Minutes:
1. Minutes of meeting on 1 March 2007 were agreed.
2. Update on local trusts.
Eburru
There is a local trust meeting next week which will give an up to date picture of progress on various projects including the rainwater collection system, electricity supply, bursaries and inservice training.
The Global Partnership with Langley School in Bromley is proceeding and it is hoped to start with teacher exchanges later in the year.
NE’s offer of inservice training (of a strategic nature ) will be discussed. So also will Sara Arthur’s offer (she has recently retired as Deputy Head of Waldegrave School).
Green Park
The new building was due to start on 2 May. GMA will take pix and report back on her return.
Asako
The windpump has been delivered but there have been difficulties with the wells which keep collapsing. Transport and logistics are a major problem but progress is being made.
There was a discussion about the girl with the club foot. It was agreed that no action should be taken till after the local trust meeting next week at which the matter will be discussed. It should be a clear priority for the local trust and the school if TAS is to consider funding surgery for her but we could put it up on the website as a different kind of project for a special sort of funder.
3. Developments at Bishangari
There was a discussion about the 7th Day Adventists association with the school. They apparently pay for the teachers but it is not known how else they are involved. More will be known about this after GMA’s visit next week..
4. Website
It was noted that we now have the ability to put completion reports on the website. These can be downloaded from the site and completed by hand at local trust meetings. They will then be transcribed back onto the site.
There was enthusiasm expressed for the introduction of ‘blogs’ which would enable students to contribute ideas and communicate easily with students in other schools. This will of course depend on access to the internet which is likely to be some way off in all the schools.
5. Finance
A brief report on the financial position was discussed. We expect to have around £6,000 to distribute by the end of June when the Gift Aid money comes in.
NE and GMA will liaise over a letter to Fujitsu re funding once these new proposals are in.
HF offered to have an Autumn Garden Party to fund raise. This will be on 30 September at 12 Eve Road Isleworth. She will liaise with TMA over invitations. Trustees will then be able to download them and send to friends and relatives. We will aim to get around 10 people each to the event and raise around £2k.
GMA will attempt to revisit the investment manager she saw last year.
WJ indicated the possibility of funding from the Mann Group to whom he had donated a safari to auction.
GMA has been contacted by Betterplace – a new internet platform to allow small NGOs to put funding proposals on the web.
(JM was not at the meeting but has agreed to investigate DfID funding opportunities.)
6. Disbursements
It was agreed that we should straight away send £1600 to Green Park for playground / sports field clearance and fencing.
It was further agreed that we should allocate funds (probably around £2k but waiting for proposal) for 4 further flights to Asako (Sept/Nov/Jan/Mar) and for £2500 to fund bursaries for 3 children in Asako to go on to secondary school for 4 years. So we will send the flight money and 1st year of the bursaries (£650) as soon as the Gift Aid money comes in – hopefully mid June.
There are likely to be more proposals after the next round of trust meetings next week.
7. Annual Return
Trustees present checked their details for the Annual Return which will be given to TF.
8. Next meeting 6.30pm Wednesday 18 July 2007 in Portcullis House Room Q.
