Annual General Meeting 2025 To be held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 24th September 2025 online via Zoom AGENDA 1. Apologies 2. To approve the minutes of the 2024 AGM 3. To receive and approve the Accounts for the year ended 31st July 2025 4. To elect Daniel Jane as Trustee 5. To elect Chris Lane as Trustee 6. To approve the appointment of Andrew Hedges as independent examiner 7. To receive and approve the Trustees' report No official motions having been received from the membership, the meeting will conclude with an informal (un-minuted) discussion. ## **2. Combe Rail AGM minutes Thursday 12th Sept 2024** Present: John Burch (chair) Richard Heacock (Treasurer) Gary Best, John Skinner 1. Apologies: Glyn Polllington (trustee), Maggie Faultless, Michael Brockington 2. Approve 2023 AGM minutes: Gary Best, Richard Heacock 3. Approve audited 2024 accounts: John Burch, Gary Best 4. Re-elect Yvonne Hin: John Burch, Richard Heacock 5. Re-elect Glyn Pollington: Gary Best, John Burch 6. Re-appoint Andrew Hedges as independent examiner: Richard Heacock, John Burch 7. Approve Chair's report: Gary Best, Richard Heacock ## **4. & 5. New Trustee Statements** ## **Daniel Jane** I am a Chartered Civil Engineer with a strong professional background in the rail industry, where I have built my career since graduating. Born and raised in North Devon, I have returned to the area after living and working across the country. My connection to the railway is both professional and personal. I believe train travel offers one of the most enjoyable and sustainable forms of transport, and I am passionate about preserving the heritage of the Ilfracombe to Barnstaple line while promoting greater public interest in the railway. ## **Chris Lane** I live and work in Barnstaple as an Electrical Engineer. I've been a volunteer at the southern end of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway since 2009, and I’ve helped out with restoration work at Snapper and Chelfham stations. My aim is to restore them back to their original look. I enjoy researching maps, images and books on those subjects to enhance my knowledge. I'm keen on the Southern railway, as my granddad was a platelayer on the mainline from Exeter, up to Templecombe. I do like a West Country Class loco, original or rebuilt. **3. AUDITED ACOUNTS COMBE RAIL draft accounts 2024-2025.rtf** ## **1st August 2024 - 31st July 2025** ## **1st August 2023 - 31st July 2024** |**INCOME**|| |---|---| |subscriptions BACS 130|110| |subscriptions Paypal (net) 627.10|415.18| |Gift Aid
-|
-| |VAT repayment 16.50|235.50| |Grants/lottery 112.50|345.73| |**TOTAL 886.10**|**1106.41**| |
**PAYMENTS**|| |HRA subscription 99|90| |insurance 204.08|179.84| |heritage activity (inc VAT) 567.60|1242| |printing -|147| |venue hire -|180| |
**TOTAL 870.68**|**1838.04**| |
opening bal 1st Aug 2024 2393.90|| |income 886.10|| |expenditure -870.68|| |closing balance 31st July 2025 2409.32|| ## **Report of the Trustees of Combe Rail CIO for 2024-2025** ## **Appointment of Trustees** The Trustees of Combe Rail in 2024-2025 were Richard Heacock (Treasurer) Yvonne Hin (Secretary) Lewis Daniels, John Burch (Chair) Glyn Pollington and David Luggar. Under UK charity law, two trustees must be elected/re-elected at each AGM. Lewis Daniels and David Luggar are not standing for re-election. Daniel Jane and Chris Lane are standing for election. No additional applications to become a trustee were received from the membership. ## **2025 Chair’s Report by John Burch, Chair of trustees, Combe Rail** 2024-2025 has been a year of useful consolidation and completion of outstanding tasks. On 5[th] , 6[th] and 7[th] June this year we finally installed our demonstration track panel on Ilfracombe bank (see Devon Belle #38 for a detailed account.). We are indebted to Combe Rail tracklaying volunteers Peter Browning, Daniel Jane, Chris Lane, Glyn Pollington and Alan Stammers, and of course to Lewis Andrews, Rob Dark and Karen Harley of Bideford Railway Heritage Centre for the loan of their track tools and permanent way expertise. Further thanks are due to CR trustee Glyn Pollington for transferring our Ilfracombe Railway Heritage Trail videos to YouTube, and designing and installing new QR plaques. These should provide a much more robust and reliable streaming system. Our grateful thanks also to Andrew Moulton and Tim Clark of North Devon Council for supporting and facilitating our heritage work along the Tarka Trail. Looking to the future we have a number of possible projects. One thing we must do, as soon as resources can be found, is to replace the solar panel on our outer home signal. This got dislodged in one of the storms that have hit the area in the last year. It is in safe keeping, but we need to arrange suitable equipment to safely reach the top of the signal. To this end we’ve established some useful relations with Cytiva who now operate and own the Pall factory on the site of the old Ilfracombe station. I hope that their community group may help us to progress with some other projects. You’ll hear about them in Devon Belle. In terms of promotion and publicity, I gave a presentation to Bideford Railway Heritage Centre in November 2024. Our display and sales stand was present at the BRHC Open Day on August 17[th] this year. My thanks to Glyn Pollington for providing me with relief during that very well supported event. These types of events help us to make more people aware of our efforts and to gain more supporters. We are always on the lookout for volunteers to assist with our various projects so do make contact if you’d like to get involved. We’ve made friends with some useful people during the year and have gained more insight into the workings of the Ilfracombe line in years gone by. Who would have thought that we’d discover some discarded signalling artefacts from Ilfracombe station in March this year after 55 years buried in the undergrowth! It really is amazing how even after all these years interesting facts and artefacts are still being uncovered! Finally, our thanks to trustees Lewis Daniels and David Luggar who are standing down at the 2025 AGM, and to Daniel Jane and Chris Lane who are standing for election. John Burch Chair of trustees, Combe Rail Approved by the Trustees 24th August 2025 ## **Combe Rail CIO - Annual General Meeting 24[th] September 2025 Ballot Paper/ Proxy Form** If you are unable to attend the AGM, but wish to exercise your membership right to vote, you can use this form to do one of three things: - 1) appoint a proxy to attend the meeting and vote on your behalf - 2) appoint the Chairman to vote as they see fit - 3) register your votes for or against, on the agenda items (below) Proxy forms should be sent to: The Secretary, Combe Rail, Flat 5, Holly House, Avenue Rd, Ilfracombe - EX34 9AT or by email info@combe rail.org.uk to arrive no later than 2pm on 19th September 2025 ## **1)** I,………………………………………………………………… membership number…………….being a member of Combe Rail hereby appoint (name) …………………………….................. of (address)……………………………………………………… as my proxy, to vote in my name and on my behalf at the Annual General Meeting of Combe Rail on 24[th] September, and at any adjournment thereof. |September, and at any adjournment thereof.||| |---|---|---| ||**FOR**|**AGAINST**| |**2) I appoint the Chairman to vote as they see fit**|`☐`|`☐`| |**(place cross in box)**||| |**3) I wish to register my votes as follows (place cross in box)**||| |Item 2: Approve minutes of 2024 AGM|`☐`|`☐`| |Item 3: Approve draft accounts for year ended 31st July 2025
|`☐`|`☐`| |Item 4: Elect Chris Lane as Trustee|`☐`|`☐`| |Item 5: Elect Daniel Jane as Trustee
|`☐`|`☐`| |Item 6: Approve the appointment of Andrew Hedges|`☐`|`☐`| |as independent examiner of the accounts||| |Item 7: Approve the Trustees’ Report|`☐`|`☐`| Signature…………………………………........................ Date…………………….