The WWRA held its 2017 Annual General Meeting at Homer School on Monday 27th March 2017. Here’s a summary report on the evening, in case you were unable to attend our 2017 AGM
Presentations by Thames Valley Police
The busy evening commenced with presentations by Sergeant Jemma Calver and Inspector Louise Warbrick from the Thames Valley Police (TVP) about crime, policing, and working with local residents to help reduce and solve crimes.
TVP will meet regularly with WWRA members over the coming years to build a partnership and, your Committee will be instrumental in this process.
Chairman’s Report
The Chairman stressed the need for new volunteers to replace retired collectors and deliverers and to take seats on the committee left vacant by a string of resignations during the year; as a consequence of these resignations the committee was inquorate for much of the year which resulted in reduced levels of operations and has required the AGM to ratify even mundane decisions made by an inquorate committee
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Volunteers should email our Membership Secretary, Sara McDonnell on travellingsar@hotmail.com
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a valuable guide of how to respond to the latest consultation on a third runway at Heathrow
Aviation and Planning Reports
The meeting, which was 63 people strong, also received reports, presented by former WWRA Chairman, John Holdstock, on Planning and preceded by Aviation, on behalf of local aviation expert, Mike Sullivan; the committee will shortly publish (on the WWRA website at www.wwra.org.uk) a cheat sheet/guide to help residents respond more effectively to the latest consultation on a third runway at Heathrow.
You can read Mike’s Aviation Report in full at, “Third runway at Heathrow guide – it’s not to late” – click here to read the report – this also contains a valuable guide of how to respond to the latest consultation on a third runway at Heathrow
You can read a bullet point version of John Holdstock’s Planning Report entitled, “AGM Planning Report: Bullet points” – click here to read the report
Political Party Status & required amended Constitution
The 2017 AGM received an update, as promised at the 2016 AGM, on the status of the WWRA as a political party following the tasks set to the Committee by the previous general meetings on and March 2016, to amend the constitution with a view to seeking status to fields candidates at local elections, which under the PPERA requires political party status to do so.
Pursuant to the votes at General Meetings on 7 December 2015*1 and 16 March 2017*2, an amended constiutution was presented to the meeting “for ‘uniting’ the political party and the WWRA” *1 including setting up “the WWRA as a small political party’ *2 and for it to “adopt the OWRA model”*2
The meeting approved amendments to the constitution with the only correction, in accordance with legislation, that the word “small” does not exist within the scope of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendum Act 2000
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Download your copy of our new constitution – click here
Not a member? Click here to become a download our membership form or, email our Membership Secretary, Sara McDonnell on travellingsar@hotmail.com
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Finance Report
As a consequence of the reduced number of collectors and committee members, both income and expenses for the year were substantially down on prior years, however the bank balance has improved substantially.
Membership report
The Membership Secretary discussed the drop in the number of distributors and collectors, mainly due to retirement thanked those individuals for their sterling service over many years. This leaves a substantial proportion of members without a point of contact to deliver news and collect subs.
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Volunteers should email our Membership Secretary, Sara McDonnell on travellingsar@hotmail.com
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Bye-Election on 4th May 2017
News of a bye-election on 4th May 2017 in Clewer North was also discussed following the sudden resignation of Councillor John Collins.
As a consequence of this unexpected election, the AGM ratified the application to the Electoral Commission for the WWRA to field candidates under the WWRA banner at elections which requires the WWRA to register as a political party to achieve such purposes.
Furthermore, the meeting approved former Clewer North Councilor, and recent WWRA Chairman, Wisdom Da Costa, to stand on behalf of the WWRA at the bye-election in Clewer North on 4 May 2017 and a modest £750 budget, in keeping with recent years.
Find out more. Read the article, “WWRA approved Wisdom Da Costa as candidate for By-Election on 4th May 2017” – click here to find out more
Volunteers should email our Membership Secretary, Sara McDonnell on travellingsar@hotmail.com
Closing comments
The meeting closed with a call for people to invite their neighbours to join the WWRA, for more collectors and distributors to deliver our good news to residents, for people to join the committee to help get more done locally and, for people to help the WWRA’s candidate with the bye-election set for 4 May 2017, to ensure the residents of the area have a voice on the Council.
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Volunteers should email our Membership Secretary, Sara McDonnell on travellingsar@hotmail.com
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