Minutes:
MINUTES OF MEETING OF TRUSTEES ON 29
MARCH 2022 – by ZOOM FROM E&Y Thank you Sangdeep!
Present:
Sangdeep Bakhshi, Norma Empringham (joined late), Douglas Pinto, Tom Marshall-Andrews, Gill
Marshall-Andrews, Luke Morris,
Will
Jones, Johnnie Morris.
Apologies: Lissa Campbell, Ben Taylor,
In attendance: Stephen Kameti
1. In Norma’s absence GMA was asked to assume
the Chair.
2 Minutes of the meeting on 29 November 2021 were
agreed.
3. School and
country update
Stephen Kameti and
GMA presented his report which gave an update on Kenya and the schools.
Key points concerned:
Mitamysi Secondary School where the Principal
has been transferred following a boycott by
students amid a breakdown of relations with the parents and the wider
community. A new Principal has been
appointed but was ill at the end of last term so little progress has been made
with establishing a new regime in the school.
The new term starts at the end of April and Stephen will keep us updated
on progress including anything we might be able to do to encourage students
back to school.
Asako Primary
where there is a new Principal who has started well by establishing a proper
maintenance fund for the teachers houses.
He has already done some improvements in these deteriorating buildings
and the classrooms. TAS is offering to
consider matched funding to continue these improvements.
Kora Secondary
school which is growing fast. TAS is
funding a new library which is under way now and should be completed at the end
of the month. There is also a funder who
wants to fund a well/borehole around Kora in memory of her husband. A hydrological survey has been conducted and
identified a site for the borehole and an estimate of £8k for the
construction/drilling.
Mama Leyla is a
Kenyan charity making individual solar lamps for students in remote areas where
there is no power. They have generously
donated 40 such lamps to TAS and we have given 20 to each of two primary
schools – Boka and Kaseluni. The schools
have loaned them out to needy, committed children on a contract basis to be
returned in good order when they leave the school.
3. Property Race Day
At a meeting
with the PRD committee we were assured that they will continue their support
for existing charities and will not be taking on any others. They expect to hold the event in July 2022
and hope that this will be a bumper year with significant funding to distribute
in the autumn. They have asked us to find some auction prizes. Everyone will consider what we could
offer. Will and Gill specially to follow
this up.
4. Finance and
Bank
Sangdeep presented
his report on current finances showing a balance of £23k of which around £9k is ring fenced for Mitamysi,
£10k for Stephen Kameti. Around £4k is unrestricted.
A further sum of around £3750 will be
claimed shortly in Gift Aid . So the unrestricted sum available now is around
£7k.
GAWPT will
contribute around £6k for 2 small projects in Boka and Asako. This is to satisfy the Trust’s need to address
outreach work around Kora National Park.
The problems
with Barclays Bank Mandate Change Team continue. Sangdeep will continue to progress this!
GMA has written
to some long term donors notifying them of the likely winding down of TAS
towards 2024 and suggesting that if they thought of further donations, now
would be a good time! The £15k funding
for the Kora library was a result of one such letter.
Sangdeep
outlined the options for a replacement vehicle for Virgin Money Giving which
has closed down. It was agreed that at
the moment all we need is for the website to have a clear pathway for donations
ie bank details.
5. Proposals
for funding
It was agreed
to send funds to complete the Kaseluni classrooms (£4k) and to send the GAWPT
funds for Boka and Asako when they arrive.
The borehole funds will also be sent if /when they arrive.
6. Farewell to
Guy
Trustees agreed
to remove Guy Cowley from the Board of Trustees now he has settled in New
Zealand.
Trustees
expressed their gratitude to Guy for his 10 years of committed support for TAS.
7. Next meeting
The next meeting will be on Tuesday 13 September 2022, hopefully at E&Y.
Thank you Sangdeep for arranging a room for today which was not in the
end used as most trustees preferred to attend by zoom.
We hope the
next meeting will be face to face!
