We need you to be at the AGM on 19th September to help resolve it.
Problem? How can we have a problem?
We have a reasonable number of members - 49 of you paid your subscriptions last year and with the Parish Council grant, we are financially OK.
We have a couple of conservation sites, one mainly in maintenance mode and the other needing a lot of work.
Some members have sponsored footpaths, to report back any work that is required.
The problem is this. The number of members actually doing any conservation work can be counted on one hand and the number of footpath reports received is zero. I know that the Foot and Mouth restrictions caused loss of impetus, but as announced in the newsletter three months ago, all local restrictions were lifted and the work programme was reinstated.
This conservation group was set up because quite a lot of Pulborough residents said they wanted to do conservation work, came to the inaugural meeting a year ago, approved the suggested program and put their money where their mouths were by paying their subscriptions.
What's gone wrong? Your committee doesn't know. Please come to the AGM on 19th September and tell it what you really want.
Nominations for the position of Chairman please.
Meetings were held every two weeks during the summer but attendance has been low, often only two people. Routine rubbish collection - everything from sweet wrappers to a very dead fox! - has been an unwelcome chore which always reaches a peak during the school holidays. Cutting back vegetation is another regular summer task, which has been completed in the worst areas, but the shortage of volunteers has curtailed efforts to control stinging nettle growth. Nettles are usually cut twice during the season but this year we have only managed one cut limited to a narrow strip each side of the paths.
For many years the large and splendid poplar tree has been described as a Black poplar. I have recently had an opportunity to examine a specimen in Somerset and have concluded that although our tree has some of the right characteristics it is unfortunately not a true Black poplar but one of the numerous hybrid varieties, probably the one known as 'Regenerata'. This is a pity because the native Black poplar is a rare tree and a recent survey suggests that there are only around three thousand in the whole country.
Soon the autumn work will be upon us - pruning, bonfires and clearing the watercourse. The Pocket Park is a community project and everyone is welcome to join in!
During the last three months, Roy Wilshaw has done some work at Rivermead on every date scheduled in the calendar. He tells me that it was remarkably lonely.
Chairman's Report
Treasurer's Report
Discussion of accounts and their approval
Election of Chairman
(position vacant)
Election of Treasurer, Secretary and Committee members
(With the exception of Patrick McCarthy, all are willing to restand)
Pocket Park Report - John Garret
Rivermead Report - Roy Wilshaw
Footpath Report - Chris Peach
First Aid Report - Phil Williams
Presentation of certificates
Forward Program - Jim Noble
How can we make it more exciting?
Discussion
Acceptance of Diary
Any Other Business
| £ | ||
| Bank balance at start of year | 0.00 | |
| Income | ||
| Subscriptions (49 x £5) | 245.00 | |
| Council Grant | 200.00 | |
| 445.00 | 445.00 | |
| Expenditure | ||
| Hire of Hall for meetings | 83.89 | |
| First Aid Kit purchase | 33.29 | |
| Stationary, stamps | 29.56 | |
| Fees, insurance, training etc | 230.00 | |
| 376.74 | 376.74 | |
| Excess of Income over expenditure | 68.26 | |
| Balance at bank | 68.26 | |
Gerald Batt
Treasurer
Notes
Fees are BTCV affiliation fees for 2 years - 2000/01 and 2001/02
