Dear All
Planning Meeting PAWS held its annual planning meeting in January. It was very well attended with many long-standing members present from both Whitchurch and Pangbourne who contributed excellent suggestions for the coming year. The Minutes show the wide range of subjects raised.
Big on ideas but short on people This year we are big on ideas but short on people! There are many PAWS members on the books and it’s great that so many people join us for our monthly meetings or do background work within sub-groups. As members we value PAWS as a route to raising awareness and being active working towards the environmental and sustainable agenda. However, to maintain this we need members to consider putting their names forward for one of the listed items below with a view to working with others to bring a meeting together. Involvement might mean liaising with or suggesting prospective speakers, following up in any way you feel you could contribute. We are aware that we cannot cover all points raised at the Planning Meeting this year, so we have selected a few that we feel are topical and within our expertise, but we do need help. Please see the Minutes from the meeting for further information about each point.
Please respond (e.g.by email to pawsg.com) if you feel you may be able to help on any item or you would like further information.
Clerk to the Chair/ Secretary We would appreciate offers from anyone with IT and secretarial skills to consider these positions. Unfortunately, our current secretary has had to stand down due to ill health. To keep us in line with current practice, skills with Websites, promotions and social media would also be really helpful.
Chair After many years as chair I have decided to stand down. As chair I have tried to keep the climate/sustainability agenda alive in the two communities of Pangbourne and Whitchurch. I am not leaving the area so I will be very willing to support/mentor a new chair as would the current members who have active roles. The Calendar has been set for the year and the hand-over will be at the AGM in May so it will be a relatively easy run in for this year.
| Proposed focus areas for 2025: | Lead member | Offer assistance |
| 1. Apple Pressing Date: Sunday 21 September.
· Funding & Equipment: Purchase apple press, £300 Fête Committee donation. Research and purchase the equipment . Action: Research and finalise the equipment purchase |
Colin Thoma, Jackie Hoskins, Sally Woolhouse |
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| 2. Swift Box. If Fête Committee funds remain after purchase of apple press, buy swift box and camera, investigate costs (including camera to link to website) Research allocation (house, public building?) for the site. | Jackie Hoskins
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| 3. Reach out to MPs: Engage with Local MPs: Contact MPs Olivia Bailey and Freddie van Mierlo to invite them for a Q&A /discussion session in July. Involve MPs in supporting green initiatives in our area.
Send invitations and follow-up to confirm participation. |
Jackie Hoskins
Rob Hill Barbara Singleton Crisp |
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| 4. Partner with Local Organisations for Events and Activities: Green Fest (Saturday 5th April)
Other Local Collaborations: “The Greater Reading Environmental Network” and other local sustainability groups. Explore co-hosting events e.g. green fests, seminars, or community sustainability drives. · Partnerships: Look into creating long-term partnerships for community-led environmental programmes. E.g. with schools, local businesses, and others. Action: Contact local sustainability groups. |
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| 5. Organize Administrative Changes (Secretary & Chairperson): See above
· Secretary and Chairperson Recruitment: · Leadership Roles: Clarify roles and responsibilities for the secretary and chairperson. |
Jackie Hoskins
& others |
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| 6. Increase Engagement with Local Communities:
· Community Involvement: Links with locals – broaden participation and host events. Things like clean-up days, tree planting, and other green initiatives that are easy for the public to join. Working with the Parish Councils, ARK, and WoTHabs · Village noticeboard: talk to Pangbourne Parish Council, APT, Historical Society about a village noticeboard providing information on sites of interest in the village. |
Barbara Singleton Crisp, Rob Hill, |
Brian Hoskins |
Other items were listed in the minutes. (Yes, we covered a lot that evening!!) If you are more interested in one of these other items, please let us know about that as well.
Thank you
Jackie Hoskins