THE GOAN NETWORK | LONDON
An Emergency Funeral Fund for the benefit of its registered members and a unique ‘Open Accounts Day’ to allow the general public to view all accounts from 2010 to 2023 are some of the initiatives being planned by the Golden Goa Association, Southampton (GGAS), a voluntary organisation of the Goan Community in Southampton in the United Kingdom established in 2010.
These were among the proposals discussed by GGAS at its 8th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at St Boniface Church Hall, Shirley, Southampton, on March 19.
The new managing committee unanimously elected for the new financial year 2023-24 were RJ Roque Vaz (President), Assumpta Maria D’Costa (Vice President), Bihula Vaz (General Secretary), Aloysius D’Costa (Treasurer), Nivedita Roberts (Committee Member) and Anushka Ponniah (Honorary Committee Member).
Assumpta Maria D’Costa opened the meeting with a prayer and a minute’s silence was observed in memory of GGAS founder member late Flora Almeida, who passed away recently. Roque Vaz presented his Annual President’s Report, while the minutes of the 7th AGM were presented and approved. The Annual Financial Statement of the previous year was presented and approved. Sebastian D’Costa was appointed as the Internal Auditor.
Fr Godwin Kambai OMV, Assistant Parish Priest of St Boniface Church, was appointed by the new GGAS committee as the Spiritual Advisor to the Association. Fr Godwin recently arrived in Southampton from Nigeria to begin his ministry as an assistant parish priest. He blessed the new committee and then took part in a celebration of Women’s Day/Mother’s Day/Husband’s Day, which made the event more memorable.
ACTIVITIES
“The GGAS has opened consultation with its members to launch an Emergency Funeral Fund for the benefit of its registered members, who regularly attend its meetings and participate as volunteers at the various events organised by the Association,” said GGAS President & founder member RJ Roque Vaz, who is the radio presenter of ‘Konkani Uloi London Fuloi’, the popular Konkani radio show on Awaaz 99.8 FM in Southampton.
“The new managing committee is now gearing up for its next event ‘The Easter Party’ on April 9, which is fully sponsored by Joe Valent Braganza, a Goan philanthropist widely known in the social and cultural circles in the UK. He has also helped organise several Tiatrs and socio-cultural community events in the UK and is involved in charitable work.”
He informed that the GGAS has organised over 50 community events since its inception in 2010.
ACCOUNTABILITY
“In a bid to promote accountability and transparency in maintaining its accounts, the GGAS plans to organise a unique event, ‘Open Accounts Day’, in September 2023, where all the account files from 2010 to 2023 will be open to the general public, especially to the members of the Goan Community in the United Kingdom for inspection,” said Roque Vaz.
“GGAS has a Charitable Bank Account with HSBC bank with three signatories and has a robust accounting system to manage its finances,” he added.
Southampton Goans provide aid in Goa
Roque Vaz said the Golden Goa Association, Southampton (GGAS) has supported different charitable institutions in Goa since 2015.
The GGAS is registered with the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, England, (NCVO) and is also a member of Southampton Voluntary Services.
The GGAS raises money through a raffle during its annual flagship community event to mark the Feast of St Francis Xavier in the first week of December every year. So far, over Rs 3 lakh has been raised by the GGAS.
* Rs 45,424 was donated to Sister Valentina’s Little Heaven Children’s Home at Colva in 2015.
* Rs 63,000 and Rs 65,000 were handed over in 2016 and 2017 respectively to Nitya Seva Niketan Children’s Home, Rivona-Quepem.
* Rs 42,070 was given to Daddy’s Home Charitable Trust for the Elderly in Gogol-Margao in 2019. In 2022, a sum of Rs 76,000 was donated to Daddy’s Home Special School. Both institutions are run by Founder and Director Fr Valmiki Dias.
Whenever GGAS committee members visit Goa, they along with prominent local citizens arrange simple ceremonies at the institutions to hand over the money.
