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I'm writing this as an appeal for help with the management of village matters in Ferrensby.
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I'm not much of a public speaker—my thoughts tend to come out in the wrong order - so I felt it better to put this in writing, ahead of tomorrow's meeting.
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This is a call for help - not for ideas, but for people who can make things happen.
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We usually get a decent turnout at meetings, and it's clear that people care. When I took on the role of Chair, I did so knowing full well that I'm not a natural at rallying people, keeping track of finances, organising things, or speaking to a room, but I care about the village, so I stepped up. However, with full time work, and re-building a house, I frankly don't have enough time to organise people and arrange things behind the scenes. Even putting together this mailing list took quite a bit of effort, as it had to be done properly in line with GDPR and data protection laws - which are not to be taken lightly.
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What we need now, however, is doers - not more ideas or suggestions. We need people to help make things happen. In fact, we even need someone who can organise the volunteers, because that's something I struggle with.
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As many of you know, Julie McKay has stepped down as Clerk, though she has kindly continued to help in the interim. We now urgently need a new Clerk - someone willing to take on this role, which involves organising meetings, handling meeting minutes, finances, and making sure we follow proper procedures. It can be a shared role if that makes it more manageable.
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At the moment, I've just completed the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR). This is a mandatory financial report that small local councils and meetings must submit each year, outlining our income, expenditure, and governance arrangements. Frankly, this is far beyond my comfort zone. Julie has kindly agreed to go over the bank statements to help check things, but this really isn’t where my skills lie.
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Ferrensby is in a relatively rare position: we can set our own precept (a small local tax) to fund projects that we decide are important for the village. That gives us real autonomy and flexibility - if we have the people to make use of it.
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We also have access to what are known as commuted sums - funds secured from developers to be spent on specific types of community projects (like improvements to verges, ponds, or allotments). These aren’t just sitting there for the taking; we have to go through the correct process to access them — getting estimates, submitting plans, and often putting work out to tender. Again, this isn’t my area of strength — I’m more of a practical "doer" than a long-term planner.
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I did make enquiries into applying for some of the smaller (now expired or soon-to-expire) sums as a kind of practice run, and even wrote quite a lengthy email to Sam Biddulph at the council asking for advice. Unfortunately, this seems to have fallen on deaf ears. I’m not great at persistently chasing up these sorts of dead ends, so someone who is good at following through and won’t let things drop would be especially valuable.
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Here’s a breakdown of some of the commuted funds currently available to us
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Commuted funds currently available to us:
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Verges (Land off Harrogate Road, Ferrensby)
Spend site: Ferrensby verges
Available until: 21/02/2032
Amount: £7,680.00
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Allotments (Low Hall, Copgrove Lane)
Spend site: Ferrensby Allotments
Available until: 07/07/2025
Amount: £26.10
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Allotments (Land off Harrogate Road)
Spend site: Ferrensby Allotments
Available until: 21/02/2032
Amount: £1,500.00
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Pond area (Low Hall, Copgrove Lane)
Spend site: Ferrensby Pond
Available until: 07/07/2025
Amount: £49.31
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Pond area (Farnham Livery)
Spend site: Ferrensby Pond
Available until: 20/11/2017
Amount: £41.62
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Pond area (Land off Harrogate Road)
Spend site: Ferrensby Pond
Available until: 21/02/2032
Amount: £3,011.90
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These funds could be used to improve our environment - re-wilding, planting, signage, or general maintenance of green spaces - but without people to lead or support the process, they’ll just sit unused or expire and no longer be available to the village.
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New Clerk(s)
Someone to take over this essential role. It involves organising meetings, keeping meeting notes, managing communications with the council, and helping with paperwork like the annual audit (AGAR). Julie has kindly continued helping in the meantime, but she has formally stepped down.
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A key role for someone with a knack for getting people involved. We need someone to help coordinate efforts - knowing who’s willing to do what, keeping in touch with them, and giving a gentle nudge when things need doing. It doesn’t need to be formal, just someone reliable who enjoys a bit of organising.
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Doers
This could include managing the village pond (planting, clearing duckweed, checking on water health), liaising with the council or Highways about things like verge planting or picket fences, or keeping green spaces tidy and pleasant. It could mean repairing or building small things, planting wildflowers, or helping with simple improvement projects like benches or signage. If you're more of a doer than a planner - this is for you.
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Anyone with experience in basic finance, chasing council contacts, or project planning
We need help with things like applying for commuted sums, which involves dealing with forms, getting quotes, and staying on top of council responses. If you're good at following things through, or understand how to run a small budget or push through red tape, you’d be invaluable.
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At the moment, I’m the only one adding things to the website - and it can feel a bit like shouting into the void. If you’re someone who’s comfortable with WordPress or has a knack for social media-style updates, this would be a huge help. It’s a great way to keep the village informed, and we’d love someone who can post updates, photos, or meeting notes as they come in.
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If you’re willing to help in any way, please reply to this email. You don’t need to take on everything, just a small task would go a long way.
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Anyone stepping up to take on a role or help fulfill a task (whether you're coordinating volunteers, helping with pond management, uploading to the website, or chasing council contacts) - if you’re willing to own a small part of village life and see it through, I can set you up with a free Ferrensby email address. It’s a small gesture, but it helps give your role some weight and makes communication more official (and it sounds quite good too!).
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Chair, Ferrensby Parish Meeting
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Data Protection and Privacy Notice
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You have the right to access, rectify, or delete your personal data at any time. If you wish to unsubscribe from our mailing list or update your information, please use the links provided below.
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Number of villagers on the mailing list: 50
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Also, a reminder, tomorrow is Ferrensby Spring Meeting.
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When: May 22nd at 7.00pm
Where: Arkendale Village Hall
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