Our interim Chair, Helen O’Nions, reports on Nottingham Refugee Forum’s recent AGM.
“I would like to thank all the members, friends and staff who attended our AGM on 14th November 2024. We had 52 attendees in all, despite it being extremely cold and unforgiving outside. After approving the accounts and allowing our treasurer to depart for his well-earned holiday, we learned more about the important and diverse work of Nottingham Refugee Forum. We had four excellent project presentations from staff members: Yazdan (Initial Accommodation Outreach Worker), Hamish (Community Café Host), Jo (Grassroots Garden Worker) and Zahra (Young Persons Caseworker). Our patron, Baroness Ruth Lister, spoke of some of her activities in the House of Lords and provided a note of cautious optimism following the cancellation of the Rwanda scheme by the new government. Ruth noted that the urgent problem of refugee homelessness created by the 28 day moving on period, was a personal priority. In this respect we have been delighted to hear that the Government has now implemented a pilot extension of this period to 56 days.
The AGM also saw us bidding farewell to two long serving trustees who have bought so much to the Forum in various roles. Jennie Fleming chaired Nottingham Refugee Forum for five years and has steered the Board through some unexpected challenges, most notably the Covid 19 pandemic and the recent threat of far right violence, but also the extensive cuts to the council budget and the introduction of new iterations of the hostile environment. Jennie has served on many committees and has devoted considerable energy and time to the work of the Forum. All is not lost. She has assured us that she will be back – either volunteering in the café or the garden (but please do not ask her about navigating the companies house and charity commission websites!).
Roger Tanner has been a volunteer with Nottingham Refugee Forum since its inception over twenty years ago. Often seen on reception or in General Advice, he served as a trustee for six years and chaired the Human Resources committee where he was always committed to promoting the wellbeing of staff.
Personally, I have learned a great deal from both Jennie (as her Vice-Chair) and Roger (as a HR committee member). I thank the membership for approving my appointment as interim Chair, with my first task being the smooth recruitment and transition of a new Chair in 2025. The membership will be asked to approve this appointment at the next AGM (which will sadly be my last). I am also delighted to welcome two new trustees, Sam Crawford who will serve as our Vice-Chair, and Fahir Faleel who has personal experience of the asylum process and already volunteers in General Advice. Both are fantastic additions to a diverse and engaged board.
Many thanks are also due to Bilal Hazzouri who served on the Board for two years (with unrivalled expertise in digital presentation). Bilal stepped down from the Board in the summer to pursue other commitments. And finally, thanks are due to Andrea Nicholson who provided administrative support to the Board (you will have seen her typing away at the AGM) for almost two years”.
