AGM feedback from centre users and volunteers 11th November 2022

What people love about our Charity and Centre

  • “The centre provides support for those who need it”

  • “It is a refuge and a safe place”

  • “Amazing helpful staff and volunteers”

  • “Great confidence booster for the local community”

  • “A rewarding experience for local volunteers”

  • “Friendly, resourceful, informal”

  • “Welfare Rights service is the best in the city, can’t praise it enough”

  • “Amazing atmosphere, really friendly and informal”

  • “Very Welcoming”

  • “Terrific work by staff and volunteers, there is a real sense of everyone working together and helping each other”

  • “Great place to learn new skills, help others, sense of community”

  • “Such a valuable local resource, people who work and volunteer are diverse and many different folk come for lunch for a friendly time together”

  •  “My Daughter went to the playroom here and now her children are using it,

  • “BUCFP live forever, lovely place, nice people”


Some Suggestions from service users were also put forward at the AGM

  • Computer room – new lino for easy clean and make it more welcoming. (Agreed and in the budget)

  • Growing plants for mental health, allotment sessions with local community organisations. (Allotment sessions already take place, and community groups have taken part, but this will be developed more in the spring)

  • Case workers – more one to one on-going support. More support group sessions. (We help service users engage with the relevant support and group sessions are being run again after the pandemic, and when we have the staff/volunteer time, will be increased) 

  • Games room. (no space at present, although people can play computer games and we have several board games available in the main area)

  • Allganics – re- establish this service with wholefood sold at cost price, pop up shop. (Agreed)


Many thanks to all who attended.

The Government must announce an emergency budget that increases Universal Credit immediately.

We're supporting a 38degrees petition, asking for an increase in universal credit.

The Government must act NOW to stop millions of people going hungry and falling into poverty. The cost of living crisis is already hitting families hard - and with energy bills set to soar even more, things are going from bad to worse.

Sign the petition here,

https://act.38degrees.org.uk/act/Universal-credit-emergency-budget

MP lavishes praise on community workers

Everyone likes to be appreciated, a warm word of kindness here and there goes a long way!  We are pleased to announce that the Brighton Unemployed Centre and Families Project was officially acknowledged earlier this month by local MP Caroline Lucas for all the tireless effort we put into our community support projects and the assistance we provide to people in crisis.  She said: “I know that you are on the frontline, helping people claim whatever assistance they are entitled to, signposting to food projects, mental health support and giving huge amounts of time and energy to help those who are most vulnerable in our community.”

 

She vowed to back up her words with action, declaring “I will continue to do what I can to help the constituents who contact me, and that in Parliament I will continue to urge the government to reverse its cruel welfare cuts”.  At the Brighton Unemployed Centre and Families Project we witness the various impacts of people not having enough money and we work to mitigate these circumstances of genuine hardship in the best way we know how.

 

We, at the Brighton Unemployed Centre and Families Project were proud to be singled out for praise, but as Caroline points out we are one community project amongst a “fantastic network of people working to offer community advice and anti-poverty support”.  This means if we are limited in what we can do to help with what you are going through, we will always do the best we can to help you find a service that is more specialised and suited to you at this particular time.  We are proud to be working in your interests and hopefully can continue to do so for a long time to come, but it is always nice to be recognised for it as well!

The Centre Cooks

cookbook pic.jpg

Would you like to learn more about cooking vegan food? "The Centre Cooks" is our booklet of tried and tested recipes that we use in our kitchen here at BUCFP. Written and brought together by Food Project volunteers it is a little collection of handy tips to make your vegan diet healthy, tasty and full of variety.

You can get a copy for £5 which includes postage, to find out more or to order your copy, please contact Carol, the Food Project Coordinator on 01273 671213 or bucfp.food.project@gmail.com