Meeting Summary of KaskoSan Trustees Meeting held on December 16 2022

Attendees (from left to right):

  1. Phil Martin, Trustee
  2. Neil McAlister, Trustee
  3. Juice Vamosi, Founding member
  4. Janos Lang, Chair
  5. Carly Henderson, Trustee
  6. (Matthew Langley, Trustee apologised for absence in advance)

Evaluating 2022 and planning out 2023

KaskoSan trustees had the last meeting of 2022 held on 16th of December on Zoom. Neil, our recently recruited trustee from Bolton, and Juice, founding member of KaskoSan logged in together from Prestwich, Manchester with the enchanting smells of a Gypsy stew which normally accompanies KaskoSan trustees’ meetings since the outset in 2014. As you can also see on the photo, Jani (pron as ‘Yarni’) in Glasgow, and Carly in Lancashire, our arts and culture professionals weren’t enthusiastic about having to miss out on the unique Gypsy flavours Maria Palmai, leader of the Roma women’s initiatives freshly prepared to please the trustees for their hard work given throughout the year.

Agenda items discussed:

1. Review of annual financial report prepared by Mr Ahmad, KaskoSan’s accountant
Juice presented the final financial report from 01/08/2022 to 31/08/2022. The annual turnover was £33485 while the total expenditure was £54887, therefore KaskoSan closed with a total loss of £21402 on 31st of July 2022. The online repository has been re-introduced to trustees where detailed information can be found with regards to every single expenditure incurred in the previous financial year. Trustees have also been presented with tool to monitor expenses real time. If anyone in the public wishes to request further information about KaskoSan’s finances, they are welcome to email us at info at kaskosan.org. The detailed review of previous year’s activities was held at the previous trustees meeting in September 2022.
2. Romani language workshop bookings in Geneva, Rochdale and Rotherham (besides Montreal and New Delhi)
The Arts Council funded national tour of The Deathless Woman and the preceding Romani Language Workshop received an overwhelming success at each destination and it triggered further bookings by the United Nations Geneva office, Rochdale Council and Rotherham Council too. Montreal University and the Indian Council for International Cooperation (ARSP) also booked further workshops in March and June 2023.
Juice explained about Rotherham that the Travellers’ Service team introduced them to a number of Roma families in Rochdale who would be rather interested in pursuing Roma cultural activities in Rochdale. Sessions are due to continue in Rochdale from January 2023 onward.
Dr Dan Allen invited Juice to present to social care and early help professionals at Rotherham Council, roughly to 200 participants in total. They have greatly appreciated the Romani Language Workshop and booked further sessions which are scheduled to continue in 2023.
Phil Martin, trustee noticed further improvement on the KaskoSan website and believed that the Romani Language Workshops should be promoted further. He also pointed out some other best practices that KaskoSan can learn from.
Carly Henderson, trustee very strongly suggested to build on the success of the Romani language workshops and recommended Juice and team to develop a business plan to maximise the potential.
Neil McAlister, trustee also shared his experience as a co-organiser of the Bolton and Manchester events of the national tour. He also found the reaction of every single audience member extremely positive and encouraged thinking in the direction further.
Juice also used the opportunity to briefly introduce Neil to all other trustees. Explained that Neil
TO DO: Juice to sort out a business plan for the Romani Language Workshops
3. Update on The National Lottery bid and work in Bolton
The National Lottery approved KaskoSan’s ‘Awards for All’ proposal in Bolton. KaskoSan’s Bolton based community advocate will be in charge of engaging Oldham Roma residents and Bolton based volunteers will be in charge of engaging non-Roma Bolton residents. Sessions are scheduled to run from January to June 2023. KaskoSan’s Bolton team will gather next Monday in Bolton to elaborate details. Further information will be published soon on KaskoSan.org.
Several Bolton Roma families have been approaching KaskoSan volunteers for help since 2014 and they continue accessing the support service ever since.
4. Update on work in Bradford: advice to families and ‘The 600 Roma’
Juice explained that work in Bradford carries on voluntarily. KaskoSan doesn’t have any funded work going on currently in Bradford. The Roma Support Group introduced KaskoSan to the Bradford Law Centre, a charitable organisation and they have been helping families KaskoSan has been assisting over the years in Bradford. Families are very happy to receive the support from the newly established partnership. We are now looking into opportunities on how we can better help vulnerable Roma families living below the poverty line meet their needs amidst the cost-of-living crisis that is also impacting the UK.
Juice also explained that the Bradford team is seeking opportunities to further develop ‘The 600 Roma’ play first performed at Kala Sangam on 16th of May 2022. Bradford producing hub provided Juice with an hour-long session where they revised the cultural bid earlier refused by Bradford Council. Juice has been consulting the Bradford team and volunteers about what cultural activity everyone wants to focus on and there has been a unanimous decision reached in terms of choosing ‘The 600 Roma’. Bradford Producing Hub introduced KaskoSan to Bradford Cultural Voice Forum, the main forum where artists, professionals and organisations and businesses can network with each other to create exciting content for the Bradford UK City of Culture 2025. Juice agreed to present a new draft of the cultural proposal to trustees by early January 2023.
5. Update on work in Oldham
Action Together provided a grant of £10000 to implement the Cost-of-Living Household Support Fund in Oldham targeting Oldham Roma residents. The first half of the grant has been received and the administration of the first emergency donations to Oldham Roma families has already started.
Juice also advised trustees that Europia, a Manchester based charity approached KaskoSan to offer an opportunity collaborate in a funding they received from Greater Manchester Combined Authority to do work with Roma families in Greater Manchester and as part of that in the borough of Oldham too. Juice will advise trustees on further developments going forward.
6. Trustees’ potential contribution next year, fix date and time of next meeting
Trustees agreed to hold next meeting on January 27 2023. Further details of the meeting will be disseminated in due time.
7. Update on registering as a charity with the Charity Commission
KaskoSan has received instructions on how it can improve its application to register as a CIO with the charity commission. Trustees agreed to reviews the advice in details and will come prepared for a debate to elaborate on the points emailed by the Charity Commission to KaskoSan recently.
8. AOB – Florin Bolmandir, volunteer in critical condition
Florin Bolmandir, Oldham Roma volunteer of KaskoSan has been in critical condition at Oldham Royal Hospital with pneumonia. While in hospital, he also contracted an MSRA bacteria, and he has not been able to wake up from the coma yet. Everyone at KaskoSan as well as Coliseum Theatre, KaskoSan’s close partner in Oldham are extremely concerned about Florin and wish him a quick recovery. KaskoSan trustees issued an emergency payment to Florin’s family to ease the financial burden on them while Florin carries on being on ventilator in the hospital.
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With any question about the last trustees meetings, ideas and suggestions on how KaskoSan can improve its charitable work, message the KaskoSan team.

To book a workshop
email juice@kaskosan.org

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