Annual Report of the Committee for 2011-12

S&VA COMMITTEE REPORT FOR 2011. Dry Drayton School and Village Association. AGM February 9th 2012.

Introduction

Many of those present tonight will know that the S&VA is a registered charity (Dry Drayton School & Village Association) and that we have been running since 1975! We work to support the school and the community by organising fundraising and social events throughout the year.  We own two marquees which are hired out and these raise a significant amount of funds year on year.  They also give our local men and school Dads (and Mums too!) a chance to get together as erecting the marquee is followed by a refreshing drink in the pub!  The monies raised from our activities are donated to the school to support library purchases, residential trips and many other things besides to benefit the pupils, which the school would not otherwise be able to afford. To that end we operate as a parent-friend association (a bit like the old fashioned PTA). As we are such a small school and village and as each is so important to each other, the village joins in with the parent association side of the S&VA to make it a real community group. We support the village as well, for example, by funding the newsletter and starting up other initiatives such as Baby Owls, Freaky Friday, the village coffee mornings and co-ordinating Feast Week and so on.

2011 events

2011 has been quite a year for the S&VA.  At last the long awaited new marquee was both purchased and named “William and Kate”.  We also named to “old” marquee “Peter and Paul” – thanks to Ellen Adler’s great suggestions.  Two celebratory events were held in fantastic weather at the beginning of September including a “Poems and Pint” night.  Thanks to those involved with St Giles Cricket Ground for allowing us to hold these events there.  Thanks also to the Press Relief Fund and to our private sponsors for making this possible.  The marquee team was hard at it again proving a major source of 2011′s income as Roger will report later.  Particular thanks are due to Robbie Hawkes, Neil Harris, Chris Mills and their supporting crew. We are always on the lookout for new recruits to the team. In February we held a Beetle Drive and in April a Chill Relax and Pamper Evening.  Thanks to Lorna Carter, Ali Arnold and Karen King for all of their help and organisation of the Pampering evening and to Gill Jones and Pat Carter for running the raffle on both occasions and for all of their help with the Beetle Drive. Thanks also to Fleur for organising the Beetle Drive. In April we had the Royal Wedding celebrations, in relation to which Fiona and Scottie on behalf of the S&VA worked with the Church to organise a fabulous street party and associated events. We even had our picture in the CEN.  Thanks to all concerned. It seems a long time since Feast Week but what a fantastic week it was!  All the events were very much enjoyed – Games Afternoon, the Fun Run, The Art Group’s inaugural Ploughman’s proved very popular, Bingo, The Forum Art Group’s Exhibition, Friday night’s Safari supper enjoyed a most beautiful evening, Saturday breakfast and of course the Fete and Parade on the theme of “Dry Drayton by the Sea”. Once more the Dry Draytonians excelled themselves with their costume choices and the Punch and Judy show had children and adults alike transfixed.  On top of all that, about £1,500 was raised for the S&VA – a great result from a week which is about celebrating our community. We would like to record our thanks once more to all those involved, especially the Feast Week committee co-ordinated by Lorna, the various event organisers and the Fete sponsors. A well attended and much enjoyed Call My Bluff Wine Tasting event was held in the village hall at the end of September.  Our thanks again to Stewart Travers and the team from Cambridge Wine Merchants for a great night and to Fiona for all her organisational and wine pouring skills! Thanks also are due to Fiona for the inaugural community market held in October.  The Bag2School second hand clothing collections have continued to be not only a significant fundraiser, but also an excellent incentive to clear out our wardrobes, and we plan two further collections in 2012. Thanks to Anne Deane and team for co-ordinating this for the S&VA again.  The S&VA fundraising year ended with our inaugural Advent Fayre in early December organised by Lorna and team.  Lots of children came to visit Father Christmas and enjoy the making of reindeer food, pinning the nose on Rudolph and Christmas art amongst other activities.  Thank you for all who helped in any way, in particular Father Christmas of course!  We raised around £240 which was a bonus as the event was mainly organised for fun.  This event is a good example of how fundraising is not always the S&VA’s overriding driver as we also organise activities aimed primarily at bringing people together. The Thursday Village coffee mornings continued to draw people together and at the same time produce a healthy income for the host organisations. On behalf of the S&VA, I would like to thank the team behind the S&VA-hosted coffee mornings and in particular Anne Deane who has been the driving force behind the rota.

Plans for 2012

Turning to 2012, this was always going to be a busy year with the Queen’s Jubilee, the London Olympics and the Football Euro Championships.  However we already have plans for a Beetle Drive, a Murder Mystery and a Pampering eve!  Plans are also afoot for another fun-packed Feast Week, Bag2School clothing collections, marquee hire and a variety of other possible events for 2012/13 including a possible Race Night. In regard to the marquees, 2012 will be an especially busy year as Neil Harris reports that we currently have gross orders in the region of £3,000.  So increasing the membership of the marquee team is particularly important this year.  Neil is very keen on having a ladies team!  As Roger will report in more detail, 2011 has been another successful fundraising year for the S&VA and it is safe to say that the S&VA is making a real difference. In terms of planned expenditure in 2012, the aim is to continue to support the School and our usual village expenses, with any special projects to be considered as they arise. The budget for 2012 will be agreed at the first termly of the year at 8pm on Thursday, 15th March in the School hall, so do please come along.

Thanks

Having just heard Kate’s report and the detailed report Mary Barnard gave us in October, I am sure you will join me in congratulating the staff, governors, pupils, parents and everyone involved, on the school’s many achievements in 2011. We look forward to participating in the school’s plans for 2012. We have really appreciated the time Kate and Mary have taken to report on the school’s activities at our meetings and I hope that parents in particular can see the impact the S&VA donations have on what the school can offer the pupils. In regard to the newsletter, Sylvia Pryer continued to do a stalwart job editing the Newsletter in 2011, ably abetted by various contributors and IT experts. Together with the Lorimers and the Newsletter delivery team, Sylvia has kept the village in touch throughout the year, despite some difficult times, and I know you will join me in thanking them all most warmly on behalf of the whole newsletter community. The committee would also like to thank our newsletter advertisers who generated income of £2,700 for the S&VA in 2011. Before I finish, on behalf of the whole committee I would like to thank everyone who has supported the S&VA in 2011 – your contribution is invaluable and essential to the success of the S&VA.  Thank you especially to all our families and partners without whose back-up it would not be possible to support the S&VA to the same degree. May I particularly thank my fellow Committee members very much for all their sterling work, especially Fleur Clegg for all of her hard work as Chair over many years who is now stepping down from the Committee.  Also thanks to Chris Mills who stepped down earlier this year. Finally, in terms of the Committee, we would very much like to have some new members who are also Parents at the school as this helps enormously with input from the School. We do not have a Chair at present but I believe that all of the existing members – with the exception of Fleur – are all willing to stand again.  I hope that the newly elected committee together with any new members can continue to count on the support of everyone connected with the school and village so that the S&VA can continue to make a difference to our community.

Thank you

On behalf of the school and the village, we thank Fleur Clegg for her energy, insight and leadership as Chair of the S&VA since 2007. She joined the committee a couple of years earlier and has been involved in most aspects, most notably setting up the very successful Bags for Schools, arranging advertising for the newsletter and helping with a wide range of social fund-raising events. She is standing down from the committee with the S&VA in good health and confidently looking to the future.

 

December Report

Congratulations to Mara, Janet and Lorna for a wonderfully entertaining revue – The Roaring Noughties was a sell out both nights and the perfect antidote to a wet and dismal November (see below and back page). Many thanks on behalf of the S&VA to the directors, to Lambros whose piano skills we are so lucky to enjoy, and to all the performers, backstage and front of house team and all those who provided delicious puddings, donated raffle prizes and contributed in other ways to making this such a success.

 Look out for tickets for the S&VA Christmas Draw – please see the main feature for more detail.  Many thanks to those who kindly donated prizes – do see what our advertisers can offer by way of Christmas presents and seasonal items. The draw will take place on Sunday December 13th at 4.15pm at The Black Horse. Please bring your families for a Christmas drink and hear the results!

 2010 Events - January 30th’s Clothes Swap is a fun new event to kick the year off and the Bag2School collection dates are Thursdays 29 April and October 14th. Feast Week will be the week of Monday, June 28th – Saturday July 3rd.

 The next meeting date is the AGM on February 25th 8pm at the School.  All are welcome – especially newcomers – to hear reports on the S&VA’s year, the Headteacher’s report and to appoint the Committee (volunteers please!) – followed by drinks.

Advance Notice: access to the photocopier and other school facilities by village groups during school hours will change – this is due to regulations on safeguarding children with which the school must comply. Rob Howard will have more information when details are finalised.

Finally, as another S&VA year draws to a close, may I thank my committee and everyone who has supported the S&VA this year. The support from village residents and groups, school parents, staff and pupils and beyond is what keeps Dry Drayton’s community spirit so alive and makes the wide variety of events so successful. Particular thanks to our newsletter team – our editor, Sylvia, who has done a valiant job in compiling village items and interesting new features, Ian and Lorraine for co-ordinating the newsletter rounds and our team of newsletter deliverers who have kept us all up-to-date in 2009 and kindly taken on the distribution of some additional items of village interest this year, not least the Village Plan.

 Fleur Clegg

Note on Distribution – Just a reminder that if you do have an item of village interest to distribute, please keep an eye on the submission deadline so that it can be printed in the newsletter itself. If this is not possible and your group is not able to distribute it itself via its members, it may be that the newsletter deliverers will be willing to help as part of their usual round. This is entirely up to them, however, as additional items weigh and add on time, so any request should be made to them direct (Ian/Lorraine Lorimer have the list).

We are also trying to create a team of “Additional Deliverers” to help out with some deliveries, so if you are willing to help out with an occasional “additional delivery” (particularly around longer routes such as the High St or Pettitts Lane) or on a more regular basis, please do contact me (789780; fleur.clegg@allenovery.com) or Ian/Lorraine (782546).

 Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year from the S&VA committee!