The Yemeni Community Association in Sandwell are pleased to present to its members and the community our Annual General Report for 2020-2021.

The global Pandemic has provided challenges and new opportunities for us as an organisation, where we had no choice but to adapt our delivery to meet the needs of our service users. Our volunteers and workforce were instrumental in ensuring the YCA were able to support the most vulnerable within our community during the lockdown and for this I wish to express our heartfelt thanks to each one of you.

This year for the first time ever we delivered virtual EXTEND classes and were able to keep elder members active during a period when they were limited from accessing outside contact. Additionally Advice and Guidance was maintained using a hybrid of both face to face and virtual interaction. For those cases that we could not see virtually we implemented an appointment only system ensuring we were following government Covid safety guidelines. Our Advice worker ensured that the most vulnerable users were communicated with on regular basis, ensuring they were safe and offering assistance from the YCA workforce and volunteers with shopping and paying bills thus lifting any burdens they may have had.

This virtual delivery of activities were also replicated across other delivery streams such as providing online tuition during a period when we know that parents and young people would have been concerned, they were not fully engaging with education as the world tried to also adapt during the pandemic. We also ensured that young people’s emotional wellbeing was not neglected due to limited interaction with their peers by engaging them in virtual community completion which included cake making, story-telling, card making and many more fun activities. This was evaluated very positively by both young people and their families. Additionally the Wellbeing project continued its activities via online ESOL classes alongside cooking sessions and virtual support groups.

Sadly our income revenue has been substantially reduced because we were no longer able to hire out our conference facilities, which as you know provides the organisation with revenue to help maintain its running costs and wages. Additionally with the Mosque not being used for prayer facilities during the lock down, meant that the only donations we collected were those direct debits that had already been set up.

The organisation was also instrumental in supporting Sandwell Public Health, ensuring vital Covid-19 messages were reaching the community and also supporting with the Covid-19 vaccination messages.

Finally we would like to express to our funders how grateful we are for enabling us to adapt delivery and being flexible with re-allocation of budgets to meet new emerging needs as a result of the global pandemic.

We look forward to seeing you on ZOOM on Saturday 22nd January at 10.30 AM for the Annual General Meeting.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83680161842

We are starting this new initiative to encourage people to come to Friday prayers without a car. “Car Free Friday” aims to reduce congestion around our masjid, improve air quality, promote healthy living and promote caring for the environment and our neighbours! Please say “Yes” if you are coming without a car this Friday or just support even if you can’t!

A 10 week programme, starting Sunday 17th October at 11am to improve your mental and physical health through fitness.

Only 20 spaces available, to register and commit to this 10 week programme or for more information call 0121 525 3909.

World Mental Health Day at YCA Sandwell.

Our Women’s Wellbeing Network Group have two sessions with Nicola Benyahia from Families for Life, based on Mental health and wellbeing.