APM Minutes 2025
These minutes are in DRAFT form until approved at the APM 2026
Willingham by Stow Parish Council
MINUTES of the ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
held in Willingham by Stow Village Hall on 10th April 2025 at 6.45pm
Present: Cllr D Bingham - Chair, L Brooks-Sleight - clerk and 5 residents
1. Apologies
Received from D Wain and T Clark
2. Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting 2024
The Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 11th April 2024 were approved
& signed as a true and correct record Resolved
3. Chairs Report
First of all, I would like to thank my fellow councillors that have served with me over the previous year for all the time they have put in and our clerk for all her hard work.
This year, we have had several big expensive projects, first was the public footpath from Grange Lane to Stow Rd, we had it dug out and rubber matting laid and then topped with stone which has made a real difference.
Second was the parking area at the cemetery to make it easier for the hearse to park or for visitors. We also fitted 2 picnic tables on stone bases in the Parish Field off Stone Pitt Lane. Also, trimming the trees and bushes in the churchyard and we replaced the planter on the corner of High St/Grange Lane to commemorate the investiture of the King.
Grants wee given to the village playing field to help with the grass mowing and to the church Christmas Tree Display.
Planning has been quiet apart from the Solar which now looks like a forgone conclusion around the village.
I would like to thank home owners who cut the verges in front of their homes, helping to keep the village tidy. Thank you to the people who help to litter pick and our gardeners who look after the planters.
Finally, can I please remind residents to park sensibly on the High St, we have had several incidents lately of blocking entrances and double parking opposite the doctors preventing tractors/lorries from getting through.
Lastly, dog walkers - there are several bins around the village for all dog owners to use and we have applied for more. Please use them and not leave your bags on the verge or in the hedgerows, and please can owners keep their dogs under control especially when walking across the fields where livestock are. Thank you David.
4. Finance 2024/25 Report
This is a report of the 2024/25 Accounts
Balance brought forward from 31st March 2024 was £15599.98 with Barclays Bank.
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Expenditure consists of general admin (salary; insurance; audits; office consumables, and meeting room hire, defib maintenance, subscriptions, newsletter printing)
Ground maintenance consisting mainly of the grass cutting around the village, the new footpath from Stow Rd – Grange Lane, trees at St Helens. “ new picnic benches at the Parish Field with hard standing, and the cemetery entrance harding area.
Property Maintenance - a new flagpole and base, defib electrodes, a new sign at the cemetery,, a planter plaque.
TOTAL EXPENDITURE was £24,889.27
The main part of the Parish Councils Income came from the precept at £14,000.
Other income came from LCC for the grass cutting agreement £732.54, cemetery revenue £975, VAT refund was £2294.55, grant funding of £875 and the parish field rent.
TOTAL INCOME received £19,037.49
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At the end of the year, 31st March 2025, the balance in the Parish Council bank account was £9,748.20
5. Reports from Village Organisations
Reports were read from Willingham Band, Willingham & District Relief in Sickness Charity, St Helens, Foxy Ladies, Village Hall, Village Website, Twining and sent from Bell Ringers, Horticultural Society and Friendship Group.
Willingham Band Report 2025
2025 is the 40th anniversary of the foundation of Willingham Band – John Hicks, who was approaching his 50th birthday, was asked by his wife, Gay, what he would like for his birthday. He pointed out that he’d never actually owned a trombone. Gay took the hint and bought him one.
John’s friend, Bernard Shaw, agreed to teach him to play the instrument. Tenor Horn player David Shaw happened to pass by while John was having a lesson, and offered to join them to make a trio.
Gradually, word spread round the village of the newly formed group of musicians, and before long we had enough instruments to form a decent band, and with John Wilkins as our drummer, we developed a decent sound.
Bernard Shaw was a competent arranger, and wrote most of our early music. Some of it is still on our play list.
The newly formed band rehearsed in Dr. Mundy’s Waiting Room ( almost opposite the Village Hall). We also used Stuart Watson’s barn, and Stow Telephone exchange before settling in the Village Hall.
Our current (and seventh) leader since 2022 is Duncan Chapman.
The band currently comprises a tidy ensemble of ten musicians – a Tenor Sax, 3 alto saxes, 3 clarinets, a flute, a baritone horn, and a trumpet. We would dearly like some more musicians, and we urge any musician to contact us.
The band weren’t too busy last year, though we did take part in the twinning weekend in July, and the Churches Festival in May.
The Christmas schedule, however, was fairly busy, with gigs at the Half Moon, Foxby Hill Care Home, Springthorpe church, Corringham, and the St. Helen’s Nativity Service. Also, busking at Tesco and playing Carols Round the Village raised nearly £400 for the Salvation Army Food Bank.
Wilingham Band hope to continue being a successful band, and an asset to the village .
The Bell Ringers
Normal ringing has taken place on a regular basis throughout the year: practice night on Wednesdays and ringing for Service on Sunday mornings. We have been pleased to welcome ringers from a number of the surrounding villages at our practices and on Sundays and we, likewise, help out at their churches. We are, however, short of ringers from Willingham itself and need to find some new recruits. We are also going to need a new set of ropes very soon, the current ones have lasted for about 20 years. They are expensive so we’ll need to do some fund raising.
Willingham Horticultural Society
The 78th annual show was held in Sept 2024. We were pleased with the participation in the Show – despite the low entry in the veg and blooms classes, climate change is having an effect on growing seasons. As usual the school pupils, Beavers and Cubs gave us plenty of colourful work to admire and we are very grateful to their teachers and leaders. The Show manages to break even financially, thanks to the good offices of the auctioneer and to the generosity of the visitors with the raffle.
During the year Sue Bingham resigned after very many years on the committee, many of those as Chairman. Fortunately we have had a few new members on the committee which eases the workload on the Show days. The 79th annual show will be on Sept 27th 2025. We are hoping for good gardening weather this summer and another good show.
Willingham Friendship Club
The club has continued to meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month, from September until the end of November, and then January until the end of June. The club enables older members (though people of all ages are welcome) to enjoy friendship over a cup of tea and various activities from 2 – 4pm in the village hall, High St, Willingham by Stow.
A varied programme has been offered –This year we have had talks about Airline catering, the work of the Salvation Army and life in the Navy. We’ve had poetry reading, handbell ringing and quizzes. We really enjoyed an excellent Christmas lunch in the Half Moon.
Sadly membership has gone down in the last six months. We are now averaging only about a dozen members at each session, so we would be very pleased to welcome more members.
6. Open Public Forum
The Chair closed the meeting at 7.25pm