NEWSLETTER APRIL 2024 SCARBOROUGH AND DISTRICT GROUP
1. The Group held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Monday 22nd April.
Joyce I’Anson chaired the meeting and welcomed 7 Members and Andy Aitchison Regional Representative and his wife Anne. Apologies were received from Jocelyn Lovett, Hazel Bowes, Ray Pollin and Elaine Taylor. The following is a record of the AGM and includes some general information you may find useful.
2. Minutes of AGM held on 24 April 2023 were agreed.
Proposed by Richard Kilsby and seconded by James Howie. There were no matters arising.
3. Joyce gave a report of the Group’s activities over the year.
The Committee met 4 times in Joyce’s home and the Group met 4 times in Westborough Church, Scarborough. Lunch was held at the Three Jolly Sailors in Burniston after the AGM. Family and Friends joined Members of the Group for their annual Christmas lunch at Park Manor in Scarborough. Joyce and James Howie, Treasurer, represented the Group at the Regional Meeting in June 2023 and James represented the Group at The Alliance’s AGM in Coventry. Richard Kilsby, Committee Member, joined the meeting on Zoom. The Motion put forward by James (also Bristol) calling for the Executive Committee to seek an end to the practice of increasing mobile telephone, broadband and telephone charges by 3.95% plus inflation was carried. Joyce thanked members of the Committee for their support and work and those attending for their support throughout the year.
4. James, Treasurer, proposed acceptance of the Accounts for 2023 which had been audited and certified correct by Ray Pollin. At year end, the balances were:
Bank £335.86 Cash £38.99 Total £374.85.
Accounts were accepted by the Group. James said that as the Membership Subscription had been suspended because of the cost of living crisis, there was no income in 2023. The balance at 2022 year end was £550.85; expenditure in 2023 was £112 for room hire and £64 for attendance at Regional Meeting.
5. James thanked those members who had sent cheques for the annual Membership Subscription and explained that, given the absence of bank branches, he normally waited a while to bundle cheques together for depositing. This invariably led to some delay before cheques are cashed. He also noted that with the rise in postal charges it might be cheaper for those members who use internet banking to pay their subs through the BACS transfer system if convenient. Further details will follow in the June Newsletter.
6. Richard Kilsby, Committee Member, has been pursuing what measures had resulted from the £K800 North Yorkshire County Council had invested to overcome digital exclusion. To cut a long story short and after much determination by Richard, he has established that the scheme is up and running. There are 5 digital mentors based in Scarborough central library, 2 in Newby and Scalby and 1 in Eastfield. You do need an appointment. There is also some recycled IT equipment available. Richard is now investigating what arrangements may be available for those who are unable to get to libraries.
7. Elections: no nominations for the Committee were received. The following appointments were made unopposed: please note changes in duties.
Chair – Joyce I’Anson, 28 Box Hill, Scarborough YO12 5NG
Tel: 01723 360519 email: j.ianson360@gmail.com
Treasurer and Membership Secretary: James Howie, The Pippins, Rectory Lane, Thornton le Dale, YO18 7QG Tel: 01751 475659 Email: jpearsonhowie@gmail.com
Minutes Secretary: Richard Kilsby
Pensioner Publicity: Sheena O’Connell
Auditor: Ray Pollin
Standing Orders Committee: Group agreed to nominate Keith Yallop on a vote of 6 for and one abstention.
8. Karen McCabe informed the Group that the Yorkshire Building Society had partnered with Citizens Advice to support people facing problems by hosting their expert advisers in some of our local communities. You do not need to be a member of the Building Society to benefit form this scheme. Citizens Advice help people overcome a wide range of problems (from money to legal and consumer issues) in person, by phone, email or web chat. The advice is free, independent and totally impartial. Appointments are necessary. The contact in Yorkshire Building Society, Westborough, Scarborough is Dean 01723 821188 Email: scarborough@ybs.co.uk
Whatever is discussed at the meeting is fully confidential.
9. The next meetings for the Group are Monday 24 June and 23 September. Meetings start at 1100 in Belle Vue Room, Westborough Methodist Church, Scarborough, YO11 1YTS.
10. Andy Aitchison, Regional Representative gave a brief summary of what was occupying the minds of those in HQ, the main one being the coming General Election and what CSPA would wish to see on the main parties’ manifestos e.g. NHS, Social Care, Digital Exclusion. It is helpful if Groups discuss and put forward issues and draft letters which Members need only sign and send or email to prospective candidates. HQ were still working on the retention of family pensions for widows who cohabit or remarry, for non-repayment of overpayments to some Pensioners, recruitment of new members, structure of AGM and how Members who no longer have an active local Group can be represented. At the moment it looks likely the AGM remain as it is. Although the triple lock and cost of living increases appeared generous, the benefits were reduced because of the tax threshold. Many pensioners would now be tax payers for the first time. There was much discussion of many topics which Andy noted.
11. Time ran out and lunch was booked for 13:00 for some at the Three Jolly Sailors in Burniston.
12. Joyce thanked everyone for attending and their contributions.
Sheena O’Connell
23 April 2024
