Shut the Doors, please

We understand that many users need to leave the main doors open whilst they bring in equipment.  But can everyone try to remember to close them when they are finished.  Our heating bills are over  £2000 pa and we need your help to keep this large sum to a minimum.

 We’d appreciate all hirers bringing this matter to the attention of their groups.

 Price Increase

In order to maintain reasonable balances for future works and unexpected (but inevitable) financial demands we have been forced to increase our hiring charges as from April 2008. 

 The increase will be approximately 10%.  This may sound a large increase but it is the first since April 2005.  We hope that our hirers will continue to feel that prices between £2.50 and £7.50 per hour remain both affordable and good value. 

 Shssh!

Could we remind users leaving the premises later in the evening to disperse quickly and quietly out of respect for our neighbours. 

Tradespeople Wanted

We are having a deal of difficulty in finding tradespeople who can be relied upon to respond to those annoying little jobs (eg leaky gutters, re-hanging doors, touch up painting)  which crop up from time to time.  If you know someone who you think could suit please give the office a call (01730 262081).

The Trustees and Volunteers

As a registered charity the Association is governed by a board of trustees who give of  their time and experience to manage the Association.  Working quietly (mostly) in the background they co-ordinate with the Association’s staff and volunteer workers to ensure the smooth running of the Centre.

 New Trustees are often needed.  Time demands are not great; the board meets eight times a year and there are occasional sub committee meetings.  Should you feel that you would like to help call the Chairman, Les Jarman (01730 261349).

Also we are dependent on voluntary support to back up our office functions. We have been very lucky over many years to have an efficient and loyal team of volunteers but we are always happy to consider others.  Our volunteers work one or two weekday mornings a week and help with our basic office processes (e.g. answering the phone, taking bookings, word processing).  If this sounds like your sort of job  and you would like more information please give Linda, the Centre Manager, a call on 01730 262081.

Fund Raising Quiz

Our annual fund  (and Fun) raising quiz will be held on 9 February 2008.  Teams of 8 are invited  at £12 per head.  The evening supper with dessert.  There will be wine and soft drinks on sale.  Please contact the office (01730 262081) if you wish to enter.

 PCA Annual  Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2007 

  Presented by L Jarman (Chair of Management Committee) to the AGM of the Association on 27 June 2007

Introduction

It is pleasing to announce another successful year at the Petersfield Community Centre.  Financially we continue on an even keel.  The buildings are in a good state and most of our anticipated improvements have been achieved or are well into planning. Our staff have continued to provide the Trustees and, most importantly, our users with a first class service. The Association’s Trustees, Volunteers and Staff have once again worked together to provide what I like to think as Petersfield’s premier community space.

Finance

Howard Smith took over as Treasurer at the last AGM and has continued to provide, with back up from Linda Boatswain in the office, up to date financial information to the Management Committee.  Overall, we achieved our major financial objectives for the year; that is the completion of the heating revamp without unduly reducing our reserves.  Hiring at around £33000 was above budget and our other, albeit more minor,  income streams of  storage, vending machine sales, book sales and fund raising activities combined to boost our net income by over £3700.

As mentioned at last year’s AGM Hiring income is at a plateau.  We are so well used it is difficult to see where we can accommodate many more users.  I anticipate that we will have to consider raising our charges to deal with the inevitable inflationary increases in our expenses.

The Building

As I have said the heating system was refurbished on time and, I’m glad to report, on budget. Our thanks must go to Tom Alden for project managing this task.  Thanks also go to Tom and his wife Jean for doing  much of  the necessary redecoration following new pipework and radiators.  There were some very minor problems with the new system but, by and large, we can count it a success. 

Another major task completed in the year was replacement of much of the lighting.  This was quite easily achieved in  some areas but the main hall presented challenges.  Again Tom Alden managed the project and with the excellent assistance of our contractor John Burrows the hall is now lit to a modern standard.  Whilst tower equipment, for the job,  was in the hall the opportunity was taken to investigate the ceiling and the ceiling void with a view to improving ventilation in the main hall.  Many users have asked that this matter be looked at and we hope that we may soon be able to provide it at a cost that we find acceptable.

We improved our overnight security arrangements this year and reduced the risk to our staff and volunteers by having auto call arrangements set up with Kestrel Security.

Customers

We have lost a few regular customers (notably yoga) but we have also gained some e.g. Little Green Frogs toddlers group.  We have also had a couple of Saturday lettings to SNAP discos (Say No and Phone) which are run in co-operation with the police.   The Management Committee had some reservations about hosting these events involving as they mean the presence of 80 -100 excited early teenagers.  But problems have been minimal and the events are being allowed to continue but are being monitored on a booking by booking basis.

There is an increasing number of requests for young peoples’ parties at weekends.  We lay strict guidelines for these with regard to smoking, drinking and adult supervision and control.  We do not feel completely at ease with these but we have to remember that we are a Community Centre and young people are very much part of the community.

Over the year we have had two neighbours who have complained, unreasonably in our view, of noise. The causes were not necessarily from young persons parties.   One person, who was as far as possible warned in advance of Saturday parties, complained to East  Hampshire District Council (EHDC).  EHDC gave us notice of the complaint and recommended a free mediation service.  We immediately accepted the offer.  The neighbour withdrew his/her complaint.  The other complainant  had the habit of phoning the manager at her home when he felt aggrieved.  This is completely unacceptable and it required a word from the police to stop this harassment.  No the less, he still complains and has been know to accost users in the car park when he considers his peace is being disturbed.  It is a pity that he does not have the courtesy to (a) leave is name and (b) take the appropriate action to deal with his grievance as did our other neighbour. We continue to monitor this case.

 Regulation and Outside Bodies

With effect from 1 October 2006 the Association is required to carry out its own fire safety certification.  Tom Alden has led our work in this area and as a result of a basic risk assessment  we made changes to the storage of garden machinery.  Mr Alden continues to work on this matter.

The Manager and I attended a two part workshop on “Safer Food Better Business”.  This was to ensure that we were up to speed with current Food Hygiene regulations.  A number of changes to our procedures in the kitchen and in our hiring conditions  have been made as a result.

We have continued our active involvement with The East Hants Network, an association of most East Hampshire Community centres and related organisations.  Through this  the Manager and I attended a session at Horndean Community College on “Extended Services” (formerly Extended Schools).  This central government initiative can have a great effect on centres such as us as it openly encourages schools to use their space for other than educational purposes. One centre in the south of the district has lost a number of user groups as a result of Extended Services.   There has been little movement in the Petersfield area (presumably because TPS is frying other fish at present) but we have made certain that those driving the initiative in East Hampshire are aware of our concerns and our wish to be involved in setting up Extended Services in the Petersfield area .

Also through the EH Network, we were given the chance to acquire cinema facilities.  This followed Horndean Community Centre having to drop their plans for a cinema due to pressure of other work.  The offer to us would have probably included considerable capital funding.  After due consideration we felt we had to turn down this opportunity as it was unlikely that we could offer regular screening spots without upsetting some regular users’ bookings.  Also, we felt that bearing in mind the low return that the project was expected to bring in it was unlikely to be worth the hassle,  the cost of such things as improved  seating, changes to our Entertainment licence and provisions for renewal of equipment.

People

Without the excellent work by everyone associated with the Centre things just would not happen.  I’ve already mentioned the work of the Treasurer, Howard Smith and the Chairman of the House Committee, Tom Alden.  To these I must add Terry Tidd, Chairman of the Fund Rasing Committee.  Once again he organised our Annual Quiz which brought in nearly £700.  Other ideas for fund raising have been suggested and it is hoped these will be firmed up in the coming year.  Terry is retiring from the Chair of the Committee but will remain involved.  We thank him very much for his efforts over many years.

In May we said goodbye to Brian Dutton on his retirement from his Councillor roles. He had been the  representative on the Management Committee for East Hampshire District Council and Petersfield Town Council.  Brian was extremely helpful over his time with us and we will miss his cool and sensible advice.  We wish him well with his new life in Southsea.

We have been pleased to welcome Richard Wheeler and Bernard Elkington to the Management Committee this year. We hope that their membership will be confirmed latter in tonight’s meeting.

We are aware that we must always be on the look out for new members (trustees) for the Management Committee.  We advertised by flyers sent with invoices to regular hirers, on our notice boards and on our website.  Results have been encouraging.  Similarly we have tried to recruit new volunteers to help in the office.  Our three volunteers have given excellent service over many years and continue to do so.  Mavis Rachel (who is also a Trustee) has let us know that she wishes to give up her work in the office.  We have had response to our advert and Sam (Samantha) Cardwell is now helping us on Tuesdays.

I have to thank our staff, Linda Boatswain and Tony Crew, for their continued excellent service.  Tony is not seen by many users but the many comments on the cleanliness and tidiness of the Centre are due to his early morning efforts.  Linda, our Office Manager, performs her job (and I add much outside her Job Description) with tact and courtesy but always with a resolve to get things done.  Without her efforts my job as Chairman and those of the Management Committee would be much more demanding.

Before I finish I must mention Beryl Jones, my predecessor as Chairman.  As most of you know Beryl had a stroke last autumn and has been in care at hospital or  at Silver Birches, Rake ever since.  The latest news is not good.   Although physically sound Beryl still is unable to make  much sense when she speaks.  When spoken to it is unclear the amount she understands.  This greatly saddens all of us who have known Beryl over the years.

Summary

A successful year with much being achieved by those who work paid and unpaid for the benefit of the Centre and, be default, the community of Petersfield.   We have plans and ideas which, given a fair wind, will enable us to do the same in the coming year.

Les Jarman

27 June 2007

Newsletter Number 6 - November 2006

We continue to look at alternatives to the ceiling fan in the main hall. As previously reported the fan cannot be replaced as such. Safety concerns make this uneconomic. Earlier hopes of a simple extractor system through the external wall have been thwarted due to the costs associated in drilling through our reinforced, asbestos lined walls. Investigations continue.

As a registered charity the Association is governed by a board of trustees who give of their time and experience to manage the Association. Working quietly (mostly) in the background they co-ordinate with the Association’s staff and volunteer workers to ensure the smooth running of the Centre. New Trustees are often needed. Time demands are not great; the board meets six times a year and there are occasional sub committee meetings. Should you feel that you would like to help call the Chairman, Les Jarman (01730 261349).

Also we are dependent on voluntary support to back up our office functions. We have been very lucky over many years to have an efficient and loyal team of volunteers but we are always happy to consider others. If you have a few hours to spare some weekday mornings and are interested in helping our basic office processes (e.g. answering the phone, taking bookings, word processing) please give Linda, the Centre Manager, a call on 01730 262081.

Fund Raising Quiz

Our annual fund (and Fun) raising quiz will be held on 3 February 2007. Teams of 8 are invited at £12 per head. The evening includes a fish and chips supper with dessert. There will be wine and soft drinks on sale. Please contact the office (01730 262081) if you wish to enter

Newsletter Number 5 - July 2006

Management Committee Changes

At the 2006 AGM (14 June) Beryl Jones stood down as Chairman of the
Management Committee and resigned from the Committee.  Beryl had been
on the Committee for 27 years.  At a reception on 24 June Beryl was
presented with a silver spoon, incorporating a minature of Petersfield's
statue of William III, in recognition of her years of valued service
to the Association and the Centre.

Beryl is succeeded by Les Jarman who has retired as Treasurer after
7 years.  Howard Smith has been elected as Treasurer.

The Committee was also sorry to lose Pam Dickens who has resigned
after many years service.  Two trustees who had been coopted during
the year, Mr  L Redstone and Mr M Humphrey, were confirmed as trustees
at the AGM. Mr B Elkington and Mr R Wheeler are considering becoming
Trustees.  There are still vacancies for Trustees and if you wish
to offer your services please contact the office.  The Committee is
very heavily male at present and more female trustees would be particularly
welcome. 

                            The full Committee is :-
                                                    Les Jarman, Chairman
                                                    Tom Alden, Vice Chairman
                                                    Ken Burrage, President of the Association
                                                    Howard Smith, Treasurer
                                                    Penny Annand
                                                    Brian Dutton, Representing Petersfield Town Council 
                                                                          and East Hampshire District Council
                                                    Malcolm Humphrey
                                                    Pauline Weller
                                                    Mavis Rachel
                                                    Lawrence Redstone
                                                    Terry Tidd

Heating

The complete refurbishment of the heating system will take place in
August.  Consequently the Centre will be closed from 31st July  -
20th August inclusive.  There may be partial closures during adjacent
periods but we hope to accommodate regular bookings even if it is
necessary to change rooms.  We are sorry for any inconvenience which
may be experienced.

The high cost of the heating refurbishment has been offset by funding
received from Petersfield Town Council, East Hampshire District Council
and Hampshire County Council.  We are grateful to all three Councils
for their generous support.

Ventilation

The ceiling fan in the main hall has been decommissioned as a safety
measure.  We are looking into alternative ventilation / cooling systems
for the main hall.  In the meantime we apologise for any inconvenience.
 

On Going Projects
There is a regular programme of maintenance that we run to keep the
Centre "up to scratch".    In addition, there are a number of  bigger
tasks to be addressed over the next few years. The heating system
is the first of these.  Others in the pipeline are work on the flat
roof over the Exhibition Room,  renewal of soft furnishings and carpets,
lighting in the main hall,  possible extension to the kitchen, external
decoration and fascia/gutter renewal.  We are confident that we can
fund these items but it will need careful control. 

We are always willing to hear from users their suggestions for improvements
to the facilities.  We may not, for many reasons, be able to implement
 all of these immediately or at all.  However, we do value the feedback
as it does mean that we can continue to strive to make the Centre
YOUR Centre. 

LJ 7 July 2006

NEWS LETTER NUMBER 4

November 2005

PARKING

Healthy Hampshire Festival

This will take place over the summer and Petersfield Community Association has agreed to take part in the project. On Saturday 2nd July we are organising a show case of “healthy” activities in the Centre. Some organisations have already agreed to take part e.g. Weight Watchers, Yoga, Keep Fit.

NEWS LETTER NUMBER 2 (October 2004)

Adult Education

The new autumn term just commencing appears to be running smoothly.   Some tutors as we said last time have gone private and others have taken advantage of the arrangements made by Alton Community Centre under what is known as East Hants Leisure Learning.   If anyone needs assistance about future classes do not hesitate to see our Centre Manager who can give you all the advice you need.

Keys

The new arrangements about the issue of keys went very smoothly and both users and our staff are very happy with the present system.

Bookings

Bookings have continued  extremely well and we are having to turn away possible customers, as we cannot accommodate them.

Charges

Now as they say comes the bad news!

Both our paid members of staff i.e. the Centre Manager and the Caretaker have to be employed under local government regulations.   Therefore their rates of pay are fixed by the County and the annual increments also have to be paid.

It follows that our wage bill increases each year.

We last increased our hiring charges in 1998 but the time has now come to raise the charges as from 1^st April 2005 (the new financial year).

The proposed increases are very modest – approximately 5%, so, for example, future community charges will be:

                        Exhibition Room            (£18)            £19.00

                        Main Hall                  (£17)            £18.00

                        Club Room               (£12)            £12.50

                        Committee Room     (£7.50) £  8.00

We hope everyone will accept these as a fair increase.

The heating is still proving a problem but this is a project of vast expense.   The advice we received for solving the problem is very varied and each new contractor suggests a different solution.   This is now a high priority for the Committee to sort out the most effective and possibly least expensive answer.

Storage

We now come to the vexed question of storage.   A few years ago we installed cupboards in the Committee Room and the foyer for users’ storage.   These were all built from Centre funds.   With all the expenses that lie ahead the Committee has decided that the time has come to impose hire charges for all storage space in the Centre at a flat rate, irrespective of the size of the space.   A charge of £2.00 per week (£100 p.a.) is considered reasonable to be paid in one sum on 4th April each year beginning on 4th April 2005.

As before the Committee welcomes any criticism or any new ideas.

Kitchen

We mentioned last time about extending the kitchen – planning permission has been granted for this – it lasts 5 years – but in the present financial climate it will have to be on the back burner at present.

The Health and Safety regulations are now very complex and although the Centre always has a good report this time we were required to do extensive work in the kitchen immediately.   This involved considerable expense which we were not expecting and fortunately we were able to get a contractor to carry out the work at short notice so that it could be completed before the Age Concern lunches resumed at the beginning of September.   There are other items that have to be done to comply fully with the Act but we hope to do these gradually so as to spread the financial load to improve the Centre but we hope users will accept our new modest charges in order that the Centre can continue to provide the high standard which the public always expect and always appreciate.

Website

Since the last newsletter we have set up our website (www.petersfieldcommunitycentre.org.uk). This is in its early stages and we hope to develop it to the benefit of both the users and the Centre. We will be writing to users shortly on this matter outlining our ideas. In the meantime, any views you have are welcomed.

We are always looking for new blood on the Executive Committee and would welcome fresh ideas from anyone who would be willing to give a few hours each year to the PCA. Please contact our office if you are interested.