Annual General Meeting of the Paignton Home Garden & Allotment Society held at the ROAB Club, New Street, Paignton on Monday 6 October 2014 at 7.30pm

Present: Joseph Wallis, Keith & Jane Parker, Flis Cotton, Liz Barnes, Alan Smith, Gary Buckingham, Jacqueline Green, Tracey Clarke, Lorri Oates, Christine Guiver, Colin Weymouth, F Cox, Barrie & Sandra Luscombe, Catherine Ambury, Nigel Philbey, Anthony Rayner.

Hon Vice President Joe Wallis welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1.    Apologies: Kay Mason, Elaine Care, Lin Cane, Philip Moore, Deborah and Richard Barton, Pat Messenger, Pat and Steve Marriott.

2.    Minutes of last AGM held on Monday 7 October 2013 were read, agreed and signed.

3.    Correspondence:

• None
  

4.    Chairman’s Report

• Chairman reported that despite the long dry periods over the summer and that some crops failed to develop – overall, it had not been a bad year.
  
• Plot rents had been increased last year and these had helped to cover the Association costs for the year (insurance/memberships)
  
• The Association had purchased various equipment in the year – Oakleigh: a strimmer and safety equipment, good quality shed and costs of the groundwork had been covered (Chairman thanked all those involved in this). Derrell Road: a pyrograph to write plot numbers, council padlocks had been replaced with combination locks, a clay oven had been built with a £50 contribution from the Association.  Lower Penns – the water meter was now being read monthly and this was showing a saving of over £500 so far this year, despite the dry summer.
  
• The site leases expire this year – we have approached the Council to renew and this is in hand. We have been assured that there will be no problem with continuing the tenure and leases will be prepared by the council as and when.
• Hon VP thanked the Chairman and Treasurer for their hard work over the year.
  

5.    Treasurer’s Report:

   Income:

• Plot rent/membership             £3,745.80
  
• Bank interest                                  £1.29                                                      
  
• Chicken pellets                           £417.20
  
• Total income                          £4,164.29    
  

   Expenditure:

• SW Water                                 £1,031.77
  
• Stat/postage                               £102.74
  
• Equipment                               £1,805.88
  
• Ch Pellets                                   £460.80
  
• Subs.                                          £779.37
  
• Maintenance                               £755.94
  
• Total expenditure                   £4,936.50

   Deficit for year:                               £772.21

   Monies in bank:

• Current account                           £76.27
  
• Deposit account                      £1,784.36
  
• Cash in hand                                 £9.97
  
• Chicken pellets = 8 bags             £62.40
  

6.    Motions and Proposals:

• None
  

7.    Election of Officers:

• No resignations so all current officers proposed/seconded/agreed
  

        (a)          Chairman                   Keith Parker
        (b)          Vice Chairman           Alan Smith
        (c)          Secretary                    Flis Cotton
        (d)          Treasurer                   Jane Parker
        (e)          Web Master                (volunteers required as site needs to be updated)
        (f)           Wildlife Officer           Jacqueline Green
        (g)          Fundraising Officer    (none)
        (h)          Site Reps (3 for each site):
             - DR:               Pat Messenger, Tracey Clarke, Jacqueline Green
             - Oakleigh:      Gary Buckingham,  Pat Marriott,  Liz Barnes
             - LP:                Phillip Moore, Colin Weymouth, Christine Guiver

8.    Representatives on Other Organisations:

• Alan and May Burgess – National Vegetable Society.
  
• Joe Wallis reported that he was also a member.
  

9.    Closing Comments and Forthcoming Events:

• None
  

10.    Any Other Business:

• A plotholder asked if there was a way that excess produce could be sold. After discussion it was agreed that for reasons of security, there was no viable way of doing this on the site. In any event, a trading licence would be required. A suggestion was made that produce could be sold at the local area Summer Fayre.
  
• Hon VP said that he had emailed the sec. with a proposal for discussion (sec. not received this). He suggested that all Society equipment should be kept together. Chairman confirmed that there was an inventory of property in the form of an Asset Register. He would look this out for discussion at the November meeting.
  
• Vice chairman asked if anti-vandal paint could be bought as children were climbing over the gate at the Oakleigh site. It was said to cost around £12-£15 per tin. Hon. VP would make enquiries and report back.
  
• A plotholder asked for news on the LP strimmer. Chairman confirmed that the insurance documents had been completed but not yet sent as he could not confirm to the insurers that there was any evidence of forced entry to the shed and there had been no damage done. A Plotholder on LP asked if the society would be prepared to buy another strimmer for the site at the same cost as the last one and he would be happy to take responsibility for it. He would keep it under lock and key, it would be security marked and plotholders would have to ask to borrow it and it would be returned to him. All present agreed that as there were sufficient society funds available, a new strimmer could be bought on these terms.
  
• Hon VP confirmed that he had written in August to the management of the RAOB club to ask if it could still be used for meetings throughout 2015. This had been agreed and so will continue to be used on the 1st Monday of every month, except where there is a bank holiday, when the meeting will be held on the 1st Tuesday of the month.
  
• There was a discussion about the water meter readings at Lower Penns and the Treasurers said that all sites were now on equal footing, with a saving so far of over £500 on Lower Penns in the year despite the very dry summer.
  

11.    Date of next neeting:

• Next Annual General Meeting: Monday 5 October 2015 at 7.30pm at the ROAB Club.
  
• Next Committee Meeting: Monday 3 November 2014 at 7.30pm
  

Meeting closed at: 8.20pm