AGM 2006

FIG TREASURER’S REPORT

DECEMBER 31 2006

The accounts can be found here.

2006 was another successful year for FIG – our income was up by approximately 6,000TL.  We have had fairs, fetes, boat trips and numerous other fund raising events which, together with the fantastic sum of 2,500 lira from the Thomas Cook representative Kathryn, in total amounted to 7,000 lira.

Grace and Glenys, together with their team of Friday helpers have, as usual been wonderfully successful raising the sum of nearly 14,500 lira.  Barbara, Keith and their helpers have raised nearly 2,000 lira on Wednesdays.  Wendy helps on Fridays and Wednesdays!  Our heartfelt thanks go to them and everyone too numerous to mention individually who has given their time, help and money.  We must also mention here the Tadim café and staff who let us use their tables and premises for our ventures.

The funding of the training provided by the Starfish Centre was taken over by the government at the end of July and this has meant that we have been able to increase our expenditure in other ways.  For example the amount paid in bursaries has increased from 1,600 lira in 2005 to over 4,000 lira this year.  Another area of increased expenditure was in the amount spent in purchasing books for school – over 2,000 lira extra and this will continue to increase as funding allows.

The amount of discretionary donations has also changed; this is due in part to the variety of requests received, together with the needs that we noticed on our school visits. Some of the nursery classes in the outlying villages appear to be short of classroom aids and furniture, so when we received a generous donation from Mima Abrahams, collected by friends in memory of her husband Bob, we decide to use this money specifically for one school.  Gökben preschool class now has been generously furnished and will be dedicated to Bob’s memor when his widow returns from the UK.

Although we aim to donate all the money to children, this year we have had to spend a little more than previous years on equipment and running costs.  The price of petrol has increased and this year we had to spend some money in making the room we use in FETAV more attractive for the other 4 days of the week.  Just 6% of our money has been spent in this area, and as I stressed last year, this money goes into the local economy BUT 94% has gone to our charity.

We now have a very healthy bank balance, some of you may say too much looking at the accounts, but don’t worry, some of that has already been spent in 2007 and more large donations to village schools are planned as are requests for financial help with certain medical conditions, which fall outside government schemes. Next September the number of bursaries will increase as we continue with our educational aid to older children. Neşe has started the new financial year off extremely well by donating 1,360 lira from her Turkish lessons.

However we must not become too complacent, let’s aim to raise a minimum of 30,000 lira in this new financial year.

Madam Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, I respectfully submit these accounts and report for your attention and approval.

 

Jill Erdoğan

Treasurer

 

 

fethiye international group