Attendance
- Aster Belay
- Feyisa Demie
- Teferi Degeneh
- Siobhan Crawley
- Brian Foster
Update from WADA
The original land offered is not suitable for the construction of a school but the family have agreed to exchange it for another plot, owned by a family member which is about ½ mile away and is more suitable for use as a school site. This will avoid conflicts with local farmers if we attempt to extend the initial site. The new site is flatter and has a greater land area so not will avoid the need for a multi-storey school building. More children live close to the new site and their are plans to build a road and bridge which will assist access.
Fund-raising
Aster is planning to restart her breakfast and dinner club.
Finance
- Feyisa has contacts CAF Bank but they can only say they have a backlog, we are in a queue and they will notify us when they begin to look at it.
- Feyisa reported that City Bank don’t answer the phone and their website has very negative comments from users.
- AHEAD have three bank accounts, one of which is inactive. We could ask their trustees to consider letting us use it. There is still concern that we would not have full control over our funds and therefore would be failing in our duties as trustees.
- Decided Brian will begin application to Metro bank (recommended by Michael and we have a contact through Nicky.
- Aster will follow up on our previous meeting with HSBC
Steve Sinnott
Siobhan hopes to have a phone conversation with their CEO on 23rd February.
- We should begin by requesting advice on operating a fundraising charity with similar objective to theirs.
- If we continue have problems opening an account would it be realistic for them to help WADA build the school in Workneh’s name on land donated by his family and with funds raised by WDEF.