CHAIRMAN�S REPORT 20 January 2007.

The trustees have had a very busy and productive year.� One of our major tasks has been applying for charity registration.� This has required a number of polices and procedures to be drafted and adopted by the trustees.� Among them are the Child Protection and Vulnerable Persons Policy, Health and Safety Policy and Data Protection Policy.� Each trustee has taken on a role or responsibility such as vulnerable persons register, health and safety and personal licence holder.� The trustees have or are currently undertaking courses in rules and responsibilities for trustees and premises supervisor.� All the trustees have signed a declaration of a charity trustee and have had CRB checks carried out.� Building insurance and public liability insurance have also been organised and paid for.

The trustees have made visits to Bishops Green and Oakridge Community Centres to learn from their first years as trustees.� The trustees have joined the Basingstoke and Deane Community Forum, which brings us in touch with all community centres all over the Borough.

The trustees have been involved in other projects over the past year.� The time capsule was conceived by one of the trustees and� endorsed by all of us.� Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council provided the acid free paper, which the local school children wrote and drew their dreams of the future.� The residents of Whitchurch were able to add their thoughts at two open mornings at the Town Hall.� The capsule, which was donated by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, will be placed in the wall of the foyer, with, we hope, a plaque to say what is in the wall for future Whitchurch residents.� We have also come up with a logo, which is based on the Gateway� design and will be used in all correspondence.� It can be seen here today illustrated by the Whitchurch Association banner.� The Whitchurch Association was asked to get involved with the Whitchurch Improvement Project.� The project was set up to help steer the delivery of a coherent programme of works for the Town Centre and advise on a programme of improvements to the environs of the town centre.� The steering group, of which a Whitchurch Association trustee and Whitchurch Association project group member, are members of, meet once a quarter to consider various ideas and give a local view.� This is a joint venture and comprises officers from Hampshire County Council, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Whitchurch Town Council.

In March of last year, the naming ceremony was held.� The trustees agreed that the hall should be named The Gill Nethercott Community Centre as a tribute to Councillor Gill Nethercott, who as a Town and Borough Councillor worked tirelessly for over 10 years to get a new Community Centre for Whitchurch.� Gill was able to attend the naming ceremony, although she was seriously ill with motor neurone disease.� Gill died in July of last year but her name will live on as recognition of all the good work that Gill did for Whitchurch.� Gill�s place as a trustee has taken over by Councillor Alison Wall, who worked with Gill on the Community Centre project and has been a Borough Councillor for Whitchurch for many years.� The topping out ceremony was held in November.� You can see photographs of the progress of the building on the displays here today.

The trustees have put together a membership pack, copies of which are available here today.� There are various types of membership which are explained in the pack but basically there are individual, family and junior memberships for the general public and affiliated group membership which is for associations and groups.� Subscription fees are set out as �5 for families, �2.50 for individuals and �2 for juniors for the whole year.� For affiliated groups membership is �10 per year.� There are benefits to being a member such as discounts for hiring.� All is explained in the pack, where you will also find an application form.

The centre will have a main hall which can be divided into two separate spaces by an acoustic divider and there will be an outside decked area leading off from this. There will be a kitchen with a serving hatch.� The pod will house the toilets and meeting room which will be reached via the foyer where there will be a glass panel in the floor.  There will be a lift and staircase to the library on the second floor.� For anyone interested in hiring the hall, we will be publishing a price list by the beginning of March, but we have got a booking contact sheet on the display table for anyone who would like to make a tentative booking.� If you put your name, contact details and the date in which you would like to hire the hall, we will then contact you in March.

In the forthcoming year, the trustees are looking forward to the completion and handover of the building.� The trustees have already got some exciting ideas for future activities at the centre but we do welcome any suggestions as to what you would like to see at the centre.� Please add your ideas to the suggestions board.

That completes the Chairman�s report.