Auchencairn Climate Transition: AGM Minutes 01/09/24

Present: Anne Williams, Bill Barlow, Caro Barlow, Denis Davies, Dorothy Anderson, Hala Zaluczkowska, Lee Paton, Jen Stephenson, Jesse Beaman, Jif Hyde, John Higgs, Karen Slattery, Rowan O’Dowd, Simon Brooke

Apologies: Cate Ross, Naomi Wight, Susanna Pallinder

Agenda

1. Welcome and Apologies
2. Minutes of previous AGM
3. Annual Report of activities
4. Treasurer’s Report
5. Election of Committee Members
6. A.O.B
   1. Logo competition
   2. Initiative

Minutes of previous

Read in summary by HZ.

Safeguarding Policy: LP reported that Stuart and Jesse have completed a PVG. She needs to check with DD if he needs a PVG or just a basic check.

Biodiversity Group: LP reported that permission has been obtained to treat knotweed along the stream bank with glyphosate.This is due to start in the autumn and will take 2-3 years to complete the treatment. The treatment is being carried out by Galloway Fisheries Trust.

The minutes of the previous AGM were accepted as true record.

Annual report

Read by HZ; See accompanying attachment.

Matters arising

DD reported that planning permission has not yet been granted to place the portacabins on the old Free Kirk site, but that he is in communication with the council about it.

DD reported that a community transport scheme is being investigated, and some minibus trips have already been organised. There was discussion about communication, especially with older people in the village and how information about the trips could be disseminated to them. ROD said that the trips are currently advertised via social media, posters in the local shop and via the ACT newsletter and mailing list. LP suggested that a new shared noticeboard could be placed in the village where the Community Council, The Initiative and ACT could post their minutes, events and other notices. There was general support for this idea.

JH asked whether a vision document for community transport was proposed? He reported that there was some confusion from the transport questionnaire about what was being offered and a need to clarify this. DD reported that the current community transport project is a pilot but that developing a community transport vision was proposed.

Treasurer's report

KS read the accounts on behalf of SP (See Appendix 1). SP suggests that £2,500 should be set as a reserve, and that we move from RBS to a more ethical bank. We note that SP would wish to stand down as treasurer, but that no volunteers have yet come forward.

Matters arising

In response to a question about e-bike hire rates, DD reported that there was a proposal that commercial rates of probably £45 per day would be introduced for visitors to the village, while the £20/month fee for residents would remain.

In response to mention of ACT incorporating later this year, AW raised concerns about the objectives of ACT, the extent to which they overlap with other organisations in the village and the difficulties in recruiting trustees. JH explained that ACT evolved specifically to address climate change in the community, which no other organisation was doing. It was suggested that a joint meeting between ACT, The Initiative and Community Council would be useful to discuss any concerns.

Election of committee members

HZ reported that she wished to stand down for health reasons; we thanked her for her work.

Chair: Naomi WIght; proposed by SB, Seconded by JS

Treasurer: Susanna Pallinder to continue for now, but a replacement to be urgently sought;

Secretary: Jen Stephenson

Admin: Karen Slattery, to support ROD (staff).

Other committee members

Just the active group.

Any other competent business

Logo competition

This will be looked at by a branding sub-group. DD and ROD encourage people to join the subgroup if they are so inclined. Proposed date for the first sub-group meeting is 19th Sept. Please email ROD on the actbefore2025@gmail.com email to express an interest.

Initiative

AW reports that she and DA are standing down from the Auchencairn Initiative. A meeting has been arranged for 28th September to discuss the future of the shop. The initiative is looking for new trustees.

Landscape ‘restructuring’

JH reported that a meeting was being held at Auchengool farm at 1pm on Wednesday 4th Sept. Rachael is giving information/an update about the destruction of the knowes and legal issues surrounding this.

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Appendix 1 Treasurer’s Report

It’s been a busier year again this year.

Opening balance: £12,752.37 (this was because £10,000 funding for 23/24 ebike project was received early and appears in 22/23 accounts)

Closing balance: £25,362.08 (this is because funding received for the workshop/cabins had been spent but had not yet left the bank account)

Received

Grant funding for ebike/community transport project including e-cargo bikes, cabin workshop, parts and project worker funding: £59,428.96

Grant funding for village events: £3,960.00

Ebike hires and donations:£1,371.34

Spent:

Expenditure was £50,063.62 on ebike community transport project(e-cargo bikes, parts, training, insurance, Project worker pay:(note that as some funding was received very close to year end for the accounts, a fairly large amount of the 23/24 spend will be in 24/25 accounts)

Expenditure was £3,955.64 on events including SCCAN, tea dance, film,art show, plantings and tree care, hall hires for meetings etc:see note above.

BGs also spent the remainder of money raised by sales etc in 2020 on a watering system for the tree nursery £166.36.

Notes

At a meeting we agreed that there would always be restricted funding kept for land rent, insurance and cabin movement. I would like to suggest that this be kept at a minimum of £2500.00. Happy for this to be increased.

I have put insurance under ebike expenditure, although the insurance covers all of ACTs activities.

When we constituted during Covid lockdown the bank account was set up with RBS as we couldn’t get another bank to take us on. We might consider a change of bank to a more eco friendly one? We set up with digital banking and cheque book but cheques proved to be unwieldy and were not accepted by suppliers. Our current solution is not really fit for purpose (checking invoices with chair and ebike project facilitator before bank transfer payment) RBS are not offering two stage verification to voluntary bodies or charitites at present so this might be a good time to swap.

I had hoped to stand down as treasurer at the AGM but I am still planning to carry on as long as needed...I would also be very happy to hand it over if someone has offered to take this on. I feel I am not giving it my best.

Many many thanks to Ross for checking over the accounts so thoroughly and to KS for facilitating this treasurers report.

Best wishes to you all.