Annual General Notice
25/10/10 23:37
Dear Members
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
THURSDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2010 at 8.00pm
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of Ingatestone & Fryerning Community Association and of the Community Trust will take place in the Community Centre Hall at 8.00pm on Thursday 18 November 2010.
There have been significant changes to the management of the Association and the operation of Community Centre since last year. Members are therefore encouraged to attend to hear about these changes and discuss them with the trustees. There will also be a further opportunity to informally discuss matters of interest with the trustees, after the meeting.
In advance of the meeting members are invited to propose;
- Nominations for the election at the AGM of representatives of full members to serve on the General Committee, as trustees, and
- Any other business to be included on the agenda for the AGM.
Any proposals should be addressed to the Honorary Secretary and submitted to the Community Centre Office by midday on 11 November.
Yours sincerely
John A Galvin
Acting Honorary Secretary
Newsletter - May 2010
16/05/10 00:57
Dear Members and Supporters,
THE FUTURE OF THE COMMUNITY CENTRE – WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We want to advise you of the current situation at the Community Centre, update you on the changes taking place there and stifle any inaccurate rumours. We are seeking your support and views to maximise the chances for the survival of this valuable community asset, which is at stake. In the New Year we wrote to you describing the Centre’s precarious financial position and asking for more people to become members. In recent weeks it has increasingly come to light that the Centre’s debts are greater than previously known. The Community Centre is in serious financial difficulty and action must be taken now.
The Community Centre consists of two separate organisations. The Community Association (a registered charity that owns the land and buildings) and the Social Club (a limited company) which historically operated the bar and passed on its profits to the Association. The Social Club has been running at a loss and is no longer able to provide funds to the Association. In April, the Social Club was served with a winding-up order by HM Revenue & Customs for non-payment of VAT, a matter that needs our immediate attention. The Community Association has its own problems with outstanding debts, one of which if not attended to urgently, could lead to the electricity being disconnected.
However, there is much good news. As a result of efforts made, membership for 2010 already exceeds last year and we would dearly welcome this to continue. The operation of the bar is now contracted to Mr Peter Smith and is again providing the Association with regular rental income and a share of the profits from gaming machines. This arrangement is also reducing many of the management issues. The atmosphere in the bar has improved and it is hoped we can go from strength to strength.
Furthermore, the Association has several new trustees from the main ‘affiliated user groups’. Representatives from the Drama and Operatic Group, Young Expressions and the Bowling and Tennis Clubs have joined with existing trustees to bolster the range of skills and experience needed to carry out a root and branch review of all aspects of management. Plans are already in hand to increase income and reduce overheads. Projections indicate the Association can make an operating surplus and service its longer-term debts – but it must first survive the next few weeks and months.
A generous loan from Des Felton, one of the trustees, together with additional funding from the user groups has paid off some of the utility and other immediate debts. We have approached the bank and asked for further assistance to allow us to go forward and are hopeful of a positive response in due course. However, we need to build up a fighting fund to ‘keep the lights on’ over forthcoming weeks and months.
Given the Community Centre’s dire financial circumstances, we are asking for help from members, supporters and indeed the whole community. If you are able to, please make a donation of £10 or more, although any amount will be gratefully received. Please complete the slip below and return it with your donation to the above address. By doing so you will be helping to save a valuable asset that has been a part of village life for many years and supporting the many activities going on there. If you have any queries or concerns regarding this letter, or have suggestions to improve your Community Centre, please contact Lilian Hunter in the first instance on 352360 or e-mail us at welcomeifcc@live.co.uk.
Thank you for your support.
IFCA Trustees
THE FUTURE OF THE COMMUNITY CENTRE – WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We want to advise you of the current situation at the Community Centre, update you on the changes taking place there and stifle any inaccurate rumours. We are seeking your support and views to maximise the chances for the survival of this valuable community asset, which is at stake. In the New Year we wrote to you describing the Centre’s precarious financial position and asking for more people to become members. In recent weeks it has increasingly come to light that the Centre’s debts are greater than previously known. The Community Centre is in serious financial difficulty and action must be taken now.
The Community Centre consists of two separate organisations. The Community Association (a registered charity that owns the land and buildings) and the Social Club (a limited company) which historically operated the bar and passed on its profits to the Association. The Social Club has been running at a loss and is no longer able to provide funds to the Association. In April, the Social Club was served with a winding-up order by HM Revenue & Customs for non-payment of VAT, a matter that needs our immediate attention. The Community Association has its own problems with outstanding debts, one of which if not attended to urgently, could lead to the electricity being disconnected.
However, there is much good news. As a result of efforts made, membership for 2010 already exceeds last year and we would dearly welcome this to continue. The operation of the bar is now contracted to Mr Peter Smith and is again providing the Association with regular rental income and a share of the profits from gaming machines. This arrangement is also reducing many of the management issues. The atmosphere in the bar has improved and it is hoped we can go from strength to strength.
Furthermore, the Association has several new trustees from the main ‘affiliated user groups’. Representatives from the Drama and Operatic Group, Young Expressions and the Bowling and Tennis Clubs have joined with existing trustees to bolster the range of skills and experience needed to carry out a root and branch review of all aspects of management. Plans are already in hand to increase income and reduce overheads. Projections indicate the Association can make an operating surplus and service its longer-term debts – but it must first survive the next few weeks and months.
A generous loan from Des Felton, one of the trustees, together with additional funding from the user groups has paid off some of the utility and other immediate debts. We have approached the bank and asked for further assistance to allow us to go forward and are hopeful of a positive response in due course. However, we need to build up a fighting fund to ‘keep the lights on’ over forthcoming weeks and months.
Given the Community Centre’s dire financial circumstances, we are asking for help from members, supporters and indeed the whole community. If you are able to, please make a donation of £10 or more, although any amount will be gratefully received. Please complete the slip below and return it with your donation to the above address. By doing so you will be helping to save a valuable asset that has been a part of village life for many years and supporting the many activities going on there. If you have any queries or concerns regarding this letter, or have suggestions to improve your Community Centre, please contact Lilian Hunter in the first instance on 352360 or e-mail us at welcomeifcc@live.co.uk.
Thank you for your support.
IFCA Trustees
Newsletter - December 2009
22/12/09 01:02
Dear members, prospective members and residents
COMMUNITY CENTRE MEMBERSHIP
We are writing to you to ask for your help and support. Ingatestone & Fryerning Community Centre is a most valuable asset for residents of all ages and interests in the area. The Centre consists of the Community Association (a registered charity) and the Social Club (a limited company). The most obvious symbol is the Community Centre hall and its bar. The bar offers Sunday lunches and Friday night fish & chips and there are music and quiz nights. Drinks are considerably cheaper than elsewhere. There is also snooker and pool. The hall can be hired for a range of public and private events and is used for the excellent productions of the Operatic Society and Drama Club and the Young Expressions (youth drama/music group). The hall and rooms are used by many other interest groups and meetings ranging from a bridge club to the Women’s Institute. The Association also maintains the Boy’s Club and the car park. The Association also owns the land occupied by the Bowling Club and the Tennis Club to the rear of the car park.
Some of you may already be aware that the Community Centre has been in a precarious financial position for several years and is unable to meet debts owed on works previously carried out. At The Association’s Annual General Meeting in November 2009, it was decided to set up a new ‘management committee’ made up of a mixture of the Association’s Trustees and representatives of the main user groups that occupy the land or use the facilities provided. Our aim is to rectify the poor financial position and endeavour to secure the future of the Association in the social and recreational interests of the residents of Ingatestone & Fryerning and surrounding area.
To secure the future of this broad range of activities we are seeking to boost our membership and asking as many of you as possible to join or re-join. As a special incentive we have reduced membership fees for 2010. New adult members may join for £16, concessions £10 and family membership will be £26. There are further discounts for existing members who rejoin by 31st January 2010.
So please help improve the Association’s fortunes or better still get involved with one of the many user and interest groups as well. Applications for membership can be downloaded from this website or can be collected from behind the bar.
Thank you for your support.
Yours sincerely,
Lilian Hunter
Chairman
IFCA Management Committee
COMMUNITY CENTRE MEMBERSHIP
We are writing to you to ask for your help and support. Ingatestone & Fryerning Community Centre is a most valuable asset for residents of all ages and interests in the area. The Centre consists of the Community Association (a registered charity) and the Social Club (a limited company). The most obvious symbol is the Community Centre hall and its bar. The bar offers Sunday lunches and Friday night fish & chips and there are music and quiz nights. Drinks are considerably cheaper than elsewhere. There is also snooker and pool. The hall can be hired for a range of public and private events and is used for the excellent productions of the Operatic Society and Drama Club and the Young Expressions (youth drama/music group). The hall and rooms are used by many other interest groups and meetings ranging from a bridge club to the Women’s Institute. The Association also maintains the Boy’s Club and the car park. The Association also owns the land occupied by the Bowling Club and the Tennis Club to the rear of the car park.
Some of you may already be aware that the Community Centre has been in a precarious financial position for several years and is unable to meet debts owed on works previously carried out. At The Association’s Annual General Meeting in November 2009, it was decided to set up a new ‘management committee’ made up of a mixture of the Association’s Trustees and representatives of the main user groups that occupy the land or use the facilities provided. Our aim is to rectify the poor financial position and endeavour to secure the future of the Association in the social and recreational interests of the residents of Ingatestone & Fryerning and surrounding area.
To secure the future of this broad range of activities we are seeking to boost our membership and asking as many of you as possible to join or re-join. As a special incentive we have reduced membership fees for 2010. New adult members may join for £16, concessions £10 and family membership will be £26. There are further discounts for existing members who rejoin by 31st January 2010.
So please help improve the Association’s fortunes or better still get involved with one of the many user and interest groups as well. Applications for membership can be downloaded from this website or can be collected from behind the bar.
Thank you for your support.
Yours sincerely,
Lilian Hunter
Chairman
IFCA Management Committee
