Chairman's report for 2008-9

The planting in the former putting green was mentioned last year and Anne Bellringer will be telling us about it after the formal part of the AGM.

Last year we also discussed improvements in communication and we have now produced three issues of our occasional Newsletter and we have set up an internet blog to supplement the website. The blog enables the Secretary and me to update information ourselves without bothering Steve Snowdon who, very kindly, provides the ‘Friends’ website.

Naturally we have continued our close links with the Park Services Department of HDC and they have been represented at our committee meetings. It has been useful to us and, I hope, to them.

Sadly the bluebells planted in February 2008 failed to come up this Spring. Whether they have gone for good only time will tell.

The Park leaflets have been printed. We shared the cost with HDC, who did the printing but our lack of funds has delayed a reprint.

The Green Flag award for Parks has again been awarded to Horsham Park.

We are currently helping HDC with their Park users’ survey and if you have not completed one, please do so on the HDC website: http://www.horsham.gov.uk/

We are pleased that the County Council have removed the old children’s nursery and the ground has reverted to open space. Now grassed over, it looks very attractive by comparison with the old, run-down, buildings.

Membership has increased slowly but surely and we now have 42 members. We could do with more and I would be grateful if existing members would help with recruitment. The annual membership fee is modest, so modest, in fact, that halfway through the year we had something of a financial crisis. We are grateful to HDC for coming to our rescue with a grant. However they, too, have money problems and we should not have to rely on them. Our financial report is tabulated below.

During the year Carole Sorrell has acted as publicity officer. Getting information into the west Sussex County Times was initially very difficult, particularly advance notice of meetings, etc. However, things have recently got better and an announcement of the AGM was published in the paper.

A few weeks ago the Park had the wrong sort of publicity; criticism of the number of rats, particularly around the lake. What the complainants failed to realise was that if they leave bread, etc for the ducks this is free food for the rats. Evan Giles’s team have been working on the problem but it has meant that some of the shrubbery has had to go as it provided cover for the rats.

We have had two open meetings; one was Jeremy Knight’s talk about the history (or was it pre-history?) of the Park; a brilliant success when we filled the room to capacity. The other was Evan Giles and his team leading a walk in the Park, showing us things we might not otherwise know about.

All in all, quite a good year but as my old school reports used to say: “Could do better”. And with your help we will!



STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT AT 8th JULY 2009

PAYMENTS IN ..........................PAYMENTS OUT
Subscriptions ......£206.00 ........Stationery ...............£190.51
Grants ................£1216.00 ........Children’s Fountain £915.34
Returned Cheque ..£915.34 ........Cancelled cheque ....£915.34
Sundries .................£47.00 ........Park Leaflets ...........£135.00
............................._______ ......Sundries ...................£ 43.63
..............................£2384.34......................................... £2199.82
Opening Balance ...£134.12 .......Balance in Hand ....£_318.64
...............................£2518.46 ........................................

Note: There is a float of £50 for secretarial expenses as at 8th July 2009.

I have certified the accounts based on the information provided and confirm that the accounts show a true and reasonable position of the Friends of Horsham Park as at 8th July 2009.
(Signed) V Mitchell, 30th August 2009