## **Friends of St John’s Wood** 

## **Minutes of Monthly Meeting** 

## **22[nd] November 2023** 

## **Location - The Welcome, Longridge** 

## Present: 

Cathryn Walley – Chairperson – Trustee Geraint Samuels – Treasurer – Trustee Carol Goodwin – Secretary, Trustee James McCulloch – Deputy Chairperson, Trustee June Finnan – Trustee John Finnan – Trustee Peter Russell - Trustee 

Cllr Stewart Gardiner – (Knutsford Town Council and Cheshire East Council) Kate Beard – Neighbourhood Services Manager, Longridge, Great Places Rebecca Banks – Community Partnership Manager, Great Places Kevin Griffiths Terry Griffiths Malcolm Thomas 

Apologies 

Judy Flynn – Trustee 

Andrew Malloy – Chair of Friends of College Wood 

Adam Keppel Green – Knutsford Town Clerk 

Cllr Colin Banks – Deputy Town Mayor 

Cllr Tony Dean – Cheshire East 

Laura Ault – Ansa/Cheshire East 

Caroline Griffiths – Ansa 

## ⦁ **Welcome and Introductions** 

C Walley thanked everyone for attending and noted The Welcome Café/Great Places for hosting and funding the venue. 

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- ⦁ **Review of 2022 AGM minutes** 

Post meeting notes - The 2022 AGM was low key event held 27[th] September in conjunction with the FoSJW routine monthly meeting. The minutes were shared and accepted by the attendees October 2022. There were no outstanding actions for the 2023 AGM (ongoing actions as part of the FoSJW routine meetings are logged elsewhere). 

## ⦁ **Election of the Trustees and Committee** 

Three trustees stood down and were re-elected so the overall committee remains unchanged, 

C Walley (Chair) G Samuels (Treasurer) C Goodwin (Secretary) J McCulloch (Deputy Chair) J Finnan J Finnan J Flynn P Russell 

- ⦁ **Annual Report (Chair)** 

FoSJW has had a successful year with key events since the last AGM including 

   - ⦁ June- Dec 22 - Support to young person Duke of Edinburgh Volunteering 

   - ⦁ Nov Litterpick 

   - ⦁ Nov 22 - Collaboration with ANSA for improvement to visibility at St Helena’s Church 

   - ⦁ Nov 22 – Assisted Cheshire Wildlife Trust with planting wildflowers in Steeple Field 

   - ⦁ March 23 – Litterpick 

   - ⦁ April 23 – Community Wildlife Walk 

   - ⦁ Nov 23 – Litterpick 

   - ⦁ Sept 23 – Community Wildlife Walk 

   - ⦁ Sept 23 – Town Council Refresh (Community Information Sharing Event) 

- ⦁ Sept 23 – Issue of FoSJW Community Action Plan V1 

- In the year prior FoSJW also 

## **5. Treasurer’s Report** 

A charity bank account has been successfully opened. The £600 cheque has been deposited. No payments made to date. Approx £100 is due to be refunded to C Walley for purchase of bulbs in 2022. 

## ⦁ **Aims for the year ahead** 

C Walley gave an overview of the aims of FoSJW as detailed in the Community Action Plan 

Our VISION is to make St John’s Wood and St Helena’s Church safer and more welcoming for the community while protecting and enhancing the natural ancient woodland and wildlife within. To do this we have identified five specific aims. AIM 1 - PROTECT AND ENHANCE FLORA AND FAUNA 

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AIM 2- PROTECT THE HISTORICAL MONUMENT ST HELENA’S CHURCH 

AIM 3- EDUCATE AND INFORM THE COMMUNITY 

- AIM 4 - IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY 

AIM 5 - REDUCE ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, WASTE AND LITTERING 

## ⦁ **Open Discussion** 

There followed an informal discussion around fundraising options and constraints noting 

- ⦁ 83 charities in and around Knutsford needing funds. 

- ⦁ Knutsford Town Council only revenue is Council Tax. 

- ⦁ Other options include Community fund, Manchester Airport, ANSA, Cheshire Fund. 

J McCulloch suggested get together of “Friends groups” to avoid overlap, share ideas. FoSJW will be compiling a list of potential grant options and application requirements early 2024. In parallel, FoSJW will firm up on quotations for the items in the Community Action Plan and discuss with landowners (Cheshire East/Ansa and Great Places) commitments to contribute/maintain paths etc should FoSJW be successful in fund raising. 

## **8. Actions** 

- ⦁ Distribute minutes – C Walley 

- ⦁ Organise a meeting of Knutsford “Friends Groups” – C Walley 

- ⦁ Organise meetings with landowners -  C Walley with input from  K Beard, S Gardiner, L Ault 

- ⦁ Compile and review a list of possible grant options – C Walley and Trustees 

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