Friday 26th September 2025
Present: Director: Karen Pilkington and Diane Flynn plus 45 community members
Apologies: Gareth Hart, Mel Tucker, Clive Rowe and Jade Ward
Welcome
Karen welcomed everyone and listed the apologies from The Directors who were unable to attend
Finances
Financial accounts were emailed to members prior to the meeting
Copy can be found here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tJkb6roBlPpozxH0N1brOopl1PGqw8LE/edit
Brief overview:
- The larder sales, donations and events income is £7,778 (unrestricted) and that now pays for Fareshare and the Christmas Meal, so we are sustainable.
- Core funding from The National Community Lottery (NCLF) finishes in March 2027, and no other funding at present
- Finished The National Heritage Lottery Funding, this was for the Blockhouse Folk Project. The Hub is hoping to to go back to them for more funding in Spring 2026
- We received funding from Plymouth Octopus Project (POP) to support the Stoke Network and Safer Stoke. This will continue and help The Hub to develop its relationship with local businesses, churches and schools in the area etc.
- Part of the funding from the NLCF states that we have more groups that are running independently and this includes Stoke in Bloom, which is looking at being constituted and getting its own funding. The Parents of Stoke are also looking to be constituted in the future.
- We received £9,800 from HubBub and this goes towards Makers Monday and Jarsquad. Nic has put in a second bid to help cover the veg that we did receive from Tamar Grow Local (due to cuts this has now stopped). We have lots of tinned items in The Hub, but nice to get fresh.
- Staff is the biggest cost and continues to be. This is covered from The NLCF funding.
- Most staff work part time and we spread the hours out over the week
- Fun Day – this didn’t go as planned which meant we didn’t use the money from The Crowdfunder, so we have ¾ of the costs covered for the 2026 Fun Day. We had funding from Plymouth University Explore Awards which paid to support community members design and do their own research into what people in Stoke were most interested in. It also built relationships between researchers from the South West Peninsula RRDN and community members, encouraging some local residents to take up more training as Community Researchers, which fits into our strategy of growing the community. This is work we would like to continue so all voices are heard,
- End of the year we have a healthy balance of £58,000 in our account – this will cover us until March 2027.
- All staff are on £15.75 an hour with freelancers getting £25/hour
- QUESTION FROM THE FLOOR
(1) Do you have a reserve policy?
(A) We have £14,004 in reserves and this covers redundancy and 2 months of costs
(2) Do you get interest from reserves?
(A) No at present. ACTION: Directors to look into this
Board Recruitment
Three Directors are up for reelection which are Karen Pilkington, Jade Ward and Mel Tucker. No objection from the floor for the above to be reelected.
Four new directors were invited to express interest these are: Beth Moran, Paul Bryant, Tom Proctor and Elle Robson.
Rules for CCBS state we notify of new directors alongside our annual return. This will be September 2026. So new directors have a year to see if they like the role before being added on the Mutuals Society Register.
Information about them can be found below.
Next stage ACTION: Diane to invite all those interested in becoming a Director to the next Directors Meeting.
CLOSE
ACTIONS FROM THE MEETING
- Directors to look at getting interest from our reserves
- Diane to invite all those interested in becoming a Director to the next Directors Meeting. Done 29/9/2025
Potential Directors for The Village Hub:
Tom Proctor
From Plymouth, born in Plumer Barracks that is now the Plymouth City Council buildings that are opposite Farm Foods in Crownhill. Day was a Sergeant in the paratroopers and SAS, mum a nurse and Teddy Girl. Two older sisters and five years after me a baby brother to our new dad who was a Marine at Seaton Barracks, now The Range.
After moving out of council estates West Park and Langley to the folks first own home, opposite Drake gates Saltash Road (mum obviously loved hanging out with those service guys ). I used to walk up St Vincent Street and back daily through Stoke on my way to Devonport High for 5 years before leaving school in 1980 where punk rock shaped my life in bands since 1978 on drums and working in HMV for 6 months on Youth Opportunities Scheme – my taste for working in the music industry.
New dad left the marines and started teaching at Manadon Vale and then Stoke Damerel Juniors (or was it primary?) before becoming deputy head. He had his last teaching post as deputy head of North Prospect.
After floating around Plymouth, hanging outside Virgin Records, making and supervising the cycle track stretch from Bickley, through the tunnel on to Clearbrook and travelling the country playing in and following bands around the country including U2 and The Southern Death Cult, I moved to London up to 1998 when I moved to New Zealand for 22 years.
In London, worked in music industry starting at Rough Trade Records – home of The Smiths, Depeche Mode and on other labels including Jungle Records, Fat Shadow reggae label Pinnacle Records, before helping to start up with two other people Cargo Records first UK branch (a Canadian and US company) where I helped promote now household names The Offspring and Blink 182 among others, lesser know but more punk credible.
Moved to New Zealand, ran my own record distribution company for 13 years but had to get a grown up job because in the age of the ‘pooter, no customers wanted to talk on the phone, only email or fax…I was missing the personal touch. Got a job with P&O Nedlloyd and two weeks after starting, was told the company had been bought by Maersk shipping and was going to be made redundant after a year or move to Auckland.
Got a job with New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants advising students how to become a CA and ended staying there farrrrr too long. Got the next job with Royal NZ College of General Practitioners recruiting new junior doctors to go through the GP college, worst job everrrr.
Moved back to UK in 2020 during lockdown.
Got a house in Stoke. Worked as a volunteer in Cancer Research Stoke Village for a year before working for the vaccination team for the NHS and two other admin posts once the desire to be vaccinated vanished. Did some more volunteer work with CR though not regular while I got my head together.
Currently working towards starting my own music industry charity givingitbackmds.com
Likes – sunny mornings with dogs in it, clear days with dogs in it, live music (dogs at home to go back to), dogs
Paul Bryant
Hi my name Paul I’m the owner of the Cunning Grove, a traditional witchcraft shop and herbal Apothecary here on the village. I’ve been a business owner for over 6 years. However this is my 7th and most successful business.
I have a distinguished career spanning 25 years, first working as a Youth and Community worker before spending 17 years in social care.
I’m passionate about Community, communities coming together, creating cohesion; which in today’s political climate is needed more than ever.
As a business owner in the village, I feel I have an invaluable insight into business development, tends and how that impacts the community.
We are the frontline of the community, conversing daily with the local residents. Plus we also provide services and are the fave of the community for those traveling in.
As a potential Director that means we can utilise the local businesses to ensure the residents are aware of initiatives of the hub. And bring different insights into the trends and behaviour in the village. Especially in areas of safety and crime.
With a diverse range of businesses, culture and people, I feel it’s really important that we market more to locals and visitors how much our beautiful little precinct is!
Especially when we draw upon our friends and partners, from Stoke in Bloom, to the friends of Blockhouse park – there’s so much empowerment and opportunity available.
From a young age I’ve been an Activist, from LGBTQ issues, Human Rights and more now, working to ensure the rights and voices of those with disability and health status are heard.
I value different opinions, and I value the freedom of individual expression and have worked tirelessly to promote and protect those rights.
Safe working and safer practices are at the heart of what I do. Between my own reflective practice and my ability to recognise poor practices or where organisational aims are not being met are exceptional.
Between my natural ability to adapt my communication style and my years in management and open and supportive leadership style. I’m a valuable person to have on the team.
Beth Moran
I am a social worker registered with Social Work England and have lived in Stoke since the mid-90’s. I love the village and have been a follower of the Village Hub for some years. Unfortunately, until now I have not had time available to be involved.
Following my social work role in adult social care services in the city, I worked at the university of Plymouth for 16 years as a lecturer in social work, including being the academic lead social worker and completing a doctorate in education. I have recently taken voluntary redundancy. So, I am now available to be more actively involved in the world of the Village Hub. My career has provided me with many skills which I hope will be of use.
I am very committed to community engagement. The first time I was involved, was as a community worker in the 80’s, working with people in post-mining villages in South Wales. Since then, I have recognised the importance of working together creatively and sharing learning within communities. My career has also included several years working in day services for people with learning disabilities and their families. I believe that working together is key to looking after each other in a society where there is so much disadvantage. This way of being has underpinned my social work practice, as has the importance of social justice and human rights.
Both of my children attended schools in Stoke and I was treasurer for the After School Club in a primary school in the area. I remain connected with the university as an Honorary Lecturer and am an independent social worker.
Elle Robson
Stoke and the surrounding areas have been a part of my entire life- somewhere I hoped one day to raise my own family. As a family, we have accessed, been a part of and celebrated, the support offered by The Village Hub and I genuinely believe that my children have benefited from the community that the hub has initiated. My career and passion has always been developing young people, often through my practice as an artist and educator. I hope to assist the team with a perspective that looks to develop the service for the wider community, with perhaps a focus on families and our community youth
