| The Friends of Holland Park Accounts |
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| Annual General Meeting |
The Annual General Meeting was held on 30 March 2011 in The Orangery. The President, Sir Angus Stirling, welcomed all those present. There were no apologies. The minutes of the previous AGM were approved. The Chairman, Nicholas Hopkins, gave his report for 2010. He said two oak benches had been donated to the Park. The plan for wall hangings for the cafeteria had had to be abandoned. Listed Building consent had been given for the Commonwealth Institute scheme, but planning permission would still be needed for work on the interior. A revised plan for the apartment block on the Holland Park School playground site would be unlikely to affect the Park adversely. The proposal to build a new house against the Park boundary wall in the grounds of Park Close had been granted on appeal. The 2010 Art Exhibition by over 70 artists had raised ca £1,000 for The Friends. Mr Hopkins described the other events of the year. The oak-bench maker had failed to refund The Friends' deposit, and repayment was being sought through legal channels. The Treasurer, David Jeffreys, pointed out some points of interest in the Report of the Trustees incorporating Accounts for the Year to 31 December 2010 and the Report of the Independent Examiner, both of which had been circulated previously. The fund balance was £74,619. The Secretary, Mrs Rhoddy Wood, presented her report. She said there were 780 paid-up members and ca 150 might still renew. About three-quarters had signed up for Gift Aid. Mrs Wood thanked all volunteers and especially those who were helping with the art exhibition. All existing trustees were re-elected with the exception of Deborah Newberry who was standing down. A former trustee, Manuela Gardner, who had recently been co-opted, was re-elected as Hospitality Officer. Leslie Du Cane was thanked and re-elected as the Independent Examiner. The meeting approved a resolution that joint membership for couples should be £20 or £15 for seniors. A second resolution, that there should be a life membership category, was rejected. A third, that "senior" should mean aged 60 or over, was amended by vote to 65 or over. Looking ahead to the current year, Mr Hopkins said that the texts of the two new booklets about the history of Holland House and the development of its gardens were almost complete. Holland House terrace would now be open to the public for the winter months. Funding had been obtained for a new Ecology Centre adjacent to the Adventure Playground. Pigs would again be employed in the Park during the summer. A poetry seat was being donated by The Friends and they might be asked to contribute to stone seating beside the outdoor chess board and to conservation of the fountain trough in the Dutch Garden. The Friends might also take over responsibility for some Ecology Centre events due to the current lack of funds. The Borough would carry out maintenance work on the circular tree benches and the ceramic tiles. The Council's Feasibility Study into the Holland Park Estate had employed outside consultants to look at possible "better" uses for all its buildings. The Friends would mount strong opposition to any unacceptable proposals. Mr Hopkins appealed for a new Treasurer to replace Mr Jeffreys, who wished to stand down, and pointed out the need for succession planning for other senior trustees. There were questions and answers about the Council's Feasibility Study. [Summer 2011]
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Annual General Meeting 2011 |
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| Annual General Meeting Wednesday, 30 March 2011 at 7.30 pm in the Orangery |
Our Annual General Meeting gives our membership the chance to hear what your committee (the trustees) has been doing in its work on behalf of the Park, and to learn what it hopes to achieve in the current year. It is also a good opportunity for you to meet all the trustees in person and to tell us of your thoughts about, and concerns for, the Park. The meeting will be chaired by our president, Sir Angus Stirling. Of course our constitution does require that we do a little formal business, such as elections to the committee, but most of the meeting is spent giving and receiving news and information about the Park and things which affect it and our enjoyment of it. Over the years I have used various approaches to try to persuade a greater number of members to attend, but sadly it is still only a small proportion of our members who bother. This time I am simply going to repeat a recently revived exhortation: "Your committee needs you! Please come!" An added attraction is that the AGM is held during our annual Art Exhibition in the Orangery, and after the meeting is the perfect opportunity to view the exhibits – possibly even purchasing something – with a glass or two of wine. How can you refuse! This is also the time to consider becoming a trustee of The Friends or offering to undertake some work on their behalf. We are always looking for new talent to bring energy and renewed enthusiasm to the committee. Please feel free to contact the chairman or secretary for more details and a confidential, no-obligation chat. [Winter 2010] |
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| Proposed New Subscription Categories | At present we have only two categories of annual subscription: £12 for a single member and £9 for a single senior member, which means that those married couples or partners who join together pay two single subscriptions. Many charities offer joint membership, usually at a rate slightly less than double the single membership, and your committee considers it would be beneficial to The Friends to have such a category. All subscription rates have to be approved by the membership in General Meeting. Your committee therefore proposes the following resolution for approval at the AGM:
1. "There shall be a category of membership called joint membership open to any two individuals living at the same address. The annual subscription for joint membership shall be £20 or £15 for seniors. To qualify for joint senior membership both members must be seniors." A member has suggested that life membership should be available to The Friends. Your committee is uncertain that this is something that would be attractive to members or prospective members but, in order that the membership can decide, proposes the following resolution: 2. "There shall be a category of membership called life membership the subscription for which for the duration of the member's life shall be £300 or £200 for seniors." The use of the term "senior" or "concession" varies from one organisation to another. Your committee considers that it would be fair to define it as applying to anyone aged 60 or over and proposes the following resolution for approval: 3. "For the purpose of membership subscriptions 'senior' means someone aged 60 or over". |
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To increase the value of your donation, please consider signing the Gift Aid form.
