At the NCVO’s recent Annual General Meeting, Executive Committee members were elected to serve for the 2011-12 period. The Executive Board of the NCVO is comprised of members from other voluntary and community organisations, corporate members and private members. These voluntary members meet monthly with NCVO management to discuss projects; financial matters; future ventures, and to determine policies and procedures. Their support and assistance is invaluable to the work of the NCVO.

The meeting was held at the Nadine Andreas Residential Foster Home on Wednesday 7th December and the proceedings included a report on the previous year by Garry Wilkins, the Chairman who has served on the Board as Chairman since 1998.

Extracts from the Chairman’s report:

“The Audited Accounts for the year ending 31st March, 2011 are now available. Many thanks to our auditors, Grant Thornton, for their efforts in providing the accounts to us so expeditiously.

Last year’s Radio-Telethon, which raised over CI$130,000 gave us a real boost for the final quarter of the financial year and a cushion for the 2011/2012 year where we are now over half way through.  I can confirm that this year’s event has been equally successful. These funds are the base on which we build up sufficient resources to meet our day to day operational expenses.

We continue to receive considerable funds, mainly from the financial community, to meet all costs of our special projects, and these I will elaborate on as I break down the projects among the Foster Home, the Nursery and Pre-school and the other schemes funded by NCVO.

At the Foster Home we have continued to improve facilities by further upgrades to the kitchen, cupboards and storage amenities. Expenditure on extra tuition, recreational and club activities has also been made available. The foster children enjoyed a summer vacation in Montego Bay fully funded by the Andreas Foundation. The Home currently cares for 8 children.

The Pre-school and Nursery continue to receive monies to satisfy their requirements for teaching and arts & crafts supplies plus replacement furniture and equipment such as desks and chairs.  The Pre-school currently has 62 children and the Nursery 9 babies.

Grants for assistance with tertiary education though the John Gray Fund were again awarded to 11 student pursuing degrees in a wide range of subjects including Business Management, Finance, Nursing and Fine Arts.  In total we distributed US$23,500 this year.

The Caring Cousins Scheme continued to provide small personal items such as toiletries for the elderly and infirm, particularly those in the Pines Nursing Home.

Lunch Support funding for school children has been expanded further this year and now covers up to 20 persons.  The Thrift Shop continues to contribute a small amount to our overall finances.  It also contributes to other charitable groups collecting to alleviate suffering from natural disasters in the region and to those in need in our community due to financial hardship.

Since the end of 2010/2011financial year we have continued to seek assistance from the Financial Services community and private trusts to enable NCVO to confidently expand and upgrade our services to those in need, not only for this year but for the foreseeable future.  Our current success must not lead us into complacency as the global financial crisis continues to deepen and its effects knock on to our traditional and faithful supporters. Our endeavours should be doubled in the search to encompass even more of the Cayman community in providing support for our ambitious but achievable programme of projects and expanded services.

Thanks are due once again to the dedicated and hard working staff of the Foster Home, Nursery and Pre-school for their excellent work which continues to impress our benefactors and ensures that they maintain or increase their investment in the children in our care.  Our Administration staff, Mrs. Janice Wilson, Chief Executive Officer; Mrs. Alta Solomon, NCVO Coordinator and Mr. John Alban, Care Manager have put in another exceptional year’s work both in the administration and regulation of the Children’s Services facilities and in raising significant funds for the NCVO.  My thanks also to my extremely hard working and conscientious Committee Members for their active involvement and support in the multitude of reviews and decisions made during yet another bust year.  I am confident that, with this continued support, the NCVO will be in a position to meet all its projects and service commitments for the remainder of this year and, hopefully, well into
the future.”