FRIENDS OF UNAWATUNA

STATEMENT OF INTENT v1.0  

1. The “Friends of Unawatuna” is a group of private individuals who have pledged their personal support (financial or otherwise) to assist the regeneration of the community of Unawatuna, Sri Lanka, following the devastation wreaked by the Tsunami of 26^th December 2004.
2. Membership of the “Friends Of Unawatuna” is open to anyone – Tsunami survivors, residents, friends and relations, and concerned sympathisers. To join the mailing list please email “support@friendsofunawatuna.org.uk”
3.  PRIMARY AIM:  Our primary aim is to identify one or more means by which we can provide medium to long term help to rebuild/improve tangible aspects of the community infrastructure, in a way that is beneficial to the community as a whole, and not to specific individuals and/or businesses. This is likely to focus on projects such as assisting to rebuild the local school, medical centre, community centre, or core infrastructure such as clean water, sewage, electricity etc.
4. SECONDARY AIM:  A maximum sum of £3,000 has been set aside from donated funds to provide any immediate aid that is deemed essential, and is not currently being provided by other relief agencies. This may include temporary shelter, food/water, cooking facilities etc – those requirements deemed necessary to maintain life and health within the community.
5. TERTIARY AIM: In the event that any funds are available after completion of our Primary and Secondary aims, it is our intention to provide direct assistance to individuals to re-establish and develop their lives. This is intended to be in the form of sponsorship, grants,  or interest free loans which may be used for such projects as; funding local teachers, doctors, community workers, providing educational sponsorship, business loans etc.
6. We intend to liaise directly with local residents, community leaders, and other local aid organisations to ascertain the most appropriate method of providing this support.
7. Decisions on how best to allocate funds raised by the “Friends of Unawatuna” will be made by a majority decision of the Trustees.
8. Distribution of funds will be managed in conjunction with a panel of advisors who will include local community and business leaders and members of other aid organisations with similar aims to ours.
9. The Trustees are currently; Jake Zarins, Jon Walter, Tanya Smart, Jamie Wilkinson, Claire Wilkinson, Tarquin Desoutter, and Tine Desoutter. An open invitation has been made to all members of the “Friends Of Unawatuna” mailing list for additional individuals to nominate themselves to trustee status. Responses should be emailed to support@friendsofunawatuna.org.uk and received no later than Friday 28^th January 2005. We intend to have a maximum of 9 trustees.
10. Trustees provide all their time and resources at no cost to the fund.
11. Suggestions are actively encouraged from all members of “Friends Of Unawatuna” on any aspect of the organisation (e.g. how we operate, how we can best provide assistance, how we communicate etc).  Please email support@friendsofunawatuna.org.uk
12. It IS our intention to work alongside other local aid organisations operating on behalf of the Unawatuna community to ensure there is minimal duplication of effort and maximum advantage to the community.
13. It is NOT our intention to relinquish control of how funds raised are spent (E.G. by becoming a fund raising arm of another organisation).
14. It is NOT our intention to fund projects that are or will be funded by national/local government or NGO aid organisations.
15. All donations are gratefully received, and are made on the basis that the above Statement is accepted by the donor.