Members are invited to the 2022 AGM of the Freinds’ Society to be held at Ventnor Botanic Garden on Thursday 22 April at 7pm.
Notice of Annual General Meeting of
Ventnor Botanic Garden Friends’ Society
To be held on Thursday 28 April 2022 at 7pm
in the Echium Room at Ventnor Botanic Garden
A copy of the Agenda including details of voting due to take place at the meeting will be made available on our website from 14 April 2022. If you would like a printed copy please contact the Secretary, Jenny Parker at jenniferparker126@hotmail.co.uk 01983 730668 and we will send it out to you by post.
If you wish to put forward any resolutions to the AGM, please notify the chairman:
John Bagshawe: bagshawej@yahoo.co.uk 01983 731799 no later than Thursday 7 April 2022.
Apologies can be sent to Jenny Parker via email or phone as above.
The Plantation Café will be open on the evening from 6.30pm.
The Agenda and Minutes of the 2021 AGM can be read below, you can also download the files from links at the bottom of this post.
Annual General Meeting
of the Ventnor Botanic Garden Friends’ Society
to be held on Thursday 28 April 2022
at 7pm
in The Echium Room at Ventnor Botanic Garden
A G E N D A
1. Apologies for absence
2. Approval of the Minutes of the AGM held on 27 July 2021. The Chairman
will invite approval by a show of hands
3. Matters Arising
4. Chairman’s Report on behalf of The Trustees for the year from
1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021.
5. Hon Treasurer’s Report.
Appointment of Independent Examiner, approval invited by a show of hands
6. Membership Report
7. Appointment of Trustees of VBGFS
In accordance with the Constitution one third of the Trustees stand down by
rotation. John Bagshawe and Caroline Peel will retire as Trustees, Caroline Peel
offers herself for re-election.
8. Election of Officers and Committee for CIO
The Committee would like to propose Valerie Pitts for election as Chairman.
Election of Tim Woodcock, Hon Treasurer and Jenny Parker, Hon Secretary.
Election of Bridgette Sibbick and Anne Hornett who have been nominated to
serve on the Committee.
Election of other members of the Committee: Deputy Chairman Peter Coleman,
John Bagshawe, Rosemary Stewart, Colin Smith, Ros Whistance, Sally Peake
and Chris Kidd and Colin Pope who continue as ex officio members.
Approval invited by a show of hands.
9. Meeting closes
Presentation of the Harold Hillier Award for Services to Horticulture on the Island 2022 follows.
We welcome our new Head Gardener, Michelle Cain
VENTNOR BOTANIC GARDEN FRIENDS’ SOCIETY
Annual General Meeting – 27 July 2021
held in the Echium Room at Ventnor Botanic Garden at 1900 hrs
34 Members present
Welcome Chairman John Bagshawe opened the meeting and welcomed the members. A short silence was held in remembrance of Brian Kidd our President who died this year.
John Bagshawe then announced that Mike Fitt had accepted our request to become President.
Apologies were received from Peter and Elizabeth Marsden, Mrs Spencer Smith, Susan Dobbs, John and Jonyth Hill, Avril Watson.
The Minutes of the AGM on 21 April 2019 and the substitute 2020 AGM (due to Covid restrictions) were agreed as a true record with no matters arising.
Prop: John Bagshawe Sec: Caroline Peel.
Chairman’s Report
John Bagshawe presented his report for the year to 30 September 2020, attached.
The report reflected the impact of the loss of gift aid to the funds. The replacement RUFA (round up for apprentices) fund failed to match gift aid. An appeal for funds to support our apprentices raised a generous £3,370 from Friends and supporters. The volunteer numbers increased over
the pandemic and a regular team worked hard in the garden or to package seeds for sale.
The Financial Report and Accounts up to 30 September 2020
Members were given a copy of the accounts submitted to the Charity Commission for the period and Tim Woodcock, Hon treasurer presented his report, attached. This confirmed the deficit for the year and the Society’s worth at £80,296. A vote was taken to accept the accounts and for Roger Sims to continue to independently check and agree the accounts.
Prop: Chris Kidd Sec: Phil Le May, unanimous vote.
Membership Report
Val Pitts presented her first report and confirmed membership was 410, a fall from the previous year’s total of 446 members. This decrease in numbers was partly due to the death of members during the year, notably Eric Everitt a long serving member of the Executive Committee.
Val ended her report on a positive note saying since Sept ’20 new members were joining.
Appointment of Trustees of VBGFS
Rosemary Stewart retired as a Trustee and Jenny Parker stood down by rotation and offered herself for re-election.
Prop: Sally Peake Sec: Patricia Smith passed with a unanimous vote
Election of Officers for the Charitable Incorporated Organisation
John Bagshawe stood aside for Vice Chairman, Peter Coleman to take a vote for Chairman.
Prop: The Committee Sec: Chris Kidd
Hon Treasurer Tim Woodcock Prop: Caroline Peel Sec: Jenny Parker
Hon Secretary, Jenny Parker Prop: Sally Peake Sec: Phil Le May
Other serving members of the Committee were re-elected
Sally Peake, Caroline Peel, Colin Smith, Rosemary Stewart, Ros Whistance and Val Pitts
Prop: Bridgette Sibbick Sec: Chris Parker
Chris Kidd and Colin Pope remain Ex officio members of the Committee requiring no election
There followed two presentations of the Harold Hillier Award for Services to Horticulture on the Isle of Wight for 2020 and 2021
Chris Kidd presented the award to Colin Pope for 2020 and Sally Peake presented the award for 2021 to John Harrison
Update of Current Position
John Bagshawe then took the opportunity to update members of the current position of the Friends.
John reported that our 2 apprentices, Indi and Ellis have both completed their course and left the Garden.
Indi is working in horticulture on the Island and Ellis has won a position at Osborne for further training.
The Committee had hoped that following the end of lock downs the CIC would reinstate Gift Aid but this now seems unlikely. In addition, changes to the way apprenticeship schemes are running on the Island means the successful scheme for our apprentices is no longer available. The result is that Trish remains at
the garden with little help. We have agreed to support her there over the winter. Volunteers are a great help but the few gardeners are often busy with VBG at home or other projects and the garden is looking neglected.
Discussion with the members followed:-
Phil Le May said the Committee needed the mandate of members in finding the way forward stressing that Members need to know about problems and be given the opportunity to discuss solutions. Chris Parker asked the cost of an apprenticeship scheme, a ballpark of £60k annually for 2 apprentices and a supervisor was given. Jenny Parker said the Committee had tried different approaches with the CIC but these now seemed exhausted. Peter Coleman explained how difficult it was for the Committee to find a way with the two challenges of no gift aid and no apprentices. Chris Kidd said hard work was needed to get through the current problems and the apprenticeship scheme needed re-thinking.
The meeting was closed.
Chairman ………………………………………….