Locality Annual General Meeting Minutes
Wednesday 11 November 2015, 0900 | St George’s Hall, Liverpool
Presenting:
Joanna Holmes (Chair), Priya Thamotheram (Treasurer), Tony Armstrong (Chief Executive and
Company Secretary), Paul Hellmuth, interim Director of Finances and Resources.
Attending: Iris Lightfoote, The Race Equality Centre; Sona Mahtani, Selby Trust, Bailsabe Mebrate,
Selby Trust, Mick O’Sullivan, The Finsbury Park Trust; Philip Manton, COGS CIC; Julien Lake, Berwick
Community Trust; Julian Finch, Bolton YMCA; Rick Harwood, West Itchen Community Trust; Dominic
Ellison, Hackney Co-operative Developments CIC; Steve Rundell, Reach South Sheffield; Martin
Holcombe, Birmingham Settlement; Jess Steele, White Rock Trust; Thomas C Dyson, Ubele/Brixton
Neighbourhood Forum; Mike Phillips; Nick Dunne, Bede House Association; Andrew Forrest, Great
Yarmouth Community Trust; Bridget Bygrave, Sunlight Development Trust; Dave Pinwell, Colebridge
Trust; Hannah Vernon, LARC Development Trust; Pip Westwood, LARC Development Trust; Patrick ? ,
CDCO CIC; Peter McGurn, Goodwin Development Trust; Dave Watkins, Manchester Settlement; Paul
White, Meltham Carlile CIC; Richard Noon, Meltham Carlile CIC; Andy Clarke, One A Ltd; Carlton
Smith, Bradford Trident; Fitzroy Andrew, Forest Recycling Project; Alison Drake, Castleford Heritage
Trust, Philip Ulch, Community Builders Ltd; Jenny Stiles, Waterloo Action Centre; Mohammed Sharief,
JET; J Close, South Brooks Community Partnerships; Joanna Holmes, Barton Hill Settlement; Barbara
Harbinson, Halifax Opportunities Trust; Helen Quigley, Inner City Trust; Angie Wright, b inspired (The
Braunshine Foundation); Louanne Tranchell, Hammersmith Community Trust; Roy Sheriff, Leasowe
Development Trust; Hugh Rolo, Action for Business Limited Bradford; Dave Roberts, Westfield CDA;
Mark Law, BARCA-Leeds; Laura Brodie, Champollion.
Minutes:
Alison Hunt
Apologies: Stuart Spandler, Alex Kittow, Sarah McCulloch, Mohammed Tayyab Sidat, Karin Woodley,
Chris Beety, Celia Richardson
1.
Welcome and apologies
Joanna Holmes welcomed members to the meeting and noted apologies.
2.
Approval of the minutes of the fourth Annual General Meeting of Locality held on Tuesday18
November 2014, City Hall, Cardiff
Matters arising
Joanna Holmes welcomed members and clarified the voting process scheduled to begin at 9.20am.
Joanna Holmes invited the approval of the minutes of the fourth Locality AGM - proposed by
Dominic Ellison and seconded by Nick Dunne.
Members voted in favour of approving the minutes as a true and accurate record.
3.
Appointment of Directors
Tony Armstrong introduced the existing Board to members.
Elected member category:
1/3
-
Barbara Harbinson (Halifax Opportunities Trust) – vice Chair
Martin Holcombe (Birmingham Settlement)
Joanna Holmes (Barton Hill Settlement, Bristol) – Chair
Helen Quigley (Inner City Trust, Derry)
Priya Thamotheram (Highfields Community Association, Leicester) – Treasurer
Appointed member category:
- Laura Brodie (Community Development Foundation)
Tony explained that within the elected member category, Priya Thamotheram and Helen Quigley
are due to retire, although they are eligible to stand for re-election and they have confirmed that
they will do so. Scott Rice has reluctantly decided to step down as he is no long able to commit
the time due to his current workload. In addition to these three vacancies, the Board has agreed
to increase the number of elected places on the Board by one as part of a succession planning
strategy. Therefore, Locality is now seeking nominations for four elected Trustees. Nominations
were received from:-
Priya Thamotheram
Helen Quigley
Dominic Ellison
Sona Mahtani
Richard Noon
Mohammed Sharief
Stuart Spandler
Tony Armstrong invited full Locality members to vote, reminding members that Locality’s
constitution states one member one vote.
Following the vote Tony Armstrong announced that Priya Thamotheram, Helen Quigley, Dominic
Ellison and Sona Mahtani were elected to the Locality Board.
4.
Consideration and adoption of the audited accounts of (UK) for the period ending 31 March
2015
Priya Thamotheram presented the Locality draft audited accounts for the year ending 31 March
2014.
Joanna Holmes invited the approval of the accounts. Proposed by Mohammed Sharief, seconded by
Sona Mahtani. There were no abstentions and the accounts were approved unanimously.
5.
Appointment of auditors and fixing of their remuneration
Priya Thamotheram reported that the Locality Board recommends that Kingston Smith be
reappointed as auditors for the 2015-16 financial year and that the task of fixing remuneration is
delegated to the Locality Board. Proposed by Mohammed Sharief, seconded by Sona Mahtani.
Members voted in favour. There were no abstentions.
6.
Consideration and adoption of the annual report for the period ending 31 March 2015
Joanna Holmes introduced the report making particular reference to a number of key issues over
the past year:



Tony’s first year in post has provided a fresh perspective and seen the launch of the new
Strategy which has challenged the Board to look further ahead.
The target on growing our membership is an important indication of an inclusive, confident
and bold organisation
The Keep it Local (KIL) campaign has struck a chord with members and is the right thing
Community Organising is about to become an independent organisation and Joanna thanked
Barbara who has witnessed their journey from the start, acknowledging this as a huge
2/3
achievement.
Members discussed the current tough financial climate they were having to operate in and the
number of members that were on the edge of and facing financial difficulties was a concern.
Jess Steele raised a concern around lack of money for start-ups provided by Government
programmes and asked if it would be possible to use reserves and how can members help? Joanna
said this was an issue for the Board to discuss going forward.
Members voted in favour of the adoption of the report. There were no abstentions.
Tony Armstrong thanked Members for their feedback.
End of AGM minutes
3/3