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Natural Kirklees Online AGM 2020 - Minutes

Hi everyone,
I have been requested to republish last years minutes for your delectation ahead of tomorrows meeting
Hope to see as many of you as possible 
Ed

 

Natural Kirklees Annual General Meeting
7pm Thursday 19th November 2020 held on Zoom
 

Attendees Organisation
Tim Duke Chair Natural Kirklees
Ed Day Treasurer Natural Kirklees
Joan Vevers Secretary Natural Kirklees
Mary Kenworthy Trustee
Phil Slater Trustee
Peter Taylor Burton Environment Group and
  FO Storthes Hall Woods
Tim Scott Burton Environment Group
Dave Wilde Denby Dale Parish Council
David Rudd FO Beaumont Park
Julie Dempster FO Beaumont Park
Deborah Wyles FO Cliffe Rec
Rob Kersey FO Cliff House
Gill Young FO Crow Nest Park
Andrew O’Connor FO Dean Wood
Claire Hunter FO Earls Heaton Park
Pat Sheard FO Greenhead Park
Caz Goodwill FO Spen Beck/Dam
Win Harrison Holme Pride Community in Action
Steve Hemming Honley Village Community Trust
Bev Corrigan Kirklees Bridleways Group
Keith Hickling Royds Hall Allotment Association and
  Trinity & Greenhead Residents Ass
Andy Goff KC Parks & Green Spaces
Gill Logan KC Parks & Green Spaces
Julian Faulkner KC Parks & Green Spaces
Christine Sykes Mirfield in Bloom
Ruth Elliott Newsome Ward Community Forum
Gordon McMinn Ride Kirklees
Malvern Gibb Ride Kirklees
David Smith Stocksmoor Village Ass
Kate Akerman Wellhouse Community Village Green
 
Apologies Organisation
Karen Mayfield Ravensthorpe Residents Action Group
Andy Wickham KC Parks & Green Spaces
Christine Senior Trustee
Rebecca Hollis Wellhouse Community Village Green
Ken Gledhill Birkby Community Wildlife Garden
   
 
ITEM
Meeting Protocol
Ed opened the meeting with a review of protocol and apologised for the failure to provide virtual mince pies.
Minutes from AGM on 28th November 2019
Tim mentioned that Karen Mayfield had contracted Covid 19 and gave our best wishes for a full recovery.  Andy Wickham explained that he thought the meeting was an afternoon one as usual.  Claire Hunter FO Earls Heaton Park and Caz Goodwill FO Spen Beck/Dam are new members.  Tim said that it was nice to put a face to the name of Gill Logan Volunteer Co-ordinator for Huddersfield.  Tim thanked Julie Dempster of Beaumont Park for use of the Visitor Centre and the Zoom facility.  As there were no comments the minutes were taken as a fair copy.
Matter Arising
Tim met Jacqui Gedman at the opening of the Jo Cox Memorial Woodland and arranged to meet with her to bring her up to speed with Natural Kirklees. The meeting was cancelled due to Covid but will be re convened in the new year. He does meet with the VC’s on a regular basis and when possible meets with Rob Dalby. Seems to be working. People are still emailing info@naturalkirklees.org asking for or offering advice to members and the Skills register we set up last year is working well.
 
We have not been able to run an event (GGG2020) this year due to the restrictions but may be able to do something in 2021.
 
Julian Faulkner has temporarily taken over from Robert Whittaker as Parks Manager as Robert has been seconded to another section.
Trustees Annual Report
This was circulated before the meeting.  We continue to operate as an umbrella organisation and now have 113 group and associate members and 9 individual members.  Use of the tool store has been extended to associate members such as church and school groups.
 
We have been unable to meet in person this year, but we have co-opted one new Trustee.
 
We continue to work with River Holme Connections to assist with eradication of invasive plant species.  Our main objective at this time is to publicise restrictions pertaining to the Parks and Green spaces as advised by Kirklees Council.
 
The insurance scheme renewed again this year for the 72 member groups we currently have on board. The renewal was agreed at the same price again and a reduction of 50% on mid-term additions was negotiated. The scheme is still representing an annual saving of approximately £120 per year in costs for the member groups who are signed up.
 
The tool stores have had to close for the second time this year due to the lockdown situations. We have trialled a new system of bookings for the tool stores whereby an e mail appointment to collect and return tools is agreed. This has been working well and means that it is more flexible for members and operators alike. 
 
We have had the first round of small grants awarding 7 member groups funds to complete their projects.  Then the virus hit, which affected everyone and restricted what we could achieve.  The successful applicants were:
River Holme Connections - £500 biodiversity improvements and volunteer training.
Holme Pride Community in Action- £355 equipment for school children to grow and eat food from their allotment.
Birkby Community Wildlife Garden - £500 for an aluminium notice board.
East Bierley Preservation Ass - £150 to buy plants to improve the village for people and biodiversity.
Scissett Community Garden - £350 to continue work on their garden.  We have had good feedback from them.
Ravensthorpe Residents Action Group - £750 to improve the Childrens’ Forest with benches, plant shrubs and fruit trees.  Tim visited the project and there were 8-10 volunteers using tools from the store.  Local residents were available to continue to support the project.
Honley Community Village Trust - £724 for the creation of a temporary pond to alleviate seasonal flooding and support wildlife and biodiversity.
 
Reports in the Newsletter will keep you updated on these projects.  It is hoped there will be another scheme later next year. 
Treasurers Report
Ed explained that Mary has moved to the East coast, wished her all the best and thanked her for a smooth takeover.  The report and final accounts had been circulated prior to the meeting and Ed explained that we were in a good financial position.  He asked if there were any questions and as there were none the final accounts were accepted.
Appointment of Trustees
Following Mary’s move she has resigned as a trustee and we give her a huge vote of thanks for all her work.  Joan stood down as part of the rotation and offered herself for re election, Phil Slater was co-opted in July.  He has a lot of experience and will be a great asset.  As we have heard nothing to the contrary they are both elected.  Win was temporarily co-opted but he had too much on which is a pity because he would have been a very useful trustee. 
David Rudd has been nominated as a Trustee by Ed and seconded by Mary.  No objection was received so we welcome him as a member.  Phil said he was honoured to be asked to be a trustee.
Tim said that we have a good team at Natural Kirklees and we have achieved quite a few of our goals and will continue to do so.  We have had more attendees at this online meeting than last year.
 
Any Other Business
 
Andy G stated that from the Council’s perspective we comply with the current Council and Government regulations regarding Covid 19.  Tim has been asked by some groups if they can still keep doing some work.  As Natural Kirklees we have to comply with Kirklees we must follow their directives and pass this on to members.  We must all make sure Covid numbers go down.  We will be compliant.
 
Tim Scott Burton Environment Group: asked would things change on 2nd December but that is up to the government.  He also said that at their AGM, after a long association during which Kirklees and the community have benefited from the completion of projects in the area he decided to retire as Chairman.  Peter Taylor has agreed to become the new Chairman.
 
Win mentioned that he was trying to get young people involved with the community and asked if child sized pickers were available.  He also asked if a family could go into a park to litter pick.  A one household family could go for a walk and litter pick but not as part of any volunteer group.
 
Schools can be associate members and use the tool store, there is a standard form under the membership tag and schools can use the form to apply.  Someone mentioned that some parks would have locked cabinets with litter pickers.
 
Caz Goodwill asked about associate membership.  Red House Museum have asked for help to do some work in the garden.  Tim said as an associate member, the group would fit the criteria for the tool store but not the insurance.  You must be insured to work on Kirklees land.  Any work must be done by private individuals, but you may qualify for full membership.
 
Gill Young Crow Nest Park asked whether they could get some more information on volunteering during lockdown.
 
Ed’s stated that we have carried out a lot of work on the website and we want it to be a repository for knowledge and advice.  We will put information up but would like members to let us know what information members would like, e.g. specimen Health & Safety policies etc.  There are templates on the website, but we want to reorganise the information.  It would be helpful for Kirklees to produce a document covering safety of volunteers.  Birmingham City Council have information which Calms Wood used.  Gill Young said that it would be useful to have standard documents on the website.
 
Tim Duke said that this next year will be his last as Chair of NK.  He had agreed to do the job on a temporary basis and will remain a Trustee, but he thinks the Chair should be rotated.  Ed thanked Tim for all the time he has given and thanked everyone for attending and wished Mary good luck. 
 
Phil asked Mary about Facebook and she said she is still an administrator and will keep up with Facebook, but we are looking for someone to take over.  (Subsequent to the meeting David Rudd has offered to take this on) Mary will assist anyone who takes over on Facebook and Twitter to get the hang of using the systems.
 
Tim thanked everyone attending, the Trustees and Ed for his work on the website and as Treasurer.  The meeting closed looking towards 2021 when hopefully we can soon work together again.
 
Date Time and Venue of Next Meetings - To be Confirmed.

 

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