St Albans Faith and Culture Enterprise (FACE)

FACE meeting

Tuesday 6th December 2016

At: Council Offices

Chair: Andrene McDonald

  1. Present: Niki Freedman,Mark Caldwell, Dina Mandalia, Sarah Grant, Liz Needham, Irene Austin, Paul Standbrook, Penny Williams, Emma Paisley,

Apologies:Thomas Lai, Sarwar Shamsher, Jocelyn Woodley,Zaitun Sadikali, Ben Neale, Glynis Kirby, Catherine Abrahams, John Churcher,

  1. Minutes of meeting on 18th Octoberwere approved.
  1. Welcome to Emma Paisley from NHS wellbeing team and MIND in midHerts and to Paul Standbrook from CVS and Inclusion and Equalities Group
  1. Emma spoke to us:

About her role in the NHS wellbeing team, improving access to IAPT psychological services. This is a short term service, teaching coping skills. It is the first port of call, offering free cognitive behavioural therapy skills, learning skills to increase wellbeing. The service is very accessible. People can self refer and will receive a list of support services, telephone support, including 6 sessions of support, learning self help skills. Sessions can be by phone, or face to face, there are also education groups, on line support and vocational support. You can email Emma on

Emma also spoke about MIND in Mid Herts, which is locally funded. It provides long term and social support, perhaps after the Wellbeing team has finished. There are lots of groups including art, drama, and friendship. They provide financial support, specialist workers, vocational support and outreach services. They also support carers. Ethnic minorities are under using the service.

Leaflets about both services are attached.

5. Paul spoke to us:

About the role of CVS and its services. Please see the attached powerpoint presentation that he spoke from. He is keen to reignite the Inclusion and Equalities Group that we felt overlapped with FACE and perhaps needs some joined up working. He discussed the way to make more day centres and accessible hubs so everything is more central – part of the Building Better Opportunities project – moving those furthest from employment closer, reducing duplication and increasing efficiency.

Please see the powerpoint attached.

He also discussed the Stronger Together Partnership, as Sophie Stockdale had sent apologies. These are a series of action learning workshops, with Mental Health, Environment, Older People and Social Enterprises getting together to share aims, all meeting and working together. See attached handout.

We agreed a small subgroup should meet together to discuss how we can work better together with Paul

  1. Matters Arising:
  • Ann Main Racism meeting – Aayesha keen to pursue anti-hate agenda. Niki to liaise with Aayesha, meetings to alternate Mondays and Tuesdays in 2017
  • SAREC building – Mark still awaiting a meeting & will feed back next meeting
  • FACE website –now live – please refer to for all FACE information, including agendas and minutes
  1. Youth Subcommittee

Liz, Mark, Henna and Jocelyn met, and Mark had been in liaison with Youth Connexions. Their plan is for finding a café that is open late and consider activities from there, rather than using the Cunningham Hub. They are all researching possible venues and will be meeting again.

  1. Open Day Planning for March

Funding has been secured to hold the event at the Council Chambers.

Subgroup to meet in January to start planning

  1. AOB
  • Liz informed the group that a new refugee has been homed in St Albans, but not through the Refugee Council, and this has been really challenging to sort out issues such as schooling, equipment for the house, providing an English teacher etc STAR were able to help but should not have had to. Mark to discuss with the Council how to deal with issues such as this
  • Penny was keen to talk about Domestic Abuse. Niki to invite to February Meeting
  • Mark advised that Community Safety Team keen to talk to FACE. Mark to invite to February meeting and forward contact details to Niki
  • Mark had copies of the Policing Hertfordshire for everyone leaflet, issue 6.

Police to be invited to Open Day. Leaflet can be obtained by visiting website and clicking on the Equality and Diversity link, or emailing , or writing to the Chief Constable Hertfordshire Constabulary, FREEPOST AL8 6BR

  • Interfaith Forum – agreed we need to liaise more with them, Niki to send them our website and 2017 dates. Subgroup to consider setting up a Facebook page
  • Domestic Abuse Forum to be held on 3rd March, information to follow nearer the time
  • Amnesty Information to be sent round in due course
  • Dina reported that the Chair of Verulam Golf Club is now an Indian woman

DATES of meetings for 2017

Monday 6th February 6.35

Tuesday 4th April 6.35

Monday 5th June 6.35

Tuesday 8th August 6.35

Monday 2nd October 6.35

Tuesday 5th December 6.35

DATE of NEXT MEETING – Tuesday 2nd Augustfrom 6.35 – 8.05 at Council Offices