DRAFT Minutes from 19-May-2025 Meeting
Potterhanworth Annual Parish Meeting
DRAFT - TO BE APPROVED AT 05-MAY-2026 ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting of Potterhanworth held at The Pavilion, Queensway, Potterhanworth, LN4 2EA on Monday 19 May 2025.
Present: Potterhanworth Parish Council Chair, Sarah Copsey
In attendance: Eddie Findlay, Clerk and Responsible Finance Officer
19 member of the public was in attendance.
At 7:05 pm, Cllr Copsey welcomed everybody and declared the meeting open.
1. Notes of the previous Annual Parish Meeting.
The Clerk was absent for this meeting, and due to technical issues, there was no recording taken. Which means unfortunately, that there were no notes taken to show how the participants updated on the yearly activity of their club/charity/ association.
2. Receive a report from the Council Chair for May 2024 to May 2025.
On behalf of Potterhanworth Parish Council Cllr Copsey welcomed everybody to her first Annual Parish Meeting as Chair. She then introduced Eddie Findlay, the new Clerk, and the Councillors present.
Her report is as follows;
It’s great to have so many different elements of our community here, we would like this evening to be about new meetings, introductions and our lovely village. Sat here are some of the most proactive members of our community and what makes Potterhanworth the special place it is. We, as a Parish Council would like to make sure everyone feels heard. We have approached other local Parish Councils, such as Nocton and Heighington, to discuss/take advice about Local Neighbourhood Plans and other issues.
The last year has been about maximising the facilities at the playing fields and Pavilion, we are getting a pergola put in for summer- providing shade and protection. The park is being inspected weekly, the Pavilion committee have replaced the hedging with a fence, tidier and easier for parents to keep an eye on their children. Thanks to the Pavilion committee for redecorating the Pavilion, keeping it updated. We are working with Lincolnshire County Council to improve drainage to the carpark and tennis court. The Parish Council will pay materials.
The scouting family are building bug hotels near the orchard, planting wild flowers in the orchard and in planters, provided by the PC. We gave grants to St Andrews, Over 60s, Scouts, Autumn Festival committee.
We set up an Easter trail round the village, finishing at The Chequers and they looked to provide a more family based menu, which was trialled over Easter weekend.
In order to make the Parish Council more transparent, we are improving our communication and interaction with village through hard work of communication across village groups. This will be done through websites, Facebook, Sheepwash, Grapevine as well as our Parish Boards.
The Parish Council/Pavilion now has Wi-Fi (thanks to Beer Fest committee who share this cost with us). A dedicated phone and postal address will help improve transitions, smoother handovers - as well as moving to full online banking with Unity Trust Bank- who are much better adapted to working with communities and Parish Councils. I’d like to remind people that we are ringfencing the Youth Club funds of £1000, in case a villager would like to start one in the future.
The Parish Council pays for all the insurances and utility bills for the Pavilion, as well as the grounds maintenance and the seven areas around the village, including the bus shelter and the War Memorial.
The Parish Council successfully nominated the celebrated Ralph Wilford, who was a well deserving finalist in NK Long standing Community Award.
This year we intend to start moving forwards with the tennis courts and multipurpose area. We have a new working party who are keen to start working with the young people, including the school and scouting groups. We will use the Autumn Festival again to try to capture maximum villagers and gather ideas again, to add into our bid for further funding.
There are also thoughts on organising a village Ceilidh. A band has been found, just need to source a venue.
So please remember, we are all here for the best of the village, which runs on community spirit, tolerance, patience, hard work and kindness.
Thank you all for making Potter what it is.
3. Receive an Annual Report on behalf of North Kesteven District Council from D/Cllr Peter Lundgren and/or D/Cllr Paul Turner, if available.
No District Councillors were present and no report had been submitted.
4. Receive an Annual Report on behalf of Lincolnshire County Council from Cty/Cllr Ian Carrington, if available.
Cllr Carrington introduced himself to the assembled and confirmed that following the recent County Council Elections, he was honoured to have been returned to represent the village at Lincolnshire County Council. The future with the direction of the new County Council was unclear, whilst the Reform majority found their feet. It was hope that Highways and Adult Social Care remained a focus for the County Council, whatever colour rosette was in charge.
One concern was the Flood and Water Management Scrutiny Committee was to be disbanded.
5. Local Groups, Charities & Organisations Presentations.
Autumn Festival – Jan Withers
Jan started with thanks to the many of the organisation who help make the Autumn Festival what it is, including the Parish Council, Christ Hospital and the Beer Festival. 13-Sep-2025 was the date for the next Autumn Festival, which along with the usual activities, BBQ, magician, bouncy castle, stalls etc. there would be a different band, the duo ‘Jack and Dan’.
Bee Keeper – Andy Watson
Andy opened with thanks to the Parish Council and for the changes being implanted over the last 12 months. It was a pleasure to see the diversity of the Council members and the positivity they were bringing to village.
He has been keeping bees for 5 years and has two hives. Each Hive could house around 50,000 bees at the height of the summer, dropping down to around 15,000 during the cooler months.
Worker bees (female), Drones (males) and Queens, make up a Hive.
He distributed a number of standard frames used in the hives, where the Queen would lay all her eggs and produce honey.
The Queen and all her attendants live in the lower part of the Hive where the entrance is located is the brood area and then between that and the rest of the box, is a Queen Exclude. This stops the larger Queen from laying eggs in the honey production areas. The reduction in traffic produces good clean honey and the honey can be easily extracted as there is little disturbance to the queen or the brood.
He gave details on some of the various items such as the smoker and how often they should be inspected. He also gave details on when and how, a new Queen is created.
He warned of the dangers of the Asian Hornet and the damage they can wreak on a Hive and gave details on how to report any sightings.
Beer Festival – Simon Matucieuz
2025 sees the Beer Festival celebrate its 17th annual event, with a range of music, food and drinks to cater for all ages.
This year we will start at the slightly earlier time of 3pm with the acoustic duo Jack & Dan, entertaining us between the hours 4:00pm - 5:00pm with a range of music spanning the genres, from the 60s to current date.
The highly acclaimed Charlotte Porter returns, this time accompanied by her band, The Hi-Rollers, with a trip down memory lane, recreating sounds from the 1940s and 50's.
At 7.00pm to 8.00pm we welcome Potterhanworth's local band The Dead Beats to the stage.
Performing a range of Indie, post punk and other great beats.
At 8.30pm to 9pm, for the Rock fans, Gone Shootin’ return, featuring Potter's own Scot Copsey, with some Classic Bon Scott era AC/DC numbers.
Finally we welcome for the first time, The Sound Injectors, playing us all out with some high energy ska, reggae and Motown classics.
Food this year includes local favourite The Lincolnshire fryer with freshly made fish and chips, and Charlie Bobanelli's woodfired Pizza's cooked by local lady, Emily Burns. We are still in the process of organising a further two food vendors, details available soon on our website.
As always, we wouldn't be a beer festival without a fantastic range of local beers, brewed here in the county. There will also be a good range of fine wines supplied by Rob Manfield from Steep Hill wines, and a selection of fine gin's and spirits.
For the drivers, and children, a range of soft drinks and non alcoholic beverages. We are joined this year by the local scout's group, selling sweets and snacks as part of their fund raising endeavours. Please do support them. Local lady Amy will be there too, creating some fantastic face paintings.
2024 Festival was again a successful event, creating a profit of £6,750, and allowing us to support local projects and events. This year, as in previous years we have paid the full annual rent for local groups using the pavilions facilities to the sum of £1,020. We've also contributed £500 to the over 60's annual trip/meal out, and a sum of £250 to the volunteers who produce and deliver the Grapevine.
We have supported the Autumn Festival again this year, giving them £1,200 to pay for the hire of the marquee, and a further sum of £600 to the scouts and £400 to preschool.
All of this would not be possible without the support of our numerous sponsors, which increased in 2024 to a total of 34. Also, the wonderful support of the local community, coming together to enjoy a good night out. If anyone would like to purchase tickets for this year's event, they are available online via our website https://potterbeerfest.co.uk/ or over the counter at Hanworth Park, Willow Farm Shop and Stuart Wallace's Euronic's shop in Branston. Alternatively contact one of the members of the committee, you can find their contact details in the Grapevine or on the Beer Festivals Face Book Page. Thank you.
Christ Hospital.
There was no one available from Christ Hospital so Cllr Copsey just stated that it supports the School, and some of the extracurricular Clubs associated with the School, and the Memorial Building.
Culfrey Lands Charity – Nigel Sarderson.
The Charity runs two Alms-houses in the village as well as a number of fields close to the village. It also supports the School, the Church and helps the “needy” in the Village.
Door and windows had been replaced in the two Alms-houses to provide better insulation for the properties.
Hanworth Park. No one was available.
History Group – Ralph Wilford.
At last year’s Annual Parish Meeting he outlined how the History Group was formed, with 8 or 9 like minded individuals with a shared interest in local history. He highlighted the History Boards which are dotted around the village, and encouraged people to access the Potter Times website. The Groups current project was Potterhanworth’s role in the in the Second World War. Not many people are aware that down Potterhanworth Fen, there was a decoy airfield, along with one at Washingborough, to draw attention away from RAF Waddington. There was a Home Guard in Potterhanworth, who used to assemble at the Water Tower.
He gave details on the Enrolment Register from the School, which was over 100 years old. There was also the Time Capsule, buried in 1900, which had been found at the School, during renovations in 2022.
Pavilion Committee – Keith Orton.
The Pavilion had recently been redecorated, and it was proving to be a very popular amenity for both parties and educational activities. Plans for the coming year, in conjunction with the Parish Council is a wooden structure to provide a shaded area (above the blocked paved area).
Scouts.
A small delegation, including Group Leaders and current Scouts gave a very informative PowerPoint presentation on the short history (formed October 2022 with 8 Scouts and 8 Cubs). The membership now numbered 75, with waiting lists across all age groups. The talk gave details on the wide variety activities, and the current Scouts gave personal talks on what they had been involved in and how they had benefitted from one of the 18 residential camps the Troop had held.
The various Groups were Squirrels (4-5 year olds); Beavers (6–8), Cubs (8–10½), Scouts (10½–14), and Explorers (14–18).
They thanked a number of local organisation for grant monies received which had been to allow them to build up their equipment inventory, which now included a number of tents, cooking equipment and accompanying gas bottles. Plans going forward including more tents and more pioneering equipment. They had supported a number of events, including the Church Fete, Remembrance Day, VE Day, RBL Poppy Appeal, Autumn Festival and War Memorial tidy ups.
There was a call for more volunteers to assist, and more volunteers would allow for more children to attend.
St. Andrew’s Church PCC.
Apologies had been sent in, but they had sent in thanks to the Parish Council who had provided a grant last year.
6. Receive questions from the public regarding Council business between May 2024 to May 2025.
No questions were raised by members of the public.
Signature: YET TO BE APPROVED
Printed Name:
Date: 05 May 2026
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