Chiddgreen AGM
Wednesday 14th March 2012 7.30pm
Venue: St Mary’s Church Room
Present at the meeting:
Helen Hosker (Chair), Lucy Hatcher (secretary), Karen Bardell (publicity), Andy Bardell, Jasmine and Amber
Bardell, Jeanette Walker, Robert Walker, Jane Devlin, Rosie Gill, Wendy Lockwood, Seb Welford, Rachel
Whitehead, Rebecca Laughton, Tony and Clare Laughton, Christine Tebbot, Jenny Smart and approximately 10
other members.
Apologies were received from Dr Robert Walker and Paul Kerry
Reading through of last year’s AGM minutes
Matters arising:
In response to Christine’s comments about supporting local shops there is an event planned on Saturday
March 31st.
Chairman’s report:
Thanks to all the committee members for their support this year, in particular; Jane Devlin, Jeannette Walker,
Wendy Lockwood, Karen Bardell, secretary Lucy Hatcher and treasurer Rosie Gill. We have now pretty much
found our roles on the committee and share the jobs out between ourselves so that no-one ends up with too
much to do.
Review
We have continued to organise the events that people are getting to know us for such as a spring and autumn
Swap It Day. We have kept costs down at these events by taking away the leftover swaps ourselves at the end
of the morning. Jane may have a new contact at Surrey County Council to help with disposal of the residue
items. Fundraising at these events has been successful with the sale of plants and cakes.
Following the success of last year’s Local Skills Day the committee has planned another one for Saturday 21
April. Lucy Hatcher is organising the day and the programme is looking as good, if not better than last year.
Many thanks to Lucy for organising this.
As usual, we supported the Litter Blitz in spring last year. This year’s Litter Blitz is on Saturday 31 March and
will be combined with The Shop Local Day, an event we have reinstated and which has met with a good
response from our local shopkeepers and at least 2 of the pubs. If it’s a success, I hope it’s something we could
look at repeating next year. Thanks to Karen Bardell for designing and ordering a limited edition reusable jute
bag to be sold in the shops in conjunction with Shop Local Day.
We had our worst year ever on the Juices & Smoothies Bar at the village festival, due to the rain. We made a
disappointing £20 profit. On the plus side we will be ready for the next inclement weather with some better
ideas, such as soup and mulled apple juice. Thanks are due once again to Bruce Devlin for turning out despite
the weather with the smoothie bike he designed. This year’s festival is on Sunday 10 th June and if you usually
help on the stall, you will be asked again so please put the date in your diary.
Outings included a bluebell walk kindly hosted by Jeannette & Rob Walker in May. In June around a dozen of
us enjoyed a Saturday morning Bike & Brekky trip to Imbhams farm. We were kindly invited by Maggie Barlow
& James Halfhide who run Imbham’s farm granary and we spent a fascinating couple of hours, tasting and
learning about the grains grown on or for Imbhams farm which is situated near Grayswood.
In October some Chiddgreeners returned to Maggie’s farm for the Transition Haslemere Harvest picnic, which
by all accounts was a really sociable event. I believe that Jane and Christine have attended a number of THH
events and it is good for us to network with them and share any knowledge and experience that we can.
In the summer, Jane & Bruce Devlin hosted a Sunshine evening to introduce people to photovoltaics, using
their own installation as an example.
Jane also introduced us to the Wey Valley Solar Schools Energy Cooperative with whom she has worked as a
governor of Woolmer Hill School. They sent along Mike Smyth to talk to us and at least some of those present
were impressed enough in the investment opportunity presented to invest in this local renewable energy
project.
The website hasn’t had an official launch but is now looking good and has the latest Chiddgreen info, events
listings etc. Thanks to Jane and Karen for keeping the content fresh.
Thanks to Paul Kerry for keeping us updated with events organised by the Surrey Stockmen’s Guild. Some
Chiddgreen members have gone along to these events and thoroughly enjoyed them.
My final point is to say that I will not just be threatening to step down as Chairman as I have for the last 3 years
but actually doing so this time. I fell into the job by default as no-one else wanted to do it and have stayed for
the same reason but after some 9 or it might be 10 years but the time is right for me to step aside and let
someone with more energy and enthusiasm than me take on the role of Chairman.
I’m happy to continue on the committee and I understand I may have the job of organising the Juices &
Smoothies stall for life but aside from that I’m looking forward to being just another committee member again.
I’d like to express my thanks to committee members and others past and present who have supported me as
Chairman over the years. Your help has been invaluable. I think I’ve now said enough so I’ll pass over to Rosie
Gill for the treasurer’s report.
Treasurer’s report: (given by Rosie)
Money spent from the Alliance and Leicester Account this year has been £300 for the jute bags and £92.10 for
the hire of the village hall for Local Skills Day. This leaves £684.71 in the account. With £40 in petty cash this
makes a total of £724.71.
Vote of thanks:
Christine thanked Helen for all of her hard work. In the past few years several events have become a regular
fixture in the calendar, and Christine hopes that the Local Skills Day and the Shop Local day might also become
annual. Lots of people locally find the shops vitally important and want to support them. Christine added
that the number of members in the group is testament to Helen’s hard work as Chairman over the past years.
Rebecca added to this. Chiddgreen is thriving 14 years on. The list of events is growing, and the group has
contributed to the village with litter blitzes, traffic calming measures, the school hedge, affordable housing
schemes, cycle powered smoothies, Local Skills Day, Swap It events, visits, talks, the creation of the website,
and more. She acknowledged Christine’s help through her work with the PCC, and Helen’s hard work and
dedication whilst also bringing up a family and continuing her career. Rebecca thanked Helen on everyone’s
behalf, and also Rosie who is still the treasurer. She expressed a hope that the history and success of
Chiddgreen might be paralleled with awareness nationally, with people making positive ecological changes.
Wishing the group luck in the future, Helen was presented with an enormous bouquet of flowers (many thanks
to Jasmine Bardell for arranging these so spectacularly) and a present.
Election of officers:
The only vacancy on the Committee is for Chairman, and Andy Bardell nominated Jane Devlin. This was
seconded by Karen Bardell and agreed unanimously by all present.
All were also in agreement that the rest of the Committee stand again for another year.
Change in the Constitution:
Jane pointed out that the Constitution is very out of date, still bearing the name ‘Chiddingfold Local Agenda
21’. She proposed that the original version and an updated version be posted on the website, and the new
version will be approved at a later date.
Future events:
31st March 2012 – Litter blitz and Shop Local day
21st April – Local Skills Day 11- 4pm
Friday 27th April Bluebell walk from Penang farm 6.15pm
May (date to be confimted) Swap It day
18th July 2012 – Fittleworth visit 6.45 for 7pm
15th September Smithbrook Kilns visit
Further Swap It day in the Autumn? To be confirmed
Any other business:
Jenny Smart expressed her thanks to Helen over the years for emailing date reminders to members, and Jane
assured her that she intends to continue this.
It was also suggested that Chiddgreen might like to form links with the local coppicing group, and the
Committee agreed that this is a good idea.