Minutes of Meeting 06 July 2023

16:00 at Albyns Depot

 

1.   Attendance and Absence  

Jeff Stafford (JS), Raymond Randall (RR), Sheila Clarke (SC), Brian Breeze (BB), Stephanie Nunn, Liz Hawthorn (LH), Richard Cottam (RC) LBH Parks

Apologies for absence: None

                 

2.   Minutes of previous meeting - Minutes of the previous meeting (4 May 2023) agreed after   a few amendments.

                                                                          

3.   Matters Arising

RC will forward Email received from BIFA.

 

4.   Chair/Vice Chairs reports

Received an Email from Becky Gibson, Thames Chase, asking for volunteers for Water vole surveys on part of the River Rom through Grenfell Park and on Rainham Marshes. JS will contact to see if they want us to send Email to volunteers and if they need surveys on the Ingrebourne River.

          Vice Chair – nothing to report.

 

5.   Secretary’s Report – nothing to report

 

6.   Finance Report

Balance held £2,622.63

£951.88 is reserved under Capital grants.

Balance of unrestricted funds £1,670.75

 

The figure includes £35 received from EWT on 15th June for History leaflets and cheque paid to Raymond Randall for £488.78 (£370 for Flora and Fauna booklets and £118.78 for Website and Domain Name).

 

Information awaited from SC as to when she can arrange for the accounts to be audited before date for AGM is set.

 

7.   Park Officer’s Report

 

London in Bloom judging will take place next week.

New play equipment is now installed and open.

30 new enforcement officers have been brought in and will enforce rules for fly-tipping, dog fouling and littering. They will also be responsible for locking park gates.319 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) have already been issued.

The wild flower seed for the area around the Roundel has been passed to the ranger, but will be held back and used next year.

There is nothing in the proposed new Park Byelaws that will affect us or EWT.

 

8.   Nature Booklet – Nothing heard from EWT regarding these. RR will chase.

 

9 and 10.

Cycling - New Mayor, Stephanie Nunn, requested that JS organise another bike year next year in support of the Mayor’s charity.

Dr Bike will be in HCP on the last Sunday of every month until September. This may be an opportunity to sell the Nature Booklets ourselves at the same time.

Bike maintenance courses (10 sessions) proposed. May be able to obtain £1,000 grant from LBH for this as Capital Project.

 

11.   Work Parties

14 volunteers (including a 15 year old girl who worked very hard and was very good) attended a work party on Sunday 14 May 2023 and removed rubbish and wood causing a blockage in the river.

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6 people attended a work party on Sunday 25 June 2023 and cut back vegetation from the path at the back of the old hospital site.

Both these work parties were Emailed to our volunteers and posts put on Hornchurch Country Park Life and Green Streets Facebook pages.

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Suggestions for future work parties:

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Path down to outlet behind play area is overgrown –

Viewing area vegetation is blocking the view especially for those in wheelchairs – will have to wait until end of September to avoid disturbing nesting birds.

 

12.   Web site and communications – Website needs updating.

Facebook page appears to have been hacked as 2 are appearing and RR cannot alter or delete them or find a means of contacting FB for help.

 

13.   Other Business

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                                                                                      Date of Next Meeting – 7 September 2023.