PTA AGM MINUTES
Tuesday 6nd October 2014
Whitchurch First School Hall, Whitchurch Schools
7:00pm for 7:30pm
1) Welcome and refreshments
Present: Dean Norton, Prashant Sanghani, Nihal Shah, Thilini Norton, Michael Baxter, Hema
Karsan, Sonia Dhrona, Ashvin Prema, Gaurang Purohit, Victoria Clarte, Sonal Shah, Yasmin
Egala, Khadar Yusuf, Bill Smith, Vrushali, Jagdale, Amit Jain, Nasar Akbare, Jyoti Goenka,
Renuka Maheswaran, Bhavna Varsani, Connie Law, Bhavin Shah, Nisha Chikhlia, Yousif AlDunaihanvi, Digesh Mamtora, Sarah Mehrali, Paul Noble, Aaliya Noble, Nita Modi, Madiha Aziz,
Jay Patel, Joshna Valji, Sunil Madhaparia, Rajvee Khatri, Mehul Shah, Rupal Price and Syed
Rahman
2) Apologies for absence
Tara Gratton, Bhavesh Patel, Param Thayaparan, Sara-Jane Donovan
3) Review of minutes of the last general meeting held Tuesday 15th July
Agreed as accurate
4) Head Teachers’ verbal reports on the use of last year’s £4,250 donations

Michael Baxter, interim head master for WFS, thanked the team and accepted on
behalf of both WFS and WJS 2 cheques for the amount of £4,500 each. He advised that
the funds from the previous year will be used to buy PE equipments to be used during
play times, spruce up canopy areas by providing more play equipments and storage
space for each year group or classroom.

Would like to invite the this year’s committee to raise funds for the revised science
curriculum by providing equipments for gardening to allow children to plant and grow
their own flowers/vegetables to enable them to observe the changes in the seasons,
more functional, child friendly library and even up to date reading materials.

Will be requesting a statement from the WJS.
5) Chair’s verbal summary of the year

Dean requested Prashant to explain what the PTA is and its role: Explained that we are a
charity run by the committee, working alongside with both schools, parents, children and
local businesses, supporting schools by raising additional funds and assisting them in school
run events. We are accountable to Charities Commission. We do not have any influence
over school curriculum or the running of schools in any aspect and is not a political
pathway to personal goals.

By joining the PTA, parents can bring in their talents, experiences and expertises, big or
small, to already existing, traditional and recently implemented events (cake sale, Easter
egg raffle, summer fair, Bags2school clothes recycling scheme, easyfundraising.org and my
donate) to raise additional funds for the schools and perhaps introduce new ideas.

We meet every so often, plan fundraising events and provide newsletters. It is a fun way to
help our children’s schools and make new friends and even create network between
parents.
6) Accounts of the association
Nihal explained the statement financial statements (handed at the beginning of the meeting):
Bake-a-Heart: £847.14
Easter raffle: £578.12
Bags2school: £1000.06
Easyfundraising: £492.78
Summer fair: £9223.87
(The annual turnover exceeded £10,000 and will need to be registered with the Charities
Commission. The schools will be provided with copies in due course.)
7) Auditor’s statement
To be issued
8) Thanks and acknowledgements

Dean, on behalf of the Committee thanked Staff, parents, heads, site supervisors, local
business, sponsors, donors, scouts, ambulance, sponsors, donors and the children for their
continued support.
9) Elections of officers and committee members for 2014/15

Chair: Dean Norton (nominated by Prashant Sanghani, seconded by Gaurang Purohit)

Vice chair: Prashant Sanghani (nominated by Dean Norton, seconded by Sonia Dhrona)

Honorary secretary: Thilini Norton (nominated by Prashant Sanghani, seconded by Nisha
Chiklia)

Vice secretary: vacant

Honorary treasurer: Nihal Shah (nominated by Prashant Sanghani, seconded by Dean
Norton)

Co-treasurer: vacant
(All posts were accepted)

Committee members: Hema Karsan (WFS representative), Gaurang Purohit, Nisha Chiklia,
Sonia Dhrona, Param Thayaparan, Ashvin Prema, Amit Jain, Sarah Mehrau, Nita Modi, Aalia
Noble, Yasmin Egala, Bill Smith and Vrushali Jagdale.
10) Proposed change of name of the association – verbal brief by Vice Chair
Prashant explained that the name Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) is misleading and
out dated and therefore would like to propose, on behalf of the previous Committee, a change
of name. New name proposed is ‘Friends of Whitchurch’. All persons present voted for the
change and motion carried. (The current Core Team will action the motion).
11) AOB:
Following points were raised by parents:

Sainsbury voucher scheme to bring in extra sorts equipments to school – already in
place and is spearheaded by Mrs B Hansberry (member of WFS staff)

Parent class representative to organise volunteers within their class to help at each
event – the committee will look into how this can be actioned.

Parents wishing to make direct donations –parents, children and anyone else wishing
to make direct donations can do so via My Donate.

Volunteer list – to encourage parents and friends to volunteer their time but not be in
the committee. This is being actioned this academic year.