annual general meeting 2024
AGENDA
Apologies
Minutes of the last meeting (see below)
Matters arising
Annual Report
Approval of Draft Accounts *
Election to Council of Management (COM) **
Appointment of Auditors
Any Other Business
* To view the accounts in advance of the meeting, please visit us at the Bear Steps or send an email to info@shrewsburycivicsociety.co.uk to request a copy.
** If you wish to put forward a candidate to join the COM, please let us know by contacting us on info@shrewsburycivicsociety.co.uk, providing the name and contact details of the proposed candidate, as well as his/her proposer and seconder.
CIVIC SOCIETY AGM Minutes (26th September 2023)
Present: Mike Dinneen; Jane Dinneen; John Brown; Russell Game; Mike Carter; Martina Chamberlain; Phil Scoggins; David Shepherd; Gaynor Tate; Graham Tate; Richard Hayes; Joleen Hayes; Dorian Gerhold; Elisabeth Gerhold; John Simblet; Andrew Fox; Julia Buckley
Apologies
Pauline Jones, Alan Jones, Stan Sedman, Simon Beedles, Andrew Bannerman, Jordanis Petridis
Minutes of the last meeting
These were approved as an accurate record (Proposed – Gaynor Tate; Seconded – John Brown)
Matters arising
None
Annual Report
This had been circulated in advance in the magazine. Mike Carter gave his thanks for the full report that had been published in the magazine.
Mike Dinneen drew attention to the following updates:
The Travelodge Application – a meeting with developers had taken place where the society had expressed further comments on the design, some of which have been taken into account, such as the gables.
Riverside – There had been a recent meeting with lead architects for the Riverside development with a model, where the society had some input into both site and proposals.
We are pleased that developers are coming to see us, explain their viewpoints and take our views into account.
Comments and questions were then invited.
Richard Hayes – when do we expect plans to be put on public display?
Mike Dinneen – within a month
Has SCS considered monitoring the disposal of publicly held assets within the town, such as Darwin House
Mike Dinneen – Darwin House, or more correctly, Mount House, was owned by HMRC, so was government property and the society had no right to a say. Keeping track of such assets can be tricky because the society is told that any deals/disposals are commercially confidential.
Phil Scoggins – explained some of the current issues as they dated from the time when he was chair of the planning committee.
Thanks were offered to the society for monitoring the Travelodge application and the society was encouraged to “continue being a nuisance”.
Phil Scoggins then gave some further elucidation on the Travelodge situation.
Gaynor Tate – is the land tied to Morris’?
Phil Scoggins – Morris’ have implied that the land could be used for other purposes than a hotel, but they would look after the exterior of the building in all cases.
Mike Dinneen – planning officers were on the case of the exterior of the Premier Inn
Mike Carter – wished to note his concern about the Welsh Bridge, which is crumbling.
The Chair’s Report was approved (Proposed – Richard Hayes; Seconded – David Shepherd)
Approval of Draft Accounts
These had previously been available for scrutiny.
David Shepherd pointed to the following:
- This was the first post covid year – shop and gallery takings were up, but the energy crisis had pushed up energy bills.
- Membership was down.
- The society had received no operating grant this year.
- Repairs also have been expensive.
- There was a loss of c. £4,000 this year.
- The society would need to utilise some money from its unit trust investments.
- The society had re-invested one sum and was now considering the best use of the other.
- The society had opened a new NatWest account, which could now be used for online transactions.
- Members to be encouraged to transfer standing orders from the old RBS account to the new NatWest account.
- New lighting had now been installed and paid for.
- Quotes for upstairs electricity supply were now due.
The accounts were duly approved: (Proposed – John Brown; Seconded – Graham Tate)
Election to Council of Management (COM)
- Mike Dinneen referred to the current issues relating to trusteeship.
- All current trustees were prepared to continue for a further two years. The meeting was unanimously in favour of this.
- No other candidates had put themselves forward for trusteeship.
Appointment of Auditors
It was unanimously agreed to continue with Stewart Associates.
Any Other Business
- Richard Hayes drew attention to Lord Hill’s Column, which is now reopened, and he offered special arrangements for Civic Society to visit.
- David Shepherd referred to Shrewsbury Historica and the income generated from it, for which the society was grateful.
- Mike Dinneen mentioned that we had sponsored the Art Trail and participated in it. He also wished to further publicise next year’s trail.
- John Brown referred to the recently created Promotion Group, which was looking at ways to increase revenue.
- Julia Buckley asked if we are members of BID; Mike Dinneen replied that the society intends to become an associate member.
- Mike Dinneen thanked Russell Game for his IT work and other assistance to the society.
The meeting ended at 18.49.
Annual Report of Shrewsbury Civic Society 2023/24
It never ceases to surprise me at how quickly the AGM comes around bringing a sharp focus on the activities which need to be carried out to meet the legal requirements of the Charity Commission and Companies House. The draft final accounts have to be certified by our auditors, notification of the AGM has to be sent to members and for the draft accounts to be available for inspection. This does take up considerable time and thanks are due to our Finance Committee members and our auditors.
The society has been represented at a number of civic functions such as the Mayor’s Sunday Service, the D Day Commemoration event and the Remembrance Sunday Parade. We continue to oppose the demolition of the Shirehall which we wish to see re-purposed. We have also been actively involved in assisting the trustees of the Morris Hall to obtain listing of the building, which has been inspected by Historic England and we await the outcome. We are also working to see of the frontage of the old Sentinel Works on Whitchurch Road can be protected from development. We have shared sponsorship of the Shrewsbury Arts Trail which has proved to be very popular. Russell Game and myself have been working with Mike Phillips of the History QR.info system, the aim of which is to produce a series of multi-lingual QR code plaque to be placed around the town which are attracting interest – try the one outside Bear Steps. The very popular lecture series on the history of Shrewsbury by Russell Game us running again and are also being given to the University of the Third Age. We have joined BID and take an active role in Vibrant Shropshire as well as attending meetings of the Shropshire Visual Arts Forum. The society also attends quarterly meetings of Shrewsbury Town Council’s Climate Change Committee.
The society manages its affairs through invaluable volunteers and an active committee structure ie a Council of Management (which meets quarterly), Planning Committee (monthly), Finance Committee (monthly) and a number of ad hoc groups. We have adopted a rolling Five Year Plan to help us plan for the future, which is recommended as good practice and will, hopefully, help us in applying for grants.
Members may recall that last year new lighting was installed to improve the display of artwork (much welcomed by the artists) and reduce our electricity consumption. This has been take further by the installation of new, efficient heating throughout the building to replace the inefficient and expensive storage heaters. We now have panel heaters installed in all rooms, except the Hall and shop areas. The panel heaters provide instant heat and can be turned off when not required unlike the previous storage heaters. The new heaters in the Hall and shop areas are quartz and suited to the areas which need to be heated. In addition, they are on 10 and 30 minute timers which can suit the number of visitors present. The cost of the new heaters (about 13k) was eased by a grant from the Marches Energy Fund of £4k. Long term the electricity bills will start to reduce.
Our only office PC has reached nearly ten years old and is ‘exhausted’ and so, to upgrade out IT capability for the future, we have purchased new laptops. This year we have greatly benefited from out intern, Charlotte Pryce, now in her third year of a history of art degree at the Courtauld Institute of Art. Lottie has considerably improved our social media presence, and our good wishes go with her for her final year.
The Bear Steps Galleries, managed by Dave Lupine, continue to be a sought after location for local artists to display their work, so much so that the diary bookings are now nearly full for 2027. The galleries are a valuable source of income for us vie room hire and commission fees. Our shop, managed by Nesta Orrells, is the welcoming face of the society to visitors. It continues to display and sell items by talented artists and authors, which are individual and often unique. We know, for example, that customers call regularly to buy greetings cards which are ‘different’.
To conclude, I would like to thank all of our volunteers without which the society could not function. Whether it is stewarding the shop, unseen work at committees, assisting artists, our cleaner, helping with lectures, functions, etc. I would like also to particularly thank Stan Sedman MBE for a very generous donation of learned textbooks to add to our library. It is appropriate to mention here the recently deceased David Trumper, a local historian of renown and friend of the society, whose knowledge will be greatly missed.
Finally, I would like to place on record by gratitude to Russell Game whose work as, in effect, out IT manager and mostly behind the scenes is invaluable. He has saved the society large sums of money by not needing IT consultants to solve our ‘problems’. In addition, Russell has also brought in valuable income to us through his very popular history talks.
Michael Dinneen, Chairman