Chairs Report Rede Common AGM 2024
This year has been a hard year with another long-term member, Peter Guest sadly passing away. However, the work on the common continues for us. With the volunteers still putting in much hard work and hours to maintain the site.
We were hoping that with new people in their posts at Medway Council, that the common would have been given the attention it needed, as the last couple of years the support we have received has begun to slip. Also, in some places the common management plan hasn’t been fulfilled and sometimes the committee has had to chase the Medway Council and Medway Norse to finish tasks which should have been done. This will be covered further in the Site Report.
With this in mind we have focused also on promoting the site. We manged to put on the Easter event which attracted more members of the public than before. This event is our main event to attract the local population to show them the beauty of the site and hopefully to get some to volunteers as we need new blood to carry on the work that we do.
The other major achievement of the volunteers is securing a National Lottery bid for a disabled entrance onto the common. This work has and hopefully before next year this entrance will be completed and allow disabled people to access the site. With this completed, we will need to look at the pathways and other entrances to allow access to all parts of the common and not just on one area.
Looking forward towards the next year we require three basic points going forward:
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get more volunteers and maintain them for the future.
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improve access and pathways to the common on all sides.
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Maintain relationships with Medway Council and Medway Norse.
This coming year may be difficult with Medway Council under a more restricted finical strain. We need to be more creative on where we gain funds for future projects.
I like to thank all the Friends of Rede Common volunteers for all their hard work and dedication for the last year. Speaking to locals regularly, I know the work they put in is appreciated by the public.
So going into next year I hope as a group we can encourage more people to volunteer and to show the council that this common is a valuable asset as a Local Nature Reserve Site, not only for the diverse nature but also for the physical and mental health benefits it brings for the future generations of Medway.
Finance Report
Rede Common AGM 2024
Excluding the cost of the project to install disabled access. Most money went towards the flora and fauna training events at £340.80 Running the Easter event was relatively cheap this year at just over £100. Our other discretionary costs relate to running the charity and total £230.
Keeping these costs low allow us to continue running the charity on a sustainable basis. Kent Community Fund has now been exhausted and we must begin to gather the evidence needed for the Foundation.
We had only three events this year.
Easter Eggstravaganza.
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Keeping costs low this year allowed donations towards its success make it profitable. With donations we made just over £100 for this event.
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It is vital that we focus on increasing draw to the event rather than relying on donations. Numbers remain modest for this event.
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Tree Identification.
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This event drew praise from attendees however numbers were small. Repeating events such as this will rely on better attendance to make it worth the cost.
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Flora Identification.
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As with Tree Identification, while this drew praise only a few attended the event.
For future events it may be beneficial to liaise with other organisations, such as agricultural colleges, to increase attendance.
The two events each cost just over £150. I would hope for 15 or more people attending, even if we do not charge them, to make this sustainable.
As can be seen, we continue to struggle to accurately estimate costs, although this is an improvement on the previous year.
RHS and the fundraising quiz have now been removed from the budget as they have not been renewed for the next year.
Our projected income for next year is just over £500, not including any grants
We have definite costs of £9, probably costs of £100 and possible costs of £350 including costs for the container, however this is met by KCF grant so only £50 will be used of our money
We have a projected bank balance of £14,300 by the end of next year.