On Saturday May 1st as part of the ‘Captain Tom 100’ event and to raise funds for Cure Parkinson’s and the Captain Tom Foundation Sally Harvey will be running and walking 100 laps of the Common, that’s 36 miles.
If you would like to support Sally with a donation you can do at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SallyHarvey21 and if you would like to join her please do so. Your company will be much appreciated.
Thank you to the large number of volunteers who made our Spring Litter pick such a a great success. Not only were we able to clear the common and woods of litter but we were also able to deal with litter that is increasingly dumped on the margins of Lane End Road and Horns Lane. Your efforts are evident for all to see.
Around this time of year, we would normally be calling upon members to collect the annual subscriptions that keep the society going. However, with the ongoing risk of Covid-19 a doorstep collection would be completely inappropriate. We do however still need funds to continue with our work. This will be particularly important in the coming months once the work by the West Wycombe Estate to remove diseased and damaged trees is complete.
Some members already pay by standing order. Please can we ask those members from whom we normally collect, to use this as an opportunity to do so as well. This can be arranged on line or by contacting your bank. The subscription is just £4.00 per household, although many of you also add a donation to our fighting fund. Any additional donation can be included in the standing order payment.
To make the payment all you will need are the details of the BCWPS account (which are shown below), the date when the payment is to be made (which can be any date but preferably in December or January) and a reference (for example, your house name or number and post code) so that we can identify the payment.
Thank you for your help and continued support. We know that the common has become an important place for many of our members and others to exercise or just spend time in the fresh air during the restrictions. This time next year we hope that some normality will have returned. In the meantime, may I take this opportunity to wish all our members and friends a merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.
Several trees have been felled recently and many more are shortly to be cut down and removed from the woods.
This work is to remove diseased Ash trees or those that pose a danger and is being carried out by Wessex Woodland Management Ltd on behalf of the West Wycombe Estate
Once the work is complete, we will look at how the common has been affected and consider how we may be able to support its restoration.
It was a great pleasure to present the 2020 Alan Duggin Memorial Conservation Award to John O’Conner Grounds Maintenance who have been cutting the grass for us for more than 15 years.
The award is normally announced and presented at our AGM but due to the current constraints the presentation was made on the common. The award was accepted by Ian Evans on behalf of the company in front of a small group of local residents who regularly use the common.
We very much hope that by mid-May the need for social distancing restrictions will have reduced significantly but as we cannot be sure, we have decided to cancel our AGM, scheduled for May 18th.
We must however continue to follow the rules of the society which include the election of committee members and officers for the coming year and an annual report of our accounts. The AGM is also a time when we ask for new volunteers to join our committee.
Committee membership
I am very pleased to advise that the current committee members and officers are all willing to continue.
Given the current circumstances all the existing committee members will therefore be reappointed for a further year. In addition, to avoid the need for a formal vote, any new volunteers who wish to join this year will be co-opted by the committee.
Annual Accounts
This year, in addition to the membership subscriptions which cover our annual running costs we received two significant donations. In September a donation from Red Kite Community Housing enabled the purchase of hand tools to use during our litter collections and work parties, and in March, thanks to Cllr Brian Pearce, we received a donation from Wycombe District Council to support the maintenance of the Woodland Walk. We therefore remain financially heathy.
A report of our accounts will be prepared in the usual way by our treasurer, Phil Stagg.
If you have any concerns about our decision to cancel the AGM please let our secretary (secretary@bookercommon.org.uk) and me (chair@bookercommon.org.uk) know.
Thank you for your continuing support.
