Minutes:
TRUSTS FOR AFRICAN SCHOOLS
MINUTES OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF TRUSTEES ON 20 OCTOBER 2011 AT 6 KINGLEY STREET.
Present: Norma Empringham, Ben Howland, Heather Flint, Tom Marshall-Andrews, Gill Marshall-Andrews, Johnnie Morris.
Apologies: Lissa Campbell, Tim Flower, Luke Morris, Steve James, Will Jones,
In attendance: Ben Taylor
1. Welcome: Trustees were delighted to welcome Ben Taylor, as a possible new Treasurer.
2. Election of officers
Norma Empringham was elected unopposed as Chair – nominated by Heather Flint and seconded by Ben Howland. Gill Marshall-Andrews was elected unopposed as Secretary.
(Later in the meeting Ben Taylor agreed to be Treasurer and a trustee. He was duly welcomed as a trustee and elected as Treasurer – nominated by Tom Marshall-Andrews and seconded by Johnnie Morris)
3. Minutes of the meeting on 7 July 2011 were agreed.
4. Matters arising:
i) GMA/ TMA will liaise re putting the agreed bursary policy, prepared by JM, on the website.
ii) GMA /TMA / JM will liaise about developing a template for the display of exam results.
5. Schools update
Stephen Kameti’s draft report to Waterloo Foundation was discussed as it gave a good picture of what is happening in the Mwingi / Garissa schools.
Good progress was noted with various projects at Mivukoni, Usueni, Boka, Kalumu and Ikathima. Eburru remains an exciting success story - so far - and TAS funding and support has without doubt turned the school around. From a failing school it has become a successful, oversubscribed provincial school. The local trust is now able to function on its own and it is expected that no further funding from TAS will be required.
Trustees were unanimous about wanting to see progress at Asako before investing any more money there. Asako has received around £84,000 over 4 years – over 11m Kes. The infrastructure of the school has been transformed – renovated buildings, new cookers, solar power, running water, fencing and high quality staff accommodation. There has been a failure of leadership at the school however which has meant that exam results have not improved. A decision will be made in the new year - after the 2011 exam results - about future support.
6. Partnerships
The new partnership between Heathfield Primary School in Richmond and Kimphe Langano Primary School in Ethiopia is making progress. It is hoped that an application will be made to the British Council for reciprocal visit funding in the new year.
Eburru and Langley are in their last year of funded partnership activity. It is hoped that the schools and the Eburru Secondary School Trust will be able to keep the partnership going.
Mivukoni and Hampton Academy are preparing an application for 3 years partnership funding.
Madogo and Waldegrave are in their 3rd year of partnership activity.
Usueni and Walderslade in Medway are preparing an application for reciprocal funding.
7. Volunteers at Usueni – Ed Sherrington and Laura McNally
Sadly Laura’s mother became very ill after they had been at Usueni for only 2 weeks so they had to return to the UK. Both were very upset about this.
8. Roll out via other agencies
The Equity Bank project seems to have sunk into the sand.
KWS have put in an application to DfID to fund the roll out of the TAS model around their other National Parks. DfID have a line in their programme to cover this sort of application but the current status of this application is not known.
9. Accounts
TF has prepared the 2010 accounts and submitted the Annual Return on line to the Charity Commission. He has also prepared a financial summary which trustees found particularly helpful and which is attached. He has handed over the files and written a note to the incoming Treasurer.
Trustees wished to minute their gratitude to Tim for all his work with TAS since its inception. It has been a great investment of time and energy. It is hoped that he will wish to remain a trustee so the trust can continue to benefit from his support and expertise when he returns from Hong Kong. Thank you, Tim.
10. Treasurer and financial management
Trustees were delighted that Ben Taylor has accepted the role of Treasurer. (The files are now with him and GMA will forward to him all the handover emails from TF.)
GMA introduced, in his absence, Guy Cowley, and presented his CV. He is recently retired from a career in Shell, consultancy and charity management. He is currently doing volunteer work with his wife at a school for the deaf in Dar es Salaam. He has agreed to work with GMA on detailed financial management, looking at the TAS website systems, and a simple standardised accounting system for local trusts. Trustees welcomed this offer and look forward to meeting him in February.
11. Proposals for funding
It was agreed that £2320 will be sent out immediately as per the schedule of projects presented by GMA. It was also agreed that funding for CAMARA in 2 or 3 schools may be sent out before the next meeting (GMA and NE to consult). BH and NE will research CAMARA from the point of view of due diligence. All other projects await proper proposals before funding will be discussed again.
12. London Marathon
There are 4 possible runners to take up our place in the 2012 London Marathon. The place must be used next year.
TM-A will contact Tom Holroyd, BH will contact TF and another friend Tom ? and BT will discuss with his wife Jess.
It is hoped that a runner can be agreed before the next meeting in December so this will be discussed by email.
13. Eburru Primary School
It was agreed that TAS should begin the process of setting up a local trust to support Eburru Primary School.
14. Kili Klimb and Christmas party
It was agreed that we will invite the Kili Klimb team to join us on Monday 5 December for a drink to say thank you to them for all their fund raising efforts on our behalf. GMA to contact them. All trustees to consider venue etc.
15. Next meeting will be before the above event 5pm on Monday 5 December 2011. Venue 6 Kingley Street – thank you Ben.
