Back to School 2020 revision on Observations of Goan Welfare Society (GWS) UK
recent quotes From: Joseph Rebello New Horizons interactive Group mailing list. “The Only Thing that is necessary for the Triumph of Evil to succeed is for Good Goenkars do sit in Silence and do nothing about this constant Appeals by the Goan Welfare Society without Let or Hindrance despite having enough funds to have 35 New Year's Eve Balls.” Anon The Trustees of Goan Welfare Society have spent “GBP 104,627 of donated money in the last five years the question we should all ask is how much money have the post holders (Trustees) contributed themselves out of their own private funds? The current registered balance is GBP360,422.00 + yet appeals continue on a fairly regular basis at every opportunity. A post holder of a Charity is called a Trustee. The Goan Welfare Society charity no 280542 has zero staff and zero volunteers since1983 hence the money you contribute is held in Trust by the trustees and disbursed at their discretion, you have no say in the matter and the Dead in UK are worth more than alive they cannot speak. So the gullible are encouraged to continue to put their hands in deep pockets and donate to appeals like the one which appeared on Goan Voice UK on 2 June 2020 by unelected Trustees on which I can only describe as people on the take, take any which way they can this time under cover of Covid 19. On the flip side The G.O.A UK Limited is also running free food distribution programme under cover of covid 19 for details visit website goauk.com. It will be nice to know how many tons of free food aid has been delivered to needy Goans in the United Kingdom supplementing the welfare state and benefits to date and totting up the costings for this is billed to G.O.A & GWS your money after all. A Post holder of a Limited company is known as Director can be either Executive or a Sleeping. Director Recess click below for a pocket full of rice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26yFO5lnkgU If you agree, there is no right or wrong answer. GWS and G.O.A. UK are both sides of the same coin same people different hats who I have observed over a decade have engaged in the unchecked hijacking dismantling and thrashing of the Goan Association UK ever since our Clubhouse at Ravensbourne, Kent was burnt to cinders in the fire on 21 September 1998. The post holders are constantly seeking additional income streams and as can be seen by everyone, our community is still homeless detrimental to our youth and society that do not know whether they are coming or going as even the highly educated in our community have better things to do rather than striving to do things better for the benefit of all. At a Goan Village Feast a couple of years ago, the Trustees Report of the Goan Welfare Society was scattered on tables so I picked one up. This was for the Financial Year ended 31 December 2016 and was drawn up for their Annual General Meeting 2017. This report did not indicate date, venue or how many members attended. The report stated “I would like to highlight the generous legacy left to GWS by Antoinette De Souza and this source of income has brought us a total of £212,500.00 in 2016”. I have also heard on the Goan grapevine that other sizable donations from deceased Goans from their estate have been made. Goan Welfare Society also raises money from its annual fundraising New Year’s dance every year in premium price ticket sales, revenue from the bar and catering, raffles, sales of party hats, etc. where our community part money in good faith, in addition to sobbing letters with crocodile tears to the bereaved, The distributing of the Goan Welfare Society Trustees Annual General Meeting 2017 at Goan village feast socials, is I wonder another fund raising method to capture the feel good factor at festas mood setting to instruct their respective Annual General Meetings held on feast days to donate bos festas? It is said when the beer goes in the brains go out. With a balance of GBP £260,000.000 plus it should be of concern to all of us that a further two appeals for donations have been made, one in the June 2020 edition of “Contact” magazine of the Goan Chaplaincy and two in Goan Voice UK dated 2 June 2020 under cover of Covid 19 by the Goan Welfare Society UK. In these appeals it states that “as required by the Charity Commission, the Charity has to operate as an autonomous body with its own membership and raising its own funds” I was indeed delighted to see the audited accounts with a healthy balance sheet for the year ending 2018. Readers may be interested to click on the link below to see the latest financial summary: Cut and paste on your browser if link does not open https://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=280542&subid=0 https://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=280542&subid=0 Financial Year End (FYE) Income Spending 31 December 2018 £ 27,440 £ 38,151 31 December 2017 £ 66,781 £ 35,211 31 December 2016 £233,309 £ 12,346 31 December 2015 £ 21,691 £ 16,246 31 December 2014 £ 11,201 £ 2,673 Total £360,422 £104,627 With UK Funeral arrangements now a growing industry GWS must be commended for their arrangements of cost effective fixed costs repatriations of deceased Goans from UK to their families in Goa in 2018 at a fixed cost of GBP2,100.00 on average while burial costs in UK is around GBP4,600.00 our people are always looking for cheaper initiatives. The only criteria is that you have a Portuguese Passport and claim to have no money. Despite having a guide price, it is not unusual on the death of the newly arrived specially a Portuguese National of Goan origin to see appeals of even higher sums on social media by individuals. Is this in desperation due to high levels of rejection for Money assistance by GWS and G.O.A. UK or is begging by individuals more lucrative feeding on the goodwill of others? Mismanagement in any organisation are like weeds in a garden left unchecked they will destroy the garden and the fields beyond. Good management is required for any organisation to grow and flourish. I can remember attending the inauguration of the Goan Welfare Society by the Late Mani Rodrigues at a facility by the then Newham Goan Circle with its constitution in a light avocado green cover. Today people remind me that I spent over 40 years of my life on voluntary unpaid work for the Goan Association UK and turn to me, what is going on? I ask them to contact the Goan Welfare Society, they say they have done so but received no response. Any reader concerned about this organisation and has not had a reply to their enquiry should feel free to contact the Fundraising Regulator address below. The contents of this letter is personal not confidential and should not be used as any authority. Fundraising Regulator 2nd Floor, CAN Mezzanine 49-51 East Road London, N1 6AH 0300 999 3407 ad...@fundraisingregulator.org.uk mailto:ad...@fundraisingregulator.org.uk Melvyn Fernandes Former Welfare Director G.O.A. UK Ltd. 27 June 2020
