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The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
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African and Caribbean Support Organisation Northern Ireland (ACSONI)

  • Status

    Received: on time

  • Income

    £122.3K

  • Spending

    £120.4K

Charity no. 105267 Date registered. 20/05/2016

Public benefits

The direct public benefits that arise from the purposes are eradicating isolation, inequality, discrimination, challenging attitudes and behaviours that encourages stereotypes and racism. ACSONI programmes outputs and benefits are also geared towards improving the quality of life, education, skills capacity, health, employment, integration,

social cohesion through community advocacy, participation, support and programmes across Northern Ireland. Through working with its member groups and networks ACSONI provides central services for local and regional members of the African and Caribbean Diaspora living in Northern Ireland to access services that empower and protect communities to live together and enjoy the benefits of a multi-ethnic civil society. The benefits are evidenced through the increasing number of individuals and families from all backgrounds and abilities utilising our services and the feedback received.

What your organisation does

Our services involve the provision of 1-1 drop-in support services, signposting, advocacy, adult and youth programmes (The Intercultural Youth Hub), community safety programmes, training, cross-border/transnational programmes, representation, events/conferences/seminars, health awareness, themed excursions, research, and family support services,

women's projects (WIN), FGM awareness and safeguarding activities, ensuring that all service users understand the fundamentals and importance of cross-community collaboration and inclusion, to manage risks of marginalisation and isolation. ACSONI also provides opportunities for the African and Caribbean Communities to participate in local intercultural celebrations and share their cultural expressions through the arts and educational programmes, such as African Diversity Week, Caribbean Diversity Week, and African &Caribbean History Month. Through partnership working, ACSONI has a wider reach and provides mentoring and developmental support to individuals and a wide range of smaller African/Caribbean organisations throughout Northern Ireland. We are also proactive in campaigning against hate and supporting victims of racism or xenophobic crimes, promoting cultural diversity, awareness raising and supporting people from an African and Caribbean background to play a full and active role in cultural and civil life.

The charity’s classifications

  • The prevention or relief of poverty
  • The advancement of education
  • The advancement of citizenship or community development
  • The advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science
  • The advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation or the promotion of religious or racial harmony or equality and diversity
  • The relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage

Who the charity helps

  • Adult training
  • Asylum seekers/refugees
  • Carers
  • Children (5-13 year olds)
  • Community safety/crime prevention
  • Ethnic minorities
  • Ex-offenders and prisoners
  • General public
  • Homelessness
  • Language community
  • Learning disabilities
  • Men
  • Mental health
  • Older people
  • Parents
  • Physical disabilities
  • Specific areas of deprivation
  • Tenants
  • Unemployed/low income
  • Victim support
  • Voluntary and community sector
  • Volunteers
  • Women
  • Youth (14-25 year olds)

How the charity works

  • Advice/advocacy/information
  • Arts
  • Community development
  • Community enterprise
  • Counselling/support
  • Criminal justice
  • Cross-border/cross-community
  • Cultural
  • Economic development
  • Education/training
  • Gender
  • General charitable purposes
  • Heritage/historical
  • Human rights/equality
  • Medical/health/sickness
  • Overseas aid/famine relief
  • Relief of poverty
  • Research/evaluation
  • Volunteer development
  • Welfare/benevolent
  • Youth development

Charity accounts & reports for financial year end 31 March 2024

Independent examiners report Charity accounts Trustee annual report

Charity accounts & reports for financial year end 31 March 2023

Independent examiners report Charity accounts Trustee annual report

Charity accounts & reports for financial year end 31 March 2022

Independent examiners report Charity accounts Trustee annual report

Charitable purposes

The Association is established to advance education, relieve poverty, protect and promote public health and to promote the benefit of the inhabitants and in particular the communities of Caribbean, African, Mixed Heritage and/or West Indian origin and descent and their dependants (hereinafter called the “beneficiaries”) of Northern Ireland (hereinafter called the “area of benefit”) without distinction of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnic identity, political or religious opinion, by associating the statutory authorities, community and voluntary organisations and the beneficiaries in a common effort to advance education, and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation or other leisure-time occupation, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said beneficiaries and in particular: (a) to relieve persons in need, hardship or distress within the Caribbean, African, Mixed Heritage and/or West Indian communities in the area of benefit in particular through advocacy and the provision of advice and support; (b) to advance education within the area of benefit in all matters relating to Caribbean, African, Mixed Heritage or West Indian arts, history, traditions, language and culture thereby promoting good race relations in an effort to foster a sentiment in favour of equality and diversity and thereby endeavouring to eliminate racial discrimination; (c) to preserve and protect good health, particularly but not exclusively through the provision of forums, projects, seminars and workshops; (d) to educate and train persons of Caribbean, African, Mixed Heritage and/or West Indian origin living in the area of benefit who through their social and economic conditions are in need and unable to gain employment by the provision of or assisting in the provision of facilities, forums, projects, classes and seminars necessary for such training and education so as to enable them to acquire and develop vocational skills; (e) to advance any other exclusively charitable purpose as the management committee, may from time to time, decide in accordance with the law of charity.

Governing document

Constitution

Other name

ACSONI
  • 6 Trustees
  • 4 Employees
  • 20 Volunteers

Contact details

Public address

  • African And Caribbean Support Organisation Northern Ireland (Acsoni), 9 Lower Crescent, Bt7 1Nr, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland Bt7 1Nr, BT7 1NR

Trustee board

Trustee
Lorraine-Gatsi Barnett
Anurag Deb
Clover Watts
Miss Shannon Doherty
Mr Zvikomborero Chirimanzi
Sipho Sibanda

List of regions

  • In Northern Ireland
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