Dear Members, Where has this last year gone?! It only seems like yesterday when I sat down to prepare the 2016 newsletter and here I am once again to invite you to renew your membership into 2017.
The enclosed membership form shows details of any members listed at your address. As you may recall, our membership arrangements assume that you wish to continue to be a member unless you indicate otherwise. If you wish to discontinue your membership, if the information shown is incorrect or if you wish to add other residents at your address, please make any necessary amendments and send it back to the Secretary at the address shown below. She can also supply standing order forms if you wish to set up a regular donation which we would greatly appreciate as it makes our forward planning so much easier. We continue to be very keen to have a record of your email address so that we can communicate with you more easily and a space is included for this. Please look on it as a way you can help your hard-working Committee – to have all our membership on an email distribution list would really help us to keep you informed and involved! We do of course undertake to keep this information purely for the use of the Association.
It has been a year of quiet consolidation and of making the best of the practical support given to the Association by our much valued partnerships with the Pirbright Institute, Network Rail, Surrey Wildlife Trust and Guildford Borough Council. Members will know that we are only a pint-sized charity and with 14 acres to manage it is sometimes a big challenge for our small team of volunteers with limited financial resources. During 2016, much good management and practical work has been achieved through this partnership working with our local volunteers – tree felling, bridge repairs and replacement, pond clearance, uprooting the invasive Himalayan Balsam, ditch digging, clearance of debris in the Hodge Brook, weed spraying, path levelling and hedge trimming. An impressive list but there is always more to tackle…!
Another pleasurable partnership has been made with the Fox Pub with its new owner when we were very generously hosted for our summer BBQ for members last August. About 20 members joined us for a tour around the wildlife area and another 40 added to our number as we enjoyed a tasty BBQ at the Fox. We hope to be able to repeat this successful event in 2017.
Looking into the future, we are starting to have to consider replacing the trusty Winter Bridge which was donated by Roy Johnson 20 years ago in memory of his sister. Initial estimates indicate that this could cost in the order of £5000 but there are various decisions to be made on its design and materials and we are fortunate indeed to have the expertise of Roy Coverly who has offered to be the project manager. So it’s watch this space – or bridge!
Finally, it is important to record the wealth of wildlife which is regularly using our wildlife area – kingfishers, slow worms, small fish in the pond, deer, herons, ducks and toads are just some. The Management Committee would like to encourage all our members to join our “Wildlife Watch” to tell us what you have spotted on your visits. Email us via the website – ‘foxcornerwildlife.org.uk’ – or telephone any of the officers on this newsletter. We would love to hear from you!
Every year, we are very encouraged to receive donations of all sizes from Association members, the vast majority of which is gift-aided which adds 20% through tax reclamation. Needless to say your continued support and generosity is still very much needed as it costs around £1000 p.a. to run our Wildlife Area. After a magnificent peak of £1225 in 2014, we have sadly not managed to achieve our aim of donations covering our annual outgoings since … If you are a UK taxpayer, you only need to sign the Gift Aid declaration when sending your donation – we will process the rest.
Another very straightforward way in which you can help us to increase our income is by shopping online through easyfundraising.org.uk. Each time you shop, you can raise money for your chosen charity at no cost to yourself. Participating retailers include Amazon, Sainsbury’s, John Lewis, M&S, Ebay etc. All you need do is to register at ‘easyfundraising.org.uk’ and then log in each time you shop. Search for the Fox Corner Community Wildlife Area in the listing and then shop in the usual way by clicking on the link to access the retailer’s site and make your purchases as normal. The retailers then give us a percentage donation which would soon mount up and transform our finances! Our Treasurer, Julie Harland, would be delighted to advise you further – her contact details are at the bottom of this letter.
With all good wishes and thanks for your support.
Yours sincerely
Catherine Cobley
Chairman
NB: Tuesday, 4th April – AGM in the Church Room, St Michael’s Church. We hope to have a speaker and details and an agenda will follow nearer the time