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Minutes of Inaugural Meeting
Craster Community Trust
Tuesday 8th June 2010
Craster Memorial Hall 7p.m.

Present.
Michael Craster, Joyce Shaw, Jim Shaw, Peter Humble, Heather Lee, Doris Clark, Marion Gallon, Marjorie Clark, John Gallon, J. Findeisen, Trish Flegg, Michael Findeisen, Michael Doherty, Rosemary Gibbs, Kevin Brown, Jennifer Doherty, Marjorie Taylor, Diana Ridley, Geoffrey Ridley, Allan Brooks, Elizabeth Pearson, Jackie Reeves, Stephen Reeves, Pat Wadds, Margaret Kilvington, Peter Howard, Brenda Wright, Bridget Kohler, Colin Armstrong, Adele Agar, Reg Ball, Rosie Robson, Winnie Banks, Joan Angus, Sue Chapman, Sybil Dawson & Fyona Robson.

Apologies.
Joe Flegg, Michael Robson & Hilary Punton.

Michael Craster welcomed all present to establish the Craster  Community Trust. The following is the script of his presentation

Thank you to all those who have come today to mark the opening of a new phase in the life of this community.  Following the decisions taken at public meetings of   both Trusts last year, and protracted negotiations with the Charity Commissioners, The Memorial Hall Trust and the Craster Community Development Trust have been merged into a single new Trust called the Craster Community Trust.  The merger has been actioned by the Charity Commissioners, and the new trust is formally in being.

Those of us of the old committees here at the table are simply representatives of the former trusts who are acting today to help that process.  We are not in any sense members of the new Trust.

This is in effect the first AGM of new trust, and the purpose of this meeting therefore is to establish it and get it up and running.  .

To do that we must establish a committee, electing members who will be the new Trustees.  Under the constitution they will hold that position for a year at a time, being eligible for re-election at the next AGM should they wish to stand again.   The new constitution, which I hope all of you have had an opportunity to study, allows for a maximum of 10 trustees, plus one nominated by the Parish Council.  There is also provision for the family to appoint an additional trustee if a family member has not already been elected!  There should be not less than 5 trustees appointed.

Those Trustees will form in effect the Executive Committee of the Trust, responsible for all its assets, including the playground, the website and the Memorial Hall, and of course the existing funds.  They will have extensive powers to decide how they will run the Trust’s affairs, and will have considerable opportunities to benefit the community.  As a charitable body, and now a Trust with what is known as an “open” constitution, they should be able to attract money from grant makers that would not otherwise be available to the community, for a wide variety of things – for example they might want to completely redo the playground, and refurbish the Memorial Hall.  The new Committee could work with the Parish Council on matters of concern to the villages, like mobile phones and parking, and they could do things like organising an oil purchase co-operative.  The new Trust could give grants as seed corn for starting up new enterprises, and could perhaps seek funding to assist existing ones in times of difficulty.  The possibilities are limitless.

That’s what could be done if the community is prepared to step up to the challenge.  It is perhaps also worth reflecting what will happen if it isn’t.  If no one comes forward today the result will be that the Trust will have to be wound up, and if that happens the play park will have to be closed, the website shut down and the Hall eventually sold – and then we really will have ripped the heart out of the community…

In taking this forward it may help if the villages have some idea of what the members of the community would like to see from its new Trust.  So I’d now like to throw the meeting open for discussion.

Discussion followed and covered points such as,

• How much use was made of the hall,

• Was there an appraisal for the hall and what level of funding was available, as it does need refurbishment?

• Play park is very popular but does need a serious amount of money spent on it. Funding is already available for the ply park. Important to target visitors and holiday homes when fund raising.

• Will the Craster Community Charity have to fund raise? What sources of funding have been tapped into and where are other sources?

• It will be for the new committee to determine what and how funds are raised and spent. 

The meeting unanimously felt that it was important to see development of the play park and the Memorial Hall.
Michael Craster then invited people to come forward and form the trust committee. The 10 following put themselves forward as the first committee:

Kevin Brown.
Pauline Brown.
Michael Findeisen.
Hilary Punton.
Elizabeth Pearson.
Marion Gallon.
Jackie Reeves.
Sue Chapman.
Heather Lee.
Joyce Shaw

At its first meeting immediately after this AGM, and in accordance with the constitution, the trustees agreed that:

In the absence of an elected family member, Bridget Kohler should be accepted as the appointed family member;
Geoffrey Ridley and Joan Angus should be co-opted onto the committee;
Rosie Robson should be carried forward as the representative of the Parish Council. 

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