The Ousden Village and Playing Fields Committee met on Thursday 22nd January 2026 . Key updates include:
- Personnel Shifts: Emma is taking over as Secretary & minute writing in February, and Fiona is succeeding Jessamy as Treasurer at the end of February.
- Finances & Admin: The village hall account stands at £967.84. The Parish Council’s annual upkeep grant is increasing from £3,000 to £5,000. Legal fees for transitioning to CIO status are confirmed at £1,300 plus VAT.
- Lettings: Booking rates will remain frozen until the new hall is completed. Users are heavily encouraged to book online to minimise difficult-to-track cash payments.
- Upcoming Events: The February Cafe Stop is cancelled. Key upcoming events include the Paint and Plonk evening (17th April), the Farm Walk (16th May), and the “Let’s Play Sport” day (5th July).
Committee Task Checklist
📋 Immediate Administrative Actions
- Bank Accounts: Jessamy to officially add Fiona to the committee bank accounts.
- Postbox: Source and install a secure, robust external mailbox at the Village Hall for the treasurer.
- Radiators: Organise PAT testing for the two spare meeting room radiators donated by Emma.
- Policy Updates: Celia to update the Data, Website Privacy, Equal Opportunities, Safeguarding, and Ethics policies.
📧 Lettings & Bookings
- Review and update the current basic hall booking form.
- Monitor incoming formal booking requests via the Ousden letting hall email address.
- Promote and transition users toward online bookings and remove cash payments.
🗓️ Event Planning & Promotion
- Church Breakfast: Nicki to confirm if the February event is still going ahead.
- Farm Walk: Jessamy to book the hall for Saturday 16th May.
- Paint and Plonk: Michelle to design and distribute the promotional poster.
- Paint and Plonk: Set up advance £15 ticket collection via the village hall email.
- Let’s Play Sport: Roderick to continue coordination with the sports clubs and finalise raffle/refreshment logistics (p. 4).