and,inaddition,itincorporatednewmembersofthecommunityandnewideasinordertoimprovetheserviceofferedaccordingtotheneedsassessedbymembersofthecommunity. Beatriz Viol Project Coordinator
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Personal and Community Well-being
IRMOcollaboratedwithadoctoralresearchprojectin2011on theeffectivenessofgroupCognitiveBehavioural interventions(asofferedintheNHS)withtheLatinAmericancommunityinLon-don.Basedonthisexperience,wehavedecidedtodevelopa‘Com-munityandPersonalWellbeing’service.Thisserviceaimstoofferarangeofgroupsthatwehopemeetourserviceusers’needs.Belowwedescribethegroupswehavestartedtodevelop,whichwillrunfromFebruary2013onwards. 1.“TheTreeofLife” isafive-sessiongrouprunweekly forupto12adults(18andabove)experiencingemotionaldifficulties(e.g.,isolation,lowmood,worryandanxietyandlowself-esteem)whichtheyconnecttotheirexperienceofmigrationandadaptationtolifein theUK.Runbyaqualified clinical psychologist andanassist-antpsychologist,itallowsparticipantstogenerateandsharesolu-tionstotheirdifficulties.Followingthemetaphorofatree(whichallowsparticipantstoexploretheirindividualstrengths,resources,dreamsandwishes),beforefocusingonthe“forest”(asameansofintroducingtheimportanceofgroupsupport)andthinkingabout“stormsoflife”(i.e.,commonproblemswhichaffectallparticipantsandforwhichsolutionswillbegeneratedingroup).Determinedtoensurethatoursupportisbeneficialtoourcommunity,iRMOhasteamedupwithNHSmentalhealthservicesandtheUniversityofEastLondontoconductresearchonitseffectiveness.iRMOhasap-pliedforfundingfromthe‘HappinessandWellbeing’grantofferedbyLambethFirst,confirmationofwhichispending.Ifsuccessfulinsecuringfunding,recruitmentforthisgroupwillstart inFebruary2013. 2.“MovingandChanging”isaseriesofsixdrop-inoffwellbeingses-sionswhereattendantsfrom18yearsoldandabovewillbesharingcommonexperiencesanddifficultiesthatarepartofthechallengingexperienceofsettlinginanewculture.
Bylearninganddiscussingthemeaningofdifferentstatesofmindlikestress,depressionandtheirconsequentmoods,itaimstopro-videeachindividualwithtoolstoidentifysuchstates.Inaddition,weeklygroupexercises,“movements”(whichcouldbedance,PilatesorYogabased)andgameswillpromotegetting toknowourselves aswell as the group. These sessionswill aim tobuildmindandbodyawarenessthatcanbeuseddailytohelpim-provelives. Jose Lopez Project Coordinator
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Yoga EveryTuesdayeveningIRMOoffersHathaYogalessonsatStockwell ParkCommunityCentreas analternativepractice thathelps the community tomove towards ahealthy and stress freelife.Moreover,theyogalessonshaveintegratedtheLatincommu-nitywithothers,aseveryweekpeoplewithdifferentnationalitiesincluding English, Spanish, Colombian, Venezuelan, Argentinian,Swedish,Finish,Mexican,amongothers,attendtheyogalessonstoexercise,stretchtheirbodiesandcentretheirminds.Thiscommu-nalyogapracticehasasocialimpactthatpositivelyaffectsphysical,mentalandculturalaspectsofourhybridcommunity.AtIRMOwetrytoworkinmanydifferentwaystohelpthecom-munitymovetowardsintegration,understandingthatspiritualandmentalmattersarealsoimportantinthisprocess.Intheyogales-sonalternativetoolsaretaughttofacethestressofthecityandtokeeppeoplehealthy.ItisaspacewhereLatin,BritishandEurope-ancommunitiescanshareadifferentexperienceduringtheweek. Susy Peña Facilitator
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Translation and Interpreting This year the translation and interpreting servic-es for the community have grown about 50% and our depart-ment has been offering an improving high quality servicewith many new interpreters and translators helping all needs.
Translation and interpreting from Spanish and Portuguese intoEnglish and vice versa is offered by our team. They accom-pany clients on a range of important appointments with keyservice providers (GPs, schools, banks, DSS, etc.). Our teamalso act as advocates for the service users, assisting them in-areas such as accessing services and providing informationon the UK legal system, social welfare healthcare and culture.
Intherecentyeartherealnecessityfortranslationsandinterpretat-inginourcommunityhasbeentoresolveemergencyproblemswithreferencetoimmigrationstatus,socialwelfare,healthcareandwork.By“resolve“weaimtohelp,ifnotinthesameday,inthesameweekinwhichanyparticualrproblemarisesfortheserviceuserorclient.
Wehavenoticed that the real increase inourcommunity in theUKhasnotonlybeenaresultofthenationaleconomiccrisisandthenormalLatin-Americanemigration,butparticularly immigra-tiontotheUKfromEuropeancountriesbyLatin-Americans.Thecrisis in Europe has been particularly severe in Spain and Por-tugal,wherethousandsofLatin-Americanssettled,aswellas inotherEuropeancountries.Manyarenowleavingtheir first im-migration country and starting again in UK. So as a result ofthis as well as the constant changes in the immigration laws,socialwelfare,healthcareandeducationintheUK,thedemandfor translation and interpreting fromSpanish andPortuguese toEnglish and vice versa has increased 70% in the last 2 years.
Ourresponse,withallthesechangesinthecommunity,hasbeentoexpandtheserviceandchangethewaysweareworking.So,westartedtomodifythedepartmenttobemoreaccesibleavailableatmoretimesandonmoredaysoftheweek.Tomeetdemandwehavealsorecruitedmorevolunteers,sothatwecanofferadedicatedserviceofadviceandadvocacyinmoreoftheemergencycases.
So,sincewestartedthedepartmentin2011,wehavetranslatedmorethanthreehundredofficialandnonofficialdocuments,andprovidedmorethanfourhundredinterpretationsintheofficeandwithserviceproviders.Theareaofmostdemandforbothservicesisstillimmigration,followedbysocialwelfareandbenefitsandaffairsrelatedtocourtcases.Alsotheotherareaofincreasedserviceuseisinhealthcare,workrelatedproblemsandsurprisinglyeducation.
Mario Stifano Translator and interpreter Coordinator
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Funding strategy Thisyearhasnotbeenaneasyyear,economicallyspeak-ing,forourorganisation,astheausterityprogrammerumbleson,everyoneisfeelingthepinchofcutsandIRMOisnoexception.Withthe prospect of funding opportunities becoming more and morecompetitive,IRMOhasundertakentodevelopacalendaroftrainingeventsforourprojectco-ordinators.Thistraining,called‘Manag-ing andDeveloping Projects’ will cover a range of topics includ-ing:designingandplanningprojects,managingbudgets,effectiveevaluationofoutcomes,amongothers.Wehopethatthistrainingwillempowertheco-ordinatorstodesignanddeliverprojectsasef-fectivelyaspossible,whichwillhelpusattractfuturefunding.Nevertheless, it hasn’t all been gloomy news. We’ve been veryfortunate to have been granted further funding from theWalcotFoundationinsupportofthe‘EnglishforWork’project.TheWalcotFoundationhassupportedthisprojectinthepastandthankstothehardworkofthevolunteersandtheco-ordinatorwe’vebeenabletosuccessfullydemonstratetheproject’simpactandsohavesecuredanothergrantforthenexttwoyears.We’rehugelythankfultotheWalcotFoundationfortheircontinuedsupport.Finally,we’re excited to announce a new initiative to help IRMObecomemore financially sustainable. IRMO is inviting local busi-nessestobecome‘FriendsoftheCommunity’andtopartnerwithIRMOinordertodeliverprojectsforthecommunity.BypartneringwithIRMO,businesseswillhaveauniqueopportunitytoinvestinthecommunityandinsodoingtoraisetheirprofileasasociallyre-sponsibleenterprise.Althoughstillintheearlystagesofplanning,we’reveryexcitedabouttheopportunitytodevelopnewpartner-shipsandinvolvesomeofthebusinessesthatareattheheartofthecommunityinIRMO’sgoodwork. Helen McCarthy Fundraiser
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From Latin American Youth Forum to LAYEntertainment
Since2009,LAYFhasbeenofferingaspaceforyoungpeopletogainawarenessabouttheissuestheyfaceassecondgenerationLatinAmericans living intheUK.Wehavebeenusingtheartsandcriticalthinkinginordertoachievethis.Duringtheseyearsofhardwork,rec-ognitionandresearch,wehavealsobeenabletoidentifythisgenera-tion’sneedtointegrateintothelabourmarketsotheydonotcontinuetobetrappedwithinthecycleofworkinglowskilledandlowpaidjobs,andinsteadfeeltheencouragementandsupporttohelpthemrealisetheirfullpotential.
2012wasayearof challengesbutoverall a yearofnewopportuni-tiestoLAYF.Weorganisedthe4thEditionofouryearlyyouthforum“Togetherasone”whichhadVolunteeringCultureasitsmaintheme,asyoungpeoplebelievedthathelpingotherscanalsobecomeagreatway to developnew skills and learn towork as part of a team.WealsoworkedincollaborationwithMandingaArtsandCircolombiaandtookpartintheThamesFestivalagain.Wehavebegun2013workingontwoshort-filmsthatwillbelaunchedattheFreedomofExpressionFestival.Withintheseactivitiesandtrainingsexercises,wedevelopedasocialenterpriseinitiativethatemergedwithinLAYFandwhichhassuc-cessfullystartedtotargetsomeofthoseissuesthatwehadidentified.
LAYEntertainmentwassetupin2012asasocialenterprisewhichisledbysecondgenerationLatinAmericansandwhichstrivestoimprovetheiremployabilitythroughskillswhileatthesametimeprovidingthemwithopportunitiestocontributepositivelytothissociety.Weofferabroadrangeofservicesfromcustomisededucationalandartisticprojectstoactivities such as face painting or stiltwalking.We run events of allscalesandvaluetheenvironment,innovationandcreativity.Throughthissocialenterprise,wedesignedandimplementedprojectswiththehelpofalocalhousingassociation,theColombianConsulate,twofesti-valsandprivateindividualspartiesorevents,andmanagedtoallocate15%ofourprofitstogointooursocialprojectLAYF.
Tatiana Garavito Project Coordinator
EntertainmentLatin American Youth Entertainment
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Satisfaction survey
In order to improve our service, IRMO has conducted aSatisfaction Survey of a random sample of 68 customers duringthe last five weeks of 2012. As wementioned before, in 2012IRMOhasservedover3500clients,butunfortunatelyinthesurveywecouldn’thavea representativesampleof thispopulation,duelackofstaffandtime.Neverthelessthesurveyhasprovidedusefulinformationthatwillallowustoprovideenhancedservicesandtogain a better understanding of the real needs of our customers.
2012 has been a very important year for IRMO, we have deliv-ered different projects and services throughout the year, whichwe feel have been very successful. But are our clients satis-fied with them? Are we really targeting the real issues of theLatin American community? What our projects having the im-pact we are looking for? What outcome our clients are expect-ingfromus?Thesearesubjectsthatweaddressedinthesurvey.
This sample comprised of 43% women and 46% men, themajority of which came from Colombia, Peru and Ecuador,and whose ages mostly ranged from 30 and 40 years old.
Talkingaboutourservices ingeneral,thesurveyyieldedthatthequalityofservices(andprojects)offeredbyIRMOmeetstheexpec-tations(92%)andneeds(90%)oftheclients.Whilethemajorityfelttheserviceswereefficient(82%),mostwerepleasedwiththelanguageusedandthemanneroftransmittinginformation(91%),andfeltthatstaffhadsufficientknowledgetorespondtotheirque-ries(94%).Respondentsalsoagreedthatthestaffinspiretrust(94%).
Regardingthespaceandtheopeninghours,peopleweregenerallysatisfied(91%),andtherewasagreementthatitiseasytoaccessandfindIRMO’soffices(82%).Thatsaid,whenweaskedourcli-entshowtoimproveourservices,mostoftherepliessuggestedin-creasingtheservices,extendingopeninghoursandincreasingstaff.
Concerningourprojects,themajorityofthosewhoanswertooursat-isfactionsurveystatedthattheydidnotknowaboutalltheprojectswehave.Thismaybebecausemanyofourclients(48%)haveonlybeenwithusforthreemonthsor less.TheYogaclasses,togetherwiththeParentingLearningSupportprojectarethemostwell-known.
Otherimportantresults:
•99%ofourclientswouldrecommendus.
•Safety,optimismandtranquilityarethewordswhichbestdescribehowourclientsfeelwhentheycometoouroffice.
•73%ofourclientsrateourservicesasexcellentorverygood.
•86%ofourclientsfoundoutaboutourservicesorprojectsfromafriendorfamilymember,showingthatourbestpublicityiswordofmouth.
•93%aresatisfiedorverysatisfiedwithourunderstandingoftheirneeds.
•100%consideredourstafftobekind!
Sara Muñoz Project Coordinator
& Susy Peña Project Assistant
IRMO A n n u a l r e p o r t 2 0 1 2
18Indoamerican Refugee Migrant Organization
Accounting Policies and Practices
Accounting records and preparation of the FinancialStatements observe the accounting principles generally acceptedandregulatedbythelawsoftheUnitedKingdom.Asacharitableorganisation,thekeypointsare:
INCOME:Incomeisrecordedbydonationandcontributionsfromoursupporters.
OPERATIONALADMINISTRATIVECOSTS:Thesecostsareincurredincarryingoutthesocialobjectivesoftheorganisation.
PRESENTATIONOFTHEFINANCIALSTATEMENTS:ThefigurespresentedintheFinancialStatementsandProfitandLossStatementsareinlinewithgenerallyacceptedaccountingpractices.
Aswestart2013wewanttopromotetheimportanceofaccountingacross thewhole organisation, and to this endwewill organise aworkshopaimedatourgroupofvolunteers.
IRMO A n n u a l r e p o r t 2 0 1 2
19Indoamerican Refugee Migrant Organization
INDOAMERICAN REFUGEE AND MIGRANT ORGANISATION(A company Limited By Guarantee)STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIESFOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2012
Unrestricted Restricted 2012 2011Incoming Resources Fund Fund Total TotalIncoming Resources from generated funds: £ £ £ £Voluntary Income 17,358 37,981 55,339 77,680Incoming resources from charitable activities 0 0 0 0Total Incoming Resources 17,358 37,981 55,339 77,680
Costs of generating funds
Charitable activities 10,720 31,894 42,614 83,697
Governance costs 984 0 984 1,853
Total Resources Expended 11,704 31,894 43,598 85,550
Net Incoming Resources 5,654 6,087 11,741 -7,870
Balances brought forward 14,339 -3,328 11,011 18,881
Fund balances carriedforward 19,993 2,759 22,752 11,011
8
INDOAMERICAN REFUGEE & MIGRANT ORGANISATION (A Company Limited By Guarantee)
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2012
2012
2011
Total
Total CURRENT ASSETS
£
£
Cash at Bank & in Hand
23,452
12,451
23,452
12,451
CURRENT LIABILITIES Creditors and Accruals
700
1,440
22,752
11,011
REPRESENTED BY:
FUNDS: Unrestricted
19993
14,339 Restricted
2759
-3,328
22,752
11,011
Approved by the Management Committee on 12th December 2012
and signed on its behalf by:
INDOAMERICAN REFUGEE AND MIGRANT ORGANISATION(A company Limited By Guarantee) STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2012
INDOAMERICAN REFUGEE & MIGRANT ORGANISATION (A Company Limited By Guarantee) BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2012
Maria Gomez Accountant
IRMO A n n u a l r e p o r t 2 0 1 2
20Indoamerican Refugee Migrant Organization
Indoamerican Refugee Migrant OrganisationUnit 8, Warwick houseOverton RoadLondon SW9 7JP
Telephone: 02077339977Fax: 02077331880.www.irmo.org.uk
Email: [email protected]: https://www.facebook.com/irmolondonTwitter: https://twitter.com/IRMOLondon
Registered charity no. 1080813. Registered company no. 3921483. Exempted by the OISC. Ref no: N200100460
Graphic Design by Mario Stifano
