2019 AGM
2019 AGM Minutes
Notes of the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING held on Sunday 29 September 2019 at 11.30 am
Present Carol-Anne Davies (Chairman)
Steve Watkeys (Secretary)
Wayne Jenkins (Treasurer)
together with 15 other allotmenteers
1. WELCOME
Carol Anne welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked them for attending.
2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Wendy and Royston Hill (in Japan), Jimmy Pride (in Australia) and Janis and Peter Samson (in Cornwall).
3. MINUTES OF 2019 AGM
The minutes of the 2018 AGM, having been circulated, were confirmed as a true record.
4. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Carol Anne indicated she had really enjoyed her year as Chairman and wanted to record thanks to the Committee for their time and commitment and to all volunteers who had helped with work on the site during the last year. The site’s website had been revised and up-dated and was the responsibility of Nigel Bevan. Any plot-holder who wished to contribute to the website was asked to contact Nigel who had also set up a Face book page for the site.
A paper setting out the potential for the allotment site to become self-managed was circulated and was available for all absent plot-holders. Comments and observations on the paper’s content would be appreciated by the end of October so they could be taken into account in determining the way forward. The paper would be available on the website.
5. SECRETARY’S REPORT
Steve gave a resume of the year with its successes, disappointments and sadness’s.
On the plus side Nigel Bevan had done a great job setting up the Face book facility which was proving to be very successful; Paul Sullivan had been most helpful in locking and unlocking the barrier every day during the year as well as arranging the use of a forklift to help with heavy shop deliveries; James Rides had arranged the repair of a bench that had been damaged by unknown persons and this was now on the lawn area with a plaque fitted in memory of past allotmenteers. Mitchell Young had been responsible for the project to install a bio degradable toilet on the site, following members’ wishes at the last meeting.
The plant sale early in the season was a huge success with a cheque for £200 being sent to Velindre Cancer Research. The shop had enjoyed good sales with little stock having to be written off.
However, some sadness’s were encountered in the loss of a number of character allotmenteers in the form of Amando Cugno, Graham Westlake and Mrs Lam. The fun day was cancelled as a mark of respect to Mrs Lam whose funeral was on the following Monday. Undoubtedly the site would be a sadder place without them.
The future sees a number of projects in the pipeline, which are possible with Section 106 monies, namely possible water pipe provision, security cameras at the new gates, possible extra road resurfacing and a new portacabin combining an office and kitchen.
6. TREASURER’S REPORT
Wayne presented the accounts for the year which had been audited and submitted to the Council at
the appropriate time. Whilst individual copies were not available, but could be on request to Wayne, the account ledgers were available for members’ viewing. The figures were as follows:
Number 1 Account (shop account):
Carried forward £4,070.69
Income £3,438.40
Sub-total £7,509.09
Expenditure £3,850.39
Closing balance £3,658.70
Number 2 Account (Council rent, Section 106, etc):
Carried forward £10,669.84
Council grant (rents) £ 7,314.65
Section 106 monies £12,500.00
Sub-total £29,484.49
Expenditure £14,502.45
Closing balance £19,982.04
In addition to the above, the stock in the shop was valued at £1.414.16 and key deposits to £1,250.
Questions raised were answered to the satisfaction of members.
7. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The existing officers and Committee had indicated their agreement to remain as members for the forthcoming year. Accordingly, and with the approval of those present, the following were elected for the period until the next AGM:
Chair – Carol-Anne Davies; Site Secretary – Steve Watkeys; Treasurer – Wayne Jennings; Members – Nigel Bevan, Wendy Hill, David Horwood, Bef Khoshnevis, Fanwell Tandy, Paul Sullivan, Carlin Underhill, James Rides and Mitchell Young.
There being no further business relating to the Annual General Meeting the Chairman closed the meeting and invited those present to ask any questions relating to the site which they wished to raise:
- Whilst the new inner gates considerably helped with security, there was some difficulty in locking the gates because of the amount of room for “hands” to perform the operation. Steve acknowledged this and would liaise with the installer to see if this could be rectified;
- was all the delivered (free) woodchip suitable for adding to growing areas? It was explained that some woodchip was better than others, eg the woodchip from conifers should not be added to growing areas but used for paths and other non-growing jobs;
- What was happening with the beehive area? Two of the allotmenteers interested in keeping bees had given up their plots whilst the third was happy to wait until others expressed an interest to assist with the workload entailed;
- quite a number of plots would benefit from topsoil to help with drainage and general growing. Was this something that Section 106 could help with? Top soil to the site, in the large quantities that would be required, could not be delivered to the site without the permission and approval (of the soil) by the council (Allotments Officer). The Council would require such a delivery to be tested by its soil experts prior to delivery on each occasion a load was ordered. Payment for the scientists work, as well as the testing, would be required via the site’s finances. This would be kept in mind for the future.