The Sudanese Coptic Association is a leading, non profitable, voluntary, charitable organisation for persons of Coptic Christian faith who are of Sudanese nationality, origin, or descent whether living in Sudan ,United Kingdom , or elsewhere. It has been founded in 1992 by the first small group of Sudanese Coptic Christians who fled Sudan to The UK following the 1989 military coop. They democratically elected an executive committee on 7th February 1992 . By July 1995 the vast majority of the members agreed on the constitution. The membership is bound by the constitution and an annual meeting is held regularly for electing a new executive committee.

OBJECTIVES:

We work:-
• To relieve needs, hardship and distress of Sudanese Coptic Christians
• To maintain and preserve the Arabic language, culture and Coptic Christian faith among members of the Sudanese Coptic community in Sussex
• To work towards the elimination of racial discrimination and racial harassment and to promote equality of opportunity and good relations between persons of different racial groups
• To provide advice and advocacy for Sudanese people, to enable them to access services such as health, education, benefits and employment
• To support the integration of our mostly refugee community into the local society

ACHIEVEMENT:

The Association has been representing the Sudanese Coptic Christians in various national and international meetings and conferences. It is working in close co-operation with the other voluntary groups. It is represented in the Refugee Forum, Racial Harassment Forum, Brighton and Hove racial equality services, Sussex interpreting services, Family Right Project, MIND, Multicultural Group, Multicultural Community and visiting police custody blocks … etc. It has established the Refugee Forum with the Council, the Voluntary services, the Interpreting Project with the Council.
Over the last 15 years the Sudanese Coptic Association has been working relentlessly towards achieving its objectives. It has helped the new comers settling in different aspects including accommodation, education, health .etc.
The Association started the Arabic School in 1994 with the help of Cardinal Newman Junior School which offered the place and the support and in 1997 we managed to persuade the authority to include the Arabic language in the national curriculum.
In 1998 we started our Family Gathering Centre  which is held fortnightly at the Hove YMCA then in Southwick Leisure Centre, which provides social milieu and support.
In1999 we started the Outgoing Group.
Also in 1999 we started the National Open Day in which we have been exploring our cultural and traditional activities.
The Association established a phone line contact service,, of which, the calls are dealt with by a member of the executive committee.
We have been producing a quarter yearly newsletter to update the members about the Association activities and achievements and to communicate the members suggestions, concerns and complaints.
In 2005 we launched the Sudanese Coptic Association Web Site
In 2007 in coordination with the council we established the Taxi forum which is an independent subcommittee.

SERVICES OFFERED BY THE ASSOCIATION:

Over the years the Association members developed a unique knowledge and understanding of the cultural differences, its implication on the different generations and the prospect of the integration of the Sudanese Copts in the British society.
Services include:
• Family gathering:
Holding regular family gathering and meetings, where information and support is available, and where members of the Sudanese community have a chance to find mutual support
• Arabic language school:
Organising an Arabic language school at Hove Park School in Hove every week, for young people aged 5-18
• Seasonal activities:
Arranging seasonal activities at which members of the Sudanese community may meet and celebrate their cultural heritage.
• Asylum & Immigration Matters:
This involves helping the asylum seeker to deal with their applications more appropriately, through the immigration legal aid solicitors like the translation and interpreting in every matter related to their cases, also accompanying the asylum seekers and the refugees to the Home Office to help them solving their problems regarding applying for asylum renewal of their identification letters, applying for the travel documents,  attending  court appeals hearings for the refused cases, attending interviews with the Home Office and airport cases and making the essential contacts with world organizations which deals with Human Rights such as Africa Watch and Amnesty International in addition to the local organizations such as Minority Rights group, Middle East Concern and Christian Solidarity. The most important thing is the emotional support to the people who had already been subjected to persecution and torture in their home country.
• Housing Issues:
Assisting and comforting the new comers who are considered homeless through the housing homeless department to solve their urgent needs for accommodation specially those with children or to be housed through private letting agencies. Helping those who receive eviction notices to find an alternative suitable accommodation and negotiate housing benefits problems with the housing department & personnel. Find reasonable and sensible solution to the disabled,   helping   people   with   their   existing difficulties regarding water charges, heating, and disputes with landlords.
• Department of Social Security (DSS):
Helping asylum seekers to apply for Social Security Benefits and attending interviews. Explaining the regulations of their entitlement to the benefits when taking jobs.
• Health Issues:
Helping the asylum seekers and refugees to register with the General Practitioners and tackling their medical or health problems at hospitals in view of explaining our cultural and traditional customs. Paying regular visits to the patients at hospitals and at home to give them the support they badly needed. Establish the Sudanese Refugees Mental Health Support Project, which elevates they’re distressing problems by finding a reasonable solutions.
• Education:
Helping families to enrol their children at schools and solving any problems arise.
Attending regular meetings, which help a great deal with the up to date information about drugs, racial harassment, child abuse and abduction.
Participate and deal with bilingual support unit and the special needs for our children in all schools.
Create strong and good relationship with school boards.
Setting up- with help if Cardinal Newman School - the Arabic Teaching Project to assist the children to keep their mother tongue, in this matter, we have established Arabic classes to hold about 150 children at different age group in addition to those British born children who have interest in learning Arabic language, in fact this project has been run very successfully.
Helping adult education by contacting different colleges and centres.
• Sport:
Apart from all the sport activities performed during the family gatherings including volley ball, basket ball, badminton, table tennis, chess, domino and cards the Association has established  a football team for children (10-15 yeas old) with weekly training.
• Police:
Making good contacts with Brighton / Hove police authorities with special regard to Crime Prevention Unit, by getting advice concerning drugs,  child   abuse  and  abduction,   and   racial problems and convey these to the people of our community and let them aware of it.
Helping and supporting those who might be involved in traffic offences or criminal aspects.
• Meetings:
The association had established a very good link with Brighton  and Hove City Council since 1991, the outcome of these meetings include establishing The Refugee Forum for the first times in the south which mainly aims to cover the needs of all the refugees.
We are working closely with the council officials to convey important matters to our community and from the community to the council.
Meeting with other organizations such as Racial Harassment Forum, Sussex Interpreting Services,  BMECP, Social Services, Brighton CVS ...etc.

CONTACT:

Postal address:

Sudanese Coptic Association
PO Box 2704
Brighton
BN1 2QW
United Kingdom

FAX: +44 (0)870 131 0784

Email: sudanesecoptic@hotmail.com

Sudanese Coptic Association Registered charity No: 104795