CSG Committee Meeting – 25th January 2024

Community Support Group Ordinary Committee Meeting Agenda
Thursday 25th January at 7.00pm at Slapton Village Hall

The following CSG Committee Members are requested to attend:
Julie Hinder (CSG Chair), James Curtis, Kate Palmer, Jane Abbey (PC Chair) and Peter Osborne (PC Cllr).

Any CSG Volunteers or members of the public are also welcome to attend.

1) APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2) DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST: Committee Members are invited to declare any disclosable interest they may have in any items to be considered.

3) PUBLIC COMMENT

4) MINUTES OF THE LAST COMMUNITY SUPPORT GROUP ORDINARY COMMITTEE MEETING held on Wednesday 7th June 2023 at 7.00pm: If agreed, to be signed by the Chair as a true and correct record – see separate document (4).

5) MATTERS FOR DISCUSSION
a. Revised Terms of Reference: Have all CSG Committee Members read the revised Terms of Reference approved by the PC? – see separate document (5a).
b. Update on 2023/24 CSG initiatives: How successful have the Community Café, Community Cinema, Halloween Event, Tree Hub stall been? Any lessons learnt?
c. Update on CSG funds held by the PC: PC Clerk to provide update on any remaining ringfenced funds to be c/f from y/e 2023/24.
d. What do Committee Members see as the CSG’s priorities for 2024/25? How do they envisage these priorities will be delivered and funded?
e. How can the CSG attract and retain more volunteers?

6) REVIEW of ACTION LOG

a. Status update of pending or incomplete actions in the action log – see separate document (6a).

7) PROPOSALS and FINANCIAL MATTERS TO TAKE TO THE PARISH COUNCIL FOR RESOLUTION

8) AOB

9) NEXT MEETING DATES

a. How many meetings per year would the CSG Committee like to have (the Terms of Reference state at least two per year – June and December)? Dates and times?

Signed: Bella Moor, PC Clerk
18/01/24

Draft Minutes of the Community Support Group Committee Meeting held at Slapton Village Hall on Thursday 25th January at 7.00pm

The following CSG Committee Members were in attendance:
Julie Hinder (CSG Chair), Kate Palmer, Jane Abbey (PC Chair) and Peter Osborne (PC Cllr).
Clerk: Bella Moor

No additional CSG Volunteers or members of the public were in attendance.

11:23 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: James Curtis sent his apologies as he is working away.

12:23 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST: Committee Members were invited to declare any disclosable interest they may have in any items to be considered. No declarations of interest were made.

13:23 PUBLIC COMMENT: None.

14:23 MINUTES OF THE LAST COMMUNITY SUPPORT GROUP ORDINARY COMMITTEE MEETING held on Wednesday 7th June 2023 at 7.00pm: It was resolved to approve the minutes.

15:23 MATTERS FOR DISCUSSION
a. Revised Terms of Reference: All Members confirmed that they had read and understood the revised Terms of Reference.

b. Update on 2023/24 CSG initiatives:

i. Community Café: It was agreed that the Café has been successful. The CSG Committee Chair would like to thank the Cllrs, Clerk and Vivienne Dyer for their contributions to running the Café. There was discussion about how the Café provides a good opportunity for the whole community, and not just those parishioners who normally go out, to socialise. To increase numbers attending further, it was agreed that a publicity boost is required to encourage families to attend during school holidays and more people to ‘pop in and bring a friend’. Clerk to update Website and Facebook and to update posters for the Shop and Village Pubs. There was also a discussion about the need to identify parishioners, who might like to attend, but are unable to due to lack of transport. It was agreed that the Cllrs volunteering at the Café would endeavour to identify these parishioners and to offer to collect them and/or encourage friends or neighbours to offer them lifts. Jane Abbey and Peter Osborne to action. Finally, it was agreed that the Café should be publicised more widely next winter to promote it to the outer/wider Parish. Clerk to action.

ii. Community Cinema: It was agreed that the first Cinema event in December 2023 had been successful. Feedback received has resulted in a matinee and evening screening planned for 24th February. The matinee film will be for children and families and it was agreed that that this should be promoted at both Stokenham and East Allington Primary Schools. Useful suggestions were also shared about how to promote both films in within the Parish and in neighbouring Parishes. The first film made a small loss but there is a remaining PC grant of £284.24, which should cover any future losses. There was discussion about the need to ensure the Community Cinema breaks even so that it is viable in the longer term.

iii. Halloween Event: There was discussion about how the Halloween Event had been attended by a diverse group of children and families and it was agreed that it was a success. There was also further discussion about engaging other volunteers to support the running of the event in 2024. Julie Hinder to contact possible additional volunteers to support this event.

iv. Tree Hub: There was agreement that the CSG’s ‘children’s stall’ at the Tree Hub had been a good idea and Members thanked James Curtis for organising a successful event. The willow weaving, paid for by the PC, talks and stalls were well received. There was a suggestion that next year the NFU should be asked to promote the Tree Hub to NFU Parish members so that more farmers become involved in improving the health of hedges/Devon banks etc. and, moreover, to possibly broaden the remit of the Tree Hub to include maps of important trees in the Parish as well as rural skills. Kate Palmer to liaise with James Curtis.

c. Update on CSG funds held by the PC: The Clerk reported the following:

i. £92.00 remains ringfenced in Children, Young People and Families Cost Centre.
ii. £500.00 remains ringfenced towards a basketball hoop at the Recreation Field.
iii. £522.47 remains ringfenced in the Environment/Biodiversity cost centre. To be spent by PC and CSG.
iv. £284.24 remains ringfenced in the Community Cinema cost centre.
v. There will be a small c/f from the Community Café, which cannot be calculated until it finishes in March, but is likely to be in the region of £300 to £400.

d. What do Committee Members see as the CSG’s priorities for 2024/25? How do they envisage these priorities will be delivered and funded?

i. Survey and action plan: There was discussion about the CSG’s role in preparation of a Neighbourhood Plan, if the PC does decide to pursue this, and the need for the CSG to have its own short-medium term plan in the interim. There was understanding that a Parish survey is a requirement of the Neighbourhood Planning process but agreement that it would be useful to have the view of parishioners in relation to support they would like the CSG to provide, sooner rather than later, to help inform the CSG’s priorities in the short to medium term. Members to develop and distribute a Parish survey. Members to use outcomes of the Parish wide survey to develop a short-medium term action plan for the CSG.

ii. Community Café: It was agreed that the CSG would like the Community Café to continue during Winter 2024/25. There was a discussion about who would run this. Peter Osborne and Jane Abbey confirmed that they would be happy to continue to volunteer to run it. PC Clerk to apply for Localities grant (if still available). Peter Osborne and Jane Abbey to run Café along with any available additional CSG volunteers.

iii. Community Cinema: It was agreed that 6x Community Cinema events for 2024 is sufficient and the success of each of these should be reviewed before planning for 2025. There was also discussion about how the PC/CSG should review whether the Community Cinema should become its own entity (e.g. charitable trust) so that it can operate independently of the PC/CSG in the longer term. Clerk to add to Agenda for discussion later in the year.

iv. Halloween Event: It was agreed another Halloween Event would be run in 2024. Julie confirmed that she is happy to continue to support children, young people and family events. Julie Hinder to action (Clerk to book Village Hall).

v. Basketball hoop: There was discussion about the need for additional funds of approximately £1k to install this. It was agreed: 1) the Parish survey would seek to ascertain whether there is still a desire from parishioners for the installation of the hoop. Members to include in Parish survey. 2) Clerk to investigate whether tax relief available to any parishioner who donated towards the additional costs. Clerk to action.

vi. Community orchard: It was agreed that 4 – 6 fruit trees could be planted in the wild area of the Recreation Field and that any additional fruit or nut tree planting should form part of any Neighbourhood Planning or other longer-term Parish plans. Chair and Kate Palmer to liaise directly with James Curtis (Tree Warden).

vii. Workshops: There was discussion about the possibility of a ‘rural skills’ workshop, such as hedge laying or coppicing at Dittiscombe, as it was considered a good way to bring those living in the outer Parish and the village together, whilst also promoting both rural skills and sustainable initiatives. Clerk and Kate Palmer to investigate possibilities and add to a future agenda for discussion.

e. How can the CSG attract and retain more volunteers? There was brief discussion about the need to ‘sell the sizzle’ and to promote helping rather than committing so that CSG volunteers can dip in and out. No actions agreed.

16:23 REVIEW of ACTION LOG

a. Status update of pending or incomplete actions in the action log – see separate document (6a). The Chair acknowledged that most actions had been completed and no further updates were provided.

17:23 PROPOSALS and FINANCIAL MATTERS TO TAKE TO THE PARISH COUNCIL FOR RESOLUTION: None.

18:23 AOB

a. Communication: There was discussion about the need to improve communication of CSG events across the Parish, including distributing Slapton Lines to households that do not subscribe currently. PC/Jane Abbey to purchase copies of Slapton Lines for the Community Café and distribute any remaining copies to households not currently subscribed. There was also a discussion about leaflet drops to households to communicate planned events. Peter Osborne suggested that this could be coordinated with any leaflet drops planned by Slapton Village Shop. Clerk and Peter Osborne to action. All members to support with distribution.

19:23 NEXT MEETING DATES

a. How many meetings per year would the CSG Committee like to have (the Terms of Reference state at least two per year – June and December)? There was discussion about increasing the frequency of meetings. Due to the existing commitments of several Members, it was felt that monthly meetings would not be an option. It was agreed that the next meeting would be in late March/Easter on a Monday (so that James Curtis can attend) during the school holidays, followed by another meeting in June (as per the Terms of Reference).

Signed:                                                                                                                                                   Date: