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Belvoir Open Waterways Society’s Annual General Meeting
By Paul Abel
Alan Wright, Chairman, opened the 2010 Annual General Meeting of the Belvoir Open Waterways Society held at the Valley Christian Centre on 4th May. It was attended by Alan Wright, Wayne Morgan, Paul Abel, Elspeth and Paul Stockwell, Kevin Mann, Cllr Byron Rhodes, David Leppar, Will Linday, Malcolm Crocker, Owen Hanstock, Terry Bean, Edward Topley, Steve Goad and Phil Thacker. Apologies were received from Paul Dane and Jim Robinson.
Alan started with a summary of our main achievements over the last 12 months and took the opportunity of thanking personally the people involved in each of the projects concerned.
From our start in early March 2009, Alan thanked those who attended our early steering group meetings which defined the first year aims of the Society, and its Constitution. This got the ball rolling, and since then, BOWS has been recognised by 3 Parish Councils, 2 Borough Councillors, the Grantham Canal Communities Liaison Group, Leicestershire County Council, the Grantham Canal Partnership, the Big Lottery, British Waterways and Natural England. We met with their various representatives together over the course of the year.
He mentioned the setting up our website www.bowsonline.org.uk ; last year, we had an average of 70 visits to our website per month which is a respectable number for a start-up voluntary organisation. In the last couple of months, an average of 120 visits to the site have been recorded, showing that awareness is growing.
Alan then thanked a number of people who helped Paul Abel set up the Canoe Club. Tony Wilkinson provided us with a £350 donation which allowed Paul to buy the canoes from the Scouts in Melton. Will Linday helped transport the canoes to where they have been stored last year. He thanked Paul Dane for arranging canoe storage with Mike Chatterton in Plungar and Cherrie Booth in Hickling. Daniel Howson at the Faith Mission has looked after the canoes in Harby.
Alan then thanked Leicestershire County Council and British Waterways for coming together and providing BOWS with a total of £20,000 in cash and resources to enable the cutting of the Norfolk Reed along the entire length of the Grantham Canal in Leicestershire. Funding harnessed by BOWS is now beginning to reverse 10 years of neglect. British Waterways have verbally agreed to include Norfolk Reed cutting on the Grantham Canal, using the amphibious cutter, within their annual management plan for future years. If this takes place, it is an achievement of lasting benefit to the whole Leicestershire section.
Finally, Alan thanked Will Linday for providing BOWS with a 12 foot dinghy which a voluntary BOWS work team will be using as a work boat to help with the clearance of canal debris. This will be tremendous asset in the future, and the Society looks forward to seeing it in regular use.
The meeting paid tribute to the Village SOS project led by Elspeth Stockwell which involves the establishment of a smallholding at Dove Cottage. Elspeth has worked tirelessly and within a very tight deadline to create the smallholding which will grow produce for the Dove Cottage Hospice and Tea Room. We see Dove Cottage as being one of our key partners in helping with the restoration of the Grantham Canal and we are pleased to be associated with Tea Room and the excellent refreshment it offers to canal users. The meeting gave Elspeth a special round of applause.
Discussion of Priorities for the coming year
The meeting was asked to vote on the following proposals for BOWS’ priorities next year to help allocate our time and resources. Attendees were asked to identify their 3 highest priorities and these were given 3, 2, or 1 point(s) respectively. The results of the voting are as follows:
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Proposals for 2010-2011 |
Points per voted priority |
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Agreed Priorities |
1 (3 pts) |
2 (2 pts) |
3 (3 pts) |
Total |
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1) the dredging and the annual cutting of the Norfolk reed on the towpath side of the Canal |
24 |
6 |
2 |
32 |
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2) the continuation of the Canoe Club giving members free access to kayaks and Canadian Canoes stored in Harby and Plungar. |
9 |
8 |
1 |
18 |
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3) the cutting back of the overhanging branches of the largest trees |
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10 |
3 |
13 |
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4) the purchase of equipment to allow a canal maintenance team to remove cut reed and debris from the banks of the canal |
3 |
4 |
3 |
10 |
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5=) Improvements to the towpath to allow easier walking and cycling in winter |
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2 |
1 |
3 |
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5=) the maintenance and further development of raised beds within the smallholding behind Dove Cottage |
3 |
|
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3 |
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7=) the control of reed mace & water soldier between Plungar and Redmile |
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1 |
1 |
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7=) the interpretation of the SSSI so that we understand its value and can identify the species it is trying to protect. |
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1 |
1 |
Election of Officers
Chair: Alan Wright
Vice-Chair: Paul Abel
Treasurer: Wayne Morgan
Secretary: Paul Dane
Funding Officer: Elspeth Stockwell
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