Volleyball England Foundation AGM
Last weekend the Volleyball England Foundation held its first open AGM in sometime.
Because of the current pandemic the AGM was help virtually and members of Volleyball England were invited to join the meeting. In the end only one person outside the Foundation Board attended the AGM - Thank you James.
Following brief introductions the Chair, Simone Turner, gave her report.
Chair’s Report
As we and the world around us have been learning to cope with 'new normal', this will be our first Annual Report and opportunity to speak with you formally about the Foundation and its important work.
I am conscious that life for some, if not all, will be markedly different than it was a year ago. And certainly, as a Foundation, we couldn't have anticipated relaunching the charity at such a time. However, it is in times of crisis when people need charities most, and those who have the ability, and want to help, do.
And so it has been, with the small, dedicated and entirely voluntary board here at the Foundation. We have no staff, so everything you have seen, read, shared, applied for and acted on has been made possible with the generous commitment of time and resources of this newly formed board.
In the past year we have established this team - a solid, experienced and professional group of trustees committed to steering the vision and way forward towards enabling and empowering our volleyball community.
We’ve launched a brand-new website, established our founding campaigns, partnered with world leaders in our community like World ParaVolley, Molten, CEV and others. We’ve helped launch a book, traded in bucket collections for AmazonSmile donations and set about giving valuable insight to accessing community funding all with a singular mandate; to help you do what you do best, grow the game of volleyball.
Making a difference in people’s lives through volleyball is a key focus of our vision. Whether it be through developing new grass roots opportunities to play, growing existing structures and teams or supporting individuals on their path of high performance – we are here to help in any way that we can.
Rebuilding the Foundation has provided us with the means to launch our first official funding initiative for developing Sitting Volleyball programmes within the club structure. We anticipate delivering over £10K in funding over the next 12-18 months for all successful applicants. But there is much more to come and I look forward to sharing the new developments and success stories that will shine through our regular updates in our newsletters and social media posts.
Looking to the long-term, I know there may be those of you in our community who give regularly to charities and perhaps never had the opportunity to give to a Foundation quite as unique as this. It is likely volleyball is and has been a sport that has given you so much or afforded you with a special and unforgettable life experience, such as it has for me.
I hope, in time, this Foundation does you proud and becomes a worthwhile and meaningful cause to support and we will be doing everything in our power to make that so.
For those who perhaps have never considered giving regularly before to anyone! let alone a sporting charity, being a supporter of the Foundation might simply mean joining our newsletter, lending a hand or becoming a familiar, friendly face – and for that, I thank you
And finally, for the current members of the board. Your persistence and dedication has undoubtedly laid the bedrock for a strong Foundation. Thank you for all your hard work to date and in the days to come.
Message from the Chairman of Volleyball England - Adam Walker.
I am delighted at the way the Foundation has developed over the last 12 months. A talented group of knowledgeable and passionate trustees have done an enormous amount of work to resurrect the Foundation. With a raised profile and improved governance, the Foundation, as our charitable arm, is now able to be successful and flourish, bringing much needed resources to the sport.
The work being done by the Foundation strategically aligns with that of Volleyball England and together the two organisations are working hand in hand to achieve the best outcomes for the membership.
I am looking forward to future developments and a close working relationship with the Foundation that will support both our strategic objectives and leave a lasting legacy for the sport we are all passionate about.
Steve Williams- the Foundation treasurer presented his report.
The opening balance on the 1st of April 2019 was 29,582.01
Income
Bucs Donation 500.00
Just Giving 367.80
PayPal 79.26
Amazon Smile 34.58
Total Income 981.64
Expenditure
Bank Fees 55.00
Just Giving Fees 198.00
Expenses 367.95
Website 313.20
Total Expenditure 934.15
Closing balance 29,629.50
Unrestricted Foundation funds £15,529
Restricted funds held by the Foundation for Women Sitting Volleyball £14,100
To note - 1. We are moving our bank account to another provider who doesn’t charge fees to charities.
2. We are no longer raising funds through JustGiving who were taking a fee on the donation and on the Gift Aid.
The Board accepted the reports and financial information.
Membership
All the members of the Board have agreed to continue in their roles and support the Foundation and Volleyball community for another 12 months.
In the few weeks the Foundation will start the search for new Foundation Trustees, if you are interested contact the Company Secretary on j.inman@volleyballengland.org
Having met the conditions of our constitution the meeting closed at 1:20.
Thank you to all those who have made donations this year and continue to support us through Amazon Smile.
