I’ve never been to an Annual General Meeting (AGM) before. To be honest, they sound a bit boring and I’ve no idea why I would want to go to one just to find out who the members of the board are and how much money they’ve spent in the past year. So when I received an invite to the Beams AGM I planned to file it with the other emails I don’t need to receive. With everything going on at the moment I certainly didn’t have a couple of spare hours for a meeting – I have enough of those at work! A member of the Beams team then called me and left a message asking if I would attend so I thought I should at least take a look at the agenda, most of which looked as boring as I had imagined. However a couple of points piqued my interest, I’d done a shed-load of hours at work this week so taking a couple of hours out to attend seemed like a good use of my Friday afternoon.
An AGM is a pretty formal affair in most respects, as it is a legal requirement that certain things happen and are witnessed by members in order for a charity such as Beams to keep its charitable status. Accepting last year’s minutes, electing trustees and appointing an auditor are all as exciting as they sound. Running through the charity’s accounts for the last financial year would have been pretty dry and dull had it not been for the excellent presentation of just the numbers we might be interested in and the context around them. I know Beams do an awesome job, but the innovative ways they have developed new channels for funding is inspired, as is the way the fundraisers are able to bring in 3 times what they cost as a team.
Katrina then gave her annual review, a brilliant explanation of the challenges faced by Beams and how they were able to overcome them to continue delivering advice and support to those that need it most through the most testing of times. I’ve heard a lot over the past couple of years of how the firm I work for has adapted to the challenges caused by the pandemic, but this is a firm with a multi-billion pound turnover, not a charity relying on donations and sponsorship! We were also shown simulations of the new garden and play area that is being developed at Beams which will benefit disabled children for years to come.
After this a number of parents were invited to speak about how they use the support and advice of Beams and the difference it makes. Hearing first-hand the work Beams has done to support local children left me humbled. I know how much they have helped me and my family, and we only use their family advice service. For many the respite care, day trips and activities Beams offers their children are a lifeline and the only thing keeping them going. We also were privileged to hear from a young man who has directly benefitted from the facilities at Beams for many years; he described how Beams have changed his life and the happiness on his face as he spoke about his new-found independence thanks to Beams told the story better than any words could.
Many of us question where the money goes when we drop our change into a charity’s tin, so it was great to see first-hand how important every penny is to Beams and the positive effect it has on local families, with not a pound wasted. There are no big salaries or big egos to boost here, just an amazing group of people dedicated to making life better for those with disabled children who need it.
Apart from finding out more about the charity, what they do, where the money goes and the effect it has on local families, which are enough reasons to attend the AGM, you will see on the Beams website that their vision is to be “Parent-driven”. When you pay your annual membership fee each year you are not just making a charitable donation, you are joining We Are Beams, and your opinion counts. The AGM is the best time to find out the direction of travel for Beams, but also an opportunity to question that direction. If you feel that Beams could do more or less of something or offer something different that would benefit you and people like you, as a member you are able to have your opinion heard and considered. I would therefore recommend anyone that is a member of Beams or any other charity that you get support from to not just passively accept the services they offer but to attend the next AGM to see what else they do, how they do it and influence their aspirations so that your needs, and the needs of those like you, are best met.