October 2020 Minutes
RAF Minutes October 2020
A meeting of the Recreation Advisory Forum was held on Monday 26th October 2020 via video conferencing and commenced at 19.30hrs.
Present:
Councillor D Chantler - Forum Chairman
Councillor J Rushby
Councillor I George
Councillor L Nicklin
Co-Clerk (Operations) - E Salter
Councillor Buckley-Jones – Meeting host
Organisations:
Mr J Lines - HBW Football Club
Mrs J Dunning - Garrett’s Charity
Mrs J Jelfs - Heighington WI
Mrs J Burtenshaw - Guiding Movement
Mr P Howden - Heighington Bowls Club
Mr L Creasey - Heighington Bowls Club
The Chairman opened the meeting by welcoming those present and informed members of his retirement from the Parish Council at the end of December 2020. Councillor Chantler thanked members for their support over the years and wished Councillor Rushby all the best in her new role as Recreation Advisory Forum Chairman.
06/A/20 Apologies and Declarations of Interest.
Apologies for absence had been received from Mrs A Boucher (Heighington Christmas Festival Committee), Mrs P Edwards (Heighington & District Gardening Club), Mrs J Rexstrew (Heighington Wives), Mrs J Wain (Thomas Garrett Heritage Rooms User Group) and Councillor J Dziadkiewicz.
There were no declarations of interest or dispensations sought.
07/A/20 To approve the draft notes from the last meeting of the Recreation Advisory Forum on Monday 22nd June 2020.
The draft notes from the meeting of Monday 22nd June 2020 were agreed and approved as minutes.
08/A/20 Officer’s Report & Parish Council update
a. Jubilee Hall
Jubilee Hall was due to reopen on 14th September, however the Parish Council agreed to keep it closed due to new Covid -19 restrictions. The hall has been deep cleaned and will be ready to open when safe to do so.
b. Good Neighbour Support Network
With an increase in local lockdowns across the UK and uncertainty regarding a possible national lockdown in the coming months, Heighington Parish Council would like to reassure residents that the Good Neighbour Support Network will be revived should the need arise.
c. Free Play Tennis
Following lockdown, the Parish Council and Tennis Club agreed to offer residents the chance to use the tennis courts for free play. Uptake has been steady, and we hope to keep the courts open through the winter months.
d. Handcrafted Poppies for Remembrance
Heighington Parish Council will again be displaying the handcrafted poppies at St. Thomas’. The display will take place from Friday 6th November until Friday 13th November. The church service will take place on Sunday 8th November and the Memorial garden service on 11th November.
e. Parish Council Website
The Parish Council’s new website is currently under construction, should any group wish to contribute with a small write up to promote themselves can do so by emailing the Parish Office.
09/A/20 To discuss holding a Scarecrow Festival during autumn 2021, in place of Picnic in the Park.
Following the cancellation of Picnic in the Park due to the pandemic in 2020 and a water logged field in 2019, the Parish Council is keen to hold an event that all residents can participate in even if the weather is unkind or Covid restrictions remain in place. A Scarecrow Festival would allow all residents to take part and it was suggested that a map be produced to show where the scarecrows are sited around the village. This event could be built on to include a competition and perhaps coincide with the Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days should they take place during 2021. Members agreed to discuss further at the next meeting.
10/A/20 To consider holding upcycling workshops during 2021.
NKDC declared a climate emergency last year and the Parish Council is keen to address the issue of recycling, with this in mind forum members were asked if they would be interested in attending upcycling workshops. It was suggested that specialists come along to give advice and help in upcycling and repairing old items. It was agreed that an article be placed in the Sheepwash Times for residents to register their interest.
11/A/20 To consider sponsoring adult cycling proficiency classes.
The Parish Council have been looking at ways to encourage senior residents to get active. One possibility is to sponsor cycling proficiency classes. The sessions aim to help attendees to improve their on-road cycling skills and covers hazard perception, the highway code and understanding of good road positioning. Participants would need to be able to ride a bike and have good handling skills. It was suggested that a cycle maintenance session could also take place. Members agreed that an advertisement should be placed in the Sheepwash Times for residents to register their interest in this idea.
12/A/20 Reports from village organisations and clubs.
Councillor Nicklin informed members that hedgehogs are declining in Britain and asked members to consider taking part in the Hedgehog Street scheme & make Heighington a hedgehog friendly village. It was agreed that an article be placed in the Sheepwash Times to try and encourage residents to take part. Posters will be placed in village notice boards and on social media. More information can be found on https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs.
Heighington WI
Heighington WI have not met since March. The ladies had planned an outdoor event, which had to be cancelled due to the new government guidelines. Heighington WI are looking forward to meeting again once restrictions have been lifted.
Guiding Movement
The guiding movement have decided not to meet until after Christmas due to Covid restrictions and government guidelines. Heighington 2nd Brownies met throughout the summer via zoom meetings so that the girls could stay in touch. All the groups are looking forward to returning when it is safe to do so.
The Garrett’s Charity
The enforced closure of the Heritage Rooms during the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in a significant loss of income for Garrett’s Charity. It also put restrictions on fundraising activities, impacting income further. The Heritage Rooms received a discretionary grant from NKDC to cover loss of income during lockdown but since being allowed to re-open, only a few groups have returned to date; it is hoped that more will return from January onwards.
The Trustees are currently working on a project to refurbish and enhance the Heritage Rooms to further benefit the community and provide a more friendly and inviting space. This is likely to be a substantial project and will cost significant money to achieve. As part of this Garrett’s Charity proposes to establish a 100 Club that will see a prize draw taking place each month commencing January 2021. The 100 Club will cost £30 for the year and members of the club will automatically be entered into the draw each month of that year. Full details and application form available by email garrettscharity@gmail.com or telephone the Treasurer, Dennis Chantler, on 01522 808051.
After many years of dedication and support, Ann Crust has tendered her resignation as a Trustee of Garrett’s Charity. Ann has represented the Parochial Church Council on the trustee body since June 2006 undertaking various roles including Treasurer and Secretary. Ann has been an enthusiastic and valuable member of the team and the remaining trustees are sad see her step down and thank her for her incredible support wishing her every happiness in her ‘retirement.’
HBW Football Club
Potterhanworth Road is home to the under 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11 teams, it has been slow getting back after lockdown, however the children are happy to get out and have a kick about. The Mini Kickers group as just started up offering football coaching to the smallest footballers in the village. Concerns were raised over the condition of the field due to the infestation of chafer bugs. The Co-Clerk informed members that the issue is to be discussed at the next meeting of the Property Services Committee on 16th November.
Heighington Bowls Club (report sent prior to meeting)
This is the first year, owing to the Covid-19 restrictions, the Club has not played league bowls since it entered the Cliff league in 1967.
We were delighted with the response we got from the members who took part in the pairs competition which was held on the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings of each week during August. Twenty-three members took part in the matches, some playing just a few games but most nights there were sixteen on the green. Out of the twelve evenings two were lost due to inclement weather. All those present kept to the conditions set out prior to the start of the competition for their safety which was our utmost priority. Each evening a draw for partners took place and each player carried forward his/her shot score to the next game. At the end of the fourth week the lady and gent with the highest score each received a liquid prize. The majority had enjoyed the games and asked for similar arrangements to be organised during the first week in September.
End of the season renovation work has been carried out on the green with the assistance from Ashby Grass Care. There has been a problem with worms during the last few months and unfortunately the liquid to control them is no longer available.
The Annual Meeting is normally held during September, but it could not take place this year due to current restrictions and it is expected that the earliest date for it will be sometime in the Spring of next year.
The Committee, in the meantime, have appointed Mr. Garry Snelson to take over as the Treasurer of the Club from the 1st October.
Thank you
The Chairman of the Bowls Club expressed his thanks to Councillor Chantler for all his hard work during his Chairmanship of the Recreation Advisory Forum and wished Councillor Rushby good luck in her role as Chairman.
The Clerk told forum members how she had enjoyed working with Councillor Chantler over the past five years and thanked him for his support and enthusiasm. She wished him well in his retirement and welcomed Councillor Rushby as forum Chairman.
The meeting closed at approximately, 20:12. Attendees were reminded that the next meeting of this forum is set for Monday 22nd February 2021, starting at 19:30 to be held in the Jubilee Hall.
Signed: Date: