Annual Audit Meeting 2014 and Activity Plan 2015

The society held its annual audit and activity planning meeting on 25th November.  This year we invited a group of members to take part in our audit and to contribute to ideas for next year.

The meeting was held to reflect on the work carried out during 2014 and plan for the year ahead.  We do this because, as a registered charity, we are obliged to work in a transparent manner and to report each year to the Charities Commission on how we have met out charitable objects.  (We must also submit annual accounts). The audit is useful as a means of telling our members what we have done in their name during the past year.  The activity plan helps us decide our priorities for next year and to allocate resources accordingly. This year, thanks to several volunteers coming forward at the planning meeting, we have decided to strengthen our planning activity and to set up a town centre sub group.  This group will meet for the first time in the New Year.

Minutes of the meeting can be viewed here and the audit and planning presentation can be viewed here.

Member Remembers Her Father in Student WW1 Interview

Students from Marple Hall School have interviewed member Selma Fielding about her recollections of her father Robert who saw military service as a Quarter Master Sergeant during WW1.  The interview was recorded on video by the students and will be shown at a WW1 commemoration event at the school next year.  

Selma showed the students some of her fathers service memorabilia including service medals and postcards.  The students were surprised to learn that in those days before modern communications he wrote a letter or card every week! 

The interview is part of the collaborative WW1 commemoration project between Marple Hall School and Marple Civic Society.  Other activities will include joint working to identify war memorials for adding to the national register of war memorials and a Civic Society event later in 2015.  The war memorials register is being created by Civic Voice in collaboration with the War Memorials Trust and is supported locally by Marple Civic Society.

Marple Lock & Aqueduct Public Open Day

Canal & River Trust are carrying out major maintenance and repair works to the Marple Aqueduct, a Grade I listed scheduled monument, and to Marple Lock No. 2 as part of the HLF funded Revealing Oldknow's Legacy project.  

A public open day has been arranged which will provide a unique opportunity to see repair works at Marple Aqueduct which carries the Peak Forest Canal ninety feet above and over the River Goyt -  the highest masonry-arch aqueduct in Britain. Nearby Lock 2 is currently drained and it will also be possible to climb down within the structure to inspect the repair works that are now underway.

The HLF funded "Revealaing Oldknow's Project" has now officially started and all officers are in post

The Public Open Day takes place on Sunday 30th November -  
9.30 - 3.30pm - no pre-booking is required

For more information see Canal & River Trust invitation here

Committee Meeting Minutes for 25th November 2014

Committee Meeting minutes for 25th November 2014 can be viewed here

The committee meeting was followed by an audit and planning meeting for 2015, attended by the committee and 11 members.

Report on Marple Area Committee Meeting 5th November 2014

A report of the Marple Area Committee meeting that took place on
5th November 2014 can be viewed here

One matter of particular note this month is that the proposed Chadwick Street foodstore has been put "on hold" by our councillors because, allegedly, no one is interested and Asda has bought the Coop!

It is worth reflecting that if our council had gone ahead with the Kirkland proposal in January 2013 we may, by now, have had a rather fine Waitrose foodstore in Marple.

Future Area Committee Meetings:

Wednesday 10th December 2014

Wednesday 4th February 2015

Civic Voice Annual Convention 2014

This year's annual Civic Voice AGM and National Convention took place on 24th and 25th October in Canterbury.

Grif Rhys Jones
Launching the Manifesto

At the start of the Convention Grif Rhys Jones, President of Civic Voice launched the Civic Voice manifesto, a copy of which can be viewed here. The manifesto entitled "Localism for Real" calls on future governments to:

• Make improving the quality of the public realm in our cities, towns and villages a priority
• Give all citizens opportunities to actively shape the future of their place
• Give local communities the powers they need to enable their town and city centres to prosper

Grif added “If the Government is serious about Localism, they have to listen to the concerns of local people and give them the powers they need to enable their town and city centres to prosper ”

A short highlights video from the manifesto launch can be viewed here.

Chairman od Trustees, Freddie Gick
opening proceedings

Marple Civic Society award
for Partnership Working

Marple Civic Society were delighted to receive one of the five Civic Day awards given in recognition of our work in promoting partnership working.