Leeds Sudanese Community Association (LSCA)
It’s simple, “If we had more space we could offer more,” explains Federico Vuni, trustee and acting treasurer of the Leeds Sudanese Community Association (LSCA).
The Association is currently based in a shop in an inner city precinct. The building is not ideal, but since it’s establishment in 2000 the organisation has developed computer facilities to offer ITC training, language classes and access to the Internet. It also offers practical benefits advice, lets people know about jobs and training opportunities and brings people together for sociable monthly workshops on subjects like healthy exercise and HIV awareness. It has a vibrant youth group and is a confident organisation, sure of its role and focus, with plans to expand its services and develop as a community enterprise if only it can find the right building.
Meeting the needs
“The main aim is to help members access education and employment,” states Federico. For LSCA, success is about recognising and clearly identifying the needs of the communities they serve and being able to fundraise and manage their funds effectively.
“WYCAS has helped us to verify and certify our financial reports which is very important as a document to seek funding,” says Federico. “We don’t have the income to employ an external auditor, so this help has been invaluable.” The LSCA has also received practical support in how to use the QuickBooks accounting software to monitor and manage their money. Federico and the Association’s development worker have recently attended WYCAS training to help them with their forward planning. They hope that their new forecasting and budgeting skills will be useful in the transition to becoming a community enterprise. “We need to know what our overall financial position is so that we can see where we need to fill in the gaps.”
A beautiful thing
The LSCA is not short of ideas. The youth group has identified the need for local activities, but would also like to develop international links with Sudan. “They have come up with a plan for a skills exchange,” explain Federico. “They want to have an input to their home country, they feel the duty to help. This is a beautiful thing to come from the young people themselves.”
The Sudanese community is well established in Leeds, with many members into their second decade of life in Yorkshire. The LSCA has proved it can deliver high quality services and attract and manage funds well. It is proud of the number of referrals it receives from statutory and non-statutory organisations across the city and is already expanding its services beyond its immediate community members. The LSCA are eager to play their role in the wider community, they want to use their expertise and make their services widely available. If only they can track down the right building.