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Sunflowers by the High Road gate earlier in 2021
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Happy New Year!
Friends of Cherry Tree Wood AGM
A happy New Year to everyone. Lets hope we move on to pandemic free times in 2022.
Our AGM is coming up. Tuesday 11th January starting at 7pm. It will be on zoom. Joining details below.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/97109180129?pwd=Q3pLMW5Nc2VqOWpteU5lcCsvZjl3Zz09
Meeting ID: 971 0918 0129
Passcode: DG3Sr7
Agenda
- Apologies for absence
- Minutes of last AGM - See below
- Matters arising
- Chairs report on activities in 2021
- Secretaries Report
- Treasurers report and agree accounts;
- Officer elections:
- Chair
- Vice Chair
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Other Executive Committee members – up to 4 members
- What next – Activities in 2022
- Dates of general meetings for 2022:
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Our Orchard apples. Very tasty.
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Updates
As ever a number of things are happening in and around the wood. On Monday 10th January the Finchley and Golders Green residents Committee will be considering our petition to extend Cherry Tree Wood into the tarmac area on the High Road side. We are hopeful that the Council will support the proposal and will report back next Tuesday at the AGM. No news as yet on the Sub station site development. We will update people when we hear anything.
I want to say a big thank you to Debbie, Andras, Nigel and Nadia for the ongoing work they are doing to support the Friends and keep it going over lat year. A big thank you also to Kate and the gardeners for the brilliant work they are doing. We obtained 5 saplings from the Barnet Multifaith forum in memory of the victims of Covid. We planted these in the area where the pavilion used to be.
Numerous others are contributing substantially to help protect and manage the wood including the playground group - we hope to hear at the end of January if we have been successful in obtaining funding for some new pieces of play equipment in the playground. The drainage group have done sterling work on surveying the existing drainage and lobbying the Council about this issue. It is slow work but we will continue to plug away (pun intended) until we achieve some resolution. Rats have been an ongoing problem. I believe traps are being deployed by Barnet - I certainly found an empty one in recent weeks.
What is coming up? The gardeners will carry on developing the wildflower meadow in the middle of the Orchard as well as planting up the areas we look after throughout the year. Another 30 saplings will be with us in March to plant where the old bench on the putting green area used to be. We will be getting a new plum tree for the orchard as the existing plumcot appears to be missing a cross pollinator to enable it to bear fruit. We will be joining in with the East Finchley Pollinator project which aims to promote more flowers and insect pollinators across East Finchley. Details are in the January Archer. A zoom meeting to discuss the project is on 31st January. If you are interested drop an email to efpollinators@gmail.com
We will be starting up our regular litter picks - but with a difference. We aim to extend their purpose to include general maintenance tasks as well including things like gate painting - we have the paint - tidying up around benches, cleaning out the playground and other general maintenance tasks to improve the look of the Wood. We will be kicking off with a deep cleanse of the Wood in February when the undergrowth should be at its minimum and hopefully we will disturb the least number of birds and animals.
One new area of activity I'd like to develop in 2022 is plant, insect, bird and mammal recording on a systematic basis so that we have a good 'scientific' baseline to help us improve the wildlife potential of the wood. If you might be interested in this or know anyone who could help us do let me know. friendsofcherrytreewood@gmail.com
The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is for everyone, whether you're a complete beginner or a birding expert. Simply count the birds you see in your garden, from your balcony or in your local park for one hour between 28 and 30 January 2022. I'll be in Cherry Tree Wood counting birds between 11am - 12 noon on Sunday 30th January.If you want to join me meet at the Summerlee Avenue gate notice board at 10.55am.
Finally a big thanks to the two Sharons who have done such a great job in the new cafe. it is like a breath of fresh air having the cafe open again and they have made it into a key hub for the Wood.
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Friends of Cherry Tree Wood Registered Charity No. 1060923
MINUTES – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Tuesday 12th January 2021 on Zoom
Present Roger Chapman (Chairman), Andras Szabo (Vice Chairman), Nigel Linton (Treasurer), Debbie Linton (Secretary), Kate Brown, John Attree, Jane Howard, Mary Poulter, Jeffrey Poulter, John Smedley, Harriet Copperman, Pauline Crilly, David Attfield, Ian Cormack, Diane Johnson, Alan Ereira, Suzanne King, Aron Lewis, Denise Hosking, Alan Davis, Debbie Singer, Jane Gaber, Jo Longville, Liz Smedley, Liz Santry, Sara (BGL), Jan Harrison and Sarah Humphreys,
Apologies Cllr Alison Moore, Green Space Officer Martin Thompson, Peter Hale.
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- Introduction and welcome
The meeting opened with a welcome and introductions. Apologies from Cllr Alison Moore and Peter Hale.
- Minutes of last AGM
The minutes from the last AGM on 14th January 2020 were ratified.
- Matters Arising
No specific matters arising with any particular further issues to be discussed during the meeting.
- Chairs Report on Activities in 2020
Despite the outbreak of coronavirus and the subsequent lockdowns it was felt the Friends of Cherry Tree Wood had achieved much during the year. The wood had experienced a heavier footfall due to the circumstances and it was welcome to see so many utilising it. There had been a few problems, for example, litter issues. However, people had taken on litter-picking activities on an individual basis (some borrowing equipment from the Friends) and the Council did get on top of things. Thanks was given to everyone who had watered the new orchard during the summer. Thanks was also given to the new gardening group who had made improvements near the entrances, kiosk flower beds and the old pavilion area (which had been demolished early on in 2020). In total 4000 bulbs had been planted.
In October a successful bid had been made by the Friends for nearly £20,000 Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding. This was very much welcomed. An update was given on how the money would be spent (as outlined in the Friends October and December newsletters). This included amongst other things planned improvements to the flower beds by the kiosk, new litter bins, a small pathway beside the playground and a new noticeboard. In addition, in the last week the Friends had learned that the basketball and tennis courts are to be rebuilt early in 2021, a Council investment of approximately £130,000. This was also very much welcomed. It was noted that the improvements will involve some disruption during the works and further updates will be provided when there are more details.
Overall it was felt that 2020 had been a good year for the Friends group, with much progress and growing involvement of the community, as shown by the numbers attending the AGM meeting.
- Secretaries Report
Nothing further to report nor from the Vice Chair.
- Treasurers Report and agree accounts
The treasurer went through the accounts for the year ending 31st March 2020. There had been a total income of just under £1900. This included £105 from the stall at the East Finchley Festival in 2019 and a grant of £1750 for participating on the Community Engagement and Co Management Green Space Project. Total expenditure on various activities came to just over £600. This left a net surplus of £1237 with a cash balance of just under £4000 at the end of that financial year. Subsequently a further grant of £2000 had been received from the above community engagement project. It was highlighted that the near £20,000 CIL grant received in 2020 is held and managed by the Council and has been allocated to projects specified by the Friends. Thus these funds will not appear in the Friends accounts next year. This had the added benefit of not paying VAT on works done. The Treasurers report was ratified and will be filed. It was also agreed that membership for the charity remain at zero charge to members. Funds were to continue to be obtained via other means, for example, grants and fundraising initiatives.
- Officers nominations were agreed again as:
- – Roger Chapman
- Vice Chair – Andras Szabo
- Secretary – Debbie Linton
- Treasurer – Nigel Linton
- Other Executive Committee members – no offers at this stage, people to get in touch if so.
- What Next? Activities for 2021, including a contribution from a Barnet Council representative.
Martin Thompson had sent apologies. With regret it was announced that he would be leaving. The Friends had built up a good relationship with him and he had been extremely supportive in many areas, including in the Friends securing the CIL funds and the funds for the tennis and basketball courts. It was felt that the green space team was under increasing pressure with reduced resources. It was hoped that since Martin lived in the local area he would maintain contact and a vote of thanks was raised.
For the remainder of the meeting the Chair summarised aims for the year ahead drawing from the 2020 Activity Plan. Many aspects related to changes in the wood over the next few months due to the CIL funding.
The new noticeboard will require active maintenance. Any input from the community in terms of graphic design expertise or information on the wood was much appreciated. The flower beds by the kiosk were due to be upgraded. Also planned was a temporary fencing around the new orchard, so that a new lavender hedge and wildflower meadow could establish.
There were plans to work more closely with GoodGym, for example, painting entrance gates to the wood. The old pavilion area would benefit from the bulbs planted in the spring and at the same site a small area has been set aside for willow planting. These will be used for basket weaving and natural hedges in the wood.
It was felt that it will be difficult to continue with monthly litter-picks whilst covid restrictions remain in place but that the community can continue to do so on an individual basis. It was felt unlikely that the East Finchley festival would go ahead in 2021. However, there was enthusiasm for the Friends to hold its own event in the wood when possible. It was also hoped to have more talks on the history and ecology of the wood and other events later in the year. There were plans to work with local schools; the Archer Academy on citizen science projects and the Martin Infant School was helping establish a KS2 nature trail using the CILS funding.
It was felt that the refurbishment of the basketball and tennis courts will be one of the most major works during the year ahead. Leader of a local basketball group Kevin Lukau was thanked as the group had been instrumental in highlighting problems to the Council. It was updated that the Friends will liaise with the Council and the contractors as much as possible during the works. There will be some disruption with Summerlee Avenue being the main entrance point and that in the short term some grass areas will be affected. People should get in touch with the Friends via email or social media if any in particular problem arises.
Comments on any issues were welcomed by the Chair and were discussed for the remainder of the meeting. It was confirmed that forest school via Monkey Puzzle nursery will still to go ahead and is agreed with the Council. It was updated that the Council has been liaising with a new tenant for the kiosk over the past two months. It is hopefully very close to being let and is going through lengthy legal processes. Thanks were given to local school boy Justin who had been carrying out weekly litter picks as part of his Duke of Edinburgh scheme. Other volunteers along these lines were very much welcomed. Also thanked was a Crouch End walking group who had been litter picking in cherry tree wood and various other green spaces. It was updated that the Council has provided keys for a cupboard in the ladies toilets for the Friends to securely store tools. However, there are some access issues when the toilets remain locked. Concerns were raised about a metal bar missing from the gate at the Fordington Road entrance (enabling entry into the wood at night).
- It was updated that this had been raised with the Council – Roger/John to check if it has now been fixed.
The issue of poor drainage was raised, noting that in the past it had been very much better. It was noted that builders had previously dealt with water leakage in the kiosk, during these works it was identified that the drains were blocked with silt. It was felt that the drains are not maintained and that this is a major issue for Cherry Tree Wood .
- The Friends hope to raise this with the Council and focus on this issue moving forward.
It was updated that the Council did not pursue the ongoing issue of stopping the locking of parks at night. Cherry Tree Wood would be included in phase three of the Council report, however, phase two was yet to be discussed. As such the wood remains a locked park at night, the gates should be opened near sunrise and sunset each day. The Friends are keeping an eye on the issue and will raise it with the Head of Green Spaces at the forthcoming Barnet Green Spaces Network meeting on 19th January.
Details about the conservationist David Bevan were provided again and it was updated that the postponed botanical survey on the wood should go ahead in 2021.
- In the meantime details of his YouTube video for the London Natural History Society on ancient woodland in north London would be provided in the next Friends newsletter. Here it is as well
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Lastly it was updated that three new (Barnet approved) double bins will be installed shortly along the main path. An existing bin will also be moved near the bench by the railway line. Rather than install new bins it was discussed that some green spaces are encouraging visitors to bring less rubbish or to take it home. It was also noted that the Council should be making an effort to recycle rubbish in green spaces.
Spending from the Friends own funds agreed for the year ahead:
- New high visibility jackets with the Friends of Cherry Tree Wood logo.
- New tools for gardening group.
- Perhaps new bench by orchard area.
- Lavender hedge around the orchard.
- Funds for potential educational events (e.g. bird and bat box making).
- Paint and Car Wax for the three entrance gates.
- Graffiti removal products.
- Botanical survey by David Bevan (as agreed at the last AGM).
- Materials for updating the new noticeboard.
- Monthly The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) handbook.
- Any further ideas people should get in touch with the Friends directly.
- Dates of general meetings for 2021
The Friends Committee were thanked again for their efforts over the past year and everyone was thanked for attending the meeting. The 2021 meeting dates are:
- Tuesday 16th March 7pm
- Tuesday 15th June 7pm
- Tuesday 5th October 7pm
- Tuesday 11th January 2021 7pm
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