Minutes of Allotments Stockport AGM 2017

Introduction by Chairman Mark Shaw

Chair – Address and Agenda

Welcome to everybody

Informed the group that Patricia Scott resigned unexpectedly, recognition and thanks expressed for all her hard work.- with hindsight more assistance will be offered in that role in the future.
Informed the group that the treasurer Bill Curtis will be retiring
2017 should see a new expanded committee with a purpose to improve allotments in Stockport. We intend to continue discussions with SMBC

Last years AGM minutes were approved by Steve and Amanda Evans and seconded by Jeff Bohan

Apologies for absence – Roger and Fay Bravey, Deborah Beckett, Jeff Bohan

MATTERS ARISING

We received assurance from Councillor Sheila Bailey that there are no allotments in Stockport that require redevelopment. However new elected councillors may change these policies. The KKP report appears to have been lost. 400 green spaces were visited by KKP (a big team) but we can only assume that they only sampled some and not all sites.
This was proposed by Richard King and seconded by John Besh

Officers reports – we have not had a secretary for over 6 months, so there is no secretary report.

TREASURERS REPORT (Bill
)
Total income £4,500.00
Expenditure £4,710.00
Net surplus of income over expenditure is £709.00. We didn’t get as much as expected in donations and expenses were up slightly. Currently have capital of 13,724, made up of Current Account £8,400.00 and Business Account 288. We have been audited by Stephen Willcox.
John and Ian Gardiner propose approval to the accounts

ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

3 OFFICERS NEED TO BE ELECTED; Chair, Secretary, Treasurer. Mark Shaw proposes to stand again in2017 as Chair – vote taken – Mark Shaw is voted in as 2017 Chair. Fabian Guyot has volunteered as Secretary for 2017 – Sandy Palmer from Green Lane has offered her assistance. Vote taken – Fabian Guyot is voted in as Secretary. Bee Gallagher has volunteered to be treasurer. Vote taken – Bee Gallagher is voted in to be 2017 Treasurer.
No minimum requirement for number of people on management committee so Mark Shaw suggests that there are as many as possible….. i.e Deputy Roles, etc
People that have volunteered Sandy Palmer, Deborah Becket, Ruth Lomax, Robin West, John
Grimshaw, John Gare, Anne Hosker, also re-standing is Roger Bravey, Ian Gardiner
Mark Shaw expressed thanks to the great assistance that Steve and Amanda Evans contribute to the committee and asked if they could carry on coming to the meetings and to continue their research on constitutions. Amanda and Steven Evans are voted in to perform these roles.

The next meeting is to be as soon as possible where it will be discussed how the member roles will be managed in future. Group are due to meet with the council in April.

Final item on Agenda – any business or proposition submitted a member or members before this meeting – there were none received
Member asks Chairman a question – do any of the allotment associations have any corporate identity…..like we are going for a cooperation ‘Allotment Stockport’ Do any of your associations have any sort of company agreements that they behold?
Chair answers that most will be set up by unincorporated associations, there are sites around the country that are set up as limited companies usually by guarantee but I am not aware of any in Stockport.

Chair – we had a meeting regarding rules and disciplinary, which some of you here and myself attended. We have drawn up some draft proposals for disciplinary. The next step is to have a look at those and get them out to the associations to have a look at and I also want to review them with the council as well. we will have a meeting with the council to do that. John Grimshaw looked at Health and Safety and we have a substantial document for that. I think that we will make significant progress taking over the management of allotments within Stockport

Chair declares formal AGM meeting has finished.