In an attempt not to waffle indefinitely (I know myself well!) while remembering to share some key points, I more or less wrote myself a script to introduce and offer an update to the annual report at the Stories group AGM. Having written it, it seems appropriate to share it here, together with both annual reports for anyone who is interested in something of an insight into two organisations who I genuinely believe are doing good and important things in a world where it has never been more needed!
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This annual report relates to the year April 2024 to March 2025. It is uploaded on to the charity commission website, and it stands as our official record of who we are, what we do and how we are fulfilling our responsibilities as a charity.
We decided to do something slightly different this year with how we put it together, and invited, encouraged (possibly slightly forced) lots of different people who've been involved in the project to contribute to it. We think, hope, that the inclusion of lots of different voices makes for a more engaging read, and it also fits with our ethos and values as a project: to centre the voices of our participants and make space for them to be heard. So thank you, to everyone who contributed to it. And for those of you who didn't, perhaps because you weren’t involved in the project at that point, thank you in advance for writing next year’s!
I am, obviously, not going to read out the whole report because you can do that at your leisure. I think if I want to summarise what it says, I would say I really believe that this report, and in fact this project, stands as a witness to the fact that despite challenging external circumstances and I think those do have to be named and acknowledged, that it is possible to create communities which are diverse, and which are also enriching, supportive and beautiful; and that human encounter is powerfully transformative. I think what this report says is that what we do makes a difference, and that it really matters, and I think everyone involved in it in every way should be proud of that.
Like almost all annual reports ours is chronically out of date before it has seen the light of day so I said I would give some kind of update to what's being going on in the nine months since. I think it can be summed up by saying, as we did in our performance,: "and still, we are here". The environment for people seeking sanctuary is hard, and getting harder, the way this subject is talked about is increasingly hostile ... but despite the best efforts of the home office and certain sections of the media and the public, we are still here and we are going to continue to be here with and for one another.
Last summer was particularly challenging ... with the flags campaign, the attacks on the schools of sanctuary movement with whom we of course work very closely, and with a series of somewhat vague but exceptionally hostile announcements from government. None of this is easy, nor should we pretend it is. But in the midst of it all, we have continued to provide safe space: space to understand and to process and to find support. There have been tears, and anger and frustration. There has also been plenty of dancing and cake and laughter and joy. There have been lots of hugs. We have been here for each other.
Since last April we have continued to welcome plenty of new participants, welcome, thank you for being part of this, we have coloured in new countries on our map, we have visited, I counted, 40 schools and other groups educating literally hundreds of people about the realities of the asylum system, we have had two incredible residential festivals of encounter, we have performed at the REP theatre and in several other smaller venues, we have had lots of parties, we have done some incredible writing, we have discussed both the serious and the very very silly, we have continued building a beautiful community.
So, still we are here … and this story does not end yet...
We decided to do something slightly different this year with how we put it together, and invited, encouraged (possibly slightly forced) lots of different people who've been involved in the project to contribute to it. We think, hope, that the inclusion of lots of different voices makes for a more engaging read, and it also fits with our ethos and values as a project: to centre the voices of our participants and make space for them to be heard. So thank you, to everyone who contributed to it. And for those of you who didn't, perhaps because you weren’t involved in the project at that point, thank you in advance for writing next year’s!
I am, obviously, not going to read out the whole report because you can do that at your leisure. I think if I want to summarise what it says, I would say I really believe that this report, and in fact this project, stands as a witness to the fact that despite challenging external circumstances and I think those do have to be named and acknowledged, that it is possible to create communities which are diverse, and which are also enriching, supportive and beautiful; and that human encounter is powerfully transformative. I think what this report says is that what we do makes a difference, and that it really matters, and I think everyone involved in it in every way should be proud of that.
Like almost all annual reports ours is chronically out of date before it has seen the light of day so I said I would give some kind of update to what's being going on in the nine months since. I think it can be summed up by saying, as we did in our performance,: "and still, we are here". The environment for people seeking sanctuary is hard, and getting harder, the way this subject is talked about is increasingly hostile ... but despite the best efforts of the home office and certain sections of the media and the public, we are still here and we are going to continue to be here with and for one another.
Last summer was particularly challenging ... with the flags campaign, the attacks on the schools of sanctuary movement with whom we of course work very closely, and with a series of somewhat vague but exceptionally hostile announcements from government. None of this is easy, nor should we pretend it is. But in the midst of it all, we have continued to provide safe space: space to understand and to process and to find support. There have been tears, and anger and frustration. There has also been plenty of dancing and cake and laughter and joy. There have been lots of hugs. We have been here for each other.
Since last April we have continued to welcome plenty of new participants, welcome, thank you for being part of this, we have coloured in new countries on our map, we have visited, I counted, 40 schools and other groups educating literally hundreds of people about the realities of the asylum system, we have had two incredible residential festivals of encounter, we have performed at the REP theatre and in several other smaller venues, we have had lots of parties, we have done some incredible writing, we have discussed both the serious and the very very silly, we have continued building a beautiful community.
So, still we are here … and this story does not end yet...
