HAWKESBURY UPTON HALL COMMITTEE
Minutes of Meeting held on Monday 10th
February 2020 7.45pm
Present
Chris Rispin Angelo
Sauro Bill Cullen Phil Dennett Pat Sherry
Neil Fozard Carol Powell Amy Barnfield Martin Horner Jackie Sandy Karen Bexter Louise Roberts Sam Allen
Jane Stanbridge
Vicky Rispin (taking the minutes)
Apologies
for Absence
Mandy Clark, Fiona Steeds, Kate
Bashford, Hilary Rogers
Minutes of the Last Meeting
Carol Powell asked that her comment “…. will have funds …”
should be altered to “…..may have funds…..”
The remaining minutes were agreed as a true record, and signed by the
Chairman
PROJECTS
:
Play Area – Grand opening planned for 23/2/20.
Sue Hope has agreed to cut the ribbon. Invitation was sent to all village
groups that in some way contributed to the successful building of the Play park.
Everyone in the village is welcome. There will be a walk through to check final
construct before the opening. Tim Watts has agreed to fund and construct a
‘Teen Shelter’. Thanks were given to
John Walker for donation of turf and for help in laying it. Jackie asked if
CCTV would cover the play park - but no current plans or budget - to do
so. Dog Show and Christmas Shopping
Evening booked again to raise funds for maintenance of the play area.
Area between oil tank and Pre-school playhouse – Louise and
Emma Edwards have
worked together to produce a planting scheme for this area. Youth Club to build
a bug hotel, Hawkesbury School Gardening Club to create wig-wam pyramids for sweet
peas. A memorial bench was proposed but as the site is North facing and next to
the oil tank, it may not be a suitable position. Budget available has to be discussed, money
passed on from HURG and Hawkesbury Gardening Club to be used. There seems to be
bindweed growing in that area which needs to be removed as soon as possible.
Area between shed and Pre-school
playhouse – development
to be discussed by the Show Committee at their meeting on 11/2/20
STRATEGIC CHANGES TO THE OPERATION OF
THE HALL:
Approx £60,000 is required to provide a
number of items including a fence at the bottom of the rec. and in front of the
fallen-down stone wall between the Roberts’ field and the rec. The Deeds are
still lost so still do not know who owns what? A small action group is
required, including the Parish Council if necessary, to work on the strategic
operation of the Hall for a sustainable future.
Admin
proposals:
Chris has
some ideas regarding clear notices and signs at the car park entrance, wording
something like, “This is a private car park……..” A list of proposed signs and
wording to be circulated……………………….. Action: Chris
Succession:
Kate and Jane have put out an
advert on Facebook to attract new volunteers to help run the hall.
FINANCE:
Treasurer’s
Report – The true
picture of the monthly accounts is distorted due to the large sums in and out
mostly due to Play Park grants and payments. Bill was asked by the bank if he
required a transaction history of the second bank account that had recently
been closed – he replied in the affirmative
Parish
Council Report - Requests for funds to cover ongoing
issues e.g. resurfacing the car park, has been discussed at the Parish Council
meeting and we await the outcome of the discussions. 10 Bird Cherry, Prunus padus, bare rooted saplings
are to be donated by the Parish Council to Hawkesbury Hall - AS, NF and CR
to meet and agree locations (Research
shows that these trees can grow to 10m - 15m high so siting needs to be thought
out carefully. The
foliage is toxic to livestock,
particularly goats and the bark emits an unpleasant, acrid odour. Bird cherry is susceptible to bacterial
cankers, which can disfigure and occasionally kill infected trees. The
plants are good for insect pollinators, ideal for hedging and grow well on
chalky soil)
INCOME:
Bookings
– Jackie is chasing late payers for hall bookings. She says wording concerning
charging is confusing on the booking form. Needs clarification……………………………..……………Action
Bill and Jackie
Car
Parking Fees – Neil collected £14.59 this month.
Grants:
Jane Stanbridge reported that no grant has been applied for since last meeting
Big
Breakfast - Sunday 1st March: Adverts to go out into the March Parish News. Kate
in the shop to cook the bacon, Fiona Steeds to coordinate cooking of sausages.
Raffle prizes to Carol. It was noted that the mugs must all be scoured before
the day as they were being put away in quite a stained condition.
VE75
celebration event - Friday 8th May: Music in the afternoon, bring own picnic, no charge
for this event, organisations in the village to be asked whether they would
like to have a stall outside on the grass, to add interest to the event. No-one
at the meeting volunteered a stall or to run a raffle. PA system required –
Barrie Hope was suggested. Debbie
Young’s father to produce a calligraphy poster to donate to the village hall.
Evening event: Music and dancing in the hall, ticket price to be kept low - £10
– and looking to provide food to buy, if people want. Jane Stanbridge
volunteered to co-ordinate the bar and food. Does the hall insurance cover
their event? – not unless the Hall organise the event. Information about pulled
pork baps to be investigated ……Action:
Vicky
Hall
fund raiser: Louise has
booked the hall and a Gypsy Jazz group as a hall fundraiser. Bar and raffle
profits to the Hall
MAINTENANCE:
Painting:
Volunteers were asked to complete
painting in the Hall
Hedge
laying: Cotswolds
Wardens have nearly completed the perimeter hedge trimming and laying. Thanks
to Neil Fozard and the team. They require more bare rooted plants to fill in
certain areas and estimate the cost to be £133.
Louise Roberts said that they may be able to apply to the Woodland Trust
for trees……………………………………………………………………………………………………….……Action: Neil
RISK
ASSESSMENT: Nothing to
report
HEALTH
& SAFETY:
Pre-school
– a serious
incident took place earlier today where a pre-school child managed to open the
child gate in the toilets’ corridor, open the rear fire door at the end of that
corridor and gain access to the field. The fire door closed behind the child
and they were shut out for a period of time, to be found by a member of the
public and returned, safely. Parents and OFSTED have been informed. Pre-school
asked for an urgent installment of alarms on the fire door at the end of the
toilet corridor and the exit from the kitchen. Pre-school were prepared to pay
for the alarms……………..…..Action:
Angelo
Emergency/
Lighting/Fire Bells – Chris checked emergency lighting and fire
bell. Play area outside light not working.
Christmas lights (“Lee’s Lights”):
The lights stopped working after a few weeks – water had got in. Andy Warner
organizes the putting up and taking down of the lights and he will arrange
replacements
ANY
OTHER BUSINESS:
Bin
collecting day - Bill received
a phone call regarding changes to the day of bin collecting
Date
of Next Meeting
The date of the next meeting will be 9th
March at 7.45pm
There being no further business the
meeting closed at 9.55pm.