Meeting of Trustees held on Monday 6th January 2025 in the Community Hall
Minutes
Present:
Tracy Beynon (Chair) Theresa Painting (Secretary) Kathy Talbot (Treasurer), Gwyneth Beynon, Sian Beynon, Amanda Cresswell, Jenny Oliver, Mark Taylor, Jill Thomas, Cliff Williams,
Apologies:
Julie Burgess
Minutes:
The minutes of the meeting held on 02 December 2024, which had been circulated previously, were approved and signed by The Chair.
Treasurer’s Report:
The following report from Kathy had been circulated before the meeting:
As we reach the end of the year our bank balance stands at £10,777 and we have £339 in cash. Income came from bookings as well as the quiz and bar. I attach a copy of the draft accounts for 2024. You will see the Association made a small loss overall of £422 compared to a loss in 2023 of £361. Preseli Pete earned us £554 net and without that event our loss would be nearly £1,000. You will recall that the budget presented and agreed at our last meeting showed a loss for the Hall of £1600 but no events or special bookings were included. It is evident that we must organise fund raising events to ensure a sustainable future.
I am pleased to confirm that we have updated the signatories for the CAF Bank, they are now myself, Sian, Tracy and Theresa. Tracy and I are the joint signatories for the on-line banking.
With the Trustees agreement we will pay the following Honoraria for 2025. Chair, £25, Secretary £25, Treasurer £25 and Bar administrator £100. These amounts are unlikely to cover all expenses, so I would encourage everyone to claim if they spend money on behalf of the Association.
Community Hall:
Maintenance items
Boiler service – Tracy has contacted Navian to book the service – awaiting call back.
Trees and side fence at the hall to be maintained.
Bar flooring to be replaced. £50 budget. Sian and Gwyneth have already spoken to some companies for prices – Mark may have some flooring that we could use.
Hall bookings:
This month:
Dynamix Dance have taken January off due to the teacher having an operation. They will return on 5th February.
Future bookings:
Choir and Cawl evening Saturday 1st March 2025 –
Children’s party 8th March 2025 10.30 am – 2.30 pm
VE Day – 8th May (Thursday) ideas from Trustees by next meeting – Guide attached to this email.
30th Birthday party booking for 30th August 2025
Future Events:
Quiz nights
We need quizmasters from April onwards – August and Christmas are booked.
Fundraising events
Choir and cawl evening - Neyland Ladies choir as entertainment - £5 for adults and £3 for children. Volunteers to make cawl and Welsh cakes. 6pm start cawl, choir start at 7pm. Bar will be open.
Pre-Loved items sale – Easter time, £5 per table. Date to be arranged.
Curry night – October/November time pre booked meals with tickets, naan breads and poppadom’s included quiz after the meal.
Bingo nights – July/August Sponsorship from local business for bingo. Tracy to arrange.
September/October – Band night suggestion of Western Shires country band make it a country night and serve burger and a pint or soft drink with each ticket.
https://www.facebook.com/TheWesternShires Tracy to get price and look at layout of tables at the hall.
Jubilee Park/Hainey Moor
The following report from Kathy was circulated before the meeting:
Doug McIntosh has provided the following update on the work required and carried out in the Jubilee Park in December.
“The latter part of '24 was a 'challenging' time in the park. Extraordinarily heavy rain and gales caused significant damage to paths and, indeed blew the safe surfacing clean off the play area - see pics! However, I am pleased to say that with the help of the Pembrokeshire College crew and the GHI's we got on top of most of this. EWCC has engaged a contractor to carry out some significant drainage work which, it is hoped will make a huge difference in coming years.
This whole weather issue did, however delay our annual autumn ground clearance and we are now faced with a bit of a race against time to get the brambles etc knocked back before the spring flowers appear - and are obscured!
Basically, the next couple of months will entail ground clearance, coppicing, tree management etc until we have to pull off for the nesting season. We will then be looking at completing the work to the Three-Cornered Field and doing some bridgebuilding on the Green Welly Trails.”
As the New Year starts Doug is proposing to invite officers from PCNPA back for a second tour of inspection and a discussion of any possible ways in which the authority could help JP - JE advice, working parties or minor grant aid. We will circulate the date once it is known so that any members of EWCHA who wish to attend can do so.
Land owned by EWCHA which incorporates Jubilee Park and Hainey Moor
We agreed at the last meeting to clarify the situation regarding maintenance of the land owned by the Association. As previously discussed, the Association owns the area known as Hainey Moor and also Jubilee Park, the latter being leased to the East Williamston Community Council. The Association therefore retains the long-term responsibility for both areas.
Acceptance by the National Forest of Wales covers both areas. The application to them was made some time ago and is a credit to the nature of the land we own and the quality of its maintenance. The details were circulated in December and there is no cost to the EWCHA. In the short-term notice board (s) will be provided free of charge. It is a vehicle to publicise the Association, raise the profile and encourage users to support us. It will also be essential in supporting any application for grant funding. Another piece of good news is that the Jubilee Park has again been granted the Green Flag award.
Maintenance of the Jubilee Park remains currently with EWCC under the lease which expires in some 10 years. The Association is responsible for the maintenance of Hainey Moor. The planning permission granted was for “change of use from agricultural use to public amenity use so that the land can be incorporated into the existing Jubilee Park and Nature Trail”. The area has been registered with Fields in Trust since October 2018. There are several clauses in the Deed of Dedication which include that the Association does not “permit the property to be used for any purpose other than as a nature reserve, public playing field and recreation ground”.
The obligations regarding the maintenance of the hedges surrounding and within the area are varied. It is required to maintain the roadside hedge so that it does not affect the road. The Wildlife Trusts around the country recommend yearly trimming in order to encourage the hedge to 'bush' and once established it should be laid! These actions encourage nesting birds and provide refuges for wildlife in general. We have received an estimate of £363 to carry out the work in autumn 2025 in Hainey Moor – which is the same cost as for 2024. It would seem in the best interests of complying with commitments and of retaining the support of the National Forest of Wales and Green Flag that the hedges are regularly trimmed. As and when definite plans are developed for a sustainable future, we will be well prepared to move forward.
It was discussed and agreed at the meeting that the roadside hedge at Hainey Moor would be cut/maintained.
Any other business:
Spare Notice board – with Doug at present. Kathy to contact Doug regarding the board and trustees will decide what to do with it.
Sian thanked everyone for the gift she received for all her hard work.
New trustees – We have had proposals for new three trustees Theresa to invite them to the next meeting.
Friends of the hall – Tracy to promote WhatsApp group on social media
Next Meeting:
The next trustees’ meeting will be 3rd February 2025 at 7.00 pm.
Present:
Tracy Beynon (Chair) Theresa Painting (Secretary) Kathy Talbot (Treasurer), Gwyneth Beynon, Sian Beynon, Amanda Cresswell, Jenny Oliver, Mark Taylor, Jill Thomas, Cliff Williams,
Apologies:
Julie Burgess
Minutes:
The minutes of the meeting held on 02 December 2024, which had been circulated previously, were approved and signed by The Chair.
Treasurer’s Report:
The following report from Kathy had been circulated before the meeting:
As we reach the end of the year our bank balance stands at £10,777 and we have £339 in cash. Income came from bookings as well as the quiz and bar. I attach a copy of the draft accounts for 2024. You will see the Association made a small loss overall of £422 compared to a loss in 2023 of £361. Preseli Pete earned us £554 net and without that event our loss would be nearly £1,000. You will recall that the budget presented and agreed at our last meeting showed a loss for the Hall of £1600 but no events or special bookings were included. It is evident that we must organise fund raising events to ensure a sustainable future.
I am pleased to confirm that we have updated the signatories for the CAF Bank, they are now myself, Sian, Tracy and Theresa. Tracy and I are the joint signatories for the on-line banking.
With the Trustees agreement we will pay the following Honoraria for 2025. Chair, £25, Secretary £25, Treasurer £25 and Bar administrator £100. These amounts are unlikely to cover all expenses, so I would encourage everyone to claim if they spend money on behalf of the Association.
Community Hall:
Maintenance items
Boiler service – Tracy has contacted Navian to book the service – awaiting call back.
Trees and side fence at the hall to be maintained.
Bar flooring to be replaced. £50 budget. Sian and Gwyneth have already spoken to some companies for prices – Mark may have some flooring that we could use.
Hall bookings:
This month:
Dynamix Dance have taken January off due to the teacher having an operation. They will return on 5th February.
Future bookings:
Choir and Cawl evening Saturday 1st March 2025 –
Children’s party 8th March 2025 10.30 am – 2.30 pm
VE Day – 8th May (Thursday) ideas from Trustees by next meeting – Guide attached to this email.
30th Birthday party booking for 30th August 2025
Future Events:
Quiz nights
We need quizmasters from April onwards – August and Christmas are booked.
Fundraising events
Choir and cawl evening - Neyland Ladies choir as entertainment - £5 for adults and £3 for children. Volunteers to make cawl and Welsh cakes. 6pm start cawl, choir start at 7pm. Bar will be open.
Pre-Loved items sale – Easter time, £5 per table. Date to be arranged.
Curry night – October/November time pre booked meals with tickets, naan breads and poppadom’s included quiz after the meal.
Bingo nights – July/August Sponsorship from local business for bingo. Tracy to arrange.
September/October – Band night suggestion of Western Shires country band make it a country night and serve burger and a pint or soft drink with each ticket.
https://www.facebook.com/TheWesternShires Tracy to get price and look at layout of tables at the hall.
Jubilee Park/Hainey Moor
The following report from Kathy was circulated before the meeting:
Doug McIntosh has provided the following update on the work required and carried out in the Jubilee Park in December.
“The latter part of '24 was a 'challenging' time in the park. Extraordinarily heavy rain and gales caused significant damage to paths and, indeed blew the safe surfacing clean off the play area - see pics! However, I am pleased to say that with the help of the Pembrokeshire College crew and the GHI's we got on top of most of this. EWCC has engaged a contractor to carry out some significant drainage work which, it is hoped will make a huge difference in coming years.
This whole weather issue did, however delay our annual autumn ground clearance and we are now faced with a bit of a race against time to get the brambles etc knocked back before the spring flowers appear - and are obscured!
Basically, the next couple of months will entail ground clearance, coppicing, tree management etc until we have to pull off for the nesting season. We will then be looking at completing the work to the Three-Cornered Field and doing some bridgebuilding on the Green Welly Trails.”
As the New Year starts Doug is proposing to invite officers from PCNPA back for a second tour of inspection and a discussion of any possible ways in which the authority could help JP - JE advice, working parties or minor grant aid. We will circulate the date once it is known so that any members of EWCHA who wish to attend can do so.
Land owned by EWCHA which incorporates Jubilee Park and Hainey Moor
We agreed at the last meeting to clarify the situation regarding maintenance of the land owned by the Association. As previously discussed, the Association owns the area known as Hainey Moor and also Jubilee Park, the latter being leased to the East Williamston Community Council. The Association therefore retains the long-term responsibility for both areas.
Acceptance by the National Forest of Wales covers both areas. The application to them was made some time ago and is a credit to the nature of the land we own and the quality of its maintenance. The details were circulated in December and there is no cost to the EWCHA. In the short-term notice board (s) will be provided free of charge. It is a vehicle to publicise the Association, raise the profile and encourage users to support us. It will also be essential in supporting any application for grant funding. Another piece of good news is that the Jubilee Park has again been granted the Green Flag award.
Maintenance of the Jubilee Park remains currently with EWCC under the lease which expires in some 10 years. The Association is responsible for the maintenance of Hainey Moor. The planning permission granted was for “change of use from agricultural use to public amenity use so that the land can be incorporated into the existing Jubilee Park and Nature Trail”. The area has been registered with Fields in Trust since October 2018. There are several clauses in the Deed of Dedication which include that the Association does not “permit the property to be used for any purpose other than as a nature reserve, public playing field and recreation ground”.
The obligations regarding the maintenance of the hedges surrounding and within the area are varied. It is required to maintain the roadside hedge so that it does not affect the road. The Wildlife Trusts around the country recommend yearly trimming in order to encourage the hedge to 'bush' and once established it should be laid! These actions encourage nesting birds and provide refuges for wildlife in general. We have received an estimate of £363 to carry out the work in autumn 2025 in Hainey Moor – which is the same cost as for 2024. It would seem in the best interests of complying with commitments and of retaining the support of the National Forest of Wales and Green Flag that the hedges are regularly trimmed. As and when definite plans are developed for a sustainable future, we will be well prepared to move forward.
It was discussed and agreed at the meeting that the roadside hedge at Hainey Moor would be cut/maintained.
Any other business:
Spare Notice board – with Doug at present. Kathy to contact Doug regarding the board and trustees will decide what to do with it.
Sian thanked everyone for the gift she received for all her hard work.
New trustees – We have had proposals for new three trustees Theresa to invite them to the next meeting.
Friends of the hall – Tracy to promote WhatsApp group on social media
Next Meeting:
The next trustees’ meeting will be 3rd February 2025 at 7.00 pm.
