Steadfast Trust Meeting update

Submitted by: Steadfast Trust correspondent, 20th May 10

A successful meeting took place on the 16th May 2010

After the Brownbread Rescue Centre event, where the charity held a stall, the Steadfast Trust had a 90minute formal meeting whereby a review on the organisations progress was discussed along with grants and activities for the up-coming months.

Those attending the activities included Trustees Mark and Lynn alongside a number of volunteers who assist in the charitable work, activities and operations of the trust.

Previous grants since the last meeting in October 2009:-
£2000 West Brom St George Day parade
£1250 Storytelling
£500 Staffordshire Hoard

These grants were agreed, yet it is felt by those attending the meeting that the charity needs to begin grant projects that benefit English children/young people in learning about the unique cultural heritage of the early English. With this in mind the following three grant projects were approved.

Books on early English Art / Culture £750
Specific targeted book grants are to be offered to educational institutions to provide students with the materials to study early English Arts/Culture from recently published books on this subject.

Anglo-Saxon Storytellers for Schools £3000
Approx 1000-1200 children are to be provided Storytelling visits, with conditions set on Storytellers to ensure feedback from teachers are provided, and particular aspects of history are emphasised.

Anglo-Saxon Gods poster £1000
A large poster has been commissioned by the charity and finances have been set aside for its printing. The posters are then to be sold on stalls, on the charity website, and provided to storytellers to be given for free to the visited schools.



In addition to the approved grant project, it was agreed that the charity should have two classification amendments, also that the grants@steadfasttrust.org.uk email address has been established for dealing with grants with potential and actual participants.

The Steadfast Trust Fundraiser week was discussed, whereby so far over £300 has been received, yet more is still arising from delayed donations from the post, which is typically 2weeks late due to redirection of post. It was decided that next years fundraiser week will be advertised from February with regular emails to supporters and direct contact with volunteers with suggestions on fundraiser activities. It is expected that this will increase the sum raised as well as a £1 donation appeal to the 1000s of email subscribers we have.

To loosely promote English heritage, we will be advertising English History Month with daily news items placed on the website during each day of October detailing an anniversary event for each day.

Finally it was agreed that the membership cards will be phased out with Friends of the charity donating £2 per month given a formal professional letter with a unique reference number for any future items.

Charity is in good financial standing, with over seven thousand pounds in balance. The next meeting will be the AGM Meeting on the 9th or 10th of October – to be decided at a later date.