Chairman’s Report for the Annual General Meeting

of Hillside Rural Activities Park October 2006

I agreed to take on the role of Chairman at a meeting of the HRAP group on 21st December 2004. Since then we have achieved the following.

• We have agreed on the most appropriate legal entity for ourselves and subsequently formed a Company Limited by Guarantee. I am Chairman of this company, Roger Kingdon is Treasurer and Janet Peckitt is the Company Secretary. The company is registered in England and the number is 5385120.
• We currently have representatives on the management committee from Leake Cricket Club, Leake Tennis Club, Knayton Football Club and Borrowby Agricultural and Horticultural Society. Including myself and Roger this committee numbers nine voting members (Knayton Football Club have only one of two members wishing to attend). In addition, we have an accord with the Hillside Scout Group who attend our management committee meetings.
• We have secured Charitable Status for the company, our Charity Number is 1110968. Myself, Roger and Janet are registered as trustees with the Charities Commission.
• We have secured the freehold title to approximately 28 acres of land on which our project will be based.
• We have planning permission for change of use from agriculture to recreation.
• We have Outline Planning Permission for construction of Hillside Scout and Community Activity Centre.
• We have constructed an access road, a car park (for 42 cars) and over 250m of footpath linking the site to Knayton School and to Knayton Village.
• We have, with the help of a specialist consultant designed and installed a drainage system suitable for recreational use. This work included construction of the football pitch to gradients within those specified by Sport England and construction of the cricket square using 38T of special Loam imported from Kettering.
• We have recently completed cultivation and sowing of the site with specialist grass seed selected for the site.
• Orders have been placed with Yorkshire water and NEDL for provision of water and electricity supplies respectively.
• In conjunction with our partners the Hillside Scout Group we have appointed a firm of architects to develop the design of the Scout and Community Sports Hall. This design will give sufficient detail to form the basis of a detailed planning application and also will be used as the basis for a Design and Build tender package which local companies will be invited to bid for.

Funding for the above works has been obtained from a number of sources listed in the appendix. The main objectives for the coming year are as follows;

• To facilitate and help Leake Tennis Club to apply for and secure the funding necessary to construct the new tennis courts.
• To finalise the design of the Scouts and Community Sports Hall in conjunction with the Hillside Scouts Group and then to secure funding
• To help Knayton Football Club, Leake Cricket Club and Borrowby Show relocate to the new site during 2007.
• To help HRAP establish the income necessary to sustain the ongoing operational costs. This will involve attracting other clubs to use the existing facilities as well as attracting new user groups such as pony club, badminton club…..etc.
• To finalise the design of the children’s playground and then to secure sufficient funding to complete the construction in phases. We will also need to put into place the management controls to ensure that the playground is maintained and inspected as required.
• …And finally, my own personal objective is to identify and recruit my successor once the main capital phase of the project has been completed.

As a footnote, I would like to thank everyone who has helped with the project so far, those involved directly, those members of the community who have contributed to our funds and the staff of Hambleton District Council who have given us such invaluable support throughout.

Moray Finch Chairman, Hillside Rural Activities Park

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