MEETING NAME AGENDA
Location:[84 Grafton Road, Burton-on-Trent DE15 ] 9EL Date: 26 December 2024 Time: 1800
Facilitator:[Achier Deng Akol]
Agenda Items
1800 – 2100
Challenges and solutions 84 Grafton Road
Additional information
Trustees’ consultations: messages received
The challenges discussed include failed attempts to open a bank account for the charity, inability to meet requests for donations. The ensuing famine in Sub-Sahara Africa.
A multiple number of banks have been approached to open the charity account. They include Santander Bank and Barclays Bank in the UK. They declined to open the account and also declined to state the reasons why.
Suspected reasons were:
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Poor credit rating of some trustees
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Failure of some trustees to respond to the requests from the bank identity checks, credit ratings and proof of addresses
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Trustees on annual leave who have travelled overseas
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Names of countries in the Governing Documents where there is war and other hostilities.
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Reasons known to the banks undisclosed to the charity.
The following recommendations were made:
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To write to the banks to explain why a registered charity is not legible to open an account. And suggest the criteria for the charity to meet to be allowed to open an account.
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To contact new bank and attempt to open the account with them, especially banks where trustees hold personal or business accounts.
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A unanimous decision was taken to persevere with the charity and exert more efforts to open an account, considering using legal services if required.
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To encourage trustees to reveal in they have poor credit ratings.
The other issue discussed was the fact that most trustees have opted out of the charity to facilitate the opening of the account. It is argued that fewer trustees maybe more easily contacted by the banks in the process of opening the accounts.
The high cost of maintaining the charity at the premises in London was addressed. It was viewed that the cost is too much for the chairperson to shoulder and the charity office should be relocated, preferably to a free location. When funds are available, this decision can be revised depending on affordability.
FINANCIAL REPORT.
As regards the financial report, none could be generated as no funds were raised, pending the opening of the account. There has been zero donations and zero expenditure during this financial year. To use personal accounts for the charity was not advisable. Fundraising will be intensified when a bank account is opened for the charity.
Signed: Dr Achier Deng Akol, Chairperson, Help Beyond Tears Charity.