RYEDALE, SCARBOROUGH, WHITBY & FILEY (RSWF) NHW ASSOCIATION
Annual General Meeting
Friday 29 January 2021 6pm via Zoom
Meeting Minutes
1. Welcome and introductions
Present:
Hazel Hickman, Mick Prince, Peter French, Terry Johnson, Janet Hagger, Richard Hagger, Claire Robinson, Steve Law
The AGM meeting was deemed to be Quorate.
Apologies:
Helen Cheall, John Harrison, Eric Dunstone, Pamela Ciceri
2. Minutes of previous AGM 08 January 2020
Matters arising:
None
Minutes:
Proposed and seconded as a true record
Proposed Hazel Hickman
Seconded Peter French
Previous minutes can be viewed here
3. RSWF NHWA Chairs Report
Peter French (Chair) outlined his report to include:
· In July we finally gained access to the long-promised new UK-Wide national NHW operating (messaging) system.
· We have continued to maintain contacts with North Yorkshire Police on an individual basis including: Inspector Martin Dennison (Ryedale Police) local Community Beat officers, Rowland Baxter (Digital PCSO, (Partnership Hub) and PC Andy Fox (Financial Abuse Safeguarding Officer). We value the strong working relationship we have developed with the local community policing team and look forward to a continuation over the forthcoming year.
· We have maintained our connections with other community organisations under the umbrella of NYCC Stronger Communities Forum chaired by Paddy Chandler of North Yorkshire County Council. These quarterly Forums have provided us with the opportunity to:
a) raise the profile of NHW in North Yorkshire local government departments.
b) promote NHWN and our members to a variety of Local Government departments
c) forge lines of communication with those who wish to reach potential service users among our communities and work in collaboration with local co-ordinators.
d) access training and development opportunities for members
e) access funding opportunities for NHW initiatives
· We will continue to work with our community partners regularly via e-mail and Zoom for on-line meetings. Face-to face meetings have ceased since the covid lock-down began in March but we can all look forward to the pleasure of personal meetings in due course now that immunisation is being rolled out!!
· I continue to seek further opportunities to broaden the appeal of Neighbourhood Watch membership and to extend and expand the services we can offer to support our neighbours in making the community in which we live a safe and crime free environment and minimising the opportunity for criminals to exploit the residents in our neighbourhoods.
The full report can be viewed here
Discussion took place regarding the low numbers of people signing up to Neighbourhood Alert.
Hazel Hickman commented that it may not be easy for Coordinators wo are not IT literate to sign up, as it was not a straight forward process.
It was suggested that the Chair should contact Ourwatch to determine if there was a simpler way, categorised by a flow chart.
Deputy Chair Mick Prince suggested that if Coordinators were willing to pass on their details, Steve Law the Multi Scheme Administrator (MSA) could sign them up. Steve agreed that this was easy to do.
4. Treasurers report
Steve Law (Treasurer)
There had been no expenditure in the last financial year. We had income of Ten Pounds donated by past Chair Terry Wallis towards the heating costs of Hinderwell Church Hall for the previous AGM. In part this was to prevent the account becoming dormant due to inactivity. The full amount of twenty pounds was paid by - out of pocket expenses.
The Auditor for RSWF NHWA has approved the financial accounts for 2021.
The balance in the account is £58.03
The accounts can be viewed in full here
5. Current Funding Bids
Mick Prince (Deputy Chair) reported on his funding bids.
The Sirius Minerals bid for £5000 was turned down in Nov 20 but we were encouraged to bid again in 2021. I’ve checked the website and it doesn’t give any information about future funding.
The bid for £500 from NW Community Grant was well received and I had a phone call last week from Amy Mawby, Head of Fundraising to confirm that they would support us but only on “an evidence of expenditure needs to be reimbursed basis” e.g. proforma invoice for website/Zoom fees, press advertising, NW signs, etc.
Mick and Hazel agreed to liaise on any Press release relating to the Whitby/Moors area.
A bid for NYCC Stronger Communities Grant would depend on a Risk Assessment relating to COVID recovery and a bid to a local County Councillor for a Locality Grant would depend upon the Council ward.
Mick has not applied for either of these yet pending developments with a request from Botton Village for a NW scheme.
It has been stated by our NYP SPOC Sgt Heidi Lewis:
“NYP will no longer pay for NHW Street signs and NHW will have to buy their own.”
It was suggested that Street Signs could be included in the NHW Community Grant.
The meeting was advised that the now in-active North York’s NHWA has approx. £1200 in the bank which is likely to remain dormant. It was suggested that Peter French contact Bill Wood (Hambleton) to see if the funds could be spread amongst the active districts.
6. Constitutional amendments
A) Proposal by Mick Prince ‘the minimum amount retained in the RSWF bank account at any one time shall be no less than £50’
This was unanimously approved.
At approx. 18:30 the Zoom meeting time limit expired. Most attendees were able to “re-Zoom” the meeting. Claire Robinson joined as guest speaker.
B) Proposal by Steve Law ‘the current business plan shall be replaced with a RSWF NHWA Strategy plan, which reflects the Ourwatch Strategy plan.’
This was unanimously approved.
The RSWF NHWA Strategy Plan to replace RSWF NHWA business plan can be viewed here
7. Election of Officers to RSWF NHWA
Steve Law (Secretary) conducted the appointments.
The RSWF NHWA Secretary and Administrator posts are non-executive.
It was deemed unfair to seek nominations for the Officer Posts for the forthcoming year. Following the resignation of Chair Terry Wallis, Peter French and Mick Prince had kindly stepped in to the vacant roles at very short notice.
It was agreed that for this year only, we would divert from the constitutional practice of seeking nominations for Officer Posts.
Hazel Hickman proposed that the following people should be re-appointed to their current roles for the coming year.
Chair – Peter French
Deputy Chair – Mick Prince
Treasurer – Steve Law
The current post holders were unanimously appointed by a show of hands from the meeting delegates.
The appointed Officers agreed to take up their roles.
8. Revised Business Plan
See 6B
9. Guest Speaker
Claire Robinson (Development Manager for Scarborough & Ryedale Carers Resource and Strategic Lead for the Community Support Organisation)
Scarborough & Ryedale Carers Resource is the 'go to' organisation for Carers and the wider community – a centre for excellence where people can access personalised support which will enable them to grow confidence, enhance resilience, improve wellbeing and navigate a clear pathway to their best possible life. We support carers from the age of 8 through to 108! Offering helpline support to longer-term contact; covering: social, emotional, financial and welfare support that reflects the needs at any point in the carer journey. In addition to our carers services we also have a ‘Home from Hospital’ service (for any adult nearly discharged from hospital - carers and non-carers) and a ‘My Neighbourhood’ service for any adult experiencing a period of loneliness and isolation. As a combined service we are proud to support over 3500 per annum.
Our connection with the Neighbourhood Watch will hopefully be around our determination to strengthen and empower communities - we support the development of engagement activities that are shaped and designed by the community for the community.
In Ryedale we also manage a community support organisation - supporting the community and individuals with the impact of the pandemic.
In Whitby we facilitate Whitby Community Alliance - a group of VCSE organisations brought together just before the pandemic to work closer and better together for the communities we serve. Whitby Food Alliance is a subgroup of this group and has worked wonders bringing the diverse food aid provides together in order to improve food security to those hardest affected pre/during COVID.
10. Any Other Business
None
11. Date and location of next meeting
April 2021 Ordinary Meeting - TBA
January 2022 AGM - TBA
12. Meeting Close
SAL 30 January 2021