My name is Paul Oxborough and I’m a local resident living in Heath since 2003. Some years ago I was asked if I would like to become a trustee of the charity, I was a little bit uncertain but then thought this would be a great thing to talk to my friends about. Being a trustee is surprisingly simple and very rewarding. Who wouldn’t want to meet and then give out lots of money to deserving young people? I’ve been doing this for a lot of years now and during my time I’ve given out over £20,000 with my fellow trustees.
Trustees normally meet twice a year and each meeting lasts for just over an hour. It is run very efficiently by our Chair (Mike Tye). Meetings take place at Mike’s house in Holmewood.
The April meeting generally looks at any fundraising and general business and the October meeting is where we applications and award grants to young people.
There are six people involved in the group 4 trustees, the Chair and the Secretary. Everything follows an formal agenda and minutes of each meeting are taken and recorded. These are printed out and then approved at the next meeting. It is quite a formal process but it is a very informal meeting.
Although the money we give out is relatively small it does make a difference in allowing young people to access training and education. A grant of £250 can mean a great deal to a 16 to 18-year-old. On average we give out approximately 10 grants each year these can range from £150-£300 per person.
We recently agreed the setting up of a fundraising subgroup which will aim to match fund the money given to us by the Duke and Countess. This could help young people who need emergency funding and support for their education and training. It is something different and a new challenge to work towards.
I feel very proud to be part of this group and for the small time investment it takes I feel it makes a big difference on the opportunities for young people in our two villages.
If you want to make a DONATION or find out more please do not hesitate to CONTACT us
Paul Oxborough – Charity Trustee