DRAFT MINUTES OF WESTBURY-ON-TRYM VILLAGE HALL ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING FRIDAY 15TH OCTOBER 2010 VILLAGE HALL EASTFIELD

ROAD WESTBURY-ON-TRYM BRISTOL BS9 4AG

1 2 Apologies Lizzy Betts, Karen White, Hilary Morse and Alexia Gardner Welcome by Chairman Welcome everyone to the 2010 AGM of the Village Hall. There are various documents for us to look at. First, the Agenda, then the minutes of last year's AGM together with the minutes of the SGM (Special General Meeting) held earlier this year. Finally, the draft revised constitution which we'll be looking at later. 3 Draft Minutes of the 2009 AGM and 2010 Special General Meeting Accepted. Matters arising from the Special General Meeting only: St Stephens Loan: Alison Laity wrote to the Accountant who confirmed that it appears in the Balance Sheet as a record of movement of cash/money and assets/debts which flows through the business and is not part of the normal income/expenditure figures. The loan is paid off annually. The floor approved the Draft Minutes and Special General Meeting 5 Receive Annual Report and Accounts to 30th June 2010 Henry asked the floor to receive the Annual Report to 30th June 2010. The Floor approved.

AGM Treasurers Report 2009/2010 Alison Laity 2009/2010 was a uneventful year compared to the year before. Overall bar takings together with hire income was down. Particularly the bar takings were down by 6500.00. This was mainly due to a reduction in wedding bookings where we make the most of our bar takings. However, 2011 is looking promising. We normally book 45 functions a year and we already have in access of 35, most being wedding receptions. We also received a few very kind donations, particularly 2000.00 from the flower show and an additional 500.00 bequest from Miss Selway having received 1000.00 from her sister the year before. This was used to erect a new garden fence.

We also invested in a few large purchases: A new sound system 1538.00 A new fence 1584.00 A fire and burglar alarm 1934.00 A new website 1035.00 Credit must go to the Committee as they have managed to update and maintain our facilities without dipping into the reserves. Advertising: Jane Voke and Pam Southern voiced their concerns about the proportion of wedding receptions compared to the number of other activities. Alison confirmed that although wedding bookings are high it balances out with those less popular activities that take place but at a loss. Henry will be asking Lizzy for a breakdown of all activities for 2010/2011. Whats On Booklet: - Pam Southern praised the new booklet our thanks to Sarah Sampson. Website: is working well and although linked to several other local groups Jane Voke suggested adding as many as possible including the Henleaze Garden Club. Gas Bill: Owing to the huge gas bill shown in the Accounts in future this will be paid by direct debit monthly and meter readings taken on a regular basis. Bar Prices: Mike Potter queried these. Henry said that these will have to be increased in the New Year. The floor accepted the AGM Treasurers Report. Committee Reports 6.1 Bookings Secretaries Lizzy Betts (Weekends) 2009/2010 read by Anne Percival Another very successful year that shows just how much our Village Hall is valued as one of the favourite places to celebrate and mix socially. In fact, so many local residents want to use it, that it has often been difficult to accommodate all those wishing to book especially if they are last minute ones. However some people believe in booking early as there is already a booking for 2011!! Our regular social events and Society bookings also ensure that the hall is very much a focal point. We will now look forward to many joint ventures in the coming year as the Village Hall Events Committee and the Westbury Society have several events planned have you got your programme yet? Birthdays The childrens ones are now becoming very popular for Friday or Saturday afternoons and the word is spreading. Although we are now hardening our line about the parents having the bar open!! The village hall is just the right location to celebrate the passing years with friends and families, culminating in Barn Dances or Ceilidhs to get everyone going. Wedding anniversaries go right across the board; we voluntary helpers get to go to an amazing range of delightful occasions!
Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall DRAFT AGM 2010 Minutes

Weddings have been both grand and simple all such happy events and this year we have had a real increase in these, perhaps due to the fact that we are now on the web and a lot of enquiries stem from a simple local search as well as those who just book after they themselves have been a guest here and just loved the building and the atmosphere. There are now so many weddings - 8 are already booked for the first 6 months of 2010 we have been looking for more Co-ordinators and other helpers and the advert in Bristol 9 has produced at least another 6 people who are already starting to work themselves in, maybe some may be happy to move on to becoming a Co-ordinator in the near future these like the ones already up and running, will liase with the bride and groom in the month or so before the great event and help to make everything run smoothly on the day. Alison Laity has done a grand job compiling a folder to make this job more streamlined many thanks for this. Our thanks also to all the volunteers both for the afternoon receptions and of course the evenings, making the day memorable for those concerned! The renovated brides room that was updated has been well received by all. Just right to compliment the bride and to give her somewhere to retouch and adjust as well as rest during the hectic day! Our very successful Abba Night will be remembered for some time to come and if the Anniversary Fayre failed to live up to expectations, some very important lessons have been learned here for future village hall events. Dance nights have continued with varied support and these will be looked at in the light of dates etc. as there is also the input now of Friday afternoon Tea Dances to look forward to. These are now both under the auspices of the Events Committee and Anne Percival will be organising these in the future. We need more support here both from the public and with the organisation on the day. We must also thank the Westbury singers who support us at least twice a year and give us all so much enjoyment musical events are still such a strong part of our success, this year once again, we had the Young Musicians concert, The Bagel Fish Orchestra and another very popular Wind Orchestra concert to really swell the numbers in the hall.

We must be doing something right, judging from the letters and cards of thanks that keep coming in. It is great to know that the time we give is really appreciated, especially on those special occasions to make them a memorable day for all concerned that is what we hope to achieve and through this once again to get people to feel that this is a wonderful building worthy of supporting and using fully. Other regular clubs and societies use the hall throughout the week as well as at weekends for their socials and regular annual events. Walter Finley will be adding his comments here. The church is welcomed for their Harvest festival and Christmas fair, and Westburys very own Flower Show what can I add to their success, which just keeps on growing!! So another very successful year and I am sure that it is set to continue well into the future if my bookings are anything to go by! Westbury Village Hall is a very beautiful venue and we are indeed lucky that this was restored and kept for the community, when we could very well have lost it back in the early 70s. Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall DRAFT AGM 2010 Minutes 3

Remember those who battled to keep it and spent so much time and energy restoring it! We are forever in their debt, as we are now for all those who continue the task of maintaining and keeping this wonderful building looking great, despite all the new regulations that must be accommodated! Thank you. Henry thanked Lizzy for all her hard work and dedication and was particularly grateful for her input knowing that it had not been an easy year for her. Weekday Bookings 2009/10 - Walter Finley There was a slight reduction in Hall use on weekdays and the winter weather caused some cancellations. A year ago I reported a spate of intended toddler activities which came to nothing. We now host a successful mother and toddler group one morning a week and it may expand. Henry thanked Walter for his continued support and help which was very much appreciated. 6.2 Bar Report 2008/09 - Henry Deval I am sorry to have to report that one of our team leaders, John Bryant, passed away in August after a period of illness. The service at Canford was 'standing room' only and his contribution to the running of the bar will be missed. The bar has run well this year despite the reduced income resulting from the lack of weddings. Our gross income excluding corkage was nearly 20k with an expenditure of approx 10k. This profit ratio is in line with previous years and I anticipate improved figures for the current year. Prices, which have been steady for 18 months will have to increase in the new year because of the VAT hike. During the year we had a total of 28 volunteers covering 50 bars and I'm pleased to say we have recruited some new volunteers to help us. However, we still need more and Barbara Venn will be glad to take details after the meeting. I am particularly grateful to Barbara who has done a great job in organising the rotas and coming in to help when we've been short on volunteers. I know she will say 'I'm only doing my job' but she has carried it out very effectively. I would also like to thank our barman for tonight - Jason Rowe - he has led many bars during the year and also covered for me when I've been away. So, thanks to all the volunteers for their help this year and we look forward to an even more successful 2011. 6.3 Report Building and Maintenance for 2009/10 - Bob Cornish

To suggest that the last twelve months have been relatively quiet on the building and maintenance side of the Hall would be somewhat inconsistent with the number of occasions that this wonderful building has required - indeed demanded my time and attention. This is not so much on major works thank goodness but relatively smaller ones; arrangement of and the meeting on site of contractors in respect of quarterly six monthly and annual services and maintenance of the new fire emergency lighting and intruder equipment - gas electricity and water services asbestos - and all in pursuit of and in the interests of health safety and compliance; the glazed and plaque engraving in recognition of sadly lost but lovingly remembered faithful servants and generous benefactors of the Hall; misbehaving radiators; replacement of cracked glazing; repairs to the round banqueting tables; bulbs blowing and needing replacement and at whatever height within the building; white goods playing up; drains blocked; plumbing re-routed; wheelie bins degunged and cleaned; toilet cisterns Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall DRAFT AGM 2010 Minutes 4

not discharging; high cleaning carried out; re-fixing of lose door furniture; therapeutic clearouts of stuff but then requiring trips to the tip; extra keys to be cut and regulated; new instructions to be formulated and notices (visually regrettable) to be placed on view all those every day little things and more which on their own would not appear to amount to much but which we need to keep on top off. On the larger works front, there are two main items. In January, a new sound system was installed. This provides for the latest technology and much improved facilities. It has been well received by our hirers and we have the benefit of it tonight. The Intruder Alarm System was upgraded in May and, as for the Fire Alarm System to the Fire Station, is now routed through a Monitoring Service to the Police but which on both counts, necessitates the calling out to site no matter what the hour - of those of us on the Keyholders List, of which your Chairmans name is first with myself and others following up as the cavalry! As a result of my getting into the roof space during the upgrading of the Fielder Room lighting, I found that the roof space to the whole of the first floor was not in any way insulated and it covers a considerable area. In consequence over the Summer, your Chairman and I proceeded to rectify the situation and it is now all snug as a bug in a rug up there. It needed deftness of foot and I was relieved that the task was accomplished without a foot going through the ceiling although there were times when this was close! But the cobwebs up there; how many decades have they swung high and low undisturbed!? Some of you may have been aware that during those particularly stormy conditions over the summer, significant amounts of rainwater were found on the floor of the hall over some two days. An investigation concluded that stormwater lying on the flat roof part of the building - yes, there is a large flat roof area but which itself is well leaded and in good order was blown up under the tiles, through the roof structure, down on to the internal beams you see above you and down on to the floor. During that investigation, it was found that a significant structural purlin member is extensively rotted due we believe to longstanding decay and failure of the render to the large chimney stack up there, leading to water ingress over a good period of time. Having in my opinion now identified the source of both problems, we are in the process of gaining estimates for the repair works which, at the same time, will envelope clearing out the numerous hidden valley gutters in which considerable debris and root growth has taken hold as well as replacing slipped and missing tiles within reach of the scaffolding access the scaffolding itself requiring considerable design to reach the roof from over the boiler house and attracting a fairly large portion of the overall cost, which looks likely to be upwards of 4000.00. BUT, it is one heck of a view up there, I can tell you, if not a bit scary!! The other major work of this year has been the crown reduction by some 50% of the horse chestnut tree to the front garden. Having commissioned a report upon it, the poor condition of the tree was, quite frankly, alarming and when, shortly afterwards, we had those storms which caused the water into the main hall, I had a couple of sleepless nights I can tell you. However, we came through it and whilst the tree looks rather sad, not helped by the Leaf Miner disease that has affected so many horse chestnuts, there is amazingly already pockets of new growth. The Tree Experts have advised that they undertake to spray and carry out soil injection to control Leaf Miner populations in the Spring. Finally, as alluded to earlier, the Fielder Room lighting has been upgraded. In addition, the Kitchen Fire Door had been re-fitted in compliance and the Kitchen has received a Deep Clean which is something we will be having carried out six monthly.
Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall DRAFT AGM 2010 Minutes

Thank you for your time. Im sure you will continue to share my enthusiasm for this lovely building and the need to maintain it as a structure and in compliance for the wider benefit of all. The meeting thanked Bob for his hard work and dedication to ensuring that the Hall is kept in such a magnificent condition. 6.4 Report by Gardeners 2009/2010 Hilary Morse read by Henry Deval Good Evening Unfortunately, I am again away on holiday at this AGM. time. As usual we gardeners emerged from hibernation after Easter to begin the garden maintenance for another year. The weather this past season has been generally quite good, we only needed to use the hose 4 times during the very dry spell, the rest of the summer the heavens helped us. We now have another Water Butt, placed in the side garden, which will be very useful when only watering cans are required. Our summer bedding gave us the usual colourful display, the front door tub especially so. We have planted more shrubs and perennials so most of the beds are full and now need quite a lot of autumn pruning. We can never keep up with the garden which is growing even more since we demolished one of our two compost heaps and gave everything a good mulch. Lovely stuff it was too. Im pleased to report that the Silver Birch planted October 2007 in memory of Joan Pickering is growing and shaping well, next year we hope that the trunk will begin to turn silver. We again entered into the Bristol in Bloom Competition and after no luck last year Im pleased to say that we have been awarded a Silver Gilt Medal and awarded 3rd prize in the Community Participation Garden section. The Awards presentation took place at the Council House where we received a Certificate and 15 in Garden Vouchers. No one can fail to see that the wonderful Horse Chestnut tree on the front lawn has been crowned. Like many others in the South West it has been badly attacked by the Miner Moth, its tiny caterpillar burrows into the leaves and causes severe early leaf fall. When the Tree Experts were called they also found lots of squirrel damage at the top. Drastic action has been taken to prevent further problems and we hope save the tree for the future. There is a bonus for us gardeners though, there are very few leaves left on the tree so no great leaf collection required this autumn. My thanks to the Garden Team of Mike Chant, Martin Crouch, John Dennis. We all try to make the garden of this lovely building look cared for and I feel we do. However I always say that Mike Chant, who cuts the grass and the hedges so well, provides that special finishing touch. We will soon be putting away our secateurs for this year and then, knees and backs willing, we will meet to garden in 2011

Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall DRAFT AGM 2010 Minutes

Henry thanked Hilary for all her support over the last 25years and reported that the Committee had recognised this major milestone by presenting her with a small gift earlier in the year as a token of their appreciation. 6.5 Events Committee Report for 2009/2010 - Anne Percival We had a fairly successful season with most events going ahead with Christmas at the Village Hall, Quiz Night and a Wine Tasting evening being the most popular. Dance Night, after a rocky time, is now taking off again and will be going ahead each first Saturday of the month until May 2011 Committee Members Our events committee started the season with just two of the original members left to organise the events. We now have three new members and so an extra energy is afoot for future events Volunteers We have a good list of volunteers who help in a variety of ways and who are the greatest of support. We wish to thank them very much. We look forward to the year ahead and hope that the Recession doesnt have too drastic affect on attendance at our planned events. PR Report read by Anne Percival in Karen Whites absence The new website is now fully functional and is now generating some 70% of new booking enquiries. We are attracting an average of 300 unique visitors per month and the most popular pages are the availability and prices section, which obviously is resulting in the above statistic of 70%. We've even had three visitors from Japan and 2 from the US! Eight five percent of these visitors come through search engines, therefore our search engine optimisation appears to be working well. I am now ensuring that the wesbite is linked in to as as many other external organisations that promote local facilities. However, we currently have a modest 22 subscribers to the email alert that notifies of events or news and we would like to increase that number by publicising the website more widely. The newly designed and updated What's On booklet that complements the website for those who prefer a hard copy events guide has also been received well and thank you to Sarah Sampson for her work on this project. Henry thanked Anne, Karen, Sarah and Barbara for their help and support throughout the year which was very much appreciated. 6.6 Flower Show Report 2010 Alexia Gardner Chair in her absence the report was read by Jane Voke On the 11th September 2010 the Village Hall was a hive of activity as this years show saw 150 people stage 500 exhibits. You could admire their skill and expertise, see curly horned sheep, be amazed by card tricks, listen to the band or try out a hand massage. You could purchase refreshments, woolly hats, raffle tickets, cards, costume jewellery, plants or commission a painting. Some
Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall DRAFT AGM 2010 Minutes

checked out their blood pressure, watched a flower arranging demonstration, or just gazed at the bees. The show was opened by Nick Wray of Bristol Botanic Gardens who chose the large pumpkin as the Best in Show. As ever, it was a lively and wonderful community event. I thank all who supported the show and especially my committee for their hard work in making the day such a success, enabling us to hand the Village Hall Committee a cheque for 1,500. I want at this point to pay tribute to individual committee members who have served the show well but who, due to various commitments, are standing down. Steve Tainton is now working away from Bristol. He brought us into the 21st century by setting up and maintaining our website and collating and producing our schedule. Jane Voke has served as Chairman 3 times and as my Vice Chairman this year. She is our ace gardener, overseeing the fruit vegetable and flower sections .Jane is concentrating on home projects at the moment. With her goes her husband Conrad who has been an efficient and generous treasurer. Debbie Price, who did the catering this year and the wonderful Gromit cake last time, sets her standards high and she did us proud with the food she produced. She also worked as publicity officer during the year and spread the shows message far and wide. She has increased work commitments and is now more heavily involved with her voluntary duties at the Salvation Army. Mollie Jones is also leaving having organised the trophies and the flower arranging section of the show. Dave Matthews had been seriously ill during the year and had a long stay in hospital. It was good to see him in better health and exhibiting with us again. Sadly, my committee is now reduced to 4 with perhaps 2 new additions to the team in the pipeline. At this moment I am looking for a treasurer, publicity officer and people to be responsible for the schedule, catering, flower/fruit / veg classes, and trophies. Unless help is forthcoming soon we may not be able to proceed with the 2011 show in its current format. Jane Voke on behalf of the Flower Show kindly handed over a cheque for 1500 to the Village Hall. Henry thanked her and the Committee for their generous gift. 7 7.1 Election of Committee Members/trustees Those standing for re-election Lizzy Betts accepted and agreed Henry Deval accepted and agreed

7.2

Election of Committee Members Sarah Sampson proposed and accepted Four Vacancies for election Treasurer no volunteer Bar Secretary no volunteer Volunteer Champion/Coordinator no volunteer General no volunteer Consider new Constitution Our suggested Changes to the Constitution agreed by the Committee was placed on the website prior to the AGM. A copy was distributed at the

7.3

Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall DRAFT AGM 2010 Minutes

AGM meeting. The Chair went through the major proposals which will be sent to the Charity Commission for their approval shortly. No views/comments from the floor. 9 AOB - None Mike Potter proposed a vote of thanks to the Committee for all their hard work. 10 Chairmans Closing Remarks Before we finish, there is one person who doesn't have to produce a report and is generally not thanked publically for their work and therefore I would like to thank Diana Hawley for ensuring the paperwork is in place for our meetings and for chiding us if we forget to follow up on various actions. Diana has been a great help to me - the new boy - and I am very grateful for that support. So, it just leaves me to thank all who helped keep the hall functioning over the past year and to you all for attending tonight and we look forward to seeing you at the various events over the next 12 months. Please join us for a glass and some nibbles. Thank you.

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Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall DRAFT AGM 2010 Minutes