Our Organisation

• Background

The Fife African & Caribbean Association (FACA) set up in 1998 and registered as a charity in 1999.  Our aims are to promote integration, cultural awareness, education, and all that promotes equality and collaboration through programmes that address the unique barriers we, as a race, encounter in accessing mainstream services and opportunities. 

Our local/regional client base is the African and Caribbean people and/or organisations who live or base themselves in Fife and the surrounding areas or whose main activities are in Fife and the surrounding areas.  Our wider client base is the African & Caribbean organisations throughout Scotland.

We have 10 volunteer members in our Management Committee, we meet monthly and we do not have any employees.

• Legal Structure

The Fife African & Caribbean Association is a registered charity in Scotland, Charity Number SCO28836.   The organisation will consider incorporation as a Company Limited by Guarantee when our annual income exceeds £75,000 and/or we recruit employees. 

• Vision Statement

The Fife African & Caribbean Association will successfully promote and facilitate the inclusion of African & Caribbean residents in Fife as equal and valued members of their communities and thereby help to alleviate and reduce the discriminations we encounter through raising the awareness of others and empowering African & Caribbean people to contribute to these processes at many levels. 

Our unabridged version, from which this statement derives, is in Appendix 2.

• Mission Statement

“A Commitment to the values of human and cultural diversity. Engagement in activities that promote human dignity, social and economic justice and good citizenship”

• Charitable Objects

Our charitable objects drive our activities and service provision locally, nationally and internationally.    We have established programmes, all of which achieve one or more of our charitable objects, to deliver a range of activities and services for all ages of the community.  In the main, our programmes are not age or gender specific however, we do offer certain programmes for women or men.  A list of our objects is in the table on the next page and out programmes and activities are in Section 1.8 of the business plan.

Table 1:  Charitable Objects

Charitable Objects

The relief of poverty The advancement of education The advancement of heritage The promotion of religious or racial harmony The promotion of equality and diversity. The advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation. The relief of those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage. The advancement of health The advancement of public participation in sport The provision and/or organisation of recreational facilities with the object of improving the conditions of life for people of all ages in the community who will benefit by reason of their age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage. The advancement of citizenship or community development. The promotion of equality and diversity.

• Goals

Goals, strategic and operational objectives support each of our Programmes, which is essential to track our progress and inform our review mechanisms. Regularly reviewing our operational objectives will allow us to evaluate our position and make the necessary changes to ensure we successfully achieve our strategic objectives for service delivery, provision and the development of the organisation.

• Objectives

Raise awareness and understanding of the interests and culture of the African & Caribbean people.

Promote the involvement of African & Caribbean people in the development of policy, provisions and good practice.

Advance education, and raising civic awareness of good citizenship.

Promote wellbeing through healthy living.

To foster the development of social and community relations by combating exclusion and discrimination.

To promote and organise working in partnerships with other organisations and agencies to further our objectives.

• Equal Opportunity Policy

The Association will strive to avoid discrimination of any group or individual on any grounds. The Association will work to ensure that the services are accessible to people who are disadvantaged or discriminated in society by virtue of their gender, disability, marital status, religious belief, sexual orientation and ethnicity.