It does not seem possible that we are coming to the end of another year. How time flies. This review of the year looks back over that time and also reflects on some of the new challenges which we face in maintaining our position as the place for overseas students and their families to stay in the Midlands. In offering a home away from home we seek not just that our guests will be warm and comfortable but that they will also feel safe, secure and loved no matter what class, creed or culture they come from. What a tribute to our small management team that we continue to place caring for the stranger in our midst as our first priority and that even so we are able to afford improvements to our much loved homes More important than material improvements are the gains we make with and through people. We are further strengthened our Trustees and Management Board, recruiting Kevin Allen to our volunteer team. Kevin is a qualified accountant and he brings a significant business experience to our team. He is focussed on our plans for the future and our relationship with our A home away from home London sister organisation and their pioneering ethical hotel - The Wesley. The development of our people is so important and this year we have tried to focus on how our team works together to be more than the sum of its parts Our overseas student population has been challenged this year by new government regulations on entry to this country and delays in the award of visas to come to study here. Whilst this is affecting the demand for family accommodation, our rooms for single people are more in demand now than I can remember. How important that if students are leaving families and loved ones behind, they feel the welcome of our diverse yet supportive community. The role of our staff in creating a caring environment has never been more important. We are proud that recommendation by previous residents remains the predominant way in which current residents come to us suggests that what we offer remains highly valued. We do not set out to just provide accommodation. We look to care for the Stranger in our Midst. BISH were extremely helpful at finding last minute rooms for our International Students at BCUIC. Tom and the team work very efficiently and flexibly which is a big benefit to International Students who often cannot book flights until the last minute and need flexibility on contracts. I have had positive feedback from our students staying with BISH and hope they will be able accommodate more of our students in the future. Kate Finch - Student Services Officer Birmingham City University International College
The year 2014 saw us exceed last year s total for the number of nationalities living in our two houses. We welcomed people from 54 countries which led to a rich mix of cultures, faiths and indeed diets. It is this diversity that highlights the major reason why our guests derive so much pleasure from staying with BISH and accounts for the recommendations our guests give to students back home to stay with BISH if they are to study in Birmingham. Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Rumania, Spain, Switzerland, UK Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kurdistan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Palestine, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan Bahamas, Canada, Jamaica, Mexico, USA Australia Brazil, Columbia, Bolivia Algeria, Ghana, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda Our Residents and Guests During 2014, we have had a total of 334 people stay with us. 190 at Asbury Overseas House 153 at Wesley International House Our guests originated from 54 different countries. At Asbury, we have had 30 children living with us, with seven being born in 2014.
Between March and May 2014, the University of Birmingham hosted eight Commonwealth Professional Fellows from Uganda, Nigeria, India and Bangladesh, who were here as art of a Commonwealthfunded professional development initiative. The programme they participated in consisted of a mixture of core and elective modules which included areas such as developing skills in writing and speaking English, project management, entrepreneurship, diversity, mentorship and presentation skills. The aim of the Commonwealth Professional Training Programme is to develop fellow s skills and knowledge and thereby contribute to the ongoing development of their home institutions as well as continuing the fellows own personal career development on their return to their own countries. Whilst at the University, six of the fellows lived at Wesley International House, which was ideally situated for easy access to the University s campus. The six fellows found that being together helped them get to know each other and to settle into the programme more easily. It was also helpful for them to be located together for reviewing their learning, planning activities and visits in their free time as well as to work on their joint projects and final presentations which were delivered at the end of the programme. Deborah Jones (College of Art and Law) University of Birmingham One of the Fellows staying at Wesley was Nkechi Igbinigie who wanted to show her appreciation for her stay at Wesley. Her husband is an artist and she donated this picture to Wesley House. Its title is Seen not heard.
Our Directors continue to devote considerable amounts of their time and expertise freely to BISH in order to make our homes good places to be. One new member, Kevin Allen has joined the board in 2014 with the full board being, Lawrie Rumens Chairman, Peter Johansen Hon. Treasurer, Mike Fisher Company Secretary, Robert Dauncey, Malcolm Evans, Jayne Gilbert, Dr Stuart Burgess and Kevin Allen. Kevin is a Chartered Accountant. After qualifying with KPMG in the late 1980s, he held various senior management positions in the residential and commercial lending sectors, including supervising a Bank of England rescue operation and leading the Management Buy Out of a bank. He lives in Solihull, has been a member of Solihull Methodist Church for nearly forty years and keenly supports many of their projects including the renowned SMASH theatre group. He has recently been commissioned as a Workplace Chaplain and spends time at the National Exhibition Centre site in that rôle. In his spare time he supports progressive rock bands, has two daughters and a really big cat. The wheel that keeps BISH turning The team that manage the day to day running of our houses, carry out all the maintenance tasks and undertake the domestic duties are repeatedly rated highly by our residents in our satisfaction surveys. They are our front line who make Birmingham International Student Homes the warm and caring places our residents enjoy. Tracey Anita Clive Tom Elzbieta Paul Monika Errol Maureen Gemma Janet
Our homes have many features which appeal to any international student coming to Birmingham and indeed the United Kingdom for the first time. Many of these features lend themselves readily to making Asbury House and Wesley House a home from home. The tables below highlight the range of accommodation types and a number of those key features. Accommodation Asbury House Wesley House Small Single 7 Standard Single 15 30 Large Single 8 2 En-suite Single 9 Double 3 One Bedroom Flat 1 Two Bed Flat 21 Accommodation to suit all budgets!! Asbury House Wesley House Walking distance from Birmingham University On bus routes to Birmingham University Close to other Educational Establishments Walking distance to supermarkets, shops, banks Close to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Easy access to central Birmingham, shop, clubs, stations Quiet location Accommodation Manager on site Mon Fri 7 days Maintenance Team on site Good security Social activities arranged in-house No fixed term contract
Whilst BISH is affiliated to the Methodist Church, we are proud to welcome guests of all faiths and no faith. Our mission is to provide a warm, friendly and supportive environment to live and study and we recognise how daunting it can be to come to a new city and country. Our House Managers and other staff are always willing to help our guests in any way possible and we can also call upon the help of Rev Andrew Brazier, the Chaplain for students at Birmingham University and Fiona Barker, the Family Networker at Selly Oak Methodist Church. Andrew writes: The two international houses have, in my experience, have always been warm and welcoming. They are a joy to visit as a chaplain. The chief part of my work has been prevention. Just making sure that if anyone did need that extra support they would know where to turn. At various points during the year we try to ensure that all the residents are aware of the chaplaincy provision. This is usually done at social events and has the great bonus of being opportunities for sharing good food with everyone. On a couple of occasions last year I was called on for specific concerns. A lonely student in one house and concerns about a resident with mental health issues in the other. Additionally Tom Brown, myself and Fiona, the Family Networker from Selly Oak Methodist Church work together to try and make some provision for the residents of Asbury. We are very aware that the spouses and the children of the students often get more isolated. Currently this involves a small group that meets for inter-faith prayers, occasional bicycle mending on my part for the children, and a young families group run by Fiona. At the beginning of each year we try to encourage the residents to come for a visit to the chaplaincy. I continue to look for other ways in which we can connect the work of the chaplaincy to the residents of both houses but on the whole it is pleasing to know that certainly, the crisis aspect of ministry is rarely required. Fiona writes: As part of my work as the Family Networker at Selly Oak Methodist Church it has been good to strengthen links with Asbury House, and in particular with those who may be families of students coming to study. Initially a coffee morning began to try and befriend families who were at home during the day. We baked and cooked together, sharing different dishes together; we made things, learning new craft skills, played games and at other times simply shared coffee and conversation. It has been good to welcome parents and children from Asbury House to the weekly Stay and Play group at church and to occasional events such as Harvest Supper and Family events. During the Summer the Thursday mornings became equally focussed on the children and teenagers and this has continued with the coffee mornings becoming late afternoons. I look forward to getting to know future Asbury families and spending time sharing skills and conversation together.
In a recent survey of Wesley residents, the following results were obtained. Word of mouth recommendation continues to be the major way in which residents hear about BISH. 96% of respondents found us easy to apply to for accommodation. 100% said that we provided sufficient information prior to arrival. 100% were made to feel welcome on their arrival. 100% of guests found the staff to be friendly and helpful. Respondents said that the cleaning service we provide was satisfactory to excellent. When asked if residents had enjoyed living in the house, 93% said very much and 7% said yes it was OK. 100% of the respondents said they were happy with the security of the building. An Asbury resident wrote: I am sure that I made the right choice to live in the Asbury Overseas House. My family was little bit worried about settling in a different country. But we settled so quickly in a short period of time supported by AOH staff as well as our new friends. We had a chance to meet people from different countries. If we would stay in an independent house, we feel that we would miss our family very much. But while staying in AOH we did not feel that way. AOH is home to a diverse race of people who live in unity. It created also a feeling that we are with our family. My kids also enjoyed their stay and events in AOH. The common room helped us in socializing with others, chatting, celebrating festivals and birthday parties and watching movies. Thanks for the support of all the staff Paul, Tom, Anita, Tracey, Janet, Joy and Errol. In my experience, I can say it is one of the best places near the University for residing especially for families. Ramadhas Arumugam Sakunthalai Hannah s story At 6.30pm, Hannah has just got back from Uni after a hard day but was excited to be back in the warmth and friendliness of Wesley House. She had arrived in Birmingham just over two weeks ago and was eagerly waiting for this evening as she had arranged to Skype her parents to tell them how she was settling in to both the University and into Wesley. She had put her bags in her room and was now keen to get to the communal kitchen to meet up with two other girls who have rooms close to hers. They have agreed to cook a meal together, each making something traditional from their home countries. There were ten people in the kitchen and they were all chatting about their day. Hannah had met most of them and they were all interested in how she was getting on and if she was enjoying being at Wesley. A trip to her dedicated part of one of the banks of freezers and fridges brought forth some of the vital ingredients for tonight s meal and the rest came from her shelves in the dry goods cupboards. As the supermarkets were close to Wesley and the University, she had bought the ingredients on her way home a couple of days ago. Her two friends were busy at the cooker and the meal was taking shape nicely. As they worked, one of the guys said that Josh would be leaving next week to return to the USA and so they asked for people s ideas on where to have a farewell meal and party. Several suggestions were made and Bernd said he would put details on Facebook. The girls enjoyed their meal, each tasting something new and after a lot of talking, Hannah went back to her room to speak to her parents. She was just so excited to give them all of her great news and to tell them about all her new friends and the fun at Wesley.
The Rev James J. Whitfield was appointed to the Birmingham Methodist District in 1954 after twenty years of overseas service spent in the West Indies and Sierra Leone. He came at a time when the increasing inflow of immigrants was causing difficulties in the Midlands, due mainly to the shortage of suitable housing. He realised the difficulties encountered by overseas students at Birmingham University, who, in those days, often encountered prejudice and were unable to obtain suitable lodgings. He heard that a sizeable house in Selly Oak by the name of Willowbrook was on the market and his enthusiasm for the project to provide overseas student accommodation inspired the Birmingham Methodist District to go ahead and purchase the house. Methodist International House was opened in 1955 with accommodation for 20 students. Rev Whitfield was then appointed Chaplain in 1956. The House was then extended with the West Wing opening in 1963 and further improvements were made to the original house. On 10th November 1968, Rev Whitfield, founder and father figure of MIH died suddenly aged 67. In January 1970, a memorial plaque was placed in the entrance hall and remains there to this day. It describes him as: Servant of God in the West Indies in West Africa and in this country and through whose inspiration the Methodist Church in Birmingham District established this International House in 1955 Here is friendship for all In September 2014, John Clowes and his wife called in at Wesley House on the off chance that they could have a look around. He had been a resident at the House in the 1960 s. He enjoyed his visit and having returned to his home in Cheshire, sent us copies of a number of his photographs taken from 1963-5. One shows the then Warden, Noel Hyde, busy hoeing in the front garden and the footballers are Richard, Dave Haslem, Tang and Robin Wilcockson.
During 2014, we have undertaken a programme of upgrades, repairs and overhauls., particularly at Asbury Overseas House. Through prudent financial management and whenever possible, BISH endeavours to raise the standards of its accommodation. The programme of fitting double glazed window units continued from the major project in 2013 and saw a further number being installed in 2014. A considerable number of repairs have been carried out to various parts of the roof. The communal kitchens serving the flats in Asbury have received attention with redecoration and the replacement of a number of fridge freezers. A number of bathrooms have been overhauled with new baths, other furniture and redecoration. A programme of redecoration in the rooms within flats is ongoing.
Our financial position remains strong with cash flow at the heart of our day to day management. Most of our income comes from room rental, however, we have been fortunate again this year to have donations from a number of benefactors, most of whom are Methodist churches and groups within them. All such donations are used to make a difference to our accommodation. Often this is providing those soft furnishings that can make a room a home. In particular this year we have received a bequest from the estate of George Whitfield. We have been so fortunate to have the support of the Whitfield family over many years and George himself donated to our charity every year. He was the son of Reverend G Whitfield who was the driving force in acquiring and opening Methodist International House (Now Wesley International House) to students in 1955 and is remembered on the plaque in the entrance hall. Elsewhere in this review we pay tribute to his commitment and support. We are currently looking at proposals for a major refurbishment at Wesley International House and in these changes we intend to remember what this family meant to us by naming a room in their honour. Other donations have been gratefully received from: Hopwas Methodist Church 30 Nuneaton Methodist Church 70 Longbridge Methodist Church 200 Mr & Mrs P Webb 10 Mr Geoff Harrison 100. Regular readers will know that Geoff is a former treasurer and Trustee of BISH. This year we invested over 65,000 in maintaining and improving our properties Birmingham International Student Homes financial year runs from 1st September to 31st August. A complete copy of the statutory accounts can be obtained by writing to the Company Secretary at 52, Oakfield Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham, B29 7EQ This year has seen new challenges as government regulation has made it more difficult for overseas students to obtain a visa to enter the country and even more so to bring their families with them. For the first time that we remember, our family apartments have not always been full and the level of forward enquiries suggests there will be no quick recovery to this situation. Yet as people leave their families at home we see our single rooms in high demand. We are pursuing a number of exciting proposals to maximise the use of our accommodation. Our prime purpose remains the support of overseas students who are here to gain vital knowledge to take back to their own countries. These people of all cultures and faiths come together in friendship to live and work together whilst they are here. Their support of each other is vital to our purpose. We will continue to invest in our accommodation in keeping with the demand for rising standards and to reduce our environmental footprint. Longer term we are making good progress in forming the relationships with other organisations which might increase the scale of our activity and attract investment in our cause
Contact Us We promise that staying with BISH for your education in Birmingham will be life enriching, providing an experience that will never be forgotten Our homes are in easy reach of the universities in Birmingham with short rail and bus connections to the City Centre See more about us on our website or contact us by e mail on www.bish.org.uk enquiries@bish.org.uk or telephone us Asbury Overseas House +44 121 472 0163 Wesley International House +44 121 472 0109 Company limited by guarantee no England 4428382