News: Chairperson's Annual Report for 2011
22nd December 2011
Read the full Chairperson's Annual Report for 2011 here.
"2010-11 was a busy year for your in-house Charity. Aside from the fund raising events that we highlight within this report, our services to support colleagues and beneficiaries at a time of need continue to be the Charity’s key role. I am proud to report that we assisted in the region of 500 colleagues and families, this year, via financial grants, respite, and information and advice services.
Our Spanish respite accommodation, which has been well used again in the course of the year, continues to be available for a week’s rest and recuperation, following illness or bereavement and also on a rent and donate basis.
Last year, I reported a number of new developments that I hoped you would see coming to fruition in 2011. We planned to launch a newsletter, a new logo and generally improve our publicity materials. All of that has been achieved. We also managed to roll out the SFR employee discount scheme to our beneficiaries and they appear to have welcomed this opportunity and a further tie-in with SFR.
We have also strengthened our contact with SFR staff and their families through the introduction of FST Volunteer Area Representatives, who have done a great job - not only in arranging local funding events to support the Trust - but more importantly
providing a local contact point for employees and beneficiaries. I hope that our SFR colleagues see these changes as positive!
The charitable support I have outlined above cannot be managed from SFR employee payroll contributions alone. Despite SFR personnel having a well earned reputation for being great supporters of charitable causes, we still have a relatively low employee base contributing to our own SFR Charity (46%). I would make my annual plea to any colleague who has not joined the Trust to consider joining your colleagues in contributing....your £1.25 per week would be greatly appreciated!!
Despite that concern for our long term sustainability, SFR employees, serving and retired, continue to surpass all expectations when it comes to arranging fundraising events for the Trust. This year, we received donations totalling £23,775 from a wide variety of events including, the St Andrews Ball, the “It’s a Knockout” Family Fun Day, (in partnership with Everyman Charity), our own annual golf event and also local activities, from Burns Suppers to car washes and personal challenges, such as marathons and cycle events.
The expected reform of Scotland’s Fire and Rescue Services in 2013 will bring a new challenge to the Trust. The Board of Trustees are committed to maintaining and continuing the Trust’s charitable values. As a minimum we want to try and retain what we have in place for our existing members and our beneficiary base, at the point of the Service transferring to the new Scottish Service. There would also be merit in exploring the feasibility of extending our principles to enable other areas of Scotland to join with us in some way, but there are challenges here. 2012 will therefore see a busy year for the Board of Trustees in trying to do what’s right for you and the FST. We will therefore consult all members in the year ahead , presenting a series of options and seeking views on how you want us to take the Trust forward. The Board would ask you to consider this matter seriously and respond to the Consultation when it is launched, in Spring 2012.
To conclude, I would like to thank all members for their continued generous support this year. I would also, on your behalf, like to thank and recognise the excellent contribution of the FST Staff, Grace, Vanessa (who left us in Sept. 2011), Alison, our SFR
Volunteers, the Trustees, my SFR colleagues and members of the Board, to the continuing success of the charity. 2012 will be a big year for the future of the Trust and we look forward to engaging you in our review of the way forward as well as your ongoing support.
I would also take this opportunity to sincerely thank long serving Trustee, Andy Shuttleworth, (who will step down at the 2011 AGM) for his dedication and commitment to the Trust , over many years. We wish him a very happy retirement.
Please accept our Best Wishes to you and yours for the festive season and the year ahead."
Graham Haugh
Chairperson
SFR Family Support Trust
