Chair: Jim S
Minutes: Harriet J
Present: Jim S, Harriet J, Lynda S, Chris M, Paul B, Colleen
MINUTES
| 1. Agenda item I Welcome and apologies Jim |
Jim welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Apologies were received from Naseem H, and Tila R.
| 2. Agenda item II a) Minutes of the last meeting, 03/03/26 b) Matters arising from the last meeting, 03/03/26 Jim |
No comments were received on the minutes of the last meeting.
The meeting agreed to the recommendation from Jim, Harriet and Naseem that the AGM be moved to coincide with the June meeting to give time for the accounts for the last financial year to be finalised. With the number of grants being handled through BCAG, particularly for the running of the Garden, preparation of the accounts is now a more complex task than in previous years. Delaying the AGM from April, as currently specified in the constitution, to June, will give the treasurer time to prepare the accounts and, ideally, to have them audited in time for the meeting.
A motion will be put to the AGM that the constitution be amended such that, going forward, the AGM will be held in June.
| 3. Agenda item III BCAG admin Jim |
Total hours spent on BCAG business and projects since the March meeting were recorded – thanks to everyone for putting in the time. Harriet to ask any core members not at the monthly meeting, for their hours.
| 4. Agenda item IV Treasurer’s report (Naseem) |
BCAG central funds stand at £2543.
BCAG received the most tokens in the latest round of the Waitrose collection box scheme. This will bring in a very welcome £1,500 to our funds. Thank you particularly to the Waitrose partner who put BCAG forward for the scheme, to Jim for doing all the initial paperwork required, and to all those who chose us as their preferred cause.
Naseem is working to complete the accounts; once completed, the draft accounts will be sent to CAG Oxfordshire as required.
| 5. Agenda item V Social media, Newsletter, publicity Jim |
BCAG Facebook: 1396 followers; BSCG FB: 1134; BATS FB: 80 followers; mailing list subscribers email: 321, Newsletter 318, voting members: 207. BSCG email 220, BATS email: 120. Dirty Water 72.
Website 35,700 impressions in February with 117 clicks.
For info: Shed Facebook: 481 followers; litter pickers FB: 182 with 832 in the Private Group.
Thank you, Joe for the newsletter.
Joe and Tila have put together a schedule for updating the website; Joe’s time for this will be covered by the Thriving in Nature grant. Material for the website will be proof-read and content reviewed by a BCAG core member (here Chris, Paul, Neil and Harriet) before it goes live.
| 6. Agenda item VI Bridge Street Community Garden BSCG (Tila) |
March in the Garden was even busier than usual.
A team of 11 volunteers helped instal the water tanks for the new rainwater harvesting system. Thank you to everyone involved including Dan from Nothing But Footprints for helping to transport materials. The project was funded by OCC and CAG Oxfordshire.
Thanks as always to Jim for his regular checks of the site. Tila has reported ongoing incidents of fly-tipping to the council. Thanks also to the Monday group for keeping the Garden tidy and welcoming, and for getting on with routine gardening tasks.
Tila has been working on the paperwork for end of year finances.
Milly and Tamzin have started a new food growing group, open to anyone interested in learning together by doing. The group has had several meetings this month.
Milly is in discussion with Banbury Museum about delivering a couple of joint sessions for the “Times Gone By” group. Her Wild Wellbeing sessions have continued and she led an outreach session at The Hill Community Centre for a women’s group that meets there.
Tamzin delivered sessions at the Garden with local nursery staff and children.
Tamzin is discussing with Home-Start, bringing families to the Garden for a set of monthly nature connection session over the summer. The sessions will be run in partnership with Lynne and Louise from Home-Start.
The Garden worked with Banbury Larder, Rebecca McR, Anila M, Patricial C, Naseem and Lynda, to mark Food Waste Action week, 14th March. The well-attended event offered a range of activities, and the Garden was pleased to welcome visitors from other community gardens across Oxfordshire.
Banbury Woodcraft Folk visited to care for their planter.
The Garden welcomed a group from The Haven which used the venue for an English class with extras. Thank you to Lynne and Louise for arranging this.
A Thriving in Nature session was held in collaboration with Sunrise Multicultural Project, and Sunrise also visited the Garden.
Tila is working closely with the other freelance garden events providers, Milly and Tamzin, and with BCAG committee members, to ensure grant funding is used to time and as agreed with funders. The meeting agreed that it would be helpful to have a group of core members available through a group chat, to provide advice and support for Tila, and oversight of the various Garden-related grant funded projects. To begin with, the group will comprise Jim, Lynda and Harriet.
| 7. Agenda item VII Browning Road Orchard BRO Harriet |
No update this month.
| 8. Agenda item VIII Banbury Active Travel Supporters group Paul / Neil |
Paul suggested the Active Travel group be renamed to better reflect the focus on safety and green travel. He was looking for a memorable name with clear meaning – perhaps: “Banbury’s Safer Streets and Clean Air Project”. The meeting agreed monies from the central fund for purchasing a new banner once the name has been settled.
Progress continues on the various ongoing projects.
Jim has completed the training required to become a Fix My Street super-user. This allows him to commission repairs for potholes on minor roads.
| 10. Agenda item X Banbury Environment Network Harriet |
Funding has been secured for banners and branded materials, to be used at local public engagement events, from the Cherwell & Ray Catchment Partnership central funds.
The Banbury Water vols will be attending the Bourtons’ wildlife day in June.
The reptile survey in Banbury Country Park is underway with costs for the survey equipment being met by a grant from TOE.
It was noted that access to parts of the Country Park is currently prevented due to National Highways having shut the underpasses for the M40.
Following on from the planting of the ‘Hedgerow Heroes’ hedge along Duke’s Meadow Drive, BCAG is supporting Wild Oxfordshire and Oxfordshire County Council in holding a training event at the site on the Road Verge Nature Reserve scheme.
| 11. Agenda item XI Climate Action Jim, Lynda, Chris |
The National Emergency Briefing film is fully booked with a waiting list. The meeting agreed to the use of BCAG general funds to cover the cost of printing additional leaflets for the event.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
A reminder that the AGM will be held on 2nd June before the regular monthly meeting.
Jim put forward the suggestion that Banbury Litter Pickers become a BCAG project. The meeting was warmly in favour, providing the BLP themselves would welcome the move. Jim will take discussions forward with Steve K.
The seed swap to be held in conjunction with Castle Quay has been rescheduled for 14th May.
Review of BCAG policies is due.
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The May meeting will be online, 7th May, 7.30pm start.