GREEN AID
Registered Charity Number: 1102151
Report of the Trustees for the year 2011
This report on the activities of Green Aid is for the year from 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011.
The Objects of the charity are:
- The advancement of the Jewish religion
- The relief of poverty amongst people of the Jewish religion
- The relief and assistance of people of the Jewish faith who are victims of war, terrorism, civil unrest, natural or manmade disaster or catastrophe, in particular but not exclusively, by the supply of medical aid to such persons
- The relief of sickness or disability amongst people of the Jewish faith, or to relieve the needs of elderly people of that faith
- The advancement of the education of those of the Jewish faith
- Any other exclusively charitable purposes as the trustees shall in their discretion think fit
This year our income doubled to just under £23,000, compared to last year which enabled us to replenish our reserves as well as making some substantial donations. We made grants and donations of over £17,000, a similar level to last year. In recent years our grants have exceeded our income as we have utilised reserves in accordance with the Trustees policy of trying to maintain a steady level of grants and donations. This is the first time for several years that we have raised sufficient funds to add to our reserves. This is in accordance with the trustees policy of maintaining sufficient reserves to enable us to maintain that steady level of grants, irrespective of the actual income in any particular year.
The principle fund raising activity is through the activities of our Chairman, Colin Green and other members and friends of the Green Family. Corporate donations come from companies in Israel and it is the charity’s policy that funds donated by Israeli companies are used to support charitable causes in Israel. We wish to acknowledge the support of the following Israeli Companies:
- Radware Limited
- ECI Telecom (who donated a significant sum direct at our direction so it was not part of our income)
During the year we have focused mainly on supporting disabled or disadvantaged groups of people, as well as educational, medical and humanitarian causes. In making our grants and donations and setting our policy for the implementation of our Objects, we have regard to the Guidelines of the Charity Commission for providing public benefit from our work.
During the year we made significant donations to the following charitable institutions:
- Yemin Orde Youth Village with whom we plan to develop an ongoing relationship
- Laniado Hospital Opthalmic Department
- The Friends of Israel War Disabled
- Magen David Adom
- The JNF Charitable Trust
- United Jewish Israel Appeal
- The Shalom Foundation
- The Board of Deputies Charitable Trust
We have also supported among other charitable causes
- The Laniado Hosptital
- Shaare Zedek Hospital
- Yad Sarah
- The Rabbi’s Fund (which provides educational materials for poor Israeli families)
- United Hatrzahal Israel
- The Forgotten People’s Fund
- University Jewish Chaplaincy
- Kingston Surbiton and District Synagogue
- Young Israel of North Netanya Synagogue
- Nightingale House
- Community Security Trust
- The University Chaplaincy
- The child Resettlement Fund
- Princess Alice Hospice
- Research into leukaemia, cancer and osteoporosis
We have thus made a large number of smaller donations to a wide range of charities, particularly supporting causes in Israel whose work is in fields relevant to our Objects.
During the year we visited the Yemin Orde Youth Village. More information about the visit and the work we have supported there is on our website www.greenaid.org.uk
Green Aid also administers the Antithesis Charitable Trust. This fund distributed CDs recorded specially for it by the artiste “Antithesis” with all the net sale proceeds being devoted to the objects of the Charity. To date, from the proceeds, donations of £2000 have been made to the United Jewish Israel Appeal and £1000 to the International Coalition for Missing Israeli Soldiers. A new release was produced towards the end last year, accompanied by a video which raised about £200 from sales last year. But sales this year have been disappointing because it is much more difficult to raise income from downloads than selling physical CDs (as the music industry generally has found). Consequently we will be reviewing the feasibility of this method of fund raising
We would also like to acknowledge with thanks the help and support from our accountant, Philip Weinberg of Marks Bloom of Kingston Upon Thames
COLIN GREEN
CHAIRMAN
December 2011