STORRINGTON & SULLINGTON COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
held on Thursday, 8th November, 2007
commencing at 7.00 p.m.
Present: Mr. P. Mackie, Chairman
D. Langdon, P. Comben, M. Rumble, Sgt. Lillywhite, F. Wilkinson
Ms. K. Lindgren, Mrs. J. Chapman, Mrs H. Walker
J. Bearman, Dr. J. Bailey, K. Collins, M. Bennett, L. Ampstead
C. Mason, J. Sanson, C. Carey, D. Norman, P. Herbertson
Mrs. S. Mackie, Mrs A. Ball
1. Introduction: Mr. Mackie explained that the Secretary (Mrs. J. Fella) had had to withdraw and that during the year the Partnership had lost a couple of people, namely Mr. N. Butler (District Councillor) who sadly passed away and Mr. Arthur Leaks who use to be involved with Transport and who also had died.
2. Approval of the Minutes of the Last A.G.M. These minutes were duly approved to be a correct record of those proceedings and were signed by the Chairman.
3. Report from the Treasurer. The accounts were presented on a receipts and payments basis for the past year and were separated into General Funds and Restrictive Funds. General Funds were used for the expenses of running the Partnership and were funded by H.D.C., with support from AirS. There had been a surplus of £45 as opposed to the previous year when there was a deficit of £625, therefore there was carried forward a deficit of £580, but this was a moving amount. Restrictive Funds were grants received, i.e., H.D.C., towards the football wall and paid to the Parish Council; W.S.C.C., Social and Caring Services for Befrienders and grant for the SPLASH project.
Unfortunately it had not been possible to have the accounts audited prior to this meeting because the Chartered Accountant was away. All the books and papers would be passed to him upon his return next week for his examination.
The accounts were duly NOTED.
4. Chairman’s and Key Area Leaders Reports. Mr. Mackie explained the purpose of the presentation. At the last meeting it had been felt sensible to concentrate on specific
key areas of the Action Plan, which they had done. He highlighted specific recent progress in the Social Concerns and Integration Key Area. Later he would outline the proposals for reformation of the Partnership into a Limited Company with charitable status and outline plans and budget requirements for the coming year :-
Communication - The quarterly News and the website;
Crime and Safety - Anti-social behaviour problems continued;
The Economy – STAG may leap off soon!!
Parking – New regime pending. Meadowside parking;
Public Transportation – Awaiting proper study;
Traffic Volume and Speed – Impasse;
Roads – High Street project starts in Spring, 2008;
Village Centre – Design study imminent;
The Environment – Riverside walk extension was go.
Social Concerns and Integration – they had been engaging with a large number of organizations and individuals who had been very supportive of their initiatives. There were three sections :-
The Forge House Project – to be a multi-purpose Village Centre Drop-in. After a search of four years for a suitable Village Centre location, they had been able to rent the ground floor of No. 3 Church Street. Two kinds of activities would be run from there, Families and Young Children’s Information Centre and encouraging different agencies to come together and collaborate in dealing with problems and offer advice (Multi-Agency Advice and Information Centre). This was being funded by Sure Start via the W.S.C.C’s Children’s and Young Persons Services. This would be operated by a contractor and managed by a group from the Partnership.
Support for the Elderly and Housebound – the Storrington and Sullington Befrienders Scheme had been running for a couple of years and is actively engaged with the medical centre, local nursing staff, housing associations, sheltered housing wardens and had identified the need and volunteers visit. Fifteen volunteers had been trained and twenty people had received visitors. This was trying to meet the needs of elderly people, providing social contact for people once a week who were on their own and this was appreciated by them and their families. They had produced and widely distributed a leaflet that provided information about services and activities available. There was in fact a lot in the village, but people did not always know about it. They had identified the gaps and weaknesses, amongst the many good schemes that were available they had identified a gap relating to shopping and also across Horsham District one of practical help for elderly people. There had been various volunteer schemes in the past for helping with gardening and odd jobs, but these had not been sustainable because there were never enough volunteers. They were looking at this matter with the District Council.
Transport – Mr. Bearman reported that since the Partnership started the numbers in this group had dwindled to one, therefore, due to other commitments, not a great deal had been achieved this year. He had looked at what services were available. There was an hourly service from Midhurst to Worthing and another hourly service from Pulborough, Storrington, Steyning and Henfield during the day together with a service to Horsham every two hours. It was, therefore, possible to get to places provided it was known when the buses ran. The other area looked at was how the villages around Storrington were served in relation to Storrington. It was apparent that most villages did have some services into Storrington allowing a 1½ hour stay, but unfortunately care needed to be taken otherwise it was not possible to get back again, particularly in the afternoons. The Amberley service had been withdrawn and now Bus4U had ceased because it had not been cost effective. However, recently the service had been replaced thanks to a large amount of work on the part of Mr. Frank Wilkinson (County Councillor) with a service running on Tuesdays and Fridays. There was a need for an improved timetable that could be distributed because all services would only be successful if people knew about them and use them.
The West Sussex Mini-bus Association, Storrington Division, did run mini-buses from outlying areas, which was a door-to-door service. There was an annual subscription of £2 and shopping trips cost 50p.
This type of information needed to be communicated better on the website and periodically in the newsletter. A list that was kept up-to-date should be put in Forge House.
Village Centre Design Statement – A press release would be issued tomorrow on this topic from Horsham District Council. The Partnership had been requesting work to be undertaken on this and it was now moving forward. This District Council would publish a Planning Brief for the mainly commercial area around Old Mill Square, shops and offices to the north, basically a diamond shaped area. There had been a degree of developer interest in parts of this. The purpose of the Planning Design Brief was that any development there would be co-ordinated, not piece meal and designed to a standard. This was currently in draft form and a six-week consultation period would start tomorrow when the public could submit their comments. It was hoped that the document would be adopted next spring. Therefore, any planning application would be assessed against this. H.D.C., would be writing to all people that own or occupy accommodation in that area. This was important, particularly if commercial interests want to come to the town and it was wanted to manage any development in an appropriate way. It was a good opportunity for everyone involved to manage future development in a structured way.
Youth – There was a need for better targeting of support for all young people, especially the easily bored who could resort to anti-social behaviour and vandalism. There were a number of current initiatives, the United Bus, Rydon Youth Wing, Drop-in at Chanctonbury Leisure Centre, SPLASH, the Purple Bus. SPLASH had been supported by a grant from the County Local Committee, for which they were grateful. Their report would be looked at and from that they hoped to develop a three-year programme and take it forward.
Storrington Teen Project. This ran from July to the end of November. SPLASH, local Christian children work in schools between Petworth and Steyning, visiting assemblies, running clubs in schools and at the Sullington Parish Hall, half-term project for children and also worked with parents providing parenting courses. They worked on this with the Youth Service, internet research, contact with ECM multi-agencies, as part of ‘Every Child Matters’, a government flagship programme. They were now undertaking outreach survey in partnership with the Youth Service, CabCam video diary room, press coverage, Ruff Guide to Storrington. The survey was being undertaken by the young people themselves with the Youth Service staff, by means of a questionnaire/interview approach covering most of Storrington with all sorts of young people contacted. The results had been put back to the Youth Service who would use that to inform an Action Plan for Storrington. CabCam was where young and old speak to video diary in the back of a taxi with about 40 contributions.
RUFF Guide. This was a really useful, family friendly publication about activities and facilities that had been edited by a team of three 17/18 year olds supported by Melanie Wood of ‘Your Storrington’. This was in a slimline A5 format.
Issues and Challenges and community strategy. There were nine challenges :-
• Rural geography & boundaries.
• Milti-agency responsibilities and cultures.
• No multi-purpose service focal point.
• Anti-Social Behaviour hot spots in an affluent area.
• Social integration.
• Community health.
• Community security (Police and Wardens).
• Transport and roads.
• Finding committed volunteers.
5. A Community Strategy for Young Storrington – There were five headline recommendations including the need for more active community participation in family issues and problems and make the most of the opportunity to develop Forge House as a vibrant family centre. In Forge House the Partnership would be setting up a vibrant Family Centre, which other villages did not have, creating a multi-agency hub, including the Police. This was quite innovative and new and it was considered there would be a long-term requirement for a permanent centre or facilities in the middle of Storrington. It was hoped this would develop and provide real benefits and joined up responsibility in this rural community. Early intervention was the watchword of both Every Child Matters and the health service, and identification of resources needed was important in order not to have duplication. Anti-social behaviour was felt to be rooted in early years and family backgrounds. There was a need for balance between enforcement and education in order to promote change. Nine principle agencies would be involved.
6. Proposal for Reformation of the Partnership. Currently the Partnership was constituted as an unincorporated association of volunteers and representatives of statutory organizations representing the interests of Storrington, Sullington and the surrounding communities. Hence the Partnership could not purchase or hold assets in its own right; employing staff and contracting for services would have to be entered into by another organization on behalf of the Partnership and there was limited access to external funds. The reformation as a Company Limited by Guarantee and taking charitable status would remove such restrictions and widen access to the external funds. This would result in the Partnership legally being able to take on the lease of property and/or equipment. The registration as a charity would reduce the liability for payment of Council Tax on rented accommodation.
This would require more formality of structure and proceedings; a register of members with limited liability (paying small subscription, say £1.00 per annum); defined powers acceptable to the Charities Commission; elected Honorary Officers and a Board of Trustees; submission of an Annual Report to the Charities Commission.
7. Professional help had been engaged to draw up the memorandum and articles of association and to submit the application for registration to the Charities Commission. This process had not been completed prior to this A.G.M., therefore approval was required to continue to completion and restructure the Partnership as outlined.
8. It was duly RESOLVED :-
That once a company limited by guarantee had been registered to the satisfaction of the Partnership Management Committee, all assets, activities and liabilities of the Partnership shall be transferred to this new company and the Partnership shall be dissolved.
The Management Committee was hereby given authority to do all that was necessary to secure the future of the Partnership as a charitable company, provided that all current members of the Partnership shall, in due course, should they wish, be admitted as members of the new company.
9. Outline Plans and Budget, 2008. The Partnership would try to concentrate on making progress in all key areas in collaboration with local councillors, i.e., bring Forge House fully on-line; develop youth projects in line with recommendations; conduct wireless C.C.T.V., feasibility/acceptability study and establish the Partnership as a Limited Liability Company with Charitable status.
There was a need for a small amount of money to form the Limited Liability Company (£1,200) and youth projects would require about £12,000, all other items were small. If it was decided to have C.C.T.V., this would cost in the region of £20,000, however, funding would have to be found. The funding for Forge House (£35,000) was to come from Sure Start and contributions from other participating agencies.
8. Open Forum. Questions were raised on :-
(a) Transport numbers and the fact that Storrington would never get a bypass because it would cost millions.
(b) S.I.D. – Mr. Gibbons was always looking for additional volunteers.
© Speeding vehicles and enforcement – calibrated speed devices were required. The problem in Amberley Road was largely by motorbikes. The junction with New Town Road was considered very difficult. Mr. Wilkinson advised that he had requested that another vehicle actuated sign be erected to cover vehicles exiting the village. The Police yellow van visited hot spots, but had to have somewhere safe to park and unfortunately in Amberley Road there were very few safe locations. Some locations were restricted, but not safe for people to work.
(d) Request for traffic calming – Mr. Wilkinson pointed out that the Department of Transport would not allow this as the A.283 was a pivotal link road to the A.24.
(e) Forge House, when would it be up and running? It would be up and running on the 12th November. The P.C.S.O., had collected the key to the building and would be able to use it virtually immediately and once the computer was installed he could go straight to Storrington instead of Pulborough or Steyning. The Partnership was in the process of furnishing the building for the multi-agency workers together with installation of telephones. It was hoped the building would be able to be booked for use and perhaps to include a children’s homework session (under supervision). During the day it would be a drop-in centre for mums and young children.
9. Election of Officers.
Election of Chairman – Mr. Wilkinson Proposed Mr. P. Mackie; Seconded Mr. Comben. There were no other nominations, therefore Mr. Mackie was duly ELECTED.
Election of Treasurer – Mr. Mackie Proposed Mr. D. Norman; Seconded Mr. Langdon. There were no other nominations, therefore Mr. Norman was duly ELECTED.
10. Secretarial Assistance. There was a need for secretarial assistance periodically. A volunteer was required.
11. Any Other Business. Mr. Wilkinson thanked Mr. and Mrs. Mackie for providing the
refreshments and Mr. Sanson thanked Mr. Mackie for all his hard work during the past
year. As a postscript to these minutes, Mr Mackie wishes to thanak all those who have
worked for or supported the Partnership in any way during the last year. In particular he
wishes to record the Partnership’s appreciation of the support given by the Chairman of
the Parish Council , Mr Ray Dawe, and his fellow councillors , Chris Mason and Jim
Sanson, all three of whom have been elected District Councillors in the last year.
 Coming Together ...... ...... Creating a Future |
Storrington & Sullington Community Partnership | |
| MINUTES OF AGM 2007 | ||
© 2008 Storrington & Sullington Community Partnership |
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