2022 May 24 - Minutes
Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on
24 May 2022 at 19:00 in St Michael’s Church
Present: Cllrs. Andy Halfhide (Chair), Cllr. Andy Hallam (Vice Chair), Brian Branch, Debbie Hallam,
Yvonne McCulloch, liz Jarman, Lewis Trickey and Martin Lauridsen.
In Attendance: LCC County Cllr. Phil Dilks, Jeannette Pearson Village Hall Chairman, Ros Rendle Langtoft WI, Rev Carolyn Bailey, Richard Kelly, Pete Coles and Sarah Gresty Parish Clerk.
Apologies were received from Cllr. Kelham Cook, Cllrs. Rosemary Trollope-Bellew, Cllrs Steve Valentine.
Reports received from:
a)Cllr. Andy Halfhide Chairman of Langtoft Parish Council.
The Grapevine magazine is now back up and running. The parish council are communicating via their Website and Facebook page. The chairman wanted to thank The WI and the Church for their community work during the pandemic.
The major achievements for the Parish council was the opening of Penfield Nature Reserve which due to the hard work of the management committee and volunteers has opened to the public and become already a huge asset to the village and will only get better.
Parish Council continue to campaign regarding traffic and speeding and are working with Cllr. Phil Dilks to improve safety and to resurrect the A15 Safety Group.
The Parish Council has resurrected various working groups and always looking for more people to join the Parish Council there are 2 Vacant Seats .
Thanks go to Pete Coles for his work with Penfield and his ongoing work with the restoration of East End Park (EEP) Pond.
b) Langtoft Allotment Association. The Clerk read a report sent as a representative was unable to attend.
The Association continues to thrive, all 38 plots are allocated with 53 people working either a full or a half plot. At present no one is on the waiting list.
We were able to take on five new plot holders in March and all 53 plot holders are keen and looking forward to another successful productive growing season.
c) Langtoft Bowls Club. The Clerk read a report sent as Nolan Catterwell, Chairman was unable to attend.
Our Club has teams competing in both the Stamford and Peterborough bowls leagues and play games every day of the week except Sundays. If anyone is passing when a game is on they are more than welcome to come into the Club and watch from one of the benches around the green. We are always pleased to welcome new members, free coaching is available and all equipment is supplied free of charge to enable those interested to have a go.
The social side of the Club is also most important and we arrange theatre trips and visits to places of interest. If anyone is interested to learn more about the Club, they can always call into the Club on a Wednesday morning when we hold coffee mornings throughout the year.
d) Langtoft WI Ros Rendle gave an update on the WI
Challenging times through Covid
Had several on-line speakers via the Zoom link we purchased. Steady 20 or so attended those, but not for everyone. Also produced newsletters sent to members to maintain engagement when some were
isolating/ or isolated, lonely. Offered shopping or medicine pick-ups etc.
· COVID BOOK - living history for the future produced by members from our present, £50 given by LPC
Copies presented to both Deepings and Stamford libraries and a copy presented to the Chair of our Federation who praised the initiative.
Varied programme of talks
David Palmer – antiques (open meeting), Kirsty Shelton – flower arranging for the seasons, Cathi Prince – Shedglas (Haconby) processes for leaded windows, panels, hangers, Jeannie Dykes – Burghley House treasures on the doorstep. Fascinating anecdotes and insights, Richard Adams – Photography, Roy Stevenson – creation of wildflower meadow behind Deepings rectory
Up and Coming - French evening, a book illustrator, spells and witchcraft, ukulele band of
Upwood.
Community activities include Church windows for Christmas, Easter, harvest, jubilee etc. etc. Others in the past e.g. poppies. Litter pick – another planned for Sept.
Outings starting again now Cherry house meal, hurlby WI – Sweet treat of Horncastle, Baston WI, Crown green bowling, Walking netball
Jubilee. A Pennant was made Each WI branch has made one. Ours has the Langtoft helix on as well as pheasants and our name. There are 60 + across the county
A Bench for Penfield. Money raised through donation. Unveiled on May 14 with plaque stating who has raised money and why. Also a further £171 raised so voted for info boards and cheque handed to Penfield
Management committee.
Party for members with and visitors with red, white a blue colour theme. Food, games, quiz, singing, a small free gift. A loyal toast, cutting the cake and National Anthem.
Members Lost three or four after Covid but gained several since so numbers are steady. Vibrant and varied programme.
e) Jeannette Pearson, Chair and a Trustee of the Langtoft Village Hall Management Committee (LVHMC).
I would like to thank the Parish Council for inviting me as a representative of the Village Hall to speak here this evening. This is truly a success storey, including the generosity from the original gifters and the committee of volunteers within our community to ensure the village hall is available to all.
The Village Hall, as some may be aware has been part of our community since 1910 (112 years to be exact). In June 1972 (nearly 50 years ago) the hall was handed over by the (Langtoft Working Ments Conservative Group) to the Parish Council to temporarily hold until the Hall was registered into Trust with the Charity Commission for the community of Langtoft. This included all freehold and leasehold land that the hall sits upon. Whilst a phenomenal gift of generosity to the community of Langtoft, the hall at this stage was uninhabitable and unsafe for use. Indeed between 1910 and 1972 we saw 2 World Wars and I imagine the maintenance and repair of the Village Hall and the amount of readily available cash to spend on the halls upkeep was extremely limited.
In 1972 LVHMC was formed and became a registered charity. The Committee started the process of tirelessly volunteering and working hard to raise funds to repair and maintain the hall and has continued to do so to this day. Fast forward to the present day. In the last 2 years and during the pandemic the committee has refurbished the hall in readiness for the community coming out of lock-down. The most
recent refurbishment required a considerable amount of supervision, and this was predominantly overseen by committee member Diane Valentine who was Head of the Maintenance Group.
The committee have implemented tendering for all works carried out, we have launched a new website in readiness for a new on-line booking facility and we will be launching a new working Constitution this year. It is recommended by the Charities Commission that a Constitution is reviewed and updated every 2/3 years – we however have not done this since the original was released back in 1972 – I’m sure you can imagine that some legislation referred to is not valid in today’s terms.
As safety guidance has eased our community hirers have returned and the hall is bustling with activity with groups such as Langtoft Players, Bumps2Four, WI, Tiger Tots, Yoga, Bingo Nights, Food Demonstration Nights, Race Nights, Private Parties and soon – Disney Kids Bingo with a free lunch coming in May.
The committee decided that our Charity status needed to provide more accessibility to our community and in 2021 we voted to stop charging the Parish Council to hire the hall as they were equally a group of volunteers supporting our community. To help organisations such as Langtoft Players and Bumps2Four get back up on their feet after the pandemic we voted to give (not for profit) Langtoft Players a hire credit of £1500 and Bumps2Four a £500 hire credit. At our next AGM we will discuss the success and merits of this decision and decided what to do and who to support in the coming year.
The Langtoft Village Hall is a registered Charity, and the Trustees are responsible for delivering upon the wishes of the Working Men’s Group who bequeathed the Hall to the community of Langtoft. Ensuring the Hall is maintained and that the funds raised are managed efficiently. That the Hall is made available to all groups within our community irrespective of political or religious standing.
We welcome anyone who wishes to get involved whether it be as a committee member or a volunteer for a few hours when we hold an event.
The LVHMC Bank Account currently sits at £36,000 in credit. During the pandemic we received grants from SKDC in order to maintain the Hall as did all Village Halls across the UK. We lost approx. £26,000 in hire and events revenue during this time – this grant therefore ensured we were left with workable funds to maintain the hall.
We welcome ideas and suggestions from the community regarding how the hall can continue to be the center point meeting place within our community.
As Chair, I invite you to get involved, please feel that you can contact me directly regarding anything Hall related.
Finally, thank you to the many volunteers and committee members who over the last 50 years have ensured the hall remains a viable and available meeting place for the community. In particular the committee wishes to thank Sarah Castley a founding committee member for her volunteering and commitment to the Village Hall. Some may know Sarah has recently been poorly and we send her our very best wishes. And off course all those that have supported the many fund raising events held at the hall
in aid of keeping it well maintained. I must mention Committee Member - Sue Archer who heads the organization of the Village Hall events and manages them with precision. Thank you to the Parish Council for their continued support. This year the Charity & the Langtoft Village Hall Management Committee celebrate 50 years of maintaining and managing the Hall for the Community of Langtoft – here’s to the next
and long may it continue.
f) Rev. Carolyn Bailey gave an update.
Covid has hit the church hard, financially as well as congregation numbers. People are still reluctant to go out and come back to face-to-face services. The Church is being creative with the small congregation and the activities able to be provided.
Soup lunches and bacon butty mornings are community focused and provide a social space for people to meet.
Weddings and baptism numbers are picking up a little.
We are trying to work effectively with resources we have.
The Community Larder for local families continues to be well stocked and used. This is advertise through word of mouth and parent mail at the school.
Zoom morning prayer 9am each week day morning is well attended.
New Project Naturehood is 3 parishes working together to allow wildlife to thrive. Small steps have been made in the church yard to leave for wildlife and to improve diversity. A dead hedge is planned and to allow grasses to grow longer this is scene as celebrating and supporting creation.
One negative is a problem with parking outside the church especially on a Sunday morning. Caused often by coach trips and pick up points. Action: Clerk to make contact with coach company to see if anything can be done and Cllr. Dilks to make enquiries of the Highways.
g) Pete Coles gave a proposed outline plan for the restoration of the historical EEP Pond. He has had meetings with Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and the University College of London resulting in the answer that the pond, as the water levels are now lower with gravel extractions pumps, will never be restored to is original 1981 state.
Proposal for a 3 year programme
Year 1. To undertake a Newt survey. To allow the grass around the edge of the pond to grow, to pollard willows or remove within the pond to allow light, to excavate some of the leaf mould in the centre of the pond and to create smaller shallow pools. To monitor results
Year 2. To undertake a further Newt survey, may be to take out a few more trees on the rim of the pond. To build a bug house using felled willow timber. To monitor results
Year 3. To continue to monitor results, to work with Naturehood group. To build a ‘Swift tower’ in middle of pond to encourage swift or swallows. If successful with water remaining perhaps a duck house could be built. To monitor results.
Meeting Closed at 20:09