The Annual General Meeting of PPA Visakha (UK) 2015 Final

The 32^nd Annual General Meeting of PPA Visakha (UK) was held on March 22^nd at the Rising Sun Restaurant in Sudbury. Dr Kanthi Raveendran , the outgoing  president, welcomed the members.

Mrs Mala Polpitiya , Joint Secretary, in her Annual Report  highlighted the events of the year. The first was the Founder’s Day  Pooja at the London Buddhist Vihara.  Dr Harshi  Boralessa made an excellent  presentation on the life and work of the Founder Mrs Jeremias Dias.  The Association also sponsored the highly acclaimed opening day of the Anagarika  Dharmapala Celebrations at the LBV.

Mala continued that the fundraising   events , the Annual Ball at Sandown Park  Race Course in Epsom and Visakha Nite at the Holiday Inn, Wembley  were very successful. The   Sri Lankan   project  this year  was Emerge Lanka , a registered  charity supporting  girls aged 10-18 who  have been removed from their homes by the Child Protection Authorities due to sexual abuse or its threat and are courageously testifying in court.  Visakha is also establishing an annual  Health Awareness Day run by  medical Alumni . This is open to the community, free of charge, as an expression of gratitude.

The Treasurer, Mrs  Mithra Gajraj presented a very comprehensive audited report which reflected a healthy financial situation in the Association. Dr Boralessa   in the absence of the bursary co-ordinators , read the annual report sent by them.

Kanthi thanked her committee for supporting her and ensuring a very successful year. Mrs Ranjini Abeywardena was unanimously elected the new President. She thanked Kanthi and her committee for their hard work.

The new President  also thanked  the Patron Mrs Lakshmi de Zoysa MBE  for her excellent contribution as Patron  and , on behalf of the Association,  invited her to continue in this  role  for a further  three years. Lakshmi expressed her appreciation  of  their confidence in her but would have preferred a new patron with new perspectives in place. She thanked the three Presidents   she worked with during her time as Patron.  Welcoming  Ranjini as the new President she  recalled the contribution that both   her husband Gamini  and she had made  over many years.

At the end of the meeting   friends and families of members enjoyed the sumptuous buffet and the dancing that followed .

 

Executive Committee :

President                                          Mrs Ranjani Abeywardene

Joint Secretaries :                           Mrs Indramala Dhanaratne,   Mrs Mala Polpitiye

Joint Treasurers:                           Mrs Mithra Gajraj, Dr Anushini Muthuthanthri

Schlarship Coordinators:            Dr Padmini De Silva, Dr Poorna Nagasinghe

News Letter Editors :                      Mrs Piyaransi Gajanayake, Mrs Kamala Samarajeeva

Event Coordinators ::                     Dr Harshi Boralasse, Dr Chitra Mannakkara

 

COMMITTEE

Mrs Dayani Gunasekera

Mrs Srimathie Weeraman

Mrs Clara Abayawardana

Mrs Chandani Rekers

Ms Niranjanie Fernando

Mrs Priethie Jayawardhana

Mrs Shona Samarasinghe

Mrs Yamuna Tennakoon

Mrs Chithra Perera

Mrs Shalini R Silva

Mrs Chithrani Pathikirikorale

Dr Kanthi Raveendran

Mrs Mahal Ratnasiri