BELMONT RURAL: ASSETS
News about Belmont
Community Centre

Tel/fax: 01432-263415
email: belmontcommunitycentrehereford@yahoo.com

Office open:
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, 10 am - midday

Bad publicity does the trick; Centre besieged with help
SWCA’s AGM was held Julu 9 at at the Belmont Community Centre and for the first time in four years will not be recalled. Twenty-six people attended and a quorum was established (The constitution requires only twenty people ).

Andy Myatt reports: Someone said that there is no such thing as bad publicity and I am now firmly of the opinion that this is correct.

If you want to get the public’s attention you can either offer them free beer or threaten to withdraw a service, which they use and love, and for long time have taken for granted! Articles in the Hereford Journal and banners at the BCC urgently requesting more volunteers and implying the centre’s closure if they didn’t come forward have had the desired effect. This is what we hoped for but did not expect. The Belmont Community Centre now has a waiting list of potential helpers. Four ladies are currently being familiarised with our office’s procedures. We thank them all and ask them to be patient. We do need you but it will take time to bring you all into the fold.

SWCA is also very pleased to report that Rev Michael Ranyard has become a trustee, but two more would be welcome to ensure the association’s stability and continuity. The AGM approved the Financial Statement’s for year ending 31st December 2010, re-elected the management committee en bloc, and there was no aggro! The chairman John Newman conducted the meeting with his usual speed and efficiency and business was concluded in 35 minutes.This was a very satisfying result.

Grottos: "We few, we happy few" succeed
SWCA treasurer Andy Myatt reports: "The small number of participating volunteers, against all the odds, the bad weather and the massed attendees ensured the two BCC Santa’s Grottos were once again very successful. We lost count, as previously reported, how many children visited Santa but, of 475 presents purchased, 25 remained. £325 was raised by public donation which, together with unspent funding given to South Wye Community Association, will be divided so that three local groups, the Tots Group, Rainbows, Women@No 14, will each receive £275.

"The charity’s 2010 financial statements are being drawn up and, encouragingly, another year has apparently been negotiated without the Centre’s finances being stretched to breaking point. In fact financial position is healthy at the moment, but who knows what the future holds? Will the Belmont Library shut in April due to Herefordshire Council spending constraints? Will user groups migrate?

"Certainly, if SWCA does not enrol additional volunteers soon the Centre will close because there won’t be anybody to run it!

"A Happy New Year to all website readers."

Gratifying response to first of Centre's grottos
A queue that stretched out into fortunately mild weather marked the first of the Belmont Community Centre's Christmas Grottos on Saturday, December 10. "How many children, then?" the website editor asked. "Approaching 200," replied John Newman, former Hfds district councillor, manning the door. "Sounds like a politician's answer," said the editor. But it was true. There was such a rush at the beginning that a number of heads weren't counted but by the time pen was put to paper a genuine 167 had been recorded by 1 pm.

Although admission was free, as were gifts from Santa, a draw had been organised and contributions were invited. Beneficiaries will include the Mums and Tots meetings, the Rainbow group and a new service, women@no.14, based at The Oval and extended to women with personal and/or domestic problems. SWCA treasurer, Andy Myatt, guessed that grotto attendance over the two days (the next being on Saturday, December 18) could well exceed last year's record of 420. As a result our photographs concentrate on the crush inside the Centre's reception area, rather than the more conventional single child on Santa's knee.

Donations ensure grottos' future
SWCA wish to thank Belmont Rural parish council for a grant of £400 given towards the cost of presents for children attending the centre's Christmas grottos. This support ensures, once again this year, that these events are secured for the children of South Wye. Another donation of £100 has been promised from the Foresters Friendly Society and, within the last couple of days, the SWCA has been advised of donations from Newton Farm Community Association, Drugs Forum, Slimming World and Hearts of Hereford. Cuddly toys, coloured pencil sets and wrapping paper are being donated by Crystal MacAngus on behalf of Tesco, Belmont.

As in previous years all donations SWCA receives from visitors at the grottos and from a collection at Tesco Stores, Belmont on Sunday November 28 by members of SWCA & NFCA will be given to other local charities.

Santa to return - bigger and better
Andy Myatt reports: Santa’s Grotto, which has become a regular feature at the Belmont Community Centre, will open again this year on Saturdays December 11 and 18 between 10 am and 2pm. On December 11 Herefordshire Council’s “Museum on the Move-Folklore and Fairytales” bus will be in the centre’s car park to complement the proceedings: it is equipped with “exhibits designed in a multi-sensory way to make them enjoyable to the widest range of people”. (Lots of interesting items for all age groups, in non-council speak).

The grotto will be bigger and better than before and it is hoped this year it will attract even more local children under the age of 12 (and their parents) to meet Santa and his helpers. Sponsorship for presents, prizes draw, light refreshments, etc. has not yet been committed, though EC Joseph & Sons has kindly offered to prefabricate a new, improved structure, FOC. As in previous years the grotto will be manned by volunteers from South Wye Community Association, Newton Farm Community Association and the Apostolic Church.

All donations will not be retained and will be given to other local charities.

Guides group to be formed
Girl Guiding in Herefordshire is starting a Rainbows group at the Belmont Community Centre later this month. Rainbows is a pre-Brownies organisation for 5-7 year olds. Details from:- www.girlguidingherefordshire.org.uk

"Another place" touting for business
August 3, 2010 The Belmont Community Centre received its first anonymous letter today. The sender kindly informed us that another place was touting for our business. We can assure the other place that we have no intention of touting for their customers: currently we have enough patrons to pay our way and consequently have no need to start a turf war! Andy Myatt, treasurer, SWCA

A new path, two annual meetings and a bye-election
Andy Myatt reports: "As many people will be aware, and after a fortnight’s disruption while the work was in progress, a new block pavement has been laid in front of the Belmont centre. This was paid for out of South Wye Community Association funds. A few people, who wrongly thought that Herefordshire District Council were footing the bill, opined it was a pity the council did not have better things to do with their money: this false supposition was quickly and firmly corrected. However the vast majority of centre visitors and passers-by have been very complimentary. We thank them for their approval.

One thing that became apparent, when the pathway was closed, was the large number of people who were totally disorientated by the safety fencing and unable to find the alternative route around the site, on the public footpath adjacent to the Brook Farm Court boundary. The efforts of several were quite strenuous, trying to break through the barriers and a common question asked was “Is this the way to Tesco?”. Generally the builders answers were quite polite.

During this website’s shut down South Wye Community Association held its now established back-to-back Annual General Meetings. As a quorum was not established at the first one on 18 May a second one was called on 22 June. The latter was attended by eight people, trustees and management committee members. The 2009 account was approved, officers re-elected, resolutions made and thanks given. I remarked last year that volunteers who run the Belmont Centre are getting thin on the ground and issue this reminder. When they go - it goes!

The Belmont Rural parish council bye-election was held at the Belmont Centre on 17 June. 58 brave souls ventured out between the hours of 7am until 10pm to cast their votes. Belmont Rural parishioners were conspicuously absent. Overall, together with postal votes, 5.12% of electors troubled the returning officer."

Belmont Centre reports "pleasing" surplus
The trustees of the South Wye Community Association (managers of the Belmont Community Centre) report income of £27,371 and expenditure of £19,284 for year ended December 31 2009, resulting in a pleasing surplus of £8087. The building and contingency fund was £10,055 and the association’s current account £7744. Debtors and prepayments amounted to £3702 and creditors and receipts in advance amounted to only £1116.

Total reserves (buildings, gardens, furnishings and equipment) increased in value from £241,078 to £249,165 due to substantial additions (capital expenditure).

The trustees appreciate the support given by Belmont Rural parish council, Special Metals (Wiggin Division), Herefordshire Library Service and - especially - numerous user groups who helped achieve this gratifying financial position. The trustees pledge to continue reinvesting in the centre this year: to maintain and further improve its facilities, as required and finances permit.

BCC cheque for £1000 for Blackmarston school

Collections during last year’s Christmas festivities at Belmont Community Centre raised £1000 and a cheque for that amount was handed over to Blackmarston School, Redhill, on Wednesday, January 27. The money came without strings and ideas on how it should be spent will be invited from the children, said deputy headteacher, Clare Crump.

Children and staff at the school watched the presentation wearing a selection of odd hats and headscarves, part of a fund-raising effort on their part for the people of Haiti, and triggered when one of the children from Mars class saw the poignant TV coverage of a child rescued from the ruins in Port-au-Prince.

Present at the presentation were (from the left): Margaret Scull (BCC), John Newman (chairman of the South Wye Community Association), Dorothy Bourdon-Pierre (BCC), one of the Blackmarston pupils, and Clare Crump (deputy headteacher).