Much is happening or about to happen and this article brings you up to date.
We shall be holding two launch events on the week-end of 25-26 September. On the Saturday afternoon, at a venue in Radley College, there will be a chance to meet the team, hear about progress and ask questions. Then on the Sunday there will be one or more activities down at the Lakes aimed at people of all ages. Details are being worked out and will be advertised in a further newsletter.
Save the dates and do come along.
The formal governance of RLT, including legal decisions, lies with a Board of Trustees. They have the benefit of expertise from an Advisory Panel. We also plan to have Associate Members or ‘Friends’ who do not have formal responsibilities but link the Trust with people in the local community. And some of you provide help with our day-to-day activities.
There are a number of current developments, described below.
This all helps us to be an effective and well-grounded organisation, but it does depend on people’s goodwill and time on a voluntary basis, for which we are very grateful.
We currently have seven trustees and are looking for two or three more. Trustees provide overall governance, ensuring the charity is well run, delivers on its objectives and works closely with the wider community. All trustees need to contribute to that, but we would in particular welcome new trustees who have an aptitude for communication, especially web and social media, or for the practical delivery of projects on the ground.
If you think you might be interested just reply to this email and we will send you more information.
The Trust now have an impressive Advisory Panel of people with professional experience and expertise in particular aspects of our work (including ecology, environmental monitoring, land management, visitor access and community engagement). They are Ben Carpenter, Chris Parker, Dominic Lamb, Jeremy Biggs, Lucy Duerdoth, Lucy Kennery, Lynn Parker and Roselle Chapman.
We are delighted that they have agreed to help the Trust’s work and are already getting the benefit of their wisdom on some of the upcoming issues.
RLT is keen to have a broad and active membership (‘friends’) in the community and have agreed the basic terms for this. Although we will be delighted to receive donations membership will be free. We will be very pleased if current members of Friends of Radley Lakes decide to join (on which see below) but we will also be aiming to recruit a very healthy number of new members.
Membership will enable you to receive regular updates, and to take part in activities and events organised by the Trust. We will be circulating more information shortly, including how you can join.
Earlier in the year, FRL consulted its members about their future relationship with the Trust. In the responses, there was a clear sense that it did not make sense to have two separate organisations with such similar aims, and that FRL and RLT should ‘join forces’. The FRL Executive Committee intends to put a proposal for this to the membership of FRL. Individual FRL members will be able to convert to RLT membership, as described above.
This needs to be approved by a General Meeting of FRL, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Friday 17 September, in St Helen’s Church Centre (next to St Helen’s Church) in Abingdon.
If you are an FRL member, you will be receiving formal notice of the meeting shortly. The Executive Committee of FRL would like to encourage as many FRL members as possible to come to the meeting, take part in the discussion and vote on the resolution.
Many thanks to the ever-growing number of those who have said that you want to contribute to our work, whether through fieldwork or help in the back-office (eg website, social media, databases and project management). David Guyoncourt, one of our trustees, is co-ordinating volunteer field-work and is lining up three scything parties in September.
Some people, while not necessarily wanting to be a Trustee, are willing to take quite a leading role on particular aspects of RLT’s work and have the necessary skills and time. This is something we are very open to.
At present, the Trust have a corner of the Radley village website at http://www.radleyvillage.org.uk/radley-lakes/. We are however building our own site and this should launch, even if not fully developed, in mid-September. We will let you have the link as soon as it is ready. It looks set to be attractive as well as being informative.
We already have an Instagram account up and running with nearly 150 followers (https://www.instagram.com/radley_lakes_trust/). Have a look and post your photos there. Twitter and Facebook are planned to follow shortly.
Website and social media are both excellent examples of invaluable volunteer assistance.
We have detailed project plans for the first phase of masterplan implementation and are putting the funding in place. Recent highlights are:
Progress will be gradual and requires persistence and patience, but what is already in hand shows that much can be achieved where we form constructive partnerships with landowners and other stakeholders.
If you are interested in becoming a Trustee, or want to help in another way, or simply want to know more, do please get in touch – see contact details below.
Richard Dudding,
Secretary, The Radley Lakes Trust
Registered charity 1192259
01235 520611
Lakes@radleyparish.org
info@radleylakestrust.org