Minutes of Annual General Meeting

Tuesday 12^th June 2007 at 7.30 pm

Elworth Cricket Club, Elworth

Present:

Members:                                         Non-members:

Liz Allcock                                          Ann Macaulay

Andy Barratt                                       Cllr. Bill Scragg (Chair Sandbach Town Council)

Donald Bone                                     Matt Byrom (Siemens CAST)

Pam Buckley (Treasurer)                 Emma Edgeley (Congleton Borough Council)

Fiona Cooper

Jacki Foden (Chair)

Joyce Foster

Jenny Haines

Keith Haines

Sue Jones

Dick Macaulay (Co-ordinator)

Guy Morrison

Lynn Purcell (Secretary) joined the meeting at 8:15pm

Ken Simpson

Glenys Smith

Martin Smith

Antony Smith

Kenneth Warrener

Apologies:

Members:                                         Non- members:

Roger Foden                                     Cllr Barry Moran

Val and Alan Bourne                  Cllr Pauline Minshull

Diane and Bernie Bolton                  Cllr Neville Price                   

Jack Hargreaves                               Gareth Edwards

Sue Worthington                               David McGifford

Andrew and Doreen Bailey              Gideon Fireman

Elaine Eastwood

Larry Sharps

1. Welcome and introductions

Chairperson, Jacki Foden, welcomed everyone to the meeting – members and non-member friends of Sandbach Clean Team.  She extended a special welcome to Matt Byrom the Secretary of Siemens’ Care and Share Team, Cllr Bill Scragg, Chair Sandbach Town Council and Emma Edgeley of the Borough’s Streetscape Team.

The Chair also introduced the other members of the current Clean Team Committee – Dick Macaulay (Co-ordinator), Ken Simpson (Work with Schools), Pam Buckley (Treasurer), and explained that Lynn Purcell (Secretary) was delayed due to family illness and it was hoped she would arrive later.

2. Minutes of the 2006 AGM and Matters Arising

a)     The minutes of the 2006 AGM were approved and signed by the Chair as a true record.

b)     Matters arising – Item 5 – The matter of financial liability of the committee had been dealt with.

 3. Review of year:

• Membership now 93.
• Successful monthly litter picks.
• Great support from all at CBC Streetscape.
• Working closely with Middlewich Clean Team
• Financial support from a number of sources, more details on accounts
• First sponsored Litter Pick raised £440 (including a donation of £40 from the Hope St Project and £145 from a single individual who was not a Clean Team member).
• Work with young people (Co-ordinator to provide details later).
• Our “Adopt an Area” programme – where members take care of a designated area of their choice on a regular basis – has greatly expanded and 32 members now look after and area around where they live plus the Sandbach Scout Group who look after Chapel St.
• A new group has started in Brereton, discussions have started with Somerford and Odd Rode (already two members there) and a presentation was made to residents of Holmes Chapel and the Bromley Farm Estate in Congleton.
• Generally the Town and surrounding parishes are more free of litter and we have made a difference, not just by ourselves, but with the excellent partnership with Streetscape.

Recognition:

• During the year our efforts were recognised by:
• Trinity Mirror newspapers (Crewe Chronicle) and Scottish Power “Your Champions 2006” Environmental award for South Cheshire. (Middlewich Clean team winning the equivalent award for Mid Cheshire.)
• Highly Commended by the Government’s Respect Task Force Awards for “Taking a Stand 2007”
• Winner in the “Siemens in the Community” award in the Environmental category.

All of this could not have been achieved without the great support of our members.

4. Co-ordinator’s Report

Work with Young People – Scout and Guide Groups in Wheelock, Elworth and Sandbach. Elworth CE Primary and Sandbach School (Boys) Eco Group with Ken Simpson

Work with businesses - Little progress made to date. Plea made for volunteer to lead this aspect of the Clean Team activities.

Work with other groups – Endorse all Jacki said about Middlewich CT and Streetscape. Other groups include:

Sandbach in Bloom – Planting 16,000 daffodils for MADD Oct 06. Plans for similar event in Oct 2007. Also project with local primary schools to fund and assist in the creation of a garden for CYOG08 (Cheshire’s Year of Gardens 08)

Hope Street Project

Friends of St Mary’s Wood

Sandbach Old Hall Action Group (SOGAT)

Sandbach Community Pride

Thanks to Alan Bourne for website and Roger Foden for Newsletter.

Finally emphasised that the Clean Team was independent and worked as such. Individual members decided what, where, how and when they undertook work for the Clean Team. The Clean Team was not there to have “Grot Spots” referred to them to sort out. The individuals themselves decided what they did. This was a firm policy of the Clean Team and all contributions made by members, however large or small, were equally valued.

5. Finance

The audited accounts were presented and accepted. (It was later noted that the date of the Closing Balance should have read 31-03-07, not 31-03-06.)

6. Election of Officers

One nomination for Chair, Jacki Foden, had been received. This was confirmed.

One nomination for Treasurer, Pam Buckley, had been received. This was confirmed.

Only one nomination for the two positions of committee member had been received, Ken Simpson. This was confirmed.

 7. Amendments to Constitution

The following amendments had been recommended by the Committee:

 Objects

3.7        Sandbach and nearby area will include: Arclid, Betchton, Bradwall, Brereton, Hassall, Odd Rode, Smallwood, Sandbach (which includes Elworth, Ettiley Heath, Sandbach Heath and Wheelock), Church Lawton (with Congleton), Moston (with Middlewich), and Haslington, Warmingham and Winterley (with Crewe and Nantwich)

Recommended to add: and other adjacent parishes.

Delegated Powers

10.3 Minutes of committee meetings will be circulated to all Clean Team members.

Recommended to replace the above with: Minutes of AGMs and EGMs to be circulated to all Clean Team members.

Andy Barratt proposed these amendments be accepted, Keith Haines seconded the proposal and members were all in agreement.  The recommendations were approved.

A suggestion of making committee minutes available through the website was suggested and agreed.

8. Prize Draw

The draw for the winner of the “2007 Sponsored Litter Pick prize – a portable DVD Player, kindly donated by Siemens Care and Share Team (CAST) – was drawn by Matt Byrom the current Secretary of Siemens CAST.  The winner was Liz Allcock – as Liz was at the meeting she was able to collect her prize from Matt.

The Chair formally thanked the Secretary, Lynn Purcell, for all the work she had put in to organising the Sponsored Litter Pick and the prize draw. And again thanked Siemens for their support.

9. The Year Ahead

Emma Edgeley of the Borough’s Streetscape Team gave a short presentation and answered questions on the 1^st July Smoking Ban.

On behalf of the Borough, Emma formally thanked Sandbach Clean Team for all that it is doing and for the difference it is making.

The Borough is currently engaged in a programme of work focused on the 1^st July Smoking Ban – concerned both with individuals and businesses.  There is a leaflet campaign, articles in the LINK magazine and free “ash trays” are being given out as incentives.  The Borough will be measuring impact as the campaign progresses.

Emma explained that the Borough has been monitoring the impact of earlier smoking bans in other parts of the UK and learning lessons from them.  She noted that problems with smoking related litter became worse after the ban but things were now improving again following similar campaigns to the one our Borough is organising.

Questions time:

Q – Is there a machine for “vacuuming” up cigarette butts?

A – Not really.

Q - Will naming and shaming of people dropping litter and cigarette butts eventually be used?

A – Yes.  And fixed penalties will be used when necessary.

Q – How long do we go on with “the carrot before the stick” approach?

A – We will be using our Community Wardens from the outset and this will be an ongoing campaign.

Emma concluded by asking members to continue to highlight areas of concern to her and the Streetscape Team and noted the comments made by members re places where additional or replacement litter bins are needed.

General questions

Q – Had the Clean Team given any consideration to sorting litter into items that could be recycled?

A – Yes the matter was under consideration, currently members did this if it was practical to do so.

The Chair formally thanked Dick Macaulay our Co-ordinator for his tremendous work during the year.

The formal meeting closed at 9:00pm with members invited to stay for refreshments.

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