After a few celebratory drinks, Mike Delany presented his last AGM report. Thankfully it showed we were in a good financial position. Credit due, this is very much because Mike has shepherded our finances carefully over the past seven years including the dark times of Covid. He was always reminding us whether we were ‘in budget’ or out of ‘budget’. Mike has made various strategic changes over the past few years and has provided the hall with structured and sound management. Village halls are like running your own house - there is always something to do.

During his seven years as chairman, we have seen the patio extension, improvements in the lighting in the kitchen and the upgrading of the sinks and lights along with installing a new dishwasher. He initiated the change of the carpet and new chairs in the committee room, the upgrading of the lights in the main hall, the speaker/sound system in the hall and the hearing loop. We have a new storage shed beside the preschool shed. The floor has been cut back and repolished a couple of times and most recently he has overseen the new refit of children’s and disabled toilet. This year we also have a new website.

He also shepherded us through the Covid pandemic to keep the hall functioning within the limits of availability.

Financially we were supported in doing this by government grants.

Of course he has been helped by the trustees but the co-ordination and much of the pricing for these projects has been down to him. Most of you won’t know him as he lives very quietly in West Meade but as trustees, we know that he has been a powerhouse in our village hall.

THANK YOU Mike for all you have done. You have been a great trustee and chairman.

Where do we go from there, well, at the July meeting, Andy Haslam agreed to become the next chairman. He comes from Drakeleys Field and seems to be bounding with energy and ideas. Recently he’s been helping to cut back the vegetation in front of the hall and selling raffle tickets on Bonfire Night.

Louise Knight is our Administrator, and she will be reminding us shortly when our next meeting will be, sometime in December. We all look forward to working with Andy, the trustees and Louise.

The trustees for 2022-23: Andy Haslam, Alison Parker, Lorraine Grocott, Trevor Fairhurst, Claire Collins, Fiona Platt, Matthew Pike Maureen Truss is the parish council representative.

Written by Lorraine Grocott