Considering the past years current climate, the Downswood community association are still successfully

Considering the past years current climate, the Downswood community association are still successfully operating the Downswood community centre as a viable and productive business, providing local resident and many different groups the opportunity to enjoy our facilities.

Everyone should take this opportunity to thank the DCA charity trustees, centre management and employees for all their hard work in making the centre still one of the best in the area.

So what has the DCA done over the past year?

Following last years AGM our new Honorary Treasurer Pat is doing a fine job with the accounts. Our local gardener Sally King is really working hard, transforming the gardens to match the quality of the centre.

An October decision by the general committee was that the lounge floor was past its best and needed refurbishing. The original 1990 carpeting was replaced by half carpet tiling and half vinyl flooring making it not only practical for the regular groups, but easier to keep clean. New brighter lounge lighting was also installed in the lounge shortly before the end of the year.

A complete refurbishment of the wooden patio decking was finally finished at a cost of over £2000 after it was found that it was rotting in places.

Unfortunately we had to terminate the part time centre cleaner’s employment at the end of January, but every cloud has a silver lining and we now have Jeannette who is doing a fantastic job.

The community payback team finished their run at the centre carrying out major redecoration at weekends, both inside and out. These lads carried out a very professional first class job.

Earlier on this year it was decided to abandon the renewable energy project of a photovoltaic solar panels installation at the centre, this was primarily due to the current financial climate and the lack of funding.

The offer of part funding for this project from Downswood Parish Council has now been very kindly extended towards the cost of replacement external door project which is currently awaiting planning permission from Maidstone Borough Council.

Downswood Parish Council has also recently asked us to draw up a ‘wish list’.

This is a list of necessary repairs & renewals at the centre, that may be required in the foreseeable future and that Downswood Parish Council may help us fund.

The centre management has currently included on this list, replacing the central heating boilers, water heaters, toilet facilities & refurbishment of the walkway and fire exit in the foyer, next to the ladies.

Other renewals that the centre management have discussed is to move the two Euro bins away from the under stage storage exit nearer the car park, this will give us more outside storage for the DCA equipment that is currently taking up space under the stage. The external lighting also needs replacing and plans to repair the brickwork and replace the large community centre sign at the top of Chiltern Close, which has been there since the opening in 1990. Local Stonemason Gordon Newton has been approached for quotes.

Our Borough Councillor David Marchant has been asked to create a community area group committee. This is where the centre could be used in cases of emergency.     The centre management team has volunteered as DCA representatives & to assist when required. Some of our centre user group representatives have also volunteered for this group committee and it is hoped that we have the support from all our centre users during any emergency.The DCA has written to Kent County Council following the installation of the new traffic signals in Willington Street, bringing their attention to the fact that Deringwood Drive, Mallards Way and Spot Lane is much busier and more dangerous due to the increased traffic flow at certain times during the day. I understand that some residents in Spot Lane have also complained about the introduction of these lights because of some frustrated motorist who are speeding to avoid delays at the chicanes.

On the fundraising side of the DCA ……………………………………………….

Following a suggestion from a new committee member, the DCA fundraising committee are currently trying to start a 100 club, which is a small society lottery drawn each month where participants can win 50% of the funds received and with five winners they could win prizes up to £150.

We now have twenty five (much needed) new tables which were purchased from the funds raised from the 2008 summer fete.

In September 2008 we held our annual Bar B Q. but unfortunately the weather was bad, so this was not very well supported. We bought forward the 2009 Bar B Q to July this year hoping for better attendance, but it appears that the DCA Bar B Q’s are not our best attended fundraising events and we are now trying to recruit new members onto the fundraising team with new ideas.

Our November Ladies evening was more successful with proceeds exceeding £200.

Other fundraising events held at the centre over the past year include the joint Downswood badminton club/DCA quiz night where proceeds were also in excess of £200 and the 2009 Downswood summer fete, which of course is our biggest event.

The £1200 proceeds from this years fete will go towards new chairs for the centre.

All our fundraising events are good for our community and enjoyed by everyone who attends, especially our annual summer fete where all our regular centre user groups and volunteers really pull together and make it a fantastic afternoon.

I have to say though, that not all of our fundraising events are well attended and it’s sometimes disappointing to see sometimes that very few of our centre user groups members not supporting us.

The DCA general committee are not just a group of volunteer residents and centre user group representatives - we are charity trustees who have responsibilities to abide by the constitution of the Downswood community association and to support it in every way!  Centre user group representative are on the committee to not only represent their individual groups but to represent the DCA within their group and encourage their members to support us. All our general committee meetings are open to the public and our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday October 13th 2009 at 8pm, here at the community centre.

I will conclude the annual report by thanking everyone for coming to this year’s DCA AGM and listening to me drone on about how good we all are, we do understand that it’s not the most exciting event of the year but it is necessary for the charities commission and to show everyone that we are all working hard as a community to make life a little nicer here in Downswood.