## **CHAIR’S REPORT – NOVEMBER 2022** 

**Further details of the items below can be viewed in the appropriate Minutes.** 

**i.   Friends have made good progress since our last AGM (27th June 2021), with the help of LCC’s Cems and Crems Department and other LCC officials, the National Lottery Fund and Liverpool City Region officials** 

**ii.  Contacts have also been made with Edge Hill University (Andrea Edge Hill Uni) and St Vincent’s School (Connor) for the visually impaired, with the possibility of future collaboration and Everton FC are considering becoming one of our Patrons (Jamie EFC)** 

**iii. Our website Find a Grave facility continues to provide funding to cover our insurance, website and events etc thanks to the work of James and Steve** 

**iv.  St Francis de Sales won our inaugural School Photo Competition organised by Christine of LFC, who also generously provided the prizes for First, Second and Third, saving Friends £100 (originally first prize). The children’s work is to be kept by Friends for possible future displays** 

**v.   A replacement Clock Tower clock mechanism is in the offing but we are still waiting for LCC’s Structural Engineer to report the condition of the tower (Terry and Brendan LCC)** 

**vi.  LCC Cems and Crems have invited Friends to partner them to redesign / replace the Blitz War Memorial (Graham, - John who initiated this - and Alan LCC)** 

**vii.  LCC has offered access to their (to be completed) on line Grave Location System, which accurately identifies the location of a grave using interactive mapping (Alan LCC)** 



**viii. Our pleasing wild-flower planting project display, following the ‘lost’ pathways designed by Kemp has been appreciated by Friends and visitors alike and will be on display in the coming years (Jane and Brendan LCC)** 

**ix.   Tidy Up / Litter Picking dates are to be determined and hot water urns have been purchased to provide drinks to volunteers (Terry and Karan)** 

**x.    Two 6ft x 3ft information boards, informing visitors of our intention to build an International Heritage and Visitor Centre (the Centre), have been passed by LCC Planning and installed in the cemetery grounds (Brendan LCC and Crosby Memorials)** 

**xi.   LCC’s Pre Planning Advice about the Centre has been given and will inform any future Planning Application (Friends)** 

**xii.  LCC Comms can help with an on-line public consultation about our proposed Centre (Alan LCC and Friends)** 

**xiii. LCC have encouraged Friends to submit an application for the Asset Transfer of the South Chapel and its curtilage from LCC to Friends, using LCC’s new Asset Transfer policy. The new policy has been passed by Council and is about to be published (Alan LCC and Friends) NOTE - An Asset Transfer commitment is vital for applications to the NLHF and the Levelling Up Fund - and Planning Permission is vital for attracting a wider range of funding streams as we discovered in our previously NLHF funded Resilient Heritage project** 

**xiv.  After meeting with Roy Gladden (Lord Mayor of Liverpool) and Alan Smith (LCC’s Heritage Lead) last year, Alan hosted a meeting in Liverpool’s St George’s Hall on Wednesday 2nd November 2022. The meeting was initiated by NLHF’s Kate Kendall (ex Historic England and now with the NLHF) and Louise Sutherland (NLHF) to discuss Friends’ EOI in a £220k Development Stage application. If successful, it will prepare Friends for a £5m Delivery Stage application. Each application needs to satisfy NLHF’s requirements and there are no guarantees.** 



**Kate and Louise are long-term supporters of our aim and responding to their advice is crucial.** 

**xv.   After a meeting with Daniel Bimpson, Steve Rotheram’s representative at LCRCA, Daniel emailed Erica Rushton of Kindred LCR - stating -** 

**‘… on behalf of Friends of Anfield Cemetery Trust, regarding the Trust’s exciting plans around a heritage/visitor attraction and funeral service enterprise within the grounds.** 

**‘The Trust have previously been successful in raising substantial funds for development of the project to-date and are in discussions with Liverpool City Council regarding the potential transfer of assets. The Trust has approached LCRCA as potential match funders against a National Lottery Heritage Fund submission, which we can consider more fully in due course, although I have noted the significant overprogramming of SIF funds of which you are aware.** 

**'Tom has shared extensive information with us, including a business plan, which indicates a commercial model generating an operating surplus. In light of this, in addition to the social ethos of the Trust and the dimension around land transfer, I thought the Trust could stand to benefit immensely from support and advice via Kindred …’** 

**xvi.  Cemetery Section Markers will be re-fitted when LCC funding allows (Martin LCC)** 

**xvii. Our Friends of Anfield Cemetery Facebook continues to grow with 963 members thanks to admins: Karan, Jane, Terry and Ray** 

**xviii. LCC Comms are to follow-up on the more recent Friends of Anfield Cemetery Facebook set up by a previous Trustee, with a view of shutting it down (Alan LCC)** 

**xix.   Friends’ ‘Famous Name Book’ has been started and contributions are welcome (Karan)** 

**xx.    Black History stories provide links with the BME groups. One of our Find a Grave enquirers is approaching** 



**Washington DC with a view to have a headstone on the grave of one of the very few black surgeons who served on the Union side during the American Civil War and is buried in Anfield Cemetery. His family had links with the Underground Railway, an organisation helping black slaves to escape from Confederate states (Bill)** 

**d.     Father Daniel has had to offer his resignation to Friends due to the extra church commitments he has been asked to take on and the good news that he and his wife are expecting their first baby in March.** 

## _**Graham Marshall – Chair**_ 

## _**Signature**_ 

## _**Date**_ 





**Friends of Anfield** 



**Treasurer’s Statement March 31st 2021 - March 31st 2022** 

## **Bank Account** 

**IN 2022 - 2021 OUT** 

Balance brought forward     £3,692.39       Trustee Expenses £35 

Donations                                   £362.18        Insurance £75 

Subscriptions £10 

Website Hosting             £130 

**Balance to be Carried Forward £3,804.57** 

**NOTE - The balance carried forward is held in reserve for Friends’ future insurance, activities, commitments . and unexpected costs** 

## **Resilient Heritage South Chapel Project** 



**IN OUT** 

Balance Brought Forward     £6,129.37     Refund to NLHF £6,129.37 

Balance for Resilient Heritage Grant Nil 

**: Treasurer:          Date:                 Audited by:           Date**