|
MEETING MINUTES
Minutes
of A.G.M. – Chaired
by:
Candy Wright Minutes:
Lesley Ellis & Val Reeve Attendees:
Karla Darocas; Kim Worton-Hunt; Sue Coley; Candy Wright; Lesley Ellis; Bobby
Frost; Joann Humby; Carole Saunders; Patricia Adams; Caroline Mills; Ile
Goormans; Suzanna Mace; Frances Sawyer; Nicole Smolders; Valerie Reeve;
Trisha Mansfield; Lizzie Clayton; Anne Martin; Elaine Barclay. Apologies:
Jo Archer. Introduction
of Team Leaders and Liaisons: Karla
Darocas (Director / Media &
Networking);
Lesley
Ellis (Admin); Valerie
Reeve (Finance); Bobby
Frost (VIP Liaison); Sue
Coley (New Members Hostess); Suzanna
Mace (Events Co-ordinator);
Candy
Wright (Denia Women’s Council liaison); Nicole
Smolders (Javea Women’s Shelter liaison); Carole
Saunders (Emaus & Altea
Women’s Shelter liaison) Review
of Successful Events: Anne
Martin reported on the Anniversary Party at the Grand Café, Javea, that
although the event was a great success and raised €1533.00 there were
things that had been arranged with the restaurant management that were not
implemented on the night, such as a special children’s menu to be served
earlier. Also it was not possible to keep the event entirely private because
the people resident at the holiday complex have access to the premises,
necessitating the doors to the
terrace being open and it may be that some people were helping themselves to
food who had not paid for tickets. Lesley
Ellis reported on behalf of Reeta and Savita on the Anniversary party at the
House of India, Albir. Again it was an outstanding success and raised
€850.00, but €180 of profit had to be offset against people who had
reserved places and not turned up. This was particularly annoying as there
was a waiting list! Although most people had paid in advance, this was not
always viable and in future people who reserve places but do not attend will
be required to pay, as this is money that would have gone to the Women’s
shelters. Suzanna
Mace reported on International Women’s Day Exhibition at the Villa Gadea
Hotel, Altea. This was again extremely successful and very well attended,
but there was the usual problem with parking and it was felt the two rooms
did not work as well as one large one, from the point of view of location as
well as atmosphere. It was also felt that Sunday was not as good as a
weekday. This event raised €4,136, even with paying €1,000 for the room
and for extras. It
was generally agreed that the venue for the AGM (Restaurant Pedramala II,
Teulada) was exceptional – central location for all members, great food
and loads of it, spacious and comfortable with two huge terraces. We would
look into using it more in the future. Suggested
Future Events: September/October
2006 – WIBC Auction at El Cid
(to be confirmed, but start sorting those quality articles for auction NOW!) Mid
to end November 2006 – Health and Beauty Day / Fashion Show or Ladies
Night (possibility
of créche run by Emaus carers?) Early
December 2006 – WIBC Xmas Dinner / Dance
(possible venue Restaurant Pedramala II, Teulada)
Early
December 2006 – Xmas Carols on the beach, Javea Monthly
business Networking sessions: Format
- The “rotating chairperson” has been successfully tried at the last two
meetings and gives members a chance to have the experience of forming an
agenda, running the meeting and keeping members in check!! There
will be a list drawn up for you to register for this and eventually all
members will be encouraged to do so. (You can always do a joint chair if it
would give you more confidence). It
was generally agreed that we need more time to promote our businesses at
meetings. It
was found that when we start the meeting with the networking session it
works better than leaving it to the end. It
was suggested that we try a “speed-dating” format, where you meet face
to face with a member and you each have 2 minutes to talk about your
business. When
you meet someone face to face you tend to remember them and what they do,
also it is better to recommend someone you have met than a name from a
directory. Name
badges
- ALL
members should be wearing a name badge – even if it is your business card
laminated with a pin on the back! There
are also tables provided for business cards / fliers / products for people
to view. It
is the responsibility of members to bring their name tags, business cards
and fliers to each meeting, and take them home again. Educational
workshops
– we have a large number of members with training, expertise and/or
experience of running a business, particularly in It
was suggested that we have a 15 minute “workshop” within the meeting. These
could also lead to in-depth courses if there was the interest. A
list will be drawn up of members who offer this service and it will be the
responsibility of the “rotating chairperson”
to arrange the speaker for their session. Other
meetings/clubs/times
- It was suggested we held separate monthly fundraising meetings for those
members who particularly want to get involved in this area. This does not
mean that reports will not be included in regular meetings. Members
have also requested evening meetings – interested members have been asked
to research into the feasibility of this. There
may also be a need to open a new WIBC in the Altea/ Albir/Benidorm area, as
we have a lot of new members from that area after the last IWD and if the
next IWD is in Benidorm this will generate further members from this area. The
Funding
Issues: Report
from Finance Committee
- At
the hand-over of funds from Mary Lucas to the current Finance Team the
balance was €8,800. There
is now €10,399 in the bank. IWD
raised €4,136. The
Anniversary Curry Night raised €850 The
Grand Café Anniversary Night raised €1533 Report
from Javea Women’s Shelter liaison – Nicole Smolders
– The Javea shelter is for any women who needs it in the Valencia
Community. So
far WIBC has paid €450 for accommodation deposit for one woman and €650
for a month’s rent to help another woman to have time to find a cheaper
apartment or get financial support from her husband. Report
form Emaus liaison – Carole Saunders
– The Christmas Toy Drive was a resounding success, with toys going to
Hospitals as well as the children’s homes. A
request for less soft toys next time, but more board games and new clothes. Carole
has started a new Association – Amigos de los Niños de Emaus,
particularly for the children in these homes. She
has also discovered that Emaus have a privately funded Women’s Shelter in
Altea. As
well as the tumble drier provided for one of the homes, WIBC has donated
€500 so that the older children currently resident at the Shelter can
attend Lady Elizabeth’s Summer School. There
is also an urgent appeal for money to be spent on new shorts, T- shirts,
bathing costumes and sandals for the children who arrive at the shelter with
nothing. This could be considered, Carole will submit a written report to
the newly formed Emergency Funding Committee. Report
from Denia Shelter Liaison – Candy Wright
– the Denia apartment is still being held up by
Bureaucratic
paper work. Once it is established Candy will pass on any requests for
funding. Emergency
Funding Committee - It had
already been agreed at both This
committee will need guidelines as to where the money is to be spent and a
ceiling amount. There
will also need to be a specific form for funding requests to ensure that the
request has gone through all the proper stages. Emergencies
may differ, but we need to ensure that we are not paying for things that
should be paid for by the Social Services. Candy
proposed Val Reeve, Lizzie Clayton and Lesley Ellis, seconded by Patricia
Adams and majority vote. Association
Proceedings: We
went next to this item as some members had to leave. It
was unanimously agreed that we need to make the Women In Business Club an
official Association – this is also a legal requirement. When
we have a NIE / CIF number for official purposes, we will be able to ask for
and receive funding from other
organisations
/ banks, government, etc. The
following members were voted on – President
– Karla Darocas Vice
President – Suzanna Mace Secretary
– Candy Wright Treasurer
– Val Reeve Vocales
– Elaine Barclay Sue
Coley Lesley
Ellis Bobby
Frost Mary
Lucas (to be confirmed) Denia
Women’s Council has kindly offered to prepare the official paperwork required
on our behalf, and Candy is liaising with them directly. Media
and Affiliates: Media
Report – Karla Darocas WIBC
have received incredible support from local media, in particular from our
sponsors, Female Focus, CB Friday, Euro Weekly News, Round Town News and OCI
radio. Karla
would like to see us do something fun and “whacky” to grab the press
headlines – an “impact”
fundraiser - suggestions please in the suggestion box on the website. As
Karla is not British, she would like members to send her details of editors
of British newspapers that you read on the Costa Blanca, in order to let the
National “Brit Press” know what we are doing as well. Affiliates
– other
organisations
have asked if they can donate / fundraise on our behalf. This
will be possible once we are an official Association. Out-reach
programmes: An
out – reach
programme’s aim
is to promote education and awareness. Pin
campaign
– after waiting for so long for the pins to arrive, they are not now much
in evidence (not one of us at the meeting was wearing ours!) They sold well
at IWD and other exhibitions. It
was suggested that we order proper boxes for them to be displayed at retail
outlets. Other
WIBC promotions
– more use should be made of the sticky labels, as these are given away
for free. It
was also agreed to produce a WIBC information leaflet and WIBC business
cards to give to prospective new members. WIBC
member’s business directory - either a booklet or website (or both). WARNING
- any
members who promote their business should ensure that they are “legal”,
as checks are being made by the Spanish authorities on all notice boards,
etc. WIBC
car stickers were also suggested. Emergency
Hotline
– Plans are already underway for us to set up an English – speaking
(possibly also other languages) Emergency Hotline. There
is a set protocol of questions that have to be asked and volunteers will be
trained in how to use them. Anyone
with counseling training or social work experience in this field will be
invited to be on a shortlist and we will devise a shift system. We
will initially fund 2 or 3 mobile phones with a 24 hour free-phone number. This
is the sort of thing we can get sponsors for once we are official. Poster
Campaign
– this will be put on hold until the hotline is launched – so that we
can include the Hotline number. Education
in Schools
– it is necessary to start anti-domestic violence programmes at a young
age. There
is already a troop of mime artists visiting schools in the community to
spread this message. Anne
Martin has experience of this in the A.O.B. Bobby
Frost would like the contact details of consulates other than British, to
inform them of the WIBC and what we are trying to achieve. Karla
requests that all suggestions / queries are made via the “suggestion
box” on the WIBC website and NOT sent to her directly.
|
|
|
