2011 Annual Report – ‘we need a better system’ says DfID
The 2011 Annual Report has key highlights:
- We all know that impoverished people are in need. The papers are full of it. The trustees created Wings Like Eagles in response to that need and a calling.
- And Climate Change is having an impact too. Kofi Anan highlighted that at the 2009 Copenhagen Summit.
- Also the UK Department for International Development called for ‘a better system to make helicopters …. more rapidly available after disasters’.
- And Mozambicans have called for us to help their people.
And Wings Like Eagles is responding. Our primary objective is to provide rapid relief to help save lives, get the right aid to the right people and provide access for the media to help fund raise for all. It also aims to carry out community disaster resilience programmes for people in disaster affected areas or countries. But you know all that!
So what has changed?
The need is still great. After over 4 years (3 in recession) trustees have been trying to fund a helicopter service in Africa through charitable donations in the United Kingdom. It has been difficult.
So the trustees have identified that this charity should focus speeding disaster response and refocused their vision as a result.
And it is a pleasure to report a steady increase in the following of our work on Twitter, Linked in and Facebook. We are so grateful for continuing generosity from this widening support base. It is significantly responsible for a 145% in our funds over the year, achieving one of our targets in the 2010 report.
The trustees are also delighted at another major achievement: the training of a disaster responder now on the DfID list of aviation coordinators. His skills and readiness to respond are a key contribution to a system that can rapidly access helicopters.
It has also been a pleasure for the trustees to approach NGOs in Mozambique with the offer of real help in speeding disaster response. The NGOs did not take up the offer, perhaps because we are yet small and perhaps because the offer was almost too good to be true, but making the offer has highlighted some challenges that we can work on, not the least being that the transfer of funds from UK can take up to two weeks to clear into our recipients’ banks. This is too slow for rapid response.
In their 2010 report the trustees said they would prepare for the 2011 disaster season and build reserves and learn how best to respond quickly.
So what did Wings achieve in 2011?
They hope that this 2011 Annual Report shows what they have achieved with your continuing support. We thank God, our volunteers and other supporters for making this possible.
For the full 2011 Annual Report please consult the Charity Commission.
Or please contact us if you need other accounts information. We would be delighted to help.
If you have seen enough and want to give to us, why not follow this link. Thank you.
