## Chairs Report ## Rede Common AGM 2025 I’d like to begin this report in my praise for all the hard work of the current committee and all our volunteers. With out you all this group will not be where we are today. A long-lived green space group in Strood. So, thank you all for your hard work. Reflecting on the last year I feel that from the goals I set out last year we are progressing on them. We carried out another successful Easter egg hunt which goes from strength-to-strength year on year. I wish to give special thanks to volunteer Tony who designs the posters to promote our events. They are very well done. I am asking him if he can design a banner for the street to help us promote our next **Easter Extravaganza** and Jason is also considering our options regarding replacement copies of the wildlife content for the interpretation board on the centre of the site. We spent the national lottery grant funding we received, with help from ward councillors. This was for the **disabled entrance** on to the common. The work was completed last autumn. Earlier this year, we began promoting the new entrance and encouraging residents to make use of it. We will continue to raise awareness that the site is now accessible to all. Over the summer, we teamed up with the Community Payback Team and FoRC volunteers to sort out our **storage container** on site. We gave it a good clean, slapped on some Hammerite paint, and added anti-climb paint to make sure it stays strong and secure. Medway Council kindly agreed to renew the planning permission for the container. As part of this, they have proposed a cladded exterior, which will improve the appearance and extend its lifespan. As we meet here, permanent cladding on to the container is being fitted and this will mean a long-term solution to the temporary planning applications we submitted in 2012, 2015 and 2020. The planning officer suggested that wooden cladding would enable a permanent planning application to be considered. I am pleased to announce that this was granted to us last month. This success highlights our good relationship with Medway Council and the value it brings to volunteers. With our future goals I will list them as bullet points in which we should try and achieve: - **Address concerns** regarding bramble encroachment in some areas. Addressing this will remain a high priority for the committee in the coming months. - **Prepare** the next management plan which runs out in 2026. - **Organise** events to get people involved. - **Attract** more volunteers and committee members. We will continue to advertise our activities and meetups at key times through the most effective channels, ensuring new members feel welcomed and get added to our mailing list. - **Maintain** a good relationship with Medway Council and their contractor Medway Norse. I feel these should be our main aims for the next coming year. The common is now more used than before and people do love the work we do. In September, FoRC I was delighted to host the Medway Urban Greenspaces Forum ( **MUGS** ) at Rede Common. These meetings are held at different greenspaces across Medway each year, and it was a privilege to welcome volunteers from other Friends groups. The visit provided an opportunity to showcase the progress made at Rede Common, exchange experiences, and strengthen collaboration between local groups working to protect and enhance Medway’s natural environments. Lastly, I feel that it is time that we considered arranging for another **wildlife survey** for the common as it has been a few years since our last survey. This is something we can discuss at the next committee meeting. We need to, as a group, protect this vital green lung in Strood so that it continues to thrive for future generations of our community. Rede Common is not only an important wildlife habitat but also a peaceful space for people to enjoy nature, unwind, and connect with their local environment. By working together and staying committed to its care, we can ensure that this special place remains a valuable part of Strood’s natural and community heritage for years to come. Once again, I would like to express my thanks to all of you for your hard work and dedication to Friends of Rede Common. Your help, through meetings, workdays, assisting at events, plays a vital role in keeping Rede Common the special place it is today. It’s the collective effort of our volunteers and members that allows us to protect, maintain, and improve this important green space for everyone to enjoy. ## Robert Heathfield ## Chair Friends of Rede Common Treasurers Report Rede Common AGM 2025 Finances Excluding the cost of the projert to install disabled acce55. Most money went towards the Container renewal- surprisingly expensive at nearly £.iooo Running the Eastèr event was prite totnpared to last year atjU5t over £500. Our other discretionary costs rèlatè to runnin8 the charity and tot31 £2CO. Keeping these costs low allow us to contlnue runnin8 the thèrity on è sustainablè basis. Kent Community Fund has now been analysed and we are ready to submSt evidence Events We had only one event this year. i Easter Eggstravaganza. C05t rises rnade this event more expensive, though there were 50rne necessary renewèls this year not present in previous years. b Donations were low this year, meaning a loss of £50 from the event. Though if the costs hBd been eou81 to last year, the we would have made a proflt on £50 Instead For future events it May be beneficial to liaise with other organisations, such as agricultural colleges. to increase attendance. Attendance was down compared to the previous year which impacted our ability to turn a profit. We seem to do well with informing the local area. but we lack pull factor and don't have any links with other org3nisations. Kent Community Foundation As can be seen, most money was spent on running the charity. The bulk of that was insurance for the past three years, though significant amounts went toward5 new equipment such as tables. and implements. We have technically overspent by £4.36 which we 5irnply absorbed into general expenditure. We are now ready to submit our evidence to the KCF. John Whittaker Treasurer Friends of Rede Common