Friends of Dean Road & Manor Road Cemetery
Annual General Meeting 30[th] April 2025
Minutes
Present – 20 members including members of the committee
1.0 Apologies for Absence – Jean Jarvis, Jill Boyes, Lesley Newton, Sharon & Len Hodgson, Chris Hall, Sue Martin, Sue Jackson, Bonnie Purchon, Clare Berry
2.0 The minutes of the Annual General Meeting 2024 were agreed as a true and correct record.
3.0 Matters Arising – None
4.0 Sheila read out the annual report as follows
It has been a difficult year finding funding for the chapel project that we outlined in last year’s report. The economic situation has made it very difficult to secure funding which appears to be being channelled into areas other than heritage. The handover from Scarborough Borough Council to North Yorkshire Council has also had a knock on effect due to staff changes over the year.
We will continue to look for funding opportunities. However, if there is anyone who feels they have the expertise and time to take this search forward, please let us know if you are willing to help.
Other matters.
Thank you to the volunteers who form the friends committee and give their time tirelessly throughout the year. Liz is our treasurer and does a great job. Thank you Liz.
The Sunday Sales team of Liz, Rita, Jean, Sheila and Ken continue to thrive and must be commended for turning out in all weathers to support the fundraising effort.
Our website is managed by Phil Kershaw and the membership database is organised by Linda. Thank you to both.
We will be holding our very popular Cemetery Fair on Sunday September 14[th] and we hope that you will be able to come along and support the event. Of course, it goes without saying that if anyone can spare an hour or two to help on a stall or set up the event we would be very grateful.
We will also be continuing to hold a small Remembrance Day Service at the Cross of Sacrifice in Dean Road on Sunday 9[th] November. From small beginnings this event is becoming increasingly popular and we welcome all to participate in this short 15 minute act of remembrance.
Please look out for some tree work which is scheduled to take place over the next 6 months in the cemetery. A new tree team will be carrying out remedial and maintenance work to our beautiful trees.
Over the last 18 months, some of you will have noticed that a number of headstones in Dean Road have been laid down during routine testing. This is a tiny percentage of the number that were put up by Community Payback and I am now delighted to report that these
few headstones are about to be put back up. Notices have been placed on the cemetery gates to this effect and I am looking forward to seeing this work completed.
We now have permission to go ahead and start work on repairing the cemetery gates and we will be looking for quotes for this work shortly
You may have noticed that the wooden seat at the top circle in Dean Road Cemetery has been removed. The Friends have agreed to replace this seat with a metal bench commemorating the VE Day anniversary and we look forward to having this in place shortly to complement the “Soldier Bench” already in place.
Finally, congratulations to the team who achieved an “Outstanding” award in the 2024 Yorkshire in Bloom competition. We know that the judge was most impressed by the high standards he found in the cemetery. We are hoping that our entry into the 2025 Yorkshire in Bloom competition will be just as successful.
Thank you to all of you for attending this evening.
5.0 Treasurers Report
Liz circulated the financial report to members. She noted the following
The Friends group have now become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in accordance with Charity Law and we are registered with the Charity Commission.
Dean Road Chapel (DRC) have dissolved the group and the financial residue has been passed to the friends group. This is ring fenced for the chapel project.
A donation of £2k from the late Tony Wood will be used to purchase a VE Day Commemoration bench to go at the top circle.
6.0 Election of Officers
All the present committee members were re-elected to serve for another year.
7.0 Any Other Business – None
8.0 Presentation by our invited speaker Mr Don Graham who gave an excellent and very humorous talk about his career as an RAF Officer, the search for a lost pilot, Bernard Williams, and many other stories.
Friends of Dean Road & Manor Road Cemetery Annual General Meeting 30[th] April 2025 Minutes
Present – 20 members including members of the committee
1.0 Apologies for Absence – Jean Jarvis, Jill Boyes, Lesley Newton, Sharon & Len Hodgson, Chris Hall, Sue Martin, Sue Jackson, Bonnie Purchon, Clare Berry
2.0 The minutes of the Annual General Meeting 2024 were agreed as a true and correct record.
3.0 Matters Arising – None
4.0 Sheila read out the annual report as follows
It has been a difficult year finding funding for the chapel project that we outlined in last year’s report. The economic situation has made it very difficult to secure funding which appears to be being channelled into areas other than heritage. The handover from Scarborough Borough Council to North Yorkshire Council has also had a knock on effect due to staff changes over the year.
We will continue to look for funding opportunities. However, if there is anyone who feels they have the expertise and time to take this search forward, please let us know if you are willing to help. Other matters.
Thank you to the volunteers who form the friends committee and give their time tirelessly throughout the year. Liz is our treasurer and does a great job. Thank you Liz.
The Sunday Sales team of Liz, Rita, Jean, Sheila and Ken continue to thrive and must be commended for turning out in all weathers to support the fundraising effort.
Our website is managed by Phil Kershaw and the membership database is organised by Linda. Thank you to both.
We will be holding our very popular Cemetery Fair on Sunday September 14[th] and we hope that you will be able to come along and support the event. Of course, it goes without saying that if anyone can spare an hour or two to help on a stall or set up the event we would be very grateful.
We will also be continuing to hold a small Remembrance Day Service at the Cross of Sacrifice in Dean Road on Sunday 9[th] November. From small beginnings this event is becoming increasingly popular and we welcome all to participate in this short 15 minute act of remembrance.
Please look out for some tree work which is scheduled to take place over the next 6 months in the cemetery. A new tree team will be carrying out remedial and maintenance work to our beautiful trees.
Over the last 18 months, some of you will have noticed that a number of headstones in Dean Road have been laid down during routine testing. This is a tiny percentage of the number that were put up by Community Payback and I am now delighted to report that these few headstones are about to be put back up. Notices have been placed on the cemetery gates to this effect and I am looking forward to seeing this work completed.
We now have permission to go ahead and start work on repairing the cemetery gates and we will be looking for quotes for this work shortly
You may have noticed that the wooden seat at the top circle in Dean Road Cemetery has been removed. The Friends have agreed to replace this seat with a metal bench commemorating the VE Day anniversary and we look forward to having this in place shortly to complement the “Soldier Bench” already in place. Finally, congratulations to the team who achieved an “Outstanding” award in the 2024 Yorkshire in Bloom competition. We know that the judge was most impressed by the high standards he found in the cemetery. We are hoping that our entry into the 2025 Yorkshire in Bloom competition will be just as successful. Thank you to all of you for attending this evening.
5.0 Treasurers Report
Liz circulated the financial report to members. She noted the following
The Friends group have now become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in accordance with Charity Law and we are registered with the Charity Commission.
Dean Road Chapel (DRC) have dissolved the group and the financial residue has been passed to the friends group. This is ring fenced for the chapel project.
A donation of £2k from the late Tony Wood will be used to purchase a VE Day Commemoration bench to go at the top circle.
6.0 Election of Officers
All the present committee members were re-elected to serve for another year. 7.0 Any Other Business – None
8.0 Presentation by our invited speaker Mr Don Graham who gave an excellent and very humorous talk about his career as an RAF Officer, the search for a lost pilot, Bernard Williams, and many other stories.
The Friends of Dean Road and Manor Road Cemetery Year ending 31[st] March 2025
| Balance B/fwd 25932.82 (comprising) Running costs Contingency Fund Railings fund Path Fund Available Balance Total |
464.00 1200.00 4843.85 1400.00 18024.97 25932.82 |
|---|---|
| Income Dead House Sundays Memberships Walks Donations & Foreign currency Donation Railings Fund Donation Mem of T. Wood A.G.M. Raffle Fair DRC Ltd Total Expenditure Website hosting RHS plaque RHS Membership Insurance Ashby Berry Coulsons accountancy DRC Companies House DRC Hire of Church A.G.M. Balance c/fwd Total |
1089.48 620.00 367.95 363.77 250.80 2000.00 30.00 900.50 24744.21 56299.53 288.00 18.00 47.00 80.00 120.00 33.00 36.00 55677.53 (comprising) 56299.53 Running costs Contingency fund Path fund Railings fund DRC fund Available balance Total |
464.00 1200.00 1400.00 5094.65 24591.21** 22927.67 55677.53 |
|---|---|---|
Reserved Funds * Restricted funds ** Signed……………………. E.A. Blades, Treasurer 31/03/2025
Signed………………………. P. Straughan, Independent examiner 03/04/2025