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Incorporating the Annual Report for the Angouleme Company Ltd. Co. number 3737329
MOSSES COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION LTD. Reg. Charity 1108162. Company No. 5158368 Registered Office THE MOSSES CENTRE Cecil Street Bury BL9 0SB Tel: 0161 761 2079 Info@mossescentre.co.uk www.mossescentre.co.uk Mosses Community Mosses Annual Report 2011/12 Page 1 Association
CHARITABLE OBJECTIVES
Mosses Community Association Mission Statement The Mosses Community Association is a Registered Charity that exists to meet the needs of the local community and the residents of the whole of Bury Metropolitan Borough by providing opportunities to fulfil their social, recreational and learning aspirations. This is achieved by:Providing a Centre for people of all ages to meet. Delivering a range of services in partnership with others, meeting diverse needs. Supporting individuals and independent groups. The Mosses Community Association prides itself on having a welcoming environment which is inclusive, responsive & innovative.
Statement of Responsibilities of The Management Committee Company law requires the Management Committee to prepare Financial Statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company for that period. In preparing those Financial Statements, the Management Committee are required to: Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent Prepare the Financial Statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue The Management Committee are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and to enable them to ensure that the Financial Statements comply with the Companies Act 1985. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Company Status The company is limited by guarantee and all members have agreed to contribute a sum not exceeding 10 in the event of a winding-up. The number of guarantees at 31st March 2012 was 7.
The Centre is run by the Mosses Community Association which is a local charity that relies on the support of individuals and organisations to run the Centre and Community activities.
Chairpersons Introduction
Chairpersons introduction
Many things have been achieved in the last twelve months, all due to the hard work of members, staff and volunteers. To me the highlights have been the celebrations of the award of outstanding from the OFSTED inspection for the Mosses Pre-school gained at the end of the previous year, the success of the boiler replacement due to the fundraising efforts of our community members and most importantly the way in which members, groups and staff have cooperated to look to the future developments of the Centre and its vision. Last year I referred to our difficult economic climate and our aims to operate within strict financial constraints, yet looking to continue to improve the environment and facilities for the whole of the Mosses community. In terms of our financial position, we have managed this exceptionally well and our position at the end of the financial year is better than I have ever known it. With regard to the building, we have consulted widely and taking on all your comments and suggestions, once we receive the final consultation report we will be looking for funding to improve the building and its facilities. These are demanding and exciting times! I am reminded of when visitors come to the Mosses Centre how amazed and impressed they are at the enormous diversity of our groups and what takes place within the confines of the building. The welcoming atmosphere from both members and staff has been referred to many times. This is something we can all be proud of. During this year we have seen an increase in the number of Trustees and also from new interested people willing to be considered as Trustees. We truly are living in exciting and challenging times. Finally I wish to thank you all for your support, members, staff and volunteers, for your efforts and understanding. When we act together nothing is impossible.
The year
The year 2011/2012 will probably be remembered for our Boiler Appeal, when many Mosses user groups surpassed themselves in raising over 5,000 in just a few months. This, and a grant from the Awards For All National Lottery fund, means that the risk of relying on a boiler that is over 35 years old has now gone.
The picture shows the Writers Group at the Mosses. One of the groups that held an event for the Boiler Appeal.
The year saw us continuing to provide a community hub for the many and varied groups and services that happen weekly in the Centre (See the lists on page 6 and 7) projects to benefit the Community. The year also could be described as regrouping and looking to the future in terms of our staff and trustees. The staff have been expanding their roles and working as a team to give an efficient and welcoming service to our users and user groups, while the trustees having added to their number have been looking at the strategic vision to take the Mosses into the future. All involved with the Mosses are grateful to those organisations that have funded the Mosses over the year. These are listed on the following page. and providing our own
The year
Grants towards our Core Work:Bury Council The Tudor Trust Comic Relief The Lloyds TSB Foundation The John Grant Davies Trust Big Lottery Fund - Awards For All: Boiler Bassac: Staff training Business and enterprise group: staff training Grants towards our projects:National Learning and Skills Council: Mosses Community Courses Project. Key 103: Summer Fun Sessions Bury Metro: Junior Club and Preschool Community Foundation: Junior Club Organisations that have commissioned projects from us:Little Oaks Childrens Centre: Stay and Play project and Family support Womens Aid: Crche Womens Action Group: Crche Eagle wing: Crche Bury Metro community Team: Crche Mosses Groups that held fund raising events for the Mosses Boiler appeal and individuals that supported those events. Support from individuals that volunteer their time And from organisations that support the Mosses, especially B3SDA, GMCVO and Forever Manchester . and all those that have supported the Mosses with their time and encouragement.
The Year
Regular groups and activities at the Mosses:Advanced motorists Art Group University of the 3rd Agecommittee meetings Bolton & Bury Gaming Society Bridge Club Caf and Bar Citizens Advice Bureau Cine Club Cookery ClassesAsian Womens Centre Counselling Creative Writing Club Crche Service Eagles Wing - Asylum seeker support group ESOL Classes Exercise Classes for the over 50s Farsi Classes French Classes Gateway (Adults & young people with learning difficulties) Hard of Hearing Support Group Italian Classes Irwell Writers Club Jazz Club Judo Junior Club Karate Keep Fit to Music Outreach Groups Line Dancing Mosses Pre-School Outreach Servicesupporting parents Parent Support Group Radio Society Red Rose Society Retired Civil Servants Senior Sports Sewing Classes Solidarity Social Spanish Classes Stand Guidejob search support Stay & Play Tai Chi United Co-Op Women's Aid support group
The Year
Other Groups and organisation that have used the Centre over the year.:AKSA Housing Birthday Mealprivate Birthday Partyprivate Bury Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted Bury Council : Adult Education Bury Council : Community team Bury Council : Township Forum Bury Third Sector Development Association Children First Family Mediation City Scape Records Fairtrade Group GM Police: PACT meetings Leigh Day Co. Solicitors Mediation Service Multiple Sclerosis Society NHS (Pennine Acute Trust) NHS (Public Health Department) North West Regional Youth Network Princes Trust Six Town Housing T. U. C. Walnut Allotment: Horticultural show
How time flies, just over a year ago we had been inspected by Ofsted and gained recognition for our dedication to providing Quality Childcare in our Mosses PreSchool. We were awarded Outstanding in all 17 areas of our work. This was an excellent start to the year with staff morale at its highest. Bury Early Years team have on many occasions, brought staff members from other similar provisions to ours, to see what can be achieved within a multipurpose room/put away provision and a limited budget. This is again recognition of the good work by The Mosses excellent dedicated staff team of professional early years practitioners. This year we can celebrate the fact that Karen completed her Foundation Degree in Early Years Practice. Although this has been extremely hard work for Karen to balance her home life with 3 children, work and study she is now doing her top up BA Honours. Sarah and Donna enrolled in September via Holy Cross College to follow in Karens footsteps and study for The Foundation Degree in Early Years Practice. Michelle having completed a taster course in Sign Language here at the Mosses, enrolled at Adult Learning for an intensive course which she will complete in a year. This will be very useful as the recommended guide lines is that it is good practice for childcare practitioners, to teach Sign Language to all children as a communication tool. This, of course, as research tells us supports children with language delay and those who have English as their second language.
Outreach Service
Also in partnership with Little Oaks we have an Outreach Service where we support families in their own homes as well as in the community. The referrals for these families come from other professionals such as health visitors. Together we assess the concerns and plan a piece of work to support the family.
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Basic English Class Making My Computer Safe Introduction to British Sign Language Emergency First Aid for Children Basic Computers for the Confused Emergency First Aid at Work (Certificate) * Food Safety & Hygiene (CIEH Certificate) * Introduction to Hair & Beauty Introduction to Setting up a Small Business Introduction to Childcare
All the courses were free to participants with a small charge for Certificated courses from an awarding body.*
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provided a valuable service to children of east Bury aged between 8 - 12 years old. Most weeks saw 20 young people attending our session on Wednesday evenings. Over the summer, an innovation for the club was Outreach work in the Openshaw park to take advantage of the light evenings and to work with different young people. The club has been funded by a variety of funding streams over the years which have increasingly become short term. Funding from Forever Manchester allowed us to continue the club up to the summer months this year . Unfortunately the club did not re-open after the summer and the Association is exploring strategic ways to continue to this work in conjunction with continuing the Youth club work (see the next page).
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OUR AIM: To offer a regular social event in which anyone seeking refuge will feel befriended and welcomed by local people. We have held 99 monthly events since we began in 2003. In the past 12 months we have been funded by a combination of money from Bury MBC via the Manchester Community Foundation and the cosmetic firm Lush. We regularly have 20 volunteers, with new members joining us to help with the work of running the Socials. Over the past 12 months we have welcomed at least 100 members to each social. These have been some guests who have been coming for the past 8 years, happy to make a date to meet friends and enjoy the happy atmosphere, but also newcomers who are welcomed and encouraged to make friends and get support from the well established community of refugees we now support. The benefit of offering a predictable, regular event each month is clear. Members come from many different cultures, countries and religions but all enjoy the chance to celebrate and relax with their friends. All find a welcome at the Mosses Centre and may become weekly members as a result of the kindness from staff and volunteers. At each social we have a room with second hand clothes, toys and household goods which are always appreciated. 3 Babies have been born to members this year and 2 more are expected soon. In addition many members, who have been terrified that they will be deported, have been granted the right to stay. We are so relieved for them and celebrate their courage. The members who received the good news some years ago are now applying for British Citizenship. This costs a lot and needs great determination, but has been granted to all who have applied so far. As a result many members have British Passports and are able to travel with their children to meet their extended family, to make contact at last with the friends they left when they fled, or are simply free to go on holiday.
Mosses Community Association
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The Eagles Wing A mutual support group for asylum seekers and local people
We are a mutual support group of friends made up of local people, asylum seekers and refugees We are all members of the Mosses Centre and live in the Bury area We welcome people of all ages, nationality, sexuality and ability We have no paid staff and all our members help to run our group meetings Children are always welcome to our events, but parents MUST take care of them to keep them safe We celebrate each others cultures and good fortune and help each other when there are problems We are all equal and treat each other with respect and care. Aggressive behaviour is not acceptable We all work to change things for the better for individual members and for refugees as a whole We have an elected committee to make sure the group works in the interests of our members
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Gateway Social Night This is the original part of Gateway. We started Gateway so that members could come along to meet their friends. This year we celebrate our 30th Birthday and we still have original members still coming to meet friends. We still have around a hundred members with sixty to seventy members attending each Thursday evening. Members can listen to music, dance, have a game of pool, and play air hockey, table football and dominoes. Maureen comes some weeks to give members the opportunity to have a go with crafts. They can also have a drink from the bar or a brew and a sandwich. We have a number of party night: Summer ball, Monster ball, Christmas party, valentines, and Easter bash. Fundraising We have held our Annual Duck Race, Car Boots, Christmas Draw and collections at Asda bury. These have been well supported. Holidays We have been to Greenside in July and August and followed up with two weeks in Florida in October.
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Scrap Book
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Projects & services for the community (Some in partnership with others)
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Mosses Personnel
Trustees
Chairperson & Director Mr J. Barker Deputy Chairperson & Director Ms S. K. Arnall Company Secretary Mr E. G. Hubert Directors Mrs M. Barker Mr P Curphey Councillor T. Holt Mr T. Mohammad Mr J Lee from 16/4/12 Company members; One from each Mosses user group Mosses Junior Club; (up to summer 2011) Leader Donna Byrne Junior Club Workers Rebecca Hampson Darren Dickson Chris Connolly Caretaking and Cleaning Team (Commissioned from Bury Councils Cleaning Services) Kevin Friggieri Sue Bland Shelia Warren
Staff
Chief Officer Peter D. Firth Mosses Family Support Project: Project Manager Katrina Mitchell Deputy Manager Sarah Ramsay Senior Childcare Practitioner Karen West Childcare Practitioners Donna Byrne Michelle Dickson Sabrina Gago Crche Project worker Lindita Hope Administrators Sue McAnulty Sheila Warren Book Keeper Jacqueline Stansfield
Staff
Caterer Patricia Margrave Catering Assistant Justin Booth Relief Caterer Rita Anderson Bar Supervisor Sheila Warren Bar Workers David Street Melvin Anderson
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