Cullompton Community Association Honorary Chairmans Annual Report 2022

2022 was a year for recovery from the previous 2 years of lockdown and disruption. During the year we were able to welcome the Fair, Circus, Obedience Dog Show , South West Inflatables (bouncy castle attraction), several 6 A Side football touraments’s, Jubilee Fun day, Rugby Tots & a short stay from a dog training school. These along with the rent received from our tenants-Cullompton Rangers Football Club –has provided us with a level of income that enables work and regular grass and field maintenance to be carried out.

During the year volunteers have rebuilt the bridge on the main path, carried out pothole repairs on the main path and in the carpark area (investigation has indicated a more radical solution is required in the car park and work is planned in Spring 2023 by a local contractor), planted almost 200 trees in the Queens Jubilee Wood & an area to celebrate the efforts of Eileen Andrews over 50 years of Community involvement ,as well as regular grass cutting removal of litter rubbish and preparation of the area near Tesco as a wild flower meadow for Spring 2023.

Contractors & volunteers worked together to deal with diseased Ash trees as well as removing two downed trees fromthe leat and several trees in dangerous condition near the beach area. This work cost a considerable sum but for safety reasons the work was justified and approved by the Trustees.

Sadly, for reasons beyond the CCA control, the proposed Festival in July failed to take place - meaning that a much- needed source of revenue from the hiring of the fields to the event organisers failed to materialise for the CCA.

The relief road project still trundles on with environmental survey work & bore sampling during the year & evidence was found for the presence of water Vole, Otters & Dormice in the CCA during regular survey work undertaken by contractors.

The CCA is proud of the way we maintain & protect the fields while looking to make improvement such as the 4 benches donated and installed by kind benefactors and the ongoing maintenance and repairs to enhance the public amenity and safety .

At the 2021 AGM a resolution was passed to change the status of the Charity to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and this has been worked on by the Trustees over this year and hopefully the paperwork will be in place in the Spring so that the Charity can bring itself & its assets into conformity with its enhanced status.

I wish to express my personal thanks to the 2022 trustees who have shown high levels of commitment and effort to the cause of the CCA its development and place as a major community

and environmental asset. Special thanks are due to our treasurer for his efforts with the CIO paperwork ( a massive task) and those members of the community who continue to support with comments & donations via the recently set up Just Giving Page .

We hope 2023 continues the development of the fields and the CIO status enhances the way the fields are managed on behalf of Cullompton Community which the elected trustees manage on their behalf .