More trustees wanted.

We are now looking for additional trustees to join us. To ensure continued development of PL-ease, we are keen to welcome people with a diverse range of skills and experiences on to the trustee panel. Diversity will help us to widen our horizons. Additional resource will also allow us to take on extra fundraising projects.

Trustees should be prepared to give one night a month to attend the trustee meetings, and also be willing to commit additional time to fundraising and promotional activities. Trustees will require to be CRB checked, and must conform with requirements of the Charity Commission for trustees.

Trustees of the charity do not recieve a salary. This enables the charity to minimise admin costs, and maximises benefit to the people the charity aims to support.

The Charity Commission website gives further details about who can become a trustee, and the role of trustees. See: http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publications/cc3.asp#b2

In summary:

"Charity trustees are the people who serve on the governing body of a charity. They may be known as trustees, directors, board members, governors or committee members. Charity trustees are responsible for the general control and management of the administration of a charity."

"Ineligible people: Those who have already been disqualified as company directors and those who have been convicted of an offence involving dishonesty or deception are some of the people who cannot usually become trustees. In some cases, people who receive benefits from the charity may also be ineligible."

If you would like to join us at an exciting time for the project, please e-mail pjarvis@pl-ease.org.uk

Many thanks,
PJ

Drive!

What is it that drives charities, trustees and supporters on? I think it is a sense or willingness to improve a particular situation, to make something better for individuals or particular groups. I attended the opening of a sensory garden and family room at the Child Development Centre today. I sat with my wife in the family room - all was quiet until a group of children arrived in the sensory garden! Suddenly the air was filled with young children talking, communicating, laughing, exploring, full of excitement. Years of fundraising by supporters, and ideas provided by parents, staff and others, all came together on one day. Thanks to Plymouth & South West Co-Operative Society for fundraising for the family room. Thanks to the Big Lottery Fund for the grant for the sensory garden. Thanks also to all of those who contributed ideas and time. What a result! Small groups of people coming together to make Plymouth a better place to live and to improve the lives of special children.

Our first event!

Our first charity event is announced. This will be a sponsored abseil on Sunday 17th August. We have used the Rock Centre at Chudleigh for two "Give A Child A Chance" abseils. The training and facilities are excellent - real rock!!! We have no hesitation in returning to Chudleigh to raise funds for PL-ease.

We are looking for additional new or experienced abseilers to raise a minimum of £50 sponsorship. All monies raised will go directly to the charity.

If you would like to join us for the abseil, please e-mail radpro@tiscali.co.uk for further details.

Sponsors also welcome!!!

Many thanks.

PJ

Paperwork...

Lotteries application has been submitted to Plymouth City Council. If successful, this will allow us to organise large scale raffles where tickets can be sold over a number of weeks- usually a good way of raising funds at Christmas time!

We have also applied for a Gift Aid reference number via HM Revenue & Customs. This will allow the charity to recover tax from donations at sponsored events.

Talking of which... we have our first organised event arranged. This will be a charity abseil at Chudleigh Rock Centre. The abseil will be held on Sunday 17th August. The rock centre offer excellent training and facilities - we have used them twice before for abseils on behalf of the "Give A Child A Chance" appeal (see www.gacac.org.uk for some photos). The centre offer training on a training slope before tackling the challenge of a real rock face (approx 80ft).

We are looking at setting up a 'justgiving' website where people can donate online. Before we do this we need the Gift Aid reference number - so may be a few weeks away yet.

Thanks for reading. If there is anything else you would like to see covered here - please let me know.

PL-ease

A long term ambition has been realised!! Having been involved in fund raising activities and other committees, I have now identified a cause and secured the assistance of other trustees in setting up a new charity: PL-ease.

The Trust deed (dated 30th March 2008) has been signed by the four initial trustees. The aim of the charity is to raise funds to allow for the provision of specialist items, equipment, resource and support which may be required by children with complex needs in areas covered by a "PL" postcode.

The intention is to provide funding where other sources (e.g. local authority, other charities etc) are unable to support for whatever reason. The charity will not be registered until we can show that our annual income is likely to exceed £5000 - the level for charities to officially become registered. This sets a challenging target for the first year!

Fundraising activities are being discussed and arranged. More later...

Hopefully, this will be the start of a great adventure exercising minds, skills and resource in an effort to raise funds to improve the lives of young children with complex needs.