## **LITTLEHAMPTON FORT RESTORATION PROJECT**
## **MINUTES - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING**
Date: 31[st] October 2024 Those Present: Andy Orpin (AO) John Howard (JH) Jeff Driver (JD) John Rhodes (JR) Charles Caney (CC) Stuart Horne (SH) Apologies for absence None Distribution List Littlehampton Fort Management Team Charities Commission
|Item|Action|
|---|---|
|1.0 There were no apologies for absence this year
2.0 Welcome and thanks from the Chairman
AO thanked all those present for attending the meeting.
AO thanked the Black Horse for accommodating us
3.0 Minutes of previous AGM
The minutes of the last AGM held on 10th November 2023 were
reviewed.
JD proposed that they were accepted as an accurate record and JR
seconded this.
4.0 Matters Arising from minutes of previous AGM
- It was noted that the 2 actions listed in item 4.0 of the previous AGM
had been progressed:
-
The project has been relaunched in early 2024 and we are in
the process of working on the strategy, especially the
funding side of this.
**-**
JD has rebuilt the fort website, but as yet needs to publish it
online. JD to report back when it is all ready to go.
5.0 Report and Strategy For Fundraising
- CC gave an update, especially focusing on the visit to Slough Fort in
Kent in late June, but also other informal advice received re.
Fundraising. A number of themes arose:
-
The need for higher levels of funding to be able to progress work
at the fort once the stage of clearing the vegetation was
completed
-
These applications require a lot of detailed info
-
CC has prepared a spreadsheet with the questions that will need
to be answered
-
Quotes for work will be needed
-
We will need professional advice as to what work is needed
(includingall the associated compliance requirements)|JD
CC|
- Once we have the above we should be able to regularly make applications, but need to get this info together first.
CC provided some PowerPoint slides condensing these thoughts into some bullet points.
It likely requires a separate meeting on this subject alone to advance the whole project of applying for funding.
## 6.0 Chairman's Report for 2023/2024
AO presented the Chairman's Report for the period October 2023 to September 2024. This is appended to these minutes.
## 7.0 Report from the Treasurer
An audited breakdown of income and expenditure for the year - September 2023 September 2024 was presented by JH This showed an opening balance of £338.38, income of £1006.18 and expenditure of -£437.81 resulting in a closing balance of £906.75. This is as a separate document appended to these minutes.
The accounts had been audited by Maddy Boone for which the Board is grateful.
## 8.0 Confirmation of persons holding an office:
8.1 Treasurer. JH is stepping down as treasurer and AO thanked him for his service and wished him the best for the future. AO accepted his letter of resignation on behalf of the Board. JR has kindly agreed to take on the role as interim treasurer pending finding a replacement.
8.2 Management Team election on the 2024/25 chairman. AO left the meeting at this point. JR proposed that AO continued in the role of Chairman, and this seconded by JD and was agreed. AO then re-joined the meeting and was updated on the results of the election. AO is still to remain as the Chairman and Project manager for the next AGM year and agreed to accept this duty of
responsibility.
- 8.3 CC confirmed he is happy to continue in the role of Secretary.
- 9.0 Any Other Business
1) AO reported that the Look & Sea Centre plan to set up a display in one of their windows on the other side of the river mouth to advertise the Fort project and support us. However, this is no longer deemed to be feasible.
2) AO said we had considered moving the Fort website to AWS (Amazon Web Services) Cloud. It was understood there would be a $5000 dollar credit for migrating the website and backup files to the cloud with AWS. But ultimately it was not as straightforward and the $5000 credit was unlikely to be available. This plan was discontinued.
JD
- 3) Information Board on the east side overlooking the fort. JD has been looking into this but the communications have fallen silent. JD to reach out to the council again and try to re-establish talks.
4) SH talked about the golf clubs’ supportive position and plans for the future, including its long-term future. He discussed how this might affect the fort, and how the club could support the fort.
AO
5) A new Scheduled Monument Consent will need to be submitted in order to accommodate our future plans. AO will be working on this with the assistance of the management team.
Andy closed the Meeting at 20.00 and thanked everyone for their attendance and support.
Appendices
## **6.0 AGM Andy Orpin Chairman’s Speech 2024**
Good evening everyone, and thank you for joining me at the 2024 AGM for the Littlehampton Fort Restoration Project. I would like to begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to all of our dedicated volunteers and especially to the management team, whose tireless work has been instrumental in our progress this year. I would also like to thank the Black Horse here at Climping, who have kindly allowed us to utilise this lovely venue this evening.
I am delighted to welcome a new face to the AGM today, Stuart Horne, who will be serving as an honorary, non-voting representative for the Littlehampton Golf Club. Stuart's involvement is a significant step forward in ensuring that both the Littlehampton Fort Restoration Project and the Golf Club are aligned as we move ahead into 2025. His support has already been invaluable in strengthening the relationship between our organisations, and I am confident that this partnership will continue to flourish.
Looking back to the last few years, the Fort project had ceased works during the pandemic and my time out of the country, however I am thrilled to report that we successfully relaunched in March of this year. What started with a handful of returning volunteers, that has now grown into a vibrant team of 38 active volunteers, with even more awaiting their induction. This is a testament to the dedication of our community, and I couldn’t be prouder of the commitment shown by everyone involved.
Re-establishing our connection with the Littlehampton Golf Club was essential after the long break and I am pleased to announce that this relationship has never been stronger. The Golf Club’s board has changed since our initial discussions in 2015, and I believe the renewed partnership is in large part thanks to Stuart Horne, who has been a driving force in aligning our goals with those of the Club. His vision and enthusiasm are helping to create a synergy that benefits both the Fort and the Golf Club, and for that, I am incredibly grateful.
In terms of progress, we’ve achieved a great deal this year. The re-clearing of the Fort has been swift and effective, though we paused work on the south western side of the Carnot wall to protect potential nesting birds. That didn’t slow us down for long, and we've made significant headway on the gun emplacements. Now that bird nesting season is behind us, we look forward to finishing the remaining areas.
I’d like to extend a special thanks to John Rhodes for expanding our public outreach through social media. Thanks to his efforts, we now have a presence on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and TikTok, which has significantly increased our visibility and engagement with the local community.
On a more somber note, I must inform you that John Howard is stepping down as our Treasurer. I want to thank him for his service and wish him all the best in his future endeavours. In the interim, John Rhodes has kindly agreed to take on the role of temporary Treasurer until we can find a permanent replacement. Additionally, we have another vacancy on the trustee board, and I encourage anyone who may know a suitable candidate to get in touch.
Looking ahead to the next year and the future, there are a few key areas I’d like us to focus on:
1. **Fundraising and Grants** – A special thanks to Charlie for his work in researching and applying for grants. This will be critical as we continue our efforts.
2. **Volunteer Engagement** – Our volunteers are the backbone of this project. I propose that we organise some social events, perhaps a team meal or a day out, to strengthen our sense of community and keep morale high.
3. **Fort Restoration Work** – By next year, I hope to see the entire Fort cleared of vegetation, and the installation of anti-vegetation matting, and shingle to prevent regrowth. We’re also looking to submit a new SMC to begin excavation work, repair or reconstruct the bastions and Carnot walls, and installation the missing eastern steps.
One of our longer-term goals is to work with Historic England to relocate the lower golf tee that currently sits on the barrack block. If we can reach a compromise, I would like to see the barrack block excavated within the next two years, with reconstruction following in years 3 - 4 pending funding.
In closing, we have a challenging but exciting road ahead. I look forward to working with each of you as we continue this journey to restore Littlehampton Fort. Thank you for your dedication, and now I will hand the meeting over to John Rhodes as I step aside for the management team to vote on next year’s Chairman and Project Manager.
Let’s make 2024 a year of continued success and progress!
7.0 Report from the Treasurer
TREASUREIYS ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT
*IIIPI•*
For the period of 06110123 to 13109124
TREASURE'S ANNUAL FINANCE REPORT FOR
OCTOBER 2023 TO SEPTEMBER 2024
Oct 2023 to Sept 2024
Current
IMCOME & EXPENDITURE
Descri
Amount
Merchandise Sales
Eventsnrip5
Donations
Grants
£77.18
£850.00
£35.00
Easy Fundraising
Total Income
£1006.18
Current
EXPENDITURE 2023 2024
Descri
Stationery
Public Liability
Website Domain
Trips & Events
Leaflets Public
£56.97
£235.64
£145.20
£D.00
£437.81
as per bank slate-
OPENING BALANCE (bm £338.38
ment
PeriJ Income
£1.6.18 of Sept 2023
P8riixI Exp8ndiiure
£437.81
as per bank state-
ment
CLOSING BALANCE (to Cffy)
£906.75
AUDITED BY:
Maddie Boone Sijned: |