Our History

Dudley Caribbean and Friends Association was set up in the early 1980s as a result of local individuals within the African Caribbean community seeking to meet the immediate and emerging social welfare needs of the African Caribbean community in Dudley.

Becoming a registered charity in 1987, the organisation provided services predominately, though not exclusively, for the African Caribbean community in the areas of Health and Social Care in the form of culturally sensitive Meals on Wheels, Elderly Day Care sessions as well as a Befriending Service to address social isolation. In addition to this, DCFA also provided Supplementary School Sessions to enable young people, struggling with the National Curriculum to bolster their knowledge and prepare for their examinations.

To address the inequality in adult qualifications and low levels of employment within the African Caribbean Community, the organisation launched Impact Training in 1989. This service enables participants to move closer to the job market or start the process of retraining towards a new career path. Recently, rebranded as DCFA-Impact Training, the service completed a 3 year ESF programme (Building Better Opportunities) before joining the Black Country Futures partnership.

Levene Bruce

Levene has been our Manager for the last 19 years supporting African Caribbean communities near and far.

Levene has worked extremely hard over the years to keep the organisation going. He has given all his time to ensure that the ethos of the organisation is kept at the forefront of the work we do and is very passionate about maintaining our heritage and culture.

Levene has seen many changes and many people come and go throughout his time as Manager; and as we look to move into the future, he is working tirelessly to ensure that the Trustees, Staff, Volunteers and Students, Clients, etc. are ready for this next phase and are working together as part of a team.

Tony Spencer

Tony has 30 years of experience in the Voluntary Sector, with over 25 years working within the African Caribbean Community.

Tony has been with us since 2013, working to help our participants gain better qualifications and secure employment. In addition to teaching, Tony takes the lead for the organisation on Quality Control and Information Security.

Shirnette Collins

Shirnette joined the organisation in 2021 and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team including coaching and mentoring.

Shirnette is also a qualified teacher and Social Worker with over 20 years of community work in Dudley and other areas in the West Midlands.

Fiona Clue

Fiona is a seasoned business professional with over 15 years of experience, including 8 years with a startup where she helped grow the turnover to £2 million. She was instrumental in developing in-house software, processes, and procedures.

Additionally, Fiona has volunteered with several charities and non-profit organisations such as Citizens Advice Bureau, Oxfam, and British Heart Foundation, utilising her unique brand of business efficiency and compassion solutions to improve outcomes for clients and charities alike.

Sarah Williams

Sarah joined the team in 2023, bringing 5 years of experience within the voluntary sector, primarily in with Ethnic Minorities including refugee and asylum seekers giving equalities support and guidance.

Evelyn Potter

Evelyn, the newest member of the team, brings over 20 years of professional experience.

Evelyn joined the organisation in 2024 and is a dedicated, compassionate Occupational Therapist with extensive expertise in Social Work, case management, and rehabilitation.