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Status
Received: on time
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Income
£2.9K
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Spending
£2.5K
Public benefits
The direct benefits that flow from Purpose One include better educational outcomes for bilingual children through the development of their verbal and written communication skills in French. ACEF is addressing a previously unmet need by providing community education to French-speaking children and allowing them to maintain strong links with one of
their languages spoken at home. A further benefit is the enhancement of the children’s self-esteem through their improved sense of cultural identity and the opportunity to socialise with other children who speak French. There are two main direct benefits flowing from Purpose Two. First is the enhanced visibility and recognition of the French-speaking community living in Northern Ireland, resulting in improved family and community relations. Our events are an opportunity to share and celebrate French traditions, culture, folklore and identity with the French-speaking community but also with the public at large. Second, our physical events, our online presence and our informational function are a way to offer support and networking opportunities to a minority community living in Northern Ireland, increasing a sense of belonging and reducing isolation. The benefits of Purpose One are evidenced through the healthy and growing attendance at our monthly Saturday school and feedback from parents and carers (surveys and adhoc). The benefits of Purpose One are also demonstrated through the recognition and support received from French government institutions, including The Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE), which awarded us a startup grant for our Saturday school, and “Parapluie FLAM”, a UK charity supporting French supplementary schools. The benefits of Purpose Two are evidenced by: healthy participation at events; interest in volunteering among our beneficiaries; feedback from participating families (surveys and adhoc); invitations to take part in cross-cultural and multi-lingual events with similar charitable organisations and community groups; and increased contact with voluntary and statutory bodies in NI and France, recognising our representational and informational role on behalf of the French-speaking community in NI. Purpose One may lead to the following harm. There are safeguarding risks because the school activity involves working with children. We have taken every measure to mitigate this risk: we have a Safeguarding Policy; all sessions are led by two adults (1 sessional tutor and 1 assistant); all sessional tutors and assistants have undergone Access NI checks and received Safeguarding training; and, in the Toddler group, parents/carers stay with their child for the duration of the session. Purpose Two may lead to the following harm: the alienation of the French-speaking community, which may not integrate into society. The risk of this harm is minimal. We promote diversity and harmony in NI society. By celebrating the difference of French as one of the many cultural identities present in NI today, we will make it a more welcoming place to live. Many families at our events are not ‘just’ Northern Irish/Irish/British or French; they represent the range of cultures that make up our society. The beneficiaries of Purpose One are pre-school children (3-5) and primary-aged children (6-12) primarily from French-speaking families and also from Francophile families. The direct beneficiaries of Purpose Two are French-speaking families and also Francophile families. The wider Northern Irish public also benefits through participation in cultural activities organised by ACEF. A private benefit flowing from Purpose One is that gained by sessional tutors, who are French native speakers with appropriate teaching qualifications and experience. They receive a modest hourly rate for their teaching time. They also have access to subsidised training (e.g. Safeguarding and innovative teaching techniques) through Parapluie FLAM. The private benefit is incidental and necessary to ensure adequate provision to our beneficiaries. A further private benefit flowing from Purpose One is that gained by the venue. We pay a modest rate for the hourly hire of a suitable venue (e.g., school or community centre), which offers a safe and secure environment. This private benefit is incidental and necessary for the achievement of Purpose One. A private benefit flowing from Purpose Two is that gained by venues we sometimes hire for our events, especially if an indoor space is required. This private benefit is incidental and necessary to ensure adequate provision to our beneficiaries.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
To carry out our purposes, the activities of ACEF include: • A Saturday school for primary-aged children to develop their linguistic capabilities as well as their knowledge of French culture in an extracurricular environment. There are classes for children who already speak French and, subject to demand, classes for children who currently do not
speak French. • A Toddler group for pre-school children to develop their linguistic capabilities through music, play and song. This group caters for French-speaking and (subject to demand) for non-French-speaking toddlers and their parents/carers. • A lending library organised through the Saturday school and Toddler group. • A Teens’ club for secondary-aged children who either speak French at home or are learning French in school, subject to demand. • Conversation classes for adults, subject to demand. • Cultural and social events for French-speaking families to meet on a regular basis. Examples of activities include the following: book clubs (for teens and for adults), celebrations to mark national holidays in the French-speaking world, family picnics and cultural outings. • An online virtual meeting place for members to seek and offer support and to share advice and ideas via our Familles Francophones NI Facebook group. • Relaying educational and consular information to families with French nationals living in Northern Ireland; we receive this information from “Parapluie FLAM”, a UK charity supporting French supplementary schools.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- The advancement of education
- The advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science
Who the charity helps
- Carers
- Children (5-13 year olds)
- Ethnic minorities
- General public
- Language community
- Parents
- Preschool (0-5 year olds)
- Youth (14-25 year olds)
How the charity works
- Advice/advocacy/information
- Cultural
- Education/training
- Youth development
