Computer training for blind deaf and disabled people in their own home

Annual General Meeting - 2001

Annual General Meeting held on 20/09/2001 12:43:01 at The Athenaeum Club, Pall Mall

Present:
A F Wigram (in the Chair), The Hon. Sally Wigram, Mrs Tracy Pernice ( Secretary), Mr Herschel Post ( Hon. Treasurer), Mrs Suki Hemming, Mr Adrian Verge, Dr Christopher Ondaatjie, Ms Sarah Channon, Ms Avril Hanning, Mr Martin Ball, Mr John Maitland, Mr J

Apologies:
None

Minutes:
1. Chairman welcomed the new trustees, Herschel Post and Sukie Hemming and all present to the third Annual General Meeting of the Company and calls upon the Secretary to read the Notice to convene the meeting.

2. The minutes of the previous meeting was read. The Minutes was signed by the Chairman as being true and correct.

3. Chairman called upon Mr Adrian Verge a representative of the auditors Messrs. Spiro Tett & Company to read the auditors report.

4. The Chairman stated that the annual accounts and directors’ report for the period ending the 5th of April 2001 have been in the hands of the members of the company for the statutory period and he had nothing to add. The Chairman proposed that the balance sheet and accounts for the company together with the directors’ report for the year ending the 5th April 2001 be submitted to the meeting and thereby be received and adopted.

Chairman asked Herschel Post to second resolution.

Herschel Post seconded the resolution.

The Chairman stated that Mr Post and Mr Verge would be pleased to deal with any questions on the accounts and report.

The Chairman put the resolution to the company.

The Chairman declared the resolution.

5. Mr Anthony Wigram handed over the Chair to Mr Herschel Post.

Herschel Post proposed that Mr Anthony Wigram who retires
by rotation in accordance with the articles and is eligible for re-election be re-elected as director of the company.

Mrs Hemming seconded the resolution. Herschel Post put the resolution to the meeting.

Herschel Post declared the resolution as carried.

Mr Anthony Wigram proposed that Mrs Tracy Pernice who retires in rotation in accordance with the articles and is eligible for re-election be re-elected as director of the company.

Mr Anthony Wigram asked Mrs Sally Wigram to second the resolution.

Mrs Wigram seconded the resolution.

6. The Chairman stated that the next resolution is that the remuneration of Messrs. Spiro Tett & Company, the company’s auditors, be fixed by the directors for the ensuing twelve months.

Herschel Post formally proposed Spiro Tett & Co.

Tracy Pernice seconded the proposal.

The Chairman put the resolution to the meeting.

The Chairman declared the resolution carried.

7. Any other Business

(a) Anthony Wigram thanked the funders for the confidence they have in WAACIS. He also thanked all the members of staff for all the hard work they have done. He thanked the Band Trust especially for the confidence they have in WAACIS. He also thanked Smith’s Charity and Cable& Wireless for their contribution to WAACIS.

(b) Anthony Wigram (Chair) spoke about WAACIS and how important this service is to the disabled community.

(c) Martin Ball spoke about how we have promoted WAACIS this year and how working together will make us succeed.

(d) John Howlett spoke on behalf of the tutors of WAACIS and said that it was a great honour to be part of WAACIS.

(e) Johanna Cheetham spoke on the behalf of the students and told everyone what a tremendous difference WAACIS has made to her life and how this has helped her gain her independence.

(f) Mr Bruce Streather offered to distribute leaflets for WAACIS.

8. The Chairman closed the formal meeting.

Following the meeting there was a presentation of the work WAACIS.

The first to speak was John Howlett who is one of our WAACIS tutors and who described to the audience the work which tutors were doing. He said that he felt that the service was extremely positive, that he loved doing the work he was doing and it was a tremendous thrill to see how a student could blossom with confidence and enthusiasm as the course developed. The internet was not just like anything else. The access to all avenues of life could entirely transform the opportunities for many disabled people. He said that he loved working for WAACIS more than anything else and longed to participate more fully.

The second speaker was Johanna Cheetham who is visually impaired and who is actually shown on the front cover of the WAACIS Annual Report.
Johanna certainly spoke from the heart and explained how it is possible for someone with her visual disability to enjoy a much fuller life once the internet had been mastered. In particular, emails kept her in touch with her family and friends and gave her the opportunity to participate in community affairs and eventually she hopes a chance to get a job either in the charitable sector or in the commercial world. She confirmed that one to one tuition delivered in her home had been an enormous boom and indeed she could not think of any other way in which the tuition should be given.

The third speaker was Martin Ball. He explained to the audience that our main problem at the moment was accessing the disabled community. This is consistency of all WAACIS material at present. We have a wonderful service but getting it known is very difficult.

However, he said we were beginning to win the war. Our name is beginning to be known throughout the Social Services Departments in many London Boroughs and by stint long persuasion we were finally getting the co-operation we needed in order to send out material to disabled people through local councils and other organisations.

We were distributing large numbers of pamphlets and the Annual Report. However a great deal remains to be done. And many other avenues such as doctor’s surgeries, libraries, public notice boards, housing offices and job centres where WAACIS material could and should be displayed. Martin said that he was sorry to leave WAACIS but he had very much enjoyed his time with us and wished us well in the future.

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