| Date | Tuesday 13th May 2025 at 7pm, Village HallMeeting opened at 19:08Meeting ended at 19:34 |
| Present | Committee: Nick, Bill, Pierre, Steve, Alex, Damian, Stella, Toni, JessMembers of Public: 1 (Kate) |
| Apologies | Maggie, Claire |
| Next AGM | Date TBC |
| Item | Commentary |
| Minutes of the last AGM | Agreed |
| Treasurer’s report | The hall posted a surplus for the 2024/25 year and had its most successful year of income generation in many years. A detailed financial report is included as an annex and further details are set out in the Chair’s report, below. |
| Chair’s Report | The Chair delivered his annual report, as follows:Gittisham Village Hall has had a dynamic and community-focused year, marked by a blend of social events, infrastructure improvements, and strategic financial planning. Here’s a concise overview of its key achievements: Community Events & Engagement The hall hosted a variety of well-received events, including the popular Burns Night, regular quizzes, skittles evenings, talks, bingo, a Cabaret and a Father’s Day BBQ. Additionally, the weekly Community Kitchen continued to offer free meals every Thursday. Private bookings included 21 family celebrations, 4 retreats, 4 music rehearsals, a funeral wake and cake decorating. These gatherings not only fostered community spirit but also contributed to increased hall bookings and revenue.Infrastructure & Sustainability Significant efforts were made to enhance the hall’s facilities and sustainability. Grants were successfully obtained from the local councils that along with our many fundraising events, enabled the installation of solar panels and battery storage, upgraded insulation, a new cooker and kitchen equipment, a new gas water boiler, upgraded all windows and doors, aligning with the hall’s commitment to energy efficiency and fire safety. Outdoor maintenance tasks, including external painting, benches, gardening and chippings, ensured the hall remains in good condition. Financial Management The hall’s financial position improved compared to the previous year, thanks to grants and fundraising efforts but still faced rising operational costs. At the end of the financial year, the hall’s bank balance was positive. Committee changes Changes have included the departure of Hamish Hall as chairman after many years of excellent service, Janet Twiss as Treasurer, Sue Fallows, Terry Kitchen and Cordelia Woolf. New members joined including Jess Dentry, Toni Greenslade, Claire Pester and Damian Furniss as Treasurer. Nick Chapman, Vice Chair, acted as chair following Hamish’s departure.Summary Gittisham Village Hall has had an outstanding year in terms of improving the hall’s facilities, ensuring financial health, building sustainability and fostering a strong sense of community spirit, while maintaining an active and committed group of committee members. Gittisham Village Hall has continued to serve as a vital hub for community activities providing a wide range of events and hosting a large number of private bookings. |
| Comments received | Further to the Chair’s report attendees commented on how splendid the hall gardens and new lights were looking and congratulated everyone who had taken part in the enormous fundraising efforts throughout the year. All regular bookers were asked for comment in advance of the AGM. Few comments were received but the fitness class noted how pleased they were with the new windows. The meeting expressed its gratitude to Nick for stepping into the Chair position in the middle of the year and leading the Hall committee so well through a consequential and turbulent period. |
| Election of officers | Those in attendance were asked if they wished to join the Parish Hall committee. All current committee members agreed to stand again with the exception of: Pierre, who is required to stand down from the committee as he no longer lives in the Parish; Stephen, who is moving to France. The meeting thanked these committee members for their time and effort, particularly Pierre who had served on the committee since 2009.As per the terms of the charity’s governance document all elected committee members are required to be trustees of the charity, and therefore all committee members signed charity trustee declarations. Stella will update the Charity Commission website with the names of the new trustees.The meeting observed that many people in the parish would like to help the village hall but not take on a position on the committee. The committee is considering establishing a ‘Friends of the Parish Hall’ group to facilitate this kind of involvement, and also made it clear that parish residents are welcome to observe committee meetings with advance notice. |
| Hiring charges | Hire charges were not discussed – they will be reviewed by the committee later in the year. |
| AOB | The meeting inquired why the community kitchen is required to pay rent. The committee noted that this question has been asked previously and will be kept under review – since its inception costs for the community kitchen have been borne by grants or benefactor donation. The meeting noted that the next meeting of ‘Devon Communities Together’ will be hosted at Gittisham Village Hall. |
