Minutes:
TRUSTS FOR AFRICAN
SCHOOLS
MINUTES OF MEETING OF
TRUSTEES ON MONDAY 7 JANUARY 2019 AT ERNST AND YOUNG 1 MORE LONDON PLACE.
Present: Norma Empringham, Lissa Campbell, Guy Cowley, Ben Howland,
Ben Taylor, Gill Marshall-Andrews and Tom Marshall-Andrews via phone
link.
Apologies: Will Jones,
Johnnie Morris, Steve James, Luke
Morris, Douglas Pinto,
1. Minutes
of meeting on 20 September 2018 were agreed.
2. Schools update:
SK’s update was
discussed. Trustees noted several
encouraging developments. Most notably
the ASDF tank is nearly complete.
Everyone hopes it will be filled in the March/April rains. It should then provide water all year round
to the school.
3. Funding
Funding has been slow this year and several applications
have been refused. Lissa has suggested and will pursue several other
foundations and trusts, and maybe DfID
. Ben T knows someone from St James Place and will provide the
contact with a view to us putting in a small application to them.
The Waterloo
Foundation has agreed £11k for the environment project at Kaseluni so a total
of £58k is available to spend on
projects. There are hopes that the
Property Race Day application will come good and thanks are due to Journeys by
Design for putting together 2 safaris for auction.
Harriet Matsaert who lives in Nairobi is trying to
arrange for one of her interns to do a short video about TAS as a project. This will give us something to send to
companies and foundations in Kenya and UK.
Douglas is
preparing the Karui accounts for
audit.
It was agreed that we should look for a volunteer fund
raiser. GMA will draft a job description and person spec to send to U3A and Councils of Voluntary
Service in Richmond and elsewhere.
4. Proposals for funding
Projects to the value of £28k were agreed.
Further projects to the value of £64k have been agreed in
principle with money to be sent as funding allows. Which projects will receive
funds will depend on whether or not we are successful with the PRD application.
Guy will
send funds asap.
5. Safeguarding
children
Trustees discussed the issue in detail and agreed an
action plan which will be circulated. Norma has already researched the matter and offered to prepare a policy and code of
conduct for all adults working with TAS in any capacity. When agreed this will be put onto the website
and GMA will take copies out
to Kenya for local trustees to discuss and sign. GMA
will get her DBS application in train.
Norma will be the Safeguarding Officer in UK and GMA in Kenya.
6. Laptop for Stephen.
The second hand
laptop Gill brought out for Stephen is no good!
It was agreed that we ask Douglas if CBA have any laptops then are getting rid
of.
Ben H’s very generous offer to send him £250 to buy one
in Kenya will be put on hold until we see if we can find another source.
7. Foundation for Youth Cricket in Kenya
GMA reported on a meeting with David Waters about setting
up a cricket project in the Naivasha area.
The idea is character development through cricket. It has been very successful in some urban
schools in Kenya and it was suggested that a cricket hub could be established
in the Naivasha vicinity as accommodation and transport would be easier than in
the Mwingi area. The issue is
funding. TAS schools would be required
to pay for the cricket coaches. Trustees
agreed that this is not a priority for funding in TAS schools at present.
8. Next meeting
Many thanks to Ben T for the wonderful meeting room and refreshments
at E&Y. Next meeting will be on Monday 29 April at Ben H’s office 6
Kingly Street.
9. Post meeting note:
Lissa’s friend Rafela Fitzhugh has offered to help with
funding applications. She has recently
moved back to London and is only in part time work at present so we are lucky to have her. GMA is meeting her on Friday 11 January
to discuss.
