KCTKelso Chamber of Trade

MINUTES

AGM

MONDAY 14 MARCH 2016

CROSS KEYS HOTEL

Present: / Alan Livingstone – Chairman
Ian Hird – Kelso Pottery
Caroline Townsend – Caroline’s Coffee Shop
Brian Townsend
June Swan – Swans
Steve & Claire Fletcher – Seasons Coffee Shop
Tina Newton – Countryside Cookware
Fiona Smith – Health for Life
Nikki Allman – Kelso Border Retreats
Jenny McGillivray – Good Going
Colin Secombe – Inglestone House
James Walker – Focal Point
Joyce & Brian Campbell – The Waggon
Sue Beck
Pauline Massey
Apologies: / Karen & Archie Hume
Caroline Stewart
Ritchie Allan – CBAH
Clare Mole – The Molehouse
Peter & Christine Tucker – Tiore
Cathryn Bruce – Little Feet
Karen Armstrong- Browns
Ronald Wilson – BUAS
The Flower Room

1. Minutes of the last meeting:

The minutes of last year’s AGM were circulated by members by e-mail.

The minutes were taken as approved which was proposed by Steve Fletcher and seconded by Jenny Mcgillivray.

2. Matters Arising from 2015 Minutes

Alan reported that most of the matters raised in the minutes would be covered during the course of the meeting.

3. Chairman’s Report

Alan delivered his report as follows:

He thanked the committee and Pauline for their work throughout the year and stated that the committee were also looking for new members to join them.

He paid thanks to Karen Hume for all her work with regard to the hanging baskets. Karen says she intends to retire from the baskets but Alan hopes that she will keep up the good work.

He also thanked the Visit Kelso for all their work during the year and that various events throughout the year had been well received by the committee and traders in the town. The Tour of Britain was particularly successful due to the work put in by the Visit Kelso and town traders alike.

He reported that with regard to Sunday opening, the Visit Kelso team would need to encourage traders to open particularly through the summer and whilst understanding that there may be outlay involved in opening traders needed to try it for a week weeks to see if it works for them.

Allied to the Sunday opening was the Christmas opening and reported that feedback was varied. Thursday nights did not seem particularly successful whereas Sundays fared slightly better but thought they would do better if there was something happening in the Square at the same time to encourage people into the town.

He reported that with regard to the “apathy” from last year, some inroads had been made but was still not good. He reported that the Chamber had 80 members yet only 12 had attended this AGM.

With regard to parking he stated that this topic arises month in and month out but that we are not any further forward than we were this time last year, with workers and residents still parking in town centre parking spaces which could be used by visitors to the town. An email had been sent to traders in the town asking their staff not to park in the town centre but this seems to have made no difference.

The car park in Roxburgh Street is about to be lost to us.

A suggestion had been made that the Glebe field would make a good alternative for parking but the Council were not interested. He also reported that better signage to the Knowes car park was required to encourage people to park there but overall there is yet no solution.

Alan also reported that Scottish Borders Council were in discussion to decriminalise parking offences but that this would not be happening any time soon.

4. Treasurer’s Report

Alan handed out copies of the 2015 and 2016 accounts.

He reported that the subs had fallen in 2015 from the previous year and that money from Charity Begins At Home has been used towards the watering costs for the season.

With regard to the 2016 accounts he reported that the subs were up approximately £2,000 largely due to the work undertaken by the Visit Kelso team and Sue Beck.

There was a £750 grant from Scottish Borders Council together with £104 fundraising income from Christmas Sunday opening raised from the Grotto and mulled wine from the White Swan.

With regard to the expenditure, this was up on the previous year and largely incurred by the Visit Kelso team in promoting events throughout the year.

Website expenditure was also up on the previous year but website subscriptions were also up on the previous year.

No honorarium had been paid out last year but that this would need to be paid this year.

The balance in the bank at end of January 2016 was £3,220.00.

5. Secretary / Treasurer Honorarium

Alan asked Pauline to leave the room whilst this was discussed. Alan indicated that Pauline had been in the post for slightly more than a year and that should be borne in mind. The previous secretary had been paid £600 but this had also involved doing the work of the treasurer, which Alan had dealt with since taking the chair. After discussion and taking the factors mentioned previously the view of the meeting was that the honorarium to Pauline should be in the sum of £600.

6. Election of Office Bearers

Alan reiterated his position that he had taken on the roll as Chairman to avoid the Chamber folding and that he felt that the Chairman should be a trader and someone more in touch with what was happening on the street, rather than someone who did not really rely on daily footfall. He asked if there was anyone willing to take on the post as Chairman. There was nobody willing to take the post on. A short discussion took place in which Alan stated that he was willing to continue in the position for three months in order for another Chairman to be found, after which he intended to stand down regardless. It was agreed that an extraordinary meeting would be called for 13 June 2016.

Chairman Alan Livingstone for three months until June 2016

Vice Chair Mark Hay

Committee Members Caroline Townsend

Brian Townsend

Steve Fletcher

Alastair Innes

Bev Rutherford – Visit Kelso

Jenny McGillivray

7. Any Other Business

A discussion took place with regard to subs which were due in June. Last year traders paid £20 to be a member of the Chamber, £20 if they wanted a website presence and then a payment if they wanted a hanging basket.

After discussion it was agreed that the membership would be £40 which would automatically give traders a website presence.

Brian asked how many members paid a membership only without a website presence, Alan responded that only a small handful – approx. 6 – paid for a membership to the Chamber.

With regard to the hanging baskets, Alan reported that he had applied to the Council for a grant towards the cost of new baskets. The application was for £2,500 and he thought that the Council would pay 90% of the grant ie £2,200.

He reported that 80 baskets were put up last year but that some of the baskets were past their best and needed to be replaced.

Previously the Chamber bought the baskets and hired them out to traders which would then give a fund for future replacement costs.

Alan reported that it would be several weeks before an answer was to hand about the application.

Alan asked whether we could commit to buying some new baskets which had been priced at £24.47 plus VAT each. Baskets need to be ordered now and then paid for when they are to hand. The baskets needed to be ready for the end of May.

Sue asked what the cost of each basket filled from Newton Don was and was informed that the cost was £25.00 for each basket.

After discussion it was agreed that 25 baskets should be purchased.

8. Any Other Business

The Visit Kelso team reported that they had attended the Tourism Event at Springwood which had been well received and was a good networking experience. Ian Hird offered to take leaflets to an event in Alnwick which he was attending. The tourist office in Berwick had kindly offered to take leaflets too as had the Maltings.

It was reported that to date 18 shops in the town had agreed to open on Easter Sunday.

10. Date of Next Meeting

An extra ordinary meeting was to be held on Monday 13 June 2016, time and venue to be agreed.

With no other business to discuss the meeting concluded at 7.05 pm.