AGM

2023 AGM, trustees’ meeting and a special announcement

Please find below the minutes of the meeting of your Trustees on 6 March. 

SAVE THE DATE – FOWWS AGM on May 4th.   We are sad to report that after many years, Miriam Shea is standing down, so there will be three vacancies for Trustees, with Carmel McLoughlin and Sarah Johnson offering themselves for re-election.  If any Friend is interested in putting themselves forward, please contact the Chairman Stephen Waley-Cohen (stephen@swc-office.co.uk) for any discussion.  Any candidate nomination must, under our rules, be made before the end of Tuesday 11 April. 

SAVE THE DATE – FOWWS AGM on May 4th. We are sad to report that after many years, Miriam Shea is standing down, so there will be three vacancies for Trustees, with Carmel McLoughlin and Sarah Johnson offering themselves for re-election. If any Friend is interested in putting themselves forward, please contact the Chairman Stephen Waley-Cohen (stephen@swc-office.co.uk) for any discussion. Any candidate nomination must, under our rules, be made before the end of Tuesday 11 April.

Minutes of The Friends of The Scrubs Trustees’ Meeting

Monday 6th March 2023 at 6pm

Meeting Room in Pangbourne Avenue

Present: Stephen Waley-Cohen (Chair); Carmel McLoughlin (Secretary); Smita Dave (Treasurer); Miriam Shea; Sarah Johnson; Emma Ranson; Faye Thomas

Apologies: Ben Novak and Jack Perschke

1. Approval of Minutes of the last Meeting on 16th January and matters arising not covered elsewhere - Approved. Winkworths have paid up their outstanding portion of the sponsorship for the Dog Show and they are keen to be involved in this year’s show.

2. Masterplan progress – There was an additional meeting on the AEM and most of the suggestions discussed at our last meeting were accepted with the exception of location of the ponds. There is still a desire to press ahead on these. There was a discussion about neglected and dangerous ponds elsewhere in the LBHF area, especially in Ravenscourt Park adjacent to the children’s playground. Ongoing maintenance is clearly an issue. Stephen and Miriam will bring this up at the WSCT meeting on Weds.

3. HS2 and OPDC funded works have been mostly completed with the footpaths installed and the children’s playground being re-opened formally this Weds afternoon. Stephen will have a meeting with Osama in the near future about where it would be appropriate for the Friends to apply for further HS2 funding opportunities although obviously the works would be carried out by LBHF. Potential areas for this funding are: Fencing for the small children’s playground (to keep small children in and dogs out); Wooden fencing for the dog training area to replace the metal fencing; chain-link fencing removed on the North side near Scrubs Lane as currently encloses c.8 acres of the Scrubs; continuation and publicity for Scrubs Watch scheme to chart fauna and flora.

4. AGM: The date for the AGM was discussed and agreed 4th May at 6.30pm. Smita will check availability of Brickfields Hall prior to circulation of date to Friends. The Constitution requires 3 trustees to retire annually at the AGM and this year they will be Carmel and Sarah (both of whom are willing to stand for re-election) and Miriam who is the longest serving of the trustees of the Friends and wishes to stand down due to other commitments. Therefore there will be a vacancy for a new trustee and expressions of interest will be sought from Friends to be elected at the AGM. As Miriam is one of our two co-opted members to the WSCT, the trustees agreed unanimously that Faye should be suggested as Miriam’s replacement.

5. AOB: Plants for entrances – the list compiled by Kate McVay was discussed and agreed other then only native bluebells and no daffodils. Snowdrops should go in now and bulbs in the Autumn.

The trustees confirmed that Kate be asked to write up an explanation of all that she is doing on the Scrubs, including hedging and the rationale for dogs on leads in the meadow area and general mindfulness in using the Scrubs. This can then be circulated to all Friends and put on the website, etc.

Trustees were reminded to attend Playground opening March 8th at 2 pm

The Friends held an Activity Day last year early Summer and a recruitment day subsequently at which a huge number of new Friends were recruited. Agreed that a number of different activities could be held on different days eg birdwatch walk; butterfly search; and bat walk to encourage new members. Smita will talk to Barbara Crowther and Kate McVay about possible timings/dates. There are still some of the old Friends cards available to be used up. When it comes to reprinting the cards the link to the Scrubs Hub and Instagram should be included. Miriam will check with Kate as to effectiveness of feedback to the Scrubs Watch.

The Annual Dog Show will be held on 30th July and Andy Slaughter, the local MP, will be asked to attend as the judge.

Emma raised a query re: whether 2 willow trees were to be lost due to the works being carried out on the pitches by KDFC. Stephen said he will raise with LBHF

Trustees were reminded to attend the meeting on March 29th with LBHF/WSCT/IDVerde at LCS at 3.30 – 5.00.

Next Trustees meeting will be held on the 14th June.