Membership uptake during 2022 was worryingly low despite repeated emails to the membership and the OBAGS Facebook group. As you know the 43 people who paid their full membership dues of £5 between September 2019 and the 15th of March 2020 - the last opening day before we shut down due to Covid - were offered free membership for 2022. Twenty-six did so. Eight members paid their £2 membership so the total membership for 2022 was 34. You can see why we were so heavily reliant on our regular core team of volunteers to keep the shop going for the five sessions we opened.

As to the future, a rota for 2023 has been completed and accepted by the volunteers but again it largely comprises our core team. Looking back through earlier rotas, accessible on the website – ‘twas ever thus’. We are welcoming several new volunteers and it is to be hoped they will go some way to replace those regulars we have lost during our extended closure. We are returning to our pre-Covid practice of only divulging our Suttons and toilet codes to paid up members. They appear on the 2023 membership cards.

Both our treasurer and trading secretary are retiring from the committee at the end of 2023, but they will continue as usual through 2023. It is to be hoped that replacements can be found to take over in 2024. Steve Layland has volunteered to take over as treasurer and if appointed will attend the 2023 AGM in that capacity.

Proposed Richard West, seconded Tony Terry that Steve Layland be so appointed. There was a unanimous vote in favour.

4. Treasurer’s Report

5. Membership Secretary’s Report

6. Trading Secretary’s Report

8. 2023 Plans

7. Website Report

9. Appointments of Officers

All members agreed to continue to serve in their current capacities during 2023.

10. Any Other Business

Considering we resumed trading at the end of July and opened for business on only five occasions during the 2022 financial year, we did reasonably well. As you have seen from Les’ figures we turned over £351.89 of stock and banked £405.75, a net profit of £53.86.

10.1 A Proposal from Sandra Tuck

‘You may be aware that the Parish Council is currently carrying out a review of the allotments, mainly relating to plot clearance and  better managing the inspection process to try to reduce the increasingly high waste disposal costs.  However, the review will also look at other areas regarding managing the allotments, one of which may be to consider offering OBAGS the opportunity to hand over management of the toilet to the Parish Council to make it available to all plot holders irrespective of OBAGS membership.

Firstly, would OBAGS wish to hand over management of the toilet?  If so, could I please ask you for the code to the toilet and to let me have a key (via Les if this is easier) to enable our cleaning company to inspect and quote for the work if they are prepared to take it on.’

Sandra Tuck (Parish Council clerk) contacted Tony Hall with the following proposal.

Discussion followed on the pros and cons of giving up exclusive rights to the OBAGS toilet. A vote found in favour of retaining control of the toilet, with one dissension. Accordingly, the following response was emailed to Sandra:

‘OBAGS held its AGM this morning and I promised to let you know, at its conclusion, whether the Committee wished to hand over management of the toilet to the Parish Council. The Committee regards the toilet as a usp in its quest to increase membership of OBAGS and therefore declines your kind offer to hand over management of the toilet to the Parish Council. There was just one dissension. Our Treasurer, purely on financial grounds, voted in favour of the handover.’

10.2 A Proposal that the Committee consider introducing a contactless and card payment system due to the popularity of this system over cash during the Covid Pandemic.

Les Orvis said that he was in favour of introducing this system and saw no problem in individual payments from members being sent to our Bank account as a result.

Steve Layland and Tony Terry offered to lead on this and report back in the New Year.

Following further extensive discussion it was suggested that the £299 residue from the toilet grant be used to fund the acquisition and running costs for a two year introductory period. This gained general approval.

There being no further AOBs the AGM concluded at 12:15. Beverages and biscuits followed.