23 Nov Minutes of AGM 2019
Attendees from the Committee and School:
Elizabeth Mackie (Chair), Peter Salerno (Treasurer), Leon Choueke (Head), Louise Foulkes (Deputy Head), ,Challe Hudson, Mel Solomou, Nora Zeidan, Alan Midgley, Georgia Norton, Kit Bhatti (Treasurer), Andi Voros
Also attended: Wil Roberts, Baydr Yadallee, Almut Gramer-Thornton, Susan Jones, Marielle Drier, Ana Maria Volaric, Enrico De Vita
Apologies: Sarah Wiley, Morinade Akinbobola, Andrew Day, Debby Kuypers, Joanna Shakmin
Summary of the Year
The aims and ethos of CF as a parent-staff association and registered charity is to work in partnership with the School and Governors towards a whole school community with the key elements being involvement and participation from all and keeping all events accessible to all families. It has as an equal aim fundraising to provide the extras to advance the education of the children by providing facilities at the school that the Local Authority does not normally provide.
On the fundraising side we work in a number of ways. Traditional year group events which run year on year. There are also committee based events like Fireworks which, even in a deluge like the past weekend, was really well attended. We also have events which were new individual initiatives like Movie Night for Year 5. Some events have started as a committee based event, like Fireworks, but now have every year group involved to spread the load. This mixed approach is working well. Key to the traditional events is the class rep system. The reps’ hard work and enthusiasm is essential to making it work.
Movie Night was a new event for last year and worked well for Year 5. The licence lasts for a year so other year groups are encouraged to come forward to run their own night before the licence expires.
Individual donations to Coleridge Families are an important source of income with many donations being requested to be contributed to the Learning Enhancement Fund. In order to ensure all donations comply with the charitable objects the Committee received details from the School each term of the intended purchases from the LEF and then approved transfer of the relevant funds. Transfers are recorded in the CF meeting minutes.
Inclusion and the Reps Network
The committee (Andy Day in particular) have been working with Louise Foulkes on how to involve the reps more in creating an inclusive community particularly working to involve more marginalised groups.
This year we worked with the school on new CF pages on the School website. We also now put all the CF events on the main school online calendar so people get them when they subscribe to that calendar. CF run a Reception new parents coffee morning and also attend and provide refreshments for all the year group coffee mornings as well. We have also worked with the school on a “top tips for reps” document with inclusion at its heart.
The next major project under this heading would be Cultures of Coleridge in March.
The meeting discussed the importance of the reps network and of keeping that going. A reps meeting with Miss Foulkes is in planning for next term. Thanking volunteers was also of great importance.
What did Coleridge Families Fund in 2018/2019?
- Playgrounds – £58,500: See further below.
- West Halls storage and stage supplies- £4,350: the additional storage on the Halls has now been completed and additional supplies purchased for the school production.
- Poetry workshop – £400: this workshop for Y6 was by local poet Paul Lyalls and was extremely successful.
- Kids’ Concert Company – £430: this company bring classical music to schools and did an after school concert for all the family enabling classical music to be brought to people who might not otherwise have had that opportunity. This event was very kindly sponsored by a parent
- Books workshop at Ally Pally Book Awards and Library books – £165: the book club attended the book awards and various author workshops. We also helped the Library purchase new books.
- Gazebos – £570: replacement gazebos were purchased for use at CF events.
Summary of Accounts (Peter S)
Pete ran through the accounts explaining the receipts and outgoings and the pre-existing spending plans.
CF raised c.£78,000 in the course of the year including significant amounts from the Summer Fair, Clean Air Coleridge events (see below) donations to the Learning Enhancement Fund, Gift Aid and sponsorship from Martyn Gerrard. Martyn Gerrard is thanked for their ongoing contribution in funds and time and energy.
The Summer Fair raised an impressive £17,500 – well up on last year. There was a slight downwards trend on other events and of course no cycle challenge this year. A further cycle challenge might be a possibility but organizationally it was a massive effort and it wasn’t thought that it should be a yearly event.
The meeting then approved the Accounts.
The meeting accepted the resignations of Kit Bhatti and Morinade Akinbobola as Treasurers and thanked them for the great job they have both done over the years.
The meeting was pleased to welcome Ana Maria Volaric, Marielle Drier and Enrico De Vita to the Treasury team and to the Committee.
Plans for Spending 2019/2020
West Playground refurbishment
Summer Fair profits 2017, 2018, 2019 and the 2018 Cycle Challenge proceeds are all going to the Playgrounds fund – this amounts to around £75,000 [amendment to £72k in slide 10].
So far CF have spent over £58,000 on:
- The Tipping Point project which helped identify the way the children play in the playground and contributed to the overall design of the refurbished playground
- New gate, paved area and fence on the West Side
- Wildlife area outside the MUGA
- Millennium Garden and seats
- Area outside the Year 4 door.
Mr Choueke’s Playground Update
Haringey Council are engaged with the process and their surveys including by their civil engineer are complete and recommendations have been made. A project manager has been appointed and a client brief is being prepared. A major part of the major landscaping works necessary eg on the bank are Haringey’s responsibility. There had been an issue in relation to responsibility for the area between the fence and the pavement as it is designated educational land. However the school were clear that this area remained the responsibility of Parks and Highways and wasn’t to be considered in the school plans. Further details of the works to be done by the Council are expected in February so any work CF funds needs to factor that work in.
LC explained the next areas the school wanted to look at working on with CF are:
- snagging on the last phase of work (eg firming up the fence and gate and surface edges).
- Allotment beds in the area behind LC’s office on West
- Climbing areas
- Seating
- Areas for collaborative and creative play
Environmental Initiatives
CF have been working on various initiatives with Plastic Free Coleridge (an initiative set up by the children and Laura Bosworth with help from Fran Kellett) including the Y6 coffee cup challenge for the School Play which will be repeated again this year and the new Coleridge water bottles which aim to reduce the amount of single use plastic water bottles on the school site. A group of children is also campaigning for Meat Free Mondays.
CF has been trialing new biodegradeable cups and plates for events and purchased washable plates, bowls and cups for use at the Summer Fair and other events. We have been approached by two parents from Plastic Free Crouch End and will be working with them towards a sustainable events policy.
Clean Air Coleridge: Susan Jones outlined the group’s aims and in particular the fundraising towards a green wall for the East Side. This had involved sponsorship from local businesses and the successful screening of Horrible Histories Rotten Romans along with significant donations by parents. The group was looking at other areas as well as the green wall such as air quality within the classrooms and engaging with Liveable Crouch End to ensure any scheme doesn’t affect the school negatively.
New Events for 2020
Look out for two new events in March 2020:
- An evening with Steve Howe
- Comedy night with the Scummy Mummies
Details of both available soon.
CF Committee
There is always a need for new members on the Committee. All talents are welcome and the Committee are looking in particular for help with administration, managing events, keeping the community updated (in particular via MailChimp and the website) and in the rep network. The Committee meets twice a term and discusses matters in between by email. New volunteers would be welcomed! Anyone should get in touch by email (coleridgefamilies@gmail.com) or in person.
The meeting then closed.
Slides from the meeting are available on the Coleridge Families website at: AGM 2019 Presentation
Elizabeth Mackie November 2019