Thursday, 26 April 2018

32nd AGM on Thursday 26th April 2018

This evening we held our AGM in the meeting room at Norcliffe Chapel, Styal.  15 of 41 members attended plus Chris Dunkerley (Lead Ranger at Lyme Park).

The AGM lasted 45 mins and covered:

-          Apologies for absence
-          Approval of the minutes of last year’s AGM
-          Chairman’s Report for the year ended 31 March 2018
-          Treasurer’s Report and approval of accounts for year ended 31 March 2018
-          Election of committee for 2018/19
-          AOB

13 of the 24 members who earned Volunteer cards for the year (awarded for volunteering for 50 hours or more) were present and collected their cards.

Four Long Service Awards were earned in the year:

15 years – Daniel Black
10 years – Mick Sykes
10 years – Pip Fisher
5 years – Lyn Land

… and Chris Dunkerley presented Daniel with his 15 Years’ Service award:


After drinks and refreshments, Chris Dunkerley gave us an excellent slideshow about recent/current ‘land improvement’ projects undertaken at Lyme Park and work he has earmarked for MNTV to help with in future.  ‘Land improvement’ is currently an NT focus area, exemplified at Lyme by the recent restoration of two ponds (silted up after a century’s neglect) and clearance of 2 hectares of dense rhody in Coalpit Clough by contractors using a remote-controlled mulcher and excavator with grabber.  The area of cleared rhody will need spraying annually for 3 years+ to keep on top of regen.  Later this year, the area will be enclosed with deer fencing to allow native trees to grow.  MNTV can help with this fencing and constructing tree guards around existing trees.

Chris said we could ask him for particular jobs to do (to give our workdays added interest and for us to learn new skills) rather than him deciding.  If we wish to rhodybash every time then that’s fine but (in summer say) we could help with surveys of bats, butterflies, fungi and wildflowers (all markers of good biodiversity that vouch the improvement in land quality) or do drystone walling (with supervision from Lyme’s walling team).

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