Annual Parish Meetings

Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held Thursday, 25th May 2023 at 6pm in the Parish Rooms

1. Welcome. Cllr Gillian Pollard (GP) as Chair of Covenham Parish Council presided over the meeting and welcomed all those attending.   There were 13 parishioners present at the meeting including all the members of the Parish Council. The Parish Clerk, Mrs Nadine Must took the minutes.

2. To receive the previous minutes held 26th May 2022.  Those who were present at last year’s meeting resolved to accept the minutes as a true record. The Chair duly signed minutes.

3. Report of the Chair of Covenham Parish Council (CPC).  Cllr GP thanks all fellow councillors and parish clerk for the support they have given her since taking over as Chair. The position has been a learning curve and the help and understanding has been invaluable.

Progress has been made since the lockdown from the pandemic and the village has started working together to promote different events and getting people together and out of isolation again.Organisations have helped deliver newsletter that contain all individual events and GP thanked all those involved.

One of the main aims last year was to try and keep costs down as much as possible during these inflationary times so that in the future, the parish council do not have to raise the precept.This is an ongoing project and the Parish Council has set up working groups to address and make recommendations to help better manage costs.

Cllr GP also reported that she and other members of the Parish Council have been approached about issues in the village and was pleased to report that either the Parish Council or individual councillors had been able to solve the problems or at least brought the issues to the attention of relevant department.She reiterated that Parish Councillors are here to help in any way they can.They may not always have the answers but will try their best to find solutions.

Cllr GP thanks everyone for their work over the last year and hope that the Parish Council can move forward together for the benefit of the villages of Covenham.

4. Report from East Lindsey District Council.  Cllr Edward Mossop (Ward Member) was not able to attend the meeting.

5. Report from Lincolnshire County Council. Cllr Alex Hall (Ward Member) sent his apologies and there was no report presented.

6. Report of Covenham Village Volunteers (CVV) Report.  The Chairman Nicky Gulley Brown (NGB) reported that the year 2022-23 had been a very good year for CVV.  They have gained new members who brought new energy and ideas.  The group has formed a Community Interest Organisation (CIO) and the fantastic team of volunteers have been keen to implement the group’s mission which is to promote and provide leisure and social activities for the benefit of the locality and the villages of Covenham and its community.

CVV held a variety of events. From the weekly café, they have also added a monthly village walk, four evening socials a year with food.A gardening club was also set up which through the summer held a monthly event for all interested gardeners.

CVV also held a café for the Village Platinum Day in the Parish Rooms and family games at St Mary’s Church.They held an October Fest which was the first social evening with a meal and live music.The event has become a benchmark for a great evening. They also hosted the refreshments after the Remembrance Service. The All things Christmas event which was a Christmas quiz with turkey bun had a full house and was a success.The Spring Bash helped raise much needed funds which was donated to Harbour Place, a homeless charity.

CVV also held some joint events with St Barts Heritage Trust.A Coffee morning was organised at the Heritage Day and the Coronation Event was a fantastic day with a pop up bar, cafe and barbecue with live music.Friends and family from miles around enjoyed a great day out.A similar event is planned for 8 July to be held late afternoon/evening.

Earlier in the year, CVV held a Fashion Show which was a joint event with St Mary’s Church.64 tickets were sold and was a very positive and fun evening.

CVV has also set up a book swap, delivered monthly leaflets promoting village events, carried out a questionnaire, the results of which will give valuable feedback to CVV and help deliver what the village want.

The aim for 2023 is to set up a base they can call home, gain a charitable status and do more good work within the villages of Covenham.

7. Annual report from the Monthly Lunches.  Gillian Pollard reported that this has now been a regular event for more than a year and has been very well attended. There is no set fee to attend but the donations have been very generous.  The latest lunch held at the beginning of

May was again well attended.Tables were adorned with the Union Flag and attendees had glass of bubbly to toast the King.Gillian gave thanks to all the volunteers who did all the washing up after the events.

The next lunch has been moved forward to 31 May with a summer menu of salad, quiche, chees and ham followed by a pudding.Everyone is welcome to attend.

8. Report of Eleemosynary Charity. Mr Ernest McCready who is a Trustee reported that the Charity Commission has agreed to extend the objectives of the Trust to address the inherent problems of rural isolation of all age groups within the village. The grants available from the Trust was promoted on the Parish Council newsletter and on the notice boards.  However, there have been no requests for assistance.

There is now full strength of trustees with Gillian Pollard coming on board as the representative from the Parish Council.The current Rural Dean, the Rev Cameron Watt has agreed to fill the vacancy of Chairman and had attended the most recent meeting.

To mark the Platinum Jubilee, a free of charge buffet lunch and non-alcoholic refreshment was provided for the whole village.A similar offer was made in respect of the recent coronation but was considered unnecessary and was rejected by the organisers.

9. Annual report of St Bart’s Heritage Trust Report.  Diane Seddon, Trustee, reported that the Trust continue to serve the local community by preserving an maintaining St Barts Church as a historic property and organising community events.  This year, they have made significant progress towards achieving their goals and thanks to the generous support of donors and the hard work of volunteers.

They have recently received a £25k grant from Historic England for a structural survey which will help identify and address current and potential issues with the building an enable comprehensive planning of future works to ensure the building remains safe and secure for many years.The Morton Partnership won the tender to complete the work and has an excellent reputation in this field.

In addition to the preservation efforts, the Trust has also organised a very successful event in early May with over 200 local residents attending and planning to hold a similar event in July.These events provide an opportunity for the community to come together, celebrate our heritage and enjoy a socially engaging day.Previous events during the year included the Jubilee Bar and Band Event last June 2022 and the Heritage Event with skills demonstrations and local produce on sale in July 2022.

The usual working parties to clear leaf litter around the churchyard did not happen due to the extremely mild weather prior to Christmas last year.This Spring the ivy was cut again, path around the churchyard was maintained and cut down cow parsley.The north side hedge will be trimmed again after the bird nesting season. Some additional buckthorn planting has been done on the west side hedge and the sycamore had been trimmed back.Several plant species thrive including snowdrops, primroses, bluebells, violets, arum lily and snakes head fritillary.Some of the more delicate grass species are also returning due to the regular strimming.

As a non-profit organisation the Trust rely on the generosity of donors to fund the activities.This year, they have received funds from both locally and overseas, partly due to the short film published on YouTube by Allan Barton which had 35k subscribers.

The Trust is committed to preserving the heritage of St Barts and serving the local community and are looking forward to another successful year ahead.

10. Annual report of St Mary’s Church Report. Anne McCready Churchwarden & DCC Secretary reported that the monthly services of Holy Communion/Morning Prayer continued during the year and gave thanks to the retired clergy and lay readers who took those services.  The coffee and biscuits after services have always been a good social event to catch up and chat.  There has been no change to the electoral roll.

There were two Baptisms, one wedding and an interment of ashes.  There was a Thanksgiving Service for the Coronation on 7th May but the attendance was disappointing.  Rev Ian Chisholm was due to lead the service but had not been able to and it became a do-it-yourself inclusive service.

They have finally received and paid for the faculty to carry out repairs identified in the 2016 Quinquennial inspection.  A quote has been accepted and they are currently sourcing grants to cover the costs.  An outdoor light was fitted earlier this year to illuminate the pathways on dark evenings.  The cost was covered from church funds.

The Church has had help with the electricity costs thanks to the £1,072 grant received from the Bishop’s Fund.  However, there is a problem with the smart meter after changing electricity supplier and a photo image of the meter reading continues to be sent off.

Since the last report last year, there have been a variety of events held: a very successful Open Gardens, a Mad Hatters Tea Party, Harvest Celebrations which included a traditional Harvest Supper, the produce from Harvest went to Fotherby House and ECHO.  They also had a Charity Bingo Night for ECHO, a Christmas Fair and the usual Carol Service followed by refreshments where the attendees were up on last year.  The Church also took part in the Lincolnshire Wolds & Coast Festival and a successful weekend which included a display and sale of jigsaws.

Already this year there has been an Astronomy evening with a hotdog supper, a Family Bingo and a concert by Phoenix Singers happening tomorrow night.  We had a joint Fashion Show with CVV in April and there are a variety of monthly events planned for the rest of 2023.

The Church continues to host two groups on a regular basis: The Phoenix Singers who rehearse weekly and the monthly lunches which normally take place on the first Wednesday of the month, except this month when it will be held on the 31st May, due to a team member being on holiday.

They are currently looking for a new gardener as the previous contractor resigned without any notice leaving the cemetery in a poor state.  A potential new gardener is coming to look this weekend.

Finally, Mrs McCready took the opportunity to thank all who have helped at or attended any of the event which are so necessary to the church finances.

11. Open Forum. There were a number of items raised for further consideration.
    1. The state of the footpaths and verges needed urgent attention.  The Parish Clerk reported that the Parish Council had already put in the request with ELDC but the works are still in a waiting list. The Parish Clerk will send a reminder to ELDC.
    2. The unkempt piece of land in front of St Mary’s Church being used as a car park.  There was a discussion on who was responsible for the upkeep.  Cllr Terry Aldridge reported that when he was a Parish Councillor in previous years there was an agreement with the landowner that permission to use the land was granted as long as the area is kept tidy.  This was not known by the Parish Council until now.  It was decided to have a fresh conversation with the landowner and the maintenance can be added to the gardening contract paid for by the Parish Council.
    3. Ultrafast Broadband.  It was brought to the attention at the meeting that there are now three potential suppliers: Quantum Broadband, Upp Broadband and Internetty.  Each of those suppliers will only look into the feasibility of installing ultrafast fibre-to-the-premises when there is sufficient demand for the service.  It was therefore requested to put an article in the next newsletter informing residents of the potential availability of the service and listing the links for residents to register their interests.
    4. There were a few queries on the grant availability and criteria from the Eleemosynary Charity.  Mr McCready reported that the Charity is not bound to provide accounts to be published and there is utmost confidentiality in how the grant is administered.  He however reiterated that anyone in the parish can apply for assistance and that the perception that the grant is only for elderly people are misplaced. The help for elderly was a previous objective but has now been extended to all those in need of assistance. One parishioner asked if the fund could be used to help university students to apply for a grant to buy books for their education.  The next Trustee meeting is in October and the Trustees will discuss the issues raised at this meeting and provide clarity.
    5. Potholes on Cold Harbour Lane and near to the Mill House.  It was recommended that these be reported to fixmystreet website.  The more people register the potholes the quicker there will be a response from LCC.
    6. The Birkett’s road sign which was reported to LCC is the responsibility of ELDC and a request need to be submitted for action.
    7. The Give Way white lines on the Cold Harbour Lane junction with the Main Road has become very faded and is no longer visible.  This needs to be reported to fixmystreet.
    8. The overgrown grass along the footpath also needs attention.  This can also be reported on fixmystreet and to the LCC Footpaths Officer.
    9. There was a query on the Parish Council Finances.  This item was for consideration at the meeting to follow.

The meeting closed at 6:50pm.