About Us
The African Cultural Association was founded in 1984 and registered as a charity with the Charity Commission in June 1995 to provide general advice and information in the areas of social welfare and education to people experiencing hardship in the London region.
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The Association promotes awareness of the different cultures in multicultural Britain by encouraging service users to come together to share experiences and provide a support network for themselves within the community.
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We provide guidance, training, and support to the vulnerable, unskilled, unemployed, and lone parents.
We organise women’s groups and youth-centered activities on a regular basis and prominent black festivals and events (e.g. Black History Month).
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The African Cultural Association is also committed to working with elderly people over the age of 65.
History
The African Cultural Association was formed over 20 years ago and was started as a result of group discussions amongst black and other ethnic minority students and families; many of African and Caribbean origin.
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The discussions highlighted various problems individuals faced on a daily basis, many of which were associated with the minority groups. The areas these issues covered comprised mainly of immigration, housing, finance, racial harassment, social welfare, and family disputes. These situations often interfered with members’ education as well as their work and domestic lives.
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The Association was created to give users access to free information. We were able to direct individuals, students, and families alike to numerous authorities, who in turn helped them to solve their problems. Prior to using our services, many of our clients who had previously been referred to the relevant authorities were not familiar with the system and did not understand the processes they had to go through. They were also uncomfortable about sharing their problems with officials.
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These matters spurred us on to build a resource of qualified experts which included lawyers, health personnel, Social Services personnel, teachers, and administrators. The group later formed a non-profit making organisation, which is now a registered charity.
Our Mission
The objectives of the Association are as follows:
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To provide relief for people living in the London region who are in conditions of need, hardship, or distress with a focus on those of African origin or from other ethnic minorities, by the provision of advice and information in the areas of income, support, housing, immigration, health, bereavement, and education.
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To advance education and training for employment of single parents by the provision of nursery facilities while they attend classes and courses.
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To advance education, in particular of African culture, history, and language.
