Slaley, Northumberland

Community Trust news

The Community Trust AGM at the end of last month was attended by around eleven people, who heard how the Trust has managed to continue its efforts to support the community and to work with the Parish Council in achieving some of the goals of the Parish Plan. The current chairman (Michael Elphick) and treasurer (Nicky Jeffrey) were re-elected, and the four remaining committee members (Reg Corbidge, Jean Elphick, Christine Hanley and Peter McKendrick) were joined by Jackie Green. However we only have a temporary secretary at present.
The chairman thanked Janis Irvine for serving as secretary following the previous AGM, and also thanked the Council for awarding an annual grant of £100 towards running costs from this coming year.

The annual report presented to the meeting follows below:

SLALEY COMMUNITY TRUST

ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2006 - 2007

Slaley Community Trust has now completed its second year, having been established in March 2005. Despite some problems along the way we have managed to continue our efforts to support the community and to work with the Parish Council in achieving some of the goals of the Parish Plan. During this time we have welcomed Nicky Jeffrey as our new Treasurer and extended thanks to Christine Hanley who had previously served in this role.
The present Committee and Officers have only served since July 2006, a matter of eight months, but progress has been made in several areas, adding to the work already underway then.

• The successful opening in May 2006 of Slaley First School field for community use is due to the efforts of Nigel Sanger, Reg Corbidge, Keith Dyson, John Melvin and other members of the Trust. We recognise the cooperation of the school governors and staff in achieving this, and thanks to Andrew Coney at Slaley obtained funds for the purchase of a sturdy bench (now in place on the school grounds) that can be used by both the school and community. In addition, Trust volunteers have taken on the task of maintaining the popular Willow Dragon in the school grounds.
• Following the example of Hexhamshire, the Trust Committee is now planning the publication of a brief pamphlet combining reports from the Parish, District and County Councillors with other reports from the many local organisations and clubs. We hope that this will be published in May of this year, and then distributed by volunteers to each household in the Parish.
• The major project still under way is the design, production and placement of an information or interpretive board, displaying a map of the area and local places of interest. Preliminary discussions on design have taken place and possible locations for the board are being investigated.

The financial position of the Trust is still not secure. The Treasurer’s report will give details of income & expenditure, but the main funding received has come from Tynedale District Council through the efforts of Susi Goncu, Community Development Officer. An initial grant of £100 and the sum of £500 as a restricted grant, has provided the funds needed for the School Field Project. The residue of the initial grant of £250 from the Joseph Rowntree Trust, given to the Trust as start-up funding and provisionally held by the Commemoration Hall Committee, has now been transferred back into our account.
The Slaley Parish Council precept is to include an annual grant of £100 towards our running costs from the coming year. The Council has also earmarked the sum of £2000 towards the cost of the interpretive board. However, this sum is unlikely to be sufficient for the full costs of the board, and the Trust will need to seek further outside funding for this and any future projects. In this respect the Trust will need to have a proper business plan to support applications.
The present Committee would like to thank all who have given their time and skill to support the work of the Trust over the past twelve months. We very much hope that this help and support will continue in the year ahead.

Michael Elphick
Chairman of Slaley Community Trust
27th March 2007