UK: The fork in the road with no directional signs and O in the middle - Part A
Easter Bank Holiday Monday and the first quarter of 2018 is over, gone for ever. The people I grew up with are not the same people we live with today. When you are persuaded to give your hard earned cash with sob stories and crocodile tears in the name of Charity keep this in mind. UK Annual CEO Salaries (e&oe) Christian Aid GBP £126,000 Cancer Research £240,000 NSPCC £167,000 Unicef £395,000 Age UK £190,000 Macmillan £161,000 British Red Cross £184,000 Oxfam £119,000 Save the Children £163,000 Alas with Goan Welfare UK (£ Amount Unknown) - Is it being shared amongst Trustees and associates? Is this the question to be asked? See Public Notification from website of Goan Welfare Society UK. What would you say on the statement below from GWS Website True or False? “However, as required by the Charity Commission, the Charity operates as an autonomous body with its own membership and raising its own funds. The present Trustees are: Paul De Mendonça, Norma Menezes-Rahim, Alfred Rebello, Raymond Lobo and Flavio Gracias.” A communication picked up at a village function by myself and presumably others attending the function was the trustees report for the financial year ended 31 December 2016 dated 1 October 2017. It did not indicate the venue, date of meeting, who and how many members were present, etc. Does this organisation have any criteria or operating standards? Membership is GBP £1.00 for life based on the Anglo Indian Model of the 1970s with the Annual “Help A Poor Child” event being their main function. Correct me if I am wrong but I have heard no more news on either this Annual Fundraising Event or hot off the press fundraising events for this charity. Will someone in the know provide an update? NB: Most of the above were former Directors of the Goan Association who have now moved across to what appears to be self-appointed, elevated Trustees for GWS – Goan Welfare Society. I feel sure that anyone who carries out an Audit trail over the last ten years would find it very revealing. Some UK Banks offer basic account opening facilities for GBP £1.00 you can always get your money back on closing protected by the Financial Authorities. Those living in Breadline Britain have developed and are still developing innovative income streams. Just look at the recent 31st December 2017Charity dance organised by the GWS, income streams would have included not just the ticket money, bar income but lucrative raffle selling as well as hats and festive items to bring in the New Year. I am also given to understand that there was revenue from a “Pop Up” pre-planned membership subscription drive. If you attended the 31st New Year Dance event and feel Toadokid(Cheated) contact the Police. In previous communications, I have already touched on our ‘FT world’ of Fotkiros (Liars) and Todokis (Cheats). The appeals for “funeral funding” to pay for transportation of the newly arrived Goan who has died in UK back to Goa, the family claiming to have no money for burial in Goa. Has anyone seen accountability for such lucrative appeals? Are those contributing to such appeals aware that accounts of the GWS show a balance in 2016 of GBP 212, 500 (Two hundred and twelve thousand five hundred pounds), enough to send at least 100 coffins to Goa! With such a large balance, I am surprised that no one in our community has questioned why appeals for funds in 2017 took place. As a community we have reached a fork in the road with Goan Overseas Association in the middle with the “O” the left or right with no direction could be either Goan Association UK Limited Company Registration no 04768032 or Goan Welfare Society Registered Charity No 280642 with The Goan Association in the Middle Registration No 04768032. The named Directors are Ms Mary Bernadette Gracias Company Secretary appointed 18 May 2003, Mr Paul De Mendonca Appointed May 2003. I can recall the word Overseas being removed some years ago as the committee at the time felt that we live here in the United Kingdom and are not overseas people. The G.O.A. Reg no 1626437. It would be interesting to see what service level agreement any of the above organisations have? For example within how many days are they supposed to provide a response when someone writes to them? The views expressed are Personal and should not be considered as any authority. Melvyn Fernandes (Escola Ghela) 3 April 2018
